My cell was vibrating.

The sun was cracking through the curtains. It took me a moment to realize where I was. Floral wallpaper. A four-poster bed. Alexis asleep next to me.

I’d come to Grant House.

I pulled out my phone and squinted at the screen. It was eight-thirty in the morning, and Jacob was calling.

I swiped to answer. “Hello?” I whispered. “Hi. Good morning.”

I rubbed my eyes. “Good morning.” Alexis started to stir.

“I was wondering if you’d like to go to breakfast,” he said.

Huh?

That was a little unexpected. I thought he would feel all weird for a few days. Retreat into isolation like introverts do when they’ve had an unpleasant encounter and that I would have to make first contact.

“I’m not home,” I said. “Oh. Where are you?”

Alexis sat up and yawned into the back of her hand.

“I’m in Wakan,” I said, making an exaggerated pointing motion to the phone and mouthing the word JACOB to let my best friend know who it was. “I’m here for the next few days.”

“Oh,” he said again. And then, “Can I come?” I blinked. “You want to…come? Here?”

“Yeah. If it’s okay.”

Alexis started nodding vigorously.

“But…my friends are strangers,” I said, like he’d forgotten who he was. “You only like meeting people you’ve already met.”

“That’s okay. I don’t mind.” What in the world? “I…sure?”

“Okay. Can I bring my dog? If not, I’ll leave him with Jewel.”

I pulled the phone away from my mouth. “Can he bring his dog?” I whispered.

Alexis nodded.

“Yeah, that’s fine, he can come,” I said.

“Great. Text me the address. I’ll leave in thirty minutes.” And then we hung up.

I turned and stared at Alexis. “He’s coming,” I said in disbelief. She grinned. “I know.”

“Why is he coming? He doesn’t like unfamiliar things. Or places. Or people. Or changes to his plans.”

“No. But he definitely likes you.” She beamed.

I just sat there, shaking my head. This whole thing was baffling, so out of character. Was he trying to show me there were no hard feelings for last night? He could have shown me he was over it with a text. He didn’t have to drive all the way to Wakan.

Maybe he was so distraught over what happened with Amy that he needed a distraction and he didn’t care what it was.

That was probably it. I might not be “the one” for him, but we definitely had a good time together.

No matter what the reason, this was an act of desperation. I felt a little deflated over the thought that him coming was just an extension of the same impulse that made him ask me out last night.

I sighed. “I have to go take a picture of the driveway,” I mumbled, getting up.

“The driveway?” she asked.

“He needs to know where to park. It’s a thing.”