Read Loved Bayou (Martin Family Book 1) for Free Online

stone-faced expression he wore every time. He cocked his head at me and let out a long, agitated sigh that basically asked what I was doing there.
    I was too nervous to speak right away or even remember why I was there. I glanced down at the dog, who was standing patiently by Jacob's side, before glancing over his shoulder at the open living room. It didn't look like it used to when the Breauxs lived here. There wasn't much furniture at all. It looked like some sort of workshop.
    Jacob adjusted his stance slightly to move in front of my line of vision. "Is there something I can help you with, Ms. Martin?" he asked.
    I glanced at him and wasn't surprised to see that he was still not smiling. It was then that I remembered why I came. I held up that mace bottle and gave it a shake, returning his perturbed expression.
    "This!" I said, triumphantly.
    "What about it?"
    "You, mister, had to trespass onto my property for it to end up on my front porch."
    "Do you have a sign?" he asked.
    I hesitated, wondering for a second if you had to have a sign for it to be considered trespassing. "You don't have to have a sign," I said, even though I wasn't really sure. "And you had to walk right up to my porch to put it where you did."
    "You walked right up to my porch just now," he said, pointing at me.
    "Well first of all, you're gate was open, and you really can't see the sign when it's like that, and second of all, you came up to my house first."
    "My gate was open because I'm expecting a delivery, and I wasn't the one who brought it to your house in the first place."
    My brain latched onto the fact that he was expecting a delivery and I absentmindedly wondered what it was for a second before I realized what else he had said.
    "Did you just say you weren't the one who brought this?" I asked, holding up the mace.
    He nodded, still without a smile.
    "Who brought it, then?" I asked.
    "Your cousin."
    "Cole?"
    He nodded.
    "How'd Cole get it?"
    "I gave it to him," he said as if that was obvious.
    "You saw Cole after I came here last night?" I asked, feeling confused and annoyed, and most of all embarrassed.
    "Yes," he said simply.
    "What was he doing over here?" I asked.
    Jacob tilted his head and regarded me as if he was confused by my inability to quit overstepping my bounds.
    "Seriously," I said, throwing my hands up. "Why are you okay with him coming out here?"
    "Did you really just ask me that?" he asked, after a few second's hesitation.
    "Yes," I said. And in a moment of being really real, I added, "It hurts my feelings for you to keep running me off. I've never had someone just hate me for no reason before, and it makes me feel bad. I barely slept last night."
    "You barely slept?" he asked, skeptically.
    "Yes," I said. "I don't think I've ever had someone just hate me for no reason before, and it makes me feel funny."
    "I don't hate you, Ms. Martin, I just don't want anyone coming out here."
    "Alex," I said. "Not Ms. Martin. And that's what I'm saying… you're fine with Cole coming out here."
    He just stood there and stared at me after I said that. I had absolutely no idea what he was thinking or what he'd say next. There was a lot of shade, and the screen door made things darker, but I could clearly see his light eyes. I could only imagine how bright they would be up close and in the light.
    I sighed and let my shoulders slump a little. "I'm not good at handling rejection, so if you just pretend to like me I'll probably be able to leave you alone. I just don't like to end things with you yelling at me to leave and not come back. That doesn't seem right to me. It leaves me with an unsettled feeling."
    "What, do you need a hug or something?" he asked in a completely serious tone.
    Something about it made me laugh, and I just stared at him as I giggled.
    "Okay," I said. "A hug's a good start, I guess."
    "A start?" he asked. "What do you need after that?"
    I stood there for a second, wondering what it was that I really wanted from him. "Make