Jacob's Game ✅

✯Seven✯ - Axe and Branch

Teresa halted as the word coming from Grandpa Daniel's mouth reached her ear.

"—Harry, You should see how I couldn't stop smiling. I felt so happy. I assure you it won't be long before a baby enters our family." He said with much joy evident in his voice. He paused to listen to the other man on the line, whatever the other man said made Daniel laugh so hard and long. "I'm proud of them."

Those words from him pierced Teresa straight in her heart punching the air out of her gut that she found it hard to stand, she leaned her hand on the door frame to support herself.

Guilt. She felt guilty, not only for lying but also for what she was going to do a while ago. She felt like the devil, like she was about to snatch the happiness from the older man. 

Whatever courage she'd muster disappeared into the thin air. She took a deep breath to clear her head, knowing now she would never reveal whatever pretense was told to the whole family.

In Fact she felt stranded, on one hand she wanted to open up her mouth to reveal the whole truth, which would break the man's heart. On the other hand she felt she could still continue playing along till the week ends, but again the result will also break the poor man's heart. And she has no one to blame but herself. No one forced her into this act, she'd willingly agreed to this, even if there was a twist to the whole thing.

Taking a minute to gather herself, she sensed she wasn't alone, just a few steps behind her, Gideon stood with his hand resting on the island in the center of the kitchen, he had a pleading look in his eyes.

Sighing she lowered her eyes in defeat. But immediately her spine straightened when she heard a familiar voice calling her name outside the house.

Teresa's eye magnetically connected to that of a very sweaty Jacob who had a huge smile on his face, with a look she couldn't explain.

Contentment? Happiness? 

She found herself unconsciously paying attention to other details, as her brown eyes took in the six feet inches of his height. One thing stood out from him. 

He was shirtless. 

Trails of sweat slide down his perfectly sculptured, ripped body, instantly making Teresa's mouth water. She didn't fail to take note of his abs and his impossibly flat stomach.

She gulped at the way her body reacted at just the sight of him nude from the top, as her eyes didn't fail to track the v-line of his waistline of his faded crazy jeans hanging incredibly low on his waist.

She wanted nothing more than to curse out as her gaze returned to his green eyes watching as they shimmer in amazement, and again arrogantly. Teresa mentally cautioned herself for openly gawking at him, knowing that will only boost his ego.

She took note of a huge cracked branch laying on stony ground, with a couple of wooden pieces not too far from it. On his right hand was a large axe he leaned on with his hand on it.

"Teresa dear." Grandpa Daniel's voice snapped her analyzing gaze away from Jacob. She shifted it to the man presently facing her, with a smile on his face, and a reading glass resting on his nose, "come have a seat with me, if you don't mind?" He invited her by pointing his finger to the seat by his right side.

Teresa let out a forced smile, sparing Jacob a brief glance, before walking towards the vacant seat. "Yes. Thank you." She muttered, biting her inner lips from blunting any stupid thing out. She was thankful for the large canopy over their head, shading them from the sun.

Her stomach chose at that moment to grumble again. Teresa gave Daniel a sheepish look as he laughed in complete amazement, before turning to look behind him. "Gideon be kind to also help Teresa here with a meal, since you're stuffing Rachel there with food."