Best Laid Plans

Chapter 11, August, 1992

~Amanda POV~

The swoon of The Black Crowes filled the air of Sparrow as I moved around, dusting, shifting books on the displays, adding new stock to the shelves. It must've been close to midnight. I was belting out "Seeing Things" like it was my entire life. Funny how lyrics can match your spirit coming and going with whatever is happening in your life. I had found strength. I had found life without Roger was better than with him. I had found my smile and the ability to stand on my own. Sparrow was flourishing. And in it all, I became my own woman.

A tap at my door caught my attention, my cheeks blushing over the possibility of being caught singing so far off key, I might've found it again. Jake stood, his body leaning down so as to see below the closed curtain.

"Having a party?" he asked lightly as I let him in.

"Naw, just doing chores," I said as I hurried to the stereo. "You want a beer?"

I held up my two down six pack from the open cooler. He grinned and reached out in answer. I opened my third and took a sip before pausing to listen to the new song roll out of the speakers. Jake grinned. Joe Cocker. Of course. "You are So Beautiful" leaked in the air between us. He laughed as he took a long drink before setting the can aside.

"Come here, beautiful," he whispered, holding his hand out and sweeping me into him.

I was instantly overwhelmed by his warmth, his sounds, the way he hummed and murmured the lyrics. I pressed my cheek to his chest when he brought his fingers up to stroke my hair. Call it muscle memory. Call it a siren call. Call it whatever the fuck you want but I shuffled my feet in between his in perfect time, just like always. My heart was swelling beyond the capacity of my chest. My very soul was crying out for this man that held me for all of two minutes and forty some odd seconds.

We stopped moving as a stupid restaurant commercial started jingling from the speakers. I felt my throat constrict as his fingers pressed into my back. My brows pinched as I breathed in one more time before I moved away.

"I have missed you," he said quietly.

I was sniffling and running towards the counter to hide my emotions behind a tissue. Instead of waffling, I plastered my best smile on and shook off the anxiousness of the moment. When I turned back to him, the only thought that struck me was "I desperately want to be yours once more", but I did not allow the words to dance across my tongue and be spoken into truth. They could remain my dream for now.

"How is Jeanette?" I asked instead, reaching for my can to take a drink.

His mouth scrunched to the side, capturing the hint that 'us' was not a topic to discuss. "She's good. We've gotta get-away coming up after Labor Day. Heading up to Sault Saint Marie. Should be pretty."

I grinned and nodded. "It'll be gorgeous this time of year. Must be getting serious, surely."

I turned to grab my duster and to hide my eyes rolling closed. I may not have wanted to broach the topic of 'us' but I sure as shit did not want to be talking about Jeanette either. I knew they were dating. I knew they might as well be dating exclusively from what the town gossip rags were raging about.

Jake shrugged. "We are just enjoying each other's company, I guess. I don't know." I shot him a questioning look. "Are you serious? Jake, you two have been 'dating' for what, at least 18 months?"

He shrugged again. "She likes how things are right now. It's comfortable."

I nodded as I started getting back to work. He chatted about the pending meetings with the Fall Street Fair committee. Of course, I had been approached to chair the group this year, although I am sure I didn't quite agree to being said chair. It was fine though. I had some ideas to expand things and incorporate a dance to bring in more people to the evening events.