{"id":166,"date":"2015-09-02T02:55:07","date_gmt":"2015-09-02T02:55:07","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/rachelbailey.com\/?page_id=166"},"modified":"2015-09-03T06:31:48","modified_gmt":"2015-09-03T06:31:48","slug":"the-summer-of-jake-excerpt","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/rachelbailey.com\/index.php\/books\/the-summer-of-jake\/the-summer-of-jake-excerpt\/","title":{"rendered":"The Summer of Jake: Excerpt"},"content":{"rendered":"
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The Summer of Jake<\/a><\/p>\n

Read Excerpt<\/p>\n

Reviews<\/a><\/p>\n

Extras<\/a><\/p>\n

Back to Books<\/a><\/p>\n

Buy at iBooks<\/a>, Amazon<\/a>, Barnes & Noble<\/a><\/p>\n

The Summer of Jake is loosely connected to The Finn Factor<\/a>.<\/em><\/p>\n

\"Fun<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n

\n

Chapter One<\/h3>\n

Annalise<\/h3>\n

At five past midday, my phone rang, and\u2014based on the laws of Murphy\u2014I knew it had to be more bad news, so I was glad I hadn\u2019t changed out of my pajamas yet.<\/p>\n

Yesterday\u2019s feat of being fired on my twentieth birthday from my first post-graduation job at Rodrigo\u2019s Fashion Studio, which was admittedly a placeholder job until my own designs hit it big, would be hard to top, but I had faith in Murphy and his bad luck laws to bring it.<\/p>\n

I stood, dislodging onto the floor an unimpressed, stripy cat, half a packet of chocolate-coated licorice, and the dream collage I\u2019d been working on, and answered. \u201cHello?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cAnnalise? It\u2019s Jake Maxwell.\u201d<\/p>\n

My heart stopped stock-still. Unfortunately, my brain simultaneously froze, and my body gave a good imitation of paralysis. Jake Maxwell, surfing phenomenon, son of Australian rock star royalty, and my best friend\u2019s older brother, did not<\/em> call me. We\u2019d never had the sort of relationship that allowed for phone calls. In fact, it\u2019d rarely allowed for one-on-one conversations, which made this call all the more unexpected.<\/p>\n

Probably taking the silence to mean I didn\u2019t remember him, he added, \u201cKelly\u2019s brother.\u201d<\/p>\n

His voice was as deep and smooth as a cup of hot chocolate. Being a chocoholic, I should have recognized that as a warning. I mean, what self-respecting addict doesn\u2019t know the path to hell is paved with chocolate-shrouded temptation?<\/p>\n

Through a remarkable act of willpower, I regained control of my frozen bits. \u201cOh, Jake<\/em>. Hi. Um, how are you?\u201d<\/p>\n

Then, as my brain re-engaged, I realized why he must\u2019ve been calling. \u201cIs it Kelly? Is something wrong with Kelly?\u201d His sister was all we had in common.<\/p>\n

\u201cKelly\u2019s fine. And I\u2019m fine, too, thanks. Truth is, I want to ask a favor. Nothing too extreme.\u201d I could hear a smile in his voice, which made me wary about any favor he could want from me. Jake had always had a way about him\u2014well, a way with me<\/em>\u2014and I wasn\u2019t promising anything without details.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat sort of favor?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cAh, it\u2019s a bit awkward. How about I explain over coffee?\u201d<\/p>\n

I may have been apprehensive, but, honestly, refusal was never the easy option with Jake. Besides, it was just a coffee date. With a gorgeous man. What was not to like? \u201cSure.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWhen do you have time?\u201d<\/p>\n

I paused, but it was more for effect than having anything even remotely resembling a prior engagement. Though my previously frozen bits were starting to warm to the idea of meeting Jake Maxwell again, I didn\u2019t want him to know. That would be handing him too much power. \u201cHow soon do you want to do this?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cToday would be good. Can you meet in an hour?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cUm,\u201d I stalled. Now that my schedule had opened, I had all the time in the world, but I remembered again about handing him the power. \u201cLet\u2019s make it in two hours. At Coffee For You in Bondi Junction. Do you know it?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cSure do. I\u2019ll see you then. Thanks, Annalise.\u201d<\/p>\n

I held the receiver, listening to the tone, playing the conversation back over in my head.<\/p>\n

Jake Maxwell called me<\/em>. Wanted to meet me<\/em>. Until that phone call, I hadn\u2019t been certain he knew more than my name, rank, and serial number. Rank: sister\u2019s best friend. Serial number: 1-8-little-kid.<\/p>\n

That fact didn\u2019t bother me now\u2014well, almost didn\u2019t\u2014but when I\u2019d been an awkward, gangly teenager with a huge crush on my friend\u2019s older brother, the knowledge had been devastating.<\/p>\n

For two summers, I\u2019d tagged along with Kelly to Jake\u2019s surfing practice and occasional competitions, mooning over his bronzed physique, my eyes not even straying to the other competitors. To my sixteen-year-old fanciful imagination, he\u2019d been a love god.<\/p>\n

I remembered him emerging from the surf, brown hair slicked back, muscles pumped up, running across the sand with his surfboard under one arm. He\u2019d often stop at our towels, and Kelly would jump up to congratulate him, throwing her arms around his neck, leaving me blushing in jealous embarrassment.<\/p>\n

Then he\u2019d turn to me, give me one of his slow, seductive smiles, say, \u201cHey\u201d, and jog off to his waiting fan club.<\/p>\n

For those two summers, and the intervening winters, I\u2019d watched Jake, dreamed of Jake, obsessed about Jake.<\/p>\n

I\u2019d been reluctant to tell Kelly at first, but soon found Kelly had a secret of her own\u2014she was just as wrapped up in Jake\u2019s friend Adam. It became a common bond, the mutual need to watch Jake and Adam surf all summer and talk incessantly about them.<\/p>\n

I smiled at the memory. I couldn\u2019t remember ever being as close to anyone as I\u2019d been to Kelly as a teenager, and I supposed, to some extent, I had Jake to thank for that.<\/p>\n

Sighing, I finally hung up the phone. And came crashing back to present-day, appalling reality.<\/p>\n

This was the absolute worst time for a first-ever coffee date with the overachieving, uber-successful Jake. Being fired the previous day had left my ego a little bruised. Not to mention my pockets. The job as an assistant at a designer\u2019s studio\u2014basically, cutting out fabric to make other people\u2019s<\/em>designs\u2014had been useful for making contacts, keeping a finger on the fashion-pulse, and affording groceries.<\/p>\n

Now I had nothing.<\/p>\n

Well, not quite: I had Rover, a cat who, through no fault of her own, thought she was a dog. A bright yellow ancient Mini with half a tank of gas. A pair of slightly disapproving parents. A collage covered in my dreams. And a stockpile of food devoid of nutritious value.<\/p>\n

And I had a coffee date with Jake Maxwell for some unknown\u2014possibly nefarious\u2014reason.<\/p>\n

I looked down at my purple polka dot pajamas, complete with chocolate and licorice smudges, and sighed. It was going to take the full hour and a half before I needed to leave to make myself presentable.<\/p>\n

Part of me wanted to go all out, to knock him off his feet. But the part that had been crushed by his lack of attention in the past wanted to slap the preening part. I wasn\u2019t a kid now, and his voice certainly hadn\u2019t taken on that warm sexiness I\u2019d heard him use with a dozen other girls.<\/p>\n

After a moment\u2019s consideration, I decided to go the whole enchilada. It wasn\u2019t for Jake\u2019s benefit. I\u2019d do as much before meeting anyone. Yes, indeedy.<\/p>\n

After showering, I slipped on my lucky tan skirt with a mint green blouse. The lucky tan skirt worked its magic\u2014I immediately felt more confident. Which was good. One day of wallowing was all I could afford. Tomorrow I\u2019d have to start looking for a new job. Money for rent and cat food had to be my number one priority. And then I\u2019d set about making every one of the things on my dream collage come true.<\/p>\n

I poured some food into Rover\u2019s bowl as she bounced around my feet like the Jack Russell terrier she thought she was, then patted her head, and left.<\/p>\n

It was warm outside with the Australian summer setting in.\u00a0 Despite living in a beachside suburb, I was too far away for a sea breeze. One day I\u2019d live in an oceanfront place.<\/p>\n

Mindy, my yellow Mini, started with her reassuringly familiar rattle-tat-tat<\/em> sound, and I drove the five minutes to Bondi Junction. When I\u2019d parked and locked her door, I paused to absorb the seaside atmosphere. Pelicans and seagulls sat on the streetlights, looking out to sea. The smell of surf spray filled the air. The sounds of waves mixed with traffic created an exciting medley.<\/p>\n

The breeze caught my hair, and I reached to grab it as I made my way toward the caf\u00e9. The feel of my hair in my hand reminded me of one of the biggest disasters of my teens, which, of course<\/em>, was connected to Jake.<\/p>\n

I\u2019d decided my thick brown hair would never catch his attention, so I dyed it blond to emulate the girls he hung around with. I\u2019d known my tall, skinny frame could never fill out a bikini the way theirs did\u2014theirs seemed made<\/em> for bikinis\u2014but at least I could do something about my hair. So, Kelly and I bought a bottle of peroxide, turned the music up loud in my bathroom, and proceeded to turn my chocolate hair into an interesting shade of orange. It was certainly eye-catching. When my mother arrived home, she almost fainted then took me to a hairdresser who dyed it back to chocolate. I\u2019d left it the same ever since, with only a few highlights. Professionally applied<\/em>highlights.<\/p>\n

Walking into the Bondi Junction caf\u00e9, I looked around. He wasn\u2019t there. Excellent. That would give me a few moments to pull myself together. I was feeling decidedly un-together, and I knew it was important not to be carried away by old memories. It\u2019d been a good four years since the height of my crush on Jake-Love-God-Maxwell. In that time, I\u2019d completed a two-year fashion design course, dated other men, and even had a two-year relationship with one. I was definitely<\/em> over Jake. Oh, yes.<\/p>\n

Feeling centered again, I picked up my glass of water and was pleased with the graceful movement I was able to pull off. Unfortunately for the effect, I almost spilled the water when I saw Jake walk in.<\/p>\n

He glanced around the tables until he spotted me then gave me his slow, seductive smile. He looked the same\u2014his caramel hair a little long, shaggy and sun-bleached on the ends, dark eyes, athletic build encased in a gray T-shirt and faded jeans.<\/p>\n

I was sixteen again.<\/p>\n

This was bad<\/em>. I was an adult, for pity\u2019s sake, not some lovesick teenager.<\/p>\n

I gave a little wave, which may or may not have resembled a five-year-old\u2019s, and tried to hide my shock when he kissed my cheek before slipping into his seat. Several patrons of the cafe were watching us, probably having recognized Jake.<\/p>\n

\u201cAnnalise Farley.\u201d Jake grinned, and his eyes captured mine. I was a rabbit caught in headlights. \u201cI don\u2019t think I\u2019ve seen you since Kelly\u2019s wedding last year.\u201d<\/p>\n

Yes, the wedding\u2014the less said about that, the better. I wrenched my eyes from his to focus on my water glass. \u201cMmm, it\u2019s probably been about that long. Kelly and I drifted a little after she married Adam. And my designs take up so much of my spare time, it hasn\u2019t left room for much else.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cFrom what I hear of your talent, I\u2019m glad you\u2019re spending time on your own work.\u201d He picked up a glass and watched me over the rim as he drank, ice-cubes clinking.<\/p>\n

\u201cHmph.\u201d I wrinkled my nose. Having repeatedly heard him use his smooth talk on women, I didn\u2019t believe him for a second. \u201cHow could you know that?\u201d<\/p>\n

He shrugged, a teasing glint in his eye. \u201cI have my sources.\u201d<\/p>\n

The waitress arrived to take our orders, and I allowed myself a sidelong look at Jake. He was still as gorgeous as he\u2019d been at nineteen when he broke my heart\u2014without even realizing it, because I\u2019d been so invisible to him. Now, not only were we alone in a coffee shop, but he seemed to know about my fashion design work. Maybe he was more observant than I\u2019d realized?<\/p>\n

\u201cHow\u2019s Jake Maxwell Surf going?\u201d I asked after the waitress had left.<\/p>\n

Unlike me, he wasn\u2019t surprised that I\u2019d been following his career. Or maybe he just realized his career was public knowledge. \u201cGood. Great, really. I\u2019ve got three JMS stores now, each with a surfing school, a retail outlet, and a board manufacturing operation. The main office is still here in Bondi, with the administration and board design section.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWow, that does sound great.\u201d Great, but predictable. Jake was destined to succeed at whatever he tried.<\/p>\n

\u201cIn a way,\u201d Jake said, \u201cit\u2019s the business that\u2019s brought me around to asking you for a favor.\u201d<\/p>\n

He looked at me with puppy dog eyes\u2014and with those eyes of darkest brown, the effect was fairly significant. And I bet he knew it. Time to focus. I needed to be absolutely on my guard. \u201cSo, what\u2019s the favor?\u201d<\/p>\n

He leaned back in his chair, linking his hands behind his head. \u201cI\u2019ve met my future girlfriend.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cOh?\u201d There was that strange freezing thing again. Twice in one day was probably bad.<\/p>\n

\u201cScarlett, one of the receptionists from the law firm that handles JMS.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cOh.\u201d Maybe I should check these symptoms with a doctor\u2014paralysis of body parts could be a precursor to a stroke.<\/p>\n

\u201cYeah, only problem is she\u2019s pretty classy.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cOh?\u201d Yep, brain, heart, hands\u2014everything seized. I prayed I wasn\u2019t going to have a stroke there at the table. Although, the mouth-to-mouth might make it worthwhile\u2026<\/p>\n

\u201cAnd I\u2019m not. I\u2019ve always been a bit laid-back. More worried about catching the first waves of the morning than remembering to shave.\u201d He ran his hand over his day-old stubble to prove his point.<\/p>\n

My eyes followed his hand as if it were a hypnotist\u2019s pendulum. I couldn\u2019t believe there was one thing about Jake Maxwell that needed changing. He was already so sexy that it was an effort to drag my eyes away.<\/p>\n

\u201cThing is,\u201d he continued, \u201cI want to make a move on her, but I think I\u2019m a bit too rough around the edges for her taste.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cOh.\u201d If someone had asked four years ago how I\u2019d react to this news, I\u2019d have said \u201cpanicky.\u201d But instead, a strange hollowness spread through my chest, engulfing my insides. Was that another symptom of a stroke?<\/p>\n

\u201cWhich is where you come in.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cOh?\u201d And what had happened to my vocabulary? I was sure I\u2019d had one earlier.<\/p>\n

\u201cI want you to help me clean up a bit. Not too much, just what fork to use first at dinner, maybe some clothes to wear places other than the beach, that sort of thing.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cOh.\u201d Vocabularies probably froze before a stroke, too. I was sure I\u2019d read that somewhere.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou haven\u2019t said anything other than \u2018oh\u2019 for a while now. Should I take that to mean you\u2019re not interested?\u201d<\/p>\n

Not interested? My teenage crush appeared to have come back in force, just in time for him to tell me he\u2019d met someone else. \u201cOut of curiosity, is she blond?\u201d<\/p>\n

He frowned. \u201cHow did you know?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cJust a guess. Jake, why are you asking me? You barely even know me.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cOf course I know you. Practically watched you grow up. Besides, you\u2019re the most sophisticated woman I know.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYou think I\u2019m sophisticated?\u201d The words fell out before I could catch them.<\/p>\n

\u201cYep.\u201d He grinned. \u201cAnd Kelly told me about your job working for that big fashion designer\u2014you\u2019re the perfect person to help me. Besides, I have eyes\u2014you wouldn\u2019t look out of place modeling some of those designs.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cOh.\u201d The pleasure of finally being complimented by Jake was greatly outweighed by his earlier comment that Scarlett was blond. And did it have to be a Scarlett<\/em>? That name spelled trouble. I knew from experience.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe\u2019re back to \u2018oh\u2019, are we?\u201d<\/p>\n

I tried the remarkable willpower thing again on my brain, but ended up having to shake my head to get it to work. His plan sounded fabulous. Except for that teensy<\/em> detail of helping him attract another woman while in the midst of my newly re-surfaced teenage crush. That<\/em> part wasn\u2019t quite so fabulous. \u201cI\u2019m not sure.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cSay yes, Annalise. It\u2019ll be fun.\u201d<\/p>\n

His gaze was so confident that I realized he was positive I\u2019d agree. Of course. This was The World According To Jake, where everything always worked out just the way he wanted. \u201cWhy would I consider this, let alone agree to it?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI was hoping you\u2019d ask that.\u201d He lifted one eyebrow the way only movie stars were supposed to and grinned with cocky self-assurance. Damn, even his cockiness was sexy. \u201cI\u2019d owe you<\/em> a favor.\u201d<\/p>\n

A favor? I considered asking if he had some grocery vouchers in his back pocket or maybe a spare room for a girl and her stripy cat. But then I realized something. This man was rich and needed something from me. And<\/em> he owned shops. I<\/em> designed things for shops. This could be the break to kick-start my career. My whole body snapped to attention.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat sort of time frame do you have in mind?\u201d<\/p>\n

He leaned back in his chair in a lopsided slouch, one shoulder higher than the other. \u201cI\u2019ve got two weeks to get ready for a dinner Scarlett\u2019s company is holding for \u2018valued clients\u2019. That\u2019s where I\u2019ll make my move.\u201d<\/p>\n

At the mention of Scarlett again, I wavered, weighing my options: starvation\u2026 Handing Jake to a blonde. Starvation\u2026<\/p>\n

\u201cOkay, here are my terms. You pay me an hourly consultant\u2019s fee. You also take on two of my casual wear designs in your retail outlets. If they don\u2019t sell, you cut them. If they do, you increase the number of designs.\u201d<\/p>\n

He tapped an index finger on the table. \u201cI have a buyer who chooses what goes in the shops, but I\u2019ll pay you the consultant\u2019s fee.\u201d His smile crinkled the corners of his intense, dark eyes. He was laying on the full charm, and even the knowledge it was aimed at getting another woman didn\u2019t give me immunity.<\/p>\n

But, feeling the thrill of the negotiation, I decided to flex my business savvy. \u201cHave you considered trying a charm school for this?\u201d I bit down on a grin at the irony\u2014like he needed<\/em> more charm.<\/p>\n

\u201cNope, I want you. Please?\u201d His bottom lip nudged out almost imperceptibly.<\/p>\n

He must have practiced that move a lot over the years, because he was exceptionally good at it. I didn\u2019t have a choice. If he\u2019d asked me to sing \u201cI\u2019m a Little Teapot\u201d standing on my head, I probably would\u2019ve done it. Especially after hearing those three little words on his lips: I want you<\/em>.<\/p>\n

I was about to settle for his compromise when our coffees arrived. I sighed in relief at the familiar aroma wafting toward me\u2014since Jake had kissed my cheek, I\u2019d only been able to smell his blend of surf spray and masculine skin.<\/p>\n

Coffee was far safer.<\/p>\n

I took a sip and, free from the snare of his persuasive gaze, I regrouped and plotted my next move. I needed more than Jake\u2019s compromise\u2014I wanted the whole shebang. Getting my designs in shops had to be my number one priority.<\/p>\n

\u2026<\/p>\n

Jake<\/h3>\n

Under the guise of taking a sip of coffee, I took a good look at Annalise. I hadn\u2019t spoken to her much when we were younger\u2014she\u2019d just been my kid sister\u2019s friend. Sure, with that long hair and ocean-green eyes, she\u2019d always been good looking, but I\u2019d realized at Kelly\u2019s wedding she\u2019d become an absolute stunner. So good that thoughts about kissing her had crossed my mind when we\u2019d done the best-man-maid-of-honor dance at the reception. Of course, we\u2019d both had dates, and kissing my sister\u2019s best friend would have been stupid. But still, if I had to have help now, it may as well come packaged in a body like hers.<\/p>\n

Smiling, I sat back in my chair and waited.<\/p>\n

\u201cEven if I wanted to agree,\u201d Annalise said, seeming to choose her words with care, \u201ctransforming you for this Scarlett<\/em> will take time away from marketing my designs to other shops.\u201d<\/p>\n

I met her eyes squarely. \u201cKelly\u2019s told me your designs are great, and she\u2019s even shown me a couple of things you made for her, so I know they\u2019re good, but it\u2019s not my area. Tracey, my stock manager, would freak if I upset her plans.\u201d<\/p>\n

Tracey was pretty easygoing, but I\u2019d never interfered in her area before.<\/p>\n

\u201cI guess that\u2019s the advantage of being the boss,\u201d she said, fluttering her lashes. \u201cYou get to make decisions.\u201d<\/p>\n

A grin threatened, but I wouldn\u2019t let it out. Instead, I acknowledged the hit with a tilt of my head and brought my attention back to the negotiating table. Well, the speckled Formica table. \u201cOkay, I\u2019ll pay the hourly consultant\u2019s fee and take one design.\u201d<\/p>\n

Annalise took a sip from her cup then set it down carefully on its saucer. \u201cJake, I\u2019d love to help you, really I would, but I parted ways with my job yesterday, and I need to prioritize. I only have enough kitty litter to last until next week. I need to be 100 percent focused on kick-starting my design business.\u201d<\/p>\n

This time, I couldn\u2019t help myself. I grinned. Annalise was adorable when she bargained. Spending time with her was going to be fun\u2014I was glad I\u2019d picked her. Not that there had been anything scientific in the choice. My female friends tended to dress as casually as I did, and I didn\u2019t want to ask anyone who worked for me in case they felt uncomfortable telling the boss what to do. My mother and sister would take far too much pleasure in making changes, and it would probably have snowballed until they were offering opinions on everything.<\/p>\n

I\u2019d needed someone I knew well enough to trust they knew what they were doing, but was removed enough that they wouldn\u2019t either be intimidated or getcarried away. Annalise was perfect. When we\u2019d danced at Kelly\u2019s wedding, she\u2019d outshone every other guest, but we\u2019d never had anything more than a few basic conversations. Just the combination I was looking for.<\/p>\n

And so, there was really no other decision to be made about her demands.<\/p>\n

\u201cOkay, two designs and the consultant\u2019s fee. We can\u2019t have you short on kitty litter on my account. But as to whether they sell well and JMS increases the lines, all future negotiations need to go through Tracey.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cOkay, deal.\u201d She looked all polite pleasure on the outside, but her eyes were shining with excitement. It was sweet.<\/p>\n

\u201cHow about you come over to my place at ten o\u2019clock tomorrow morning? We\u2019ll work out our plan of attack then.\u201d<\/p>\n

Her eyes widened a fraction. I\u2019d obviously caught her by surprise, but then she nodded. \u201cSure.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cAnd to sweeten the deal,\u201d I said, \u201cyou can still ask me a favor.\u201d<\/p>\n

She flicked her wrist. \u201cNo need. I already asked, and you gave.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThat was a business negotiation. A fair trade. This is a personal favor. So\u2026what do you want?\u201d<\/p>\n

Suddenly, there was something extra in her gaze, an awareness, and my blood began to hum in response. Maybe Scarlett wasn\u2019t the one I should be focused on\u2026<\/p>\n

I drew in a sharp breath. Nope. Annalise was attractive, sure, but I couldn\u2019t screw around with Kelly\u2019s best friend. My sister\u2014and mother\u2014would kill me when any fling with Annalise ended. And it would end, because I didn\u2019t do long-term. It was in my genes.<\/p>\n

Everyone knew the apple never fell far from the tree, and every person in Australia knew what a rotten tree my father had been. Sleeping around on his wife, not bothering to hide it from the gossip magazines, not turning up for gigs because he\u2019d found something\u2014or someone\u2014more interesting, disappearing for weeks at a time, leaving people worried and searching for him, only to reappear, wondering what all the fuss was about.<\/p>\n

He usually realized his mistakes later, begged for forgiveness, and was forgiven all in time to make the next lapse in judgment. By the end, he\u2019d been so drunk all the time, the band couldn\u2019t tour. He\u2019d managed to destroy his own career.<\/p>\n

Sure, I\u2019d never make those exact mistakes, but I had the same restless spirit, the same inability to make a relationship work. The principle was the same.<\/p>\n

Luckily, Kelly hadn\u2019t taken after our father at all\u2014she was our mother all over, from her looks to her good heart\u2014but I\u2019d long ago accepted that my genes were stacked against me.<\/p>\n

Annalise glanced down at her watch. \u201cI need to get going,\u201d she said, clearly avoiding the question about a favor.<\/p>\n

The smart thing would be to let her, and, for one of the rare times in my life, I did the smart thing. After scribbling down my address on a napkin, I pushed the chair back and stood. \u201cSee you tomorrow.\u201d<\/p>\n

She smiled and waved. As I strode out of the cafe, I had to wonder if I\u2019d been wrong. This entire plan might not have been the smart thing.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

The Summer of Jake Read Excerpt Reviews Extras Back to Books Buy at iBooks, Amazon, Barnes & Noble The Summer…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"parent":150,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/rachelbailey.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/166"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/rachelbailey.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/rachelbailey.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/rachelbailey.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/rachelbailey.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=166"}],"version-history":[{"count":6,"href":"https:\/\/rachelbailey.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/166\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":240,"href":"https:\/\/rachelbailey.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/166\/revisions\/240"}],"up":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/rachelbailey.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/150"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/rachelbailey.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=166"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}