Page 68 of Love Unbound
Jodi chewed on her lip. “I got drunk on tequila last night.”
Tessa rolled her eyes, throwing out one hip as she crossed her arms over her middle. “Is that why you look like shit today? Because you’re hungover?”
“I’m fine,” Jodi repeated sourly.
“And I’m the Queen of England,” Tessa snapped, though she turned away from Jodi. “Go home and sleep. Get something,anything, to eat.”
“I don’t need babysitters,” Jodi muttered bitterly to her friends back.
“Obviously you do!” Tessa bit out over her shoulder as she walked away. She made a half turn and snapped, “Because whateverthisis—” she waved at Jodi as a whole, “—needs to stop. Either call him or get over it. I’m tired of walking on eggshells around you and I’m tired of worrying myself sick over you. I understand that you’re sad, and I hate that I can’t help you. But starving yourself and refusing to sleep isn’t doing you any good either.”
Jodi’s eyes pricked with tears, the words harsh, but true.
“Go home,” Tessa repeated as the bell over the door of the shop rang, signaling that a customer had just entered. Tess walked up the narrow aisle between bookshelves, welcoming the customer when she got close.
Jodi walked to the front, where Tessa was showing the customer a row of books, regaling them with details of the new series they’d just put out that morning. She picked up her purse and slid it over her head, then nodded to Tess, who gave her a small smile and nodded back. She left through the front door, starting the walk around the block to her Jeep.
Jodi dug her phone out of her purse and found Free’s number, staring at it for a long time, trying to garner the courage to press the call button. Three weeks and not a word from him, no call, no message, just crickets.
But she was a chicken, a cowardly little chicken, so she pressed the back button and dialed the familiar number.
Serenity answered on the third ring. “Hi, sweetheart. Why aren’t you at work? Are you okay?”
“I’m fine,” Jodi lied as she walked slowly. Late September had arrived, the air outside mild enough to warrant a long-sleeved shirt when in the shade, but warm enough in the sun to warm her bones. The leaves on the trees all around had begun their slow change into bright yellows, golden oranges, and crimson reds. Downtown shopping had slowed as fall arrived, the summer vacationers having returned to wherever they came from, leaving the locals to their hometown once again. The sidewalks were nearly empty even on a Saturday compared to the hustle of the summer months. “Tessa kicked me out for the afternoon.”
Jodi sensed her mothers concern even through the silence on the other end of the line. She sighed. She hadn’t realized how worried everyone was, and she felt a twinge of guilt.
“Why don’t you come over? We can have lunch,” her mother suggested softly, her voice gentle, no trace of judgment or pity in it.
Jodi smiled and said, “Okay. I’ll be there in a few.”
She made the short drive and then climbed out of her Jeep after parking next to Serenity’s car in the driveway. She climbed the steps to the wide front porch and walked through the front door, finding her mother in the kitchen. A large pot of homemade butternut squash and sweet potato soup simmered on the stove, which smelled heavenly, making Jodi’s stomach growl. She hadn’t realized just how hungry she was.
Seren must have heard it, because she laughed, then pointed to one of the barstools on the other side of the kitchen counter. “Sit down, I was just about to ladle it up.”
She walked to the kitchen door, calling up the wide staircase beyond to Fallon, who flounced down moments later, before stepping toward the stove.
Fallon swung into the seat directly beside Jodi, and she watched her mom as she wandered through the kitchen, ladlingup three heaping bowls of her favorite fall soup. Today she wore a pair of loose linen pants in an olive green, with an oversized, chunky sweater that dipped off one narrow shoulder. Her long, dark hair had been secured with a claw clip on the back of her head, tendrils framing her face where they’d escaped the clip. Jodi never failed to appreciate how beautiful her mother was and knew her father did as well. Seren sliced up a fresh loaf of bread, then brought the three bowls and the platter of bread to the island counter where Jodi sat.
She dug in, dancing slightly in her seat. It was delicious.
As they ate, Jodi asked Fallon how the first few weeks of high school were going. Fallon regaled her and their mother with wild tales that had Jodi laughing, which felt good.
After they’d finished the meal, Fallon cleared away their bowls and the platter that had once held the bread and mentioned algebra homework that was due the following Monday. She disappeared through the kitchen door and Jodi heard her climb the stairs to her bedroom.
Jodi sighed, leaning back in the comfortable bar chair. When she did, she noticed a bucket of cleaning supplies on the ground by the door. “What’s that for?”
Her mother motioned outside, toward the barn with the loft apartment. “Your dad has a new hire coming into town tomorrow, we told him he can stay in the loft until he finds something more permanent. It hasn’t been rented in a while and I need to go in there and get it cleaned up.” She stood, walking over to the bucket of supplies and held out a pair of cleaning gloves. “I could use an extra pair of hands, if you’re looking for something to kill time.”
Jodi chuckled. “Sure, Mom.”
The two of them stepped out of the front door, walking together the distance that stood between the main house and the barn. A flight of stairs ran up the exterior of the barn, up to theloft apartment above it.
As Jodi and Serenity entered, memories flooded Jodi. She hadn’t been back in since the night Free had kissed her that first time, since the night he’d left so long ago. The curtains were drawn over the few windows along the only outward facing wall, and heavy sheets had been placed over the couch and the bed after it had been made clear that Free wasn’t returning.
She still remembered the way he’d looked at her, as if in agony, even as he’d pulled her to him, crushing her mouth beneath his in that first, fiery kiss. The way his body had felt against her, the way his hands felt as they moved over her. She’d thought then that she’d die of this new desire he’d awakened. How little had she known of what wonderfully sinful things he could do to her.
Tears stung her nose again, and she covered it by pretending the dust had gotten to her as they peeled the sheets off the couch and bed.
