Page 78 of The Coppersmith Farmhouse (Jamison Valley 1)
“Oh,” I grumbled. “I guess that makes sense.”
The waitress came over and took our orders while Jess told me about his day. We were so wrapped up in our conversation that we jerked in surprise when Wes Drummond slipped into our booth. He slid right next to me, pushing me further toward the wall and trapping me in.
Before Jess or I could say anything, he held up both hands and said, “No trouble, Brick. I swear.”
“What do you want, Wes?” Jess asked through a clenched jaw.
Wes scrubbed both hands over his face and then ran them through his hair, making it stand up in all directions. “Nothing. Shit, I don’t know.”
Wes wasn’t clouded with his usual air of confidence and defiance. His eyes were clear. Bloodshot, but not glassy like I’d seen before.
“Wes, we’re not talking with Georgia here,” Jess said.
Wes ran his hands through his hair again before saying, “I called Lissy.”
Jess’s face turned hard as stone. I wasn’t sure who Lissy was but the fact that Wes had called her was clearly not something Jess liked.
“Stay the fuck away from her. Don’t fucking call her. She’s gone. A memory for you. Don’t pile your shit on her.”
“I miss her. Fuck. I just needed to hear her voice. Get some perspective. Shit is coming down fast.”
Wes’s rambling made no sense and I hoped Jess understood.
“Wes, we gotta talk about this somewhere else. You gotta come clean before that shit crashes down on your head,” Jess said.
“Can’t. He’s closing in, Brick. Crazy as fuck. Not just about money. Wants the town. Power. He’s obsessed. Fuckin’ smart.” Wes talked without looking directly at Jess. His body squirmed and he bounced in the seat.
“Who? Who is, Wes?”
Wes flinched at Jess’s question. It was like a light switched on and he realized where he was. As quickly as he’d come into the booth, he slid out, mumbling, “Sorry.” A few long strides, and he was out the door.
I didn’t know what to say so I just sat there. I wanted to ask who Lissy was and who she was to Wes but didn’t dare break the silence. Jess was pissed and needed a minute to calm down.
His hands were fisted on the table and he was staring down at the space between them. He stayed silent until the waitress brought us our food.
“Fuck,” Jess muttered.
I reached out my left hand and covered his right fist.
He forced a smile. Only one side of his mouth tilted upward.
I started to take my hand away but he grabbed hold before I could. Neither of us had anything else to say after that. We just ate our dinners with one free hand. Him using his left, me using my right.
Walking out of the café, I asked Jess to take me to his place. I was curious and had been looking for an excuse to visit. Without Rowen, tonight was perfect. He always spent the night at the farmhouse and it seemed strange that we’d been dating for this long and I hadn’t been there yet.
“It’s not much, Freckles,” he said.
“I don’t care. I just want to see where it is. What it’s like.”
We drove away from the café and headed toward the side of town closest to the river.
Four blocks from Main Street, we turned into a cul-de-sac. The homes all matched, every one with a similar layout but all in different colors. A couple of them had large garages at the back. One had a big swing set in its fenced yard.
Of course Jess’s house would have a big garage. It wasn’t as huge as mine but it certainly wasn’t small. His was a typical garage with a big white door. Garagey.
The house was a single story plus a basement. The yard was well kept, but there were no accents. No flowerbeds or planters.
Jess unlocked the door and pushed it open, letting me walk in first.
