by Judi Lynn
Ansel was six-five of all muscle, but Jarrett was a big man, too. And he didn’t seem to mind starting a fight with someone bigger than he was. He probably fought dirty.
“If he throws a punch, call Gaff,” Ansel said.
It would take Gaff ten or fifteen minutes to get there. By then, the two men could be wading in a blood bath. “I don’t like this idea.”
“Neither do I, but Jarrett is mad enough that maybe he’ll talk. I’d like to know what the heck is going on.”
“It’s not worth a broken nose and a black eye.”
Ansel raised an eyebrow. “I can take care of myself. I played football in high school and one of the guys had it in for me. It didn’t go well for him.”
Jazzi stared. Guys seemed to establish pecking order with their fists. “Did you and your brothers fight a lot?”
“We had our moments, but Ethan, my best friend through middle and high school, was on the wrestling team and took boxing lessons. I sparred with him, one way or another, every weekend.”
All of a sudden, it made sense that Ansel never seemed worried about handling trouble. “Why is this the first time you’ve told me this?”
He shrugged. “It never came up.”
A reasonable answer. She didn’t talk to him much about her two BFFs, Leesa and Suze, either. By the time they pulled near the side of Jarrett’s garage, a CLOSED sign hung in the front window. They climbed the steps to the upstairs apartment and Ansel gave a quick knock.
“Come in!” Brianne’s voice sounded stressed.
Ansel turned the knob and they walked inside. Jarrett was alternately pacing and punching the wall. Brianne was hovering close to him, trying to calm him down. She looked at Ansel and Jazzi. “Help me!”
Jarrett squared his shoulders, glaring at them.
“Can we help?” Ansel asked. “Brianne said it was a mess.”
An understatement. Someone had even slashed the drywall, leaving deep gouges. This was more than a search and trash. It looked like anger and destruction.
When Jarrett didn’t answer, Ansel said, “We’re fixer-uppers. We can help you put up new drywall.”
Finally, the fight seemed to go out of Jarrett. He sagged down on his broken couch and put his head in his hands. “I kept my trap shut all through prison. Figured I was stupid enough to trust people I shouldn’t have. I never expected to see the money when I got out. All I wanted to do was keep my nose clean, my head down, and start over. And this. The owner came up, took one look at it, and fired me. I don’t even have a job anymore. Brianne and I have to move out by April first.”
No fair. It wasn’t Jarrett’s fault someone did this to him. But the owner probably worried that the trouble wouldn’t stop there. She felt sorry for Jarrett for the first time.
Ansel must have, too. “If we fix the place up, will he change his mind?”
“No way. He took a chance on me and it blew up in his face. I don’t blame him. I’m not sure what to do next, though.”
“Let us ask around.” Ansel leaned against the wall. The couch and chairs were all gutted. Their stuffing littered the floor.
Jarrett shrugged. He obviously didn’t hold out much hope.
“Care to tell us who might have done this?” Ansel asked.
Brianne went to sit next to Jarrett’s feet and he absently reached out to rub her back to comfort her. “No clue. I even got together with Ray to talk about it, and we can’t figure it out. He thought the two guys who jumped him were probably ex-cons, doing a favor for somebody. We’re thinking someone on the inside heard that we had money stashed away for when we got out, but who that person would be, we don’t know. Ray doesn’t know where the money is. Neither do I. They shot Ronnie when he couldn’t give them an answer.”
Jazzi believed him when he’d talked to Gaff, and she believed him now. The man looked like every last hope had been knocked out of him. She decided to ask Jerod if his dad needed any help in his garage. Jarrett was no expert like Eli was, but she knew that everyday maintenance needed to be performed on some of the cars there.
At the moment, though, Jarrett and Brianne just needed a bed to sleep in and a place to stay. “We have air mattresses at our place that we could bring over,” Ansel said.
Jarrett shook his head. “We can go to the Salvation Army and buy a used couch, maybe some sleeping bags. We’ll manage for now. But thanks.”
“If you need us for anything…” Jazzi hesitated. She rummaged in her purse for one of their business cards and handed it to him.
He pushed to his feet. “We’ll be all right. Guess we might as well start cleaning up and buy a few things for tonight. Thanks, though.”
There wasn’t anything else they could do. They went down the steps and settled in the van.
“I feel sorry for him,” Ansel said.
“Me, too.” It had taken some of the fun out of going to the party tonight.
Ansel shook his head. “Look. It’s Friday. Let’s have a good time tonight with our friends. Tomorrow, we’ll put our heads together and see if we can help Jarrett out somehow. But that’s tomorrow. For now, we push him out of our mind and enjoy the party.”
A good plan. There wasn’t anything they could do now anyway. Jazzi gave a quick nod. “I’m shifting to spring fling mode.”
“That’s my girl. Me, too.” And they drove home to get ready for a wonderful night of celebrating.
They fed pets and pampered them with attention before going upstairs to get ready. Jazzi took more time than usual with her hair and makeup. Ansel’s phone buzzed and he went downstairs to stay out of her way while she dressed. She decided to wear a dress she’d ordered online—the French Film Star Travel Dress in hunter green—with black heels. It had a touch of glamour she liked and showed off her curves. When she came down the steps to join him, Ansel was wearing a charcoal colored dress shirt with black slacks. The dark colors complemented his white blond hair and blue eyes. At six five with broad shoulders, her Viking could vie for any woman’s fantasy.
“We clean up pretty well.” His gaze never left her.
“The dress dips lower than I expected. Do I look all right?”
“Better than all right. Hon, all of your parts are good. I like looking at all of them.”
She made a pledge to dress up a little more often, he liked it so much. He held his arm out to lead her to the pickup.
On the drive to West Central, Ansel said, “That was Bain who called earlier. He’s starting to take Greta out to eat once in a while so they can talk about Mom and Dad without arguing with them.”
“Is that the only reason?”
“She only comes once a week now to clean and cook a pot of soup for Mom to eat during the week.” He grinned. “She does come to cook supper for Bain once in a while, though, and to visit with him.”
“I bet that gets your dad going.”
“Dad’s on a rampage. He told Bain he’s going soft. First, he moved Stubs into his house with him and now he’s seeing Greta. Greta loves the cat as much as Bain does.”
“Your dad probably sees money going up in flames.”
“That’s what it always comes down to for him. He already told Bain that if he decides to marry Greta just because she’s the only girl who’ll have anything to do with him, he’d better go to a lawyer and get a prenup, because she’s probably just after his money.”
Jazzi laughed. “Dalmar sure has a way of making someone feel special.”
Ansel snorted. “Yeah, he has a knack, doesn’t he? But I’ve been thinking. The big bedroom upstairs would be easy to divide into two smaller rooms with double beds so more people can come and visit.”
She put down her coffee cup. “Your parents?”
“Mom might come. And Adda and Henry. And if things go well, maybe Bain and Greta.”
She couldn’t complain. Ansel wel
comed her entire family every Sunday. She could tolerate his family once or twice a year. She actually really liked his sister and her husband. “The one guest bedroom is way too big. It wouldn’t be hard to make it into two.”
He reached across to take her hand. “Thank you. I know my family’s not as much fun as yours.”
She shrugged. “They’re family. You get what you get.”
He pulled to the curb in front of Reuben and Isabelle’s house. Cars lined the street. He got out and came around the truck to hold the door for her. “No more serious talks tonight. Time to have fun.”
As they walked to the deep porch, Reuben came out to greet them, a drink in each hand. He held them out for them to take. “Cheers, old friends! Fling your cares away. This is a party! To spring’s return!”
And that’s the way the rest of the night went.
Chapter 31
They might have celebrated a little too much. They didn’t even stir until ten on Saturday morning. The pets glowered at them. They rarely slept so late.
Ansel sat up and groaned. He pressed a hand to each side of his head. “What did Reuben put in the drinks last night?”
Jazzi went straight to the bathroom to down two aspirins with a glass of water. She’d only had one glass of Reuben’s concoction, but mixed with the wine she drank, it was enough. Her mouth felt as dry as the Sahara. She brought back two aspirins and water for her Viking. “Reuben’s favorite drinks are martinis. We should have known better than to believe him when he said the drinks were light on alcohol.”
Ansel winced when he tipped back his head to swallow. “They probably were light for him. I’m sticking with beer at his place from now on. I drank water for the last two hours of the party so I could drive home.”
Jazzi had felt pretty good when they left, too. She’d spaced her drinks, but she should have drunk water before going to bed. Talk about being dehydrated!
Ansel gingerly stood up. “I need coffee. Did you set the timer on the pot last night?”
“For nine. It might be cold by now.”
“I’ll nuke mine. Want me to bring you up a cup?”
“No, I’m right behind you.” She stood, too, and the cats raced for the stairs.
When Ansel bent to scoop up George, he grunted. “My eyes hurt.”
She patted him on his glorious fanny on his way out the door. “All we have to do is clean the house and go to the store today. There’s no rush.”
“I want to check on the riding lawn mower, make sure it’s in good shape. I might have to mow soon.”
It wasn’t even April yet. The man and his grass! “Your choice. I’m going slow today.”
Ansel put George down next to his bed in the kitchen. Then he poured them each a cup of coffee and heated them up. Jazzi made toast while he carried the mugs to the kitchen island. She felt a little more alive sipping her coffee, and the toast settled her stomach. They lingered over their breakfast longer than usual. The cats fussed at her and wound around her ankles. She usually fed them first. When she finally rose to divide a can of wet food between them, they settled down. George, who’d patiently waited, came to his dog dish and she gave him a little extra for good behavior.
They took their time straightening things up and were ready to head back upstairs to get ready for the day when Jazzi’s cell phone rang.
Walker sounded annoyingly cheerful. “My mom and Gene can make it to the wedding. One of Didi’s sisters is coming. That’s about it for us. We won’t make a lot more work for you.”
She blinked. “That’s it? Three people?”
“Fine with us. We were just going to go to the courthouse with River. This is three more than we thought we’d have.”
How could he be so chipper on a Saturday morning? She rubbed her left temple. “Can Didi find a dress with such short notice?”
“We did that last night and rented a tux for River, too. Thanks for thinking of us, Jazzi. This is a lot nicer than we expected.”
“No problem. It was Olivia’s idea.”
“Well, we sure appreciate it.”
When she hung up, she felt guilty for ever grouching about it. Walker and Didi felt almost like family, and she was happy for them.
Ansel asked, “They’re only inviting three guests?”
“That’s what they want. We don’t have to buy more of anything for that small of a number. We’d already counted Walker, Didi, and River as guests.”
He nodded and grimaced. “I hope my head feels better by lunch time.”
She did, too. Ansel wasn’t used to sitting around. He’d get antsy and drive her nuts. By the time they finished their showers and got dressed, though, they were both feeling better.
“Do you have a big grocery order this week?” He looked outside at the gray skies. “Maybe we should go to the store before it rains. I’ll help you clean later in the afternoon.”
“Not a bad idea. I want to buy some things ahead for Easter—a twenty-pound ham and a nine-pound prime rib. We can put those in the spare fridge in the basement.” It usually held beer, but there was plenty of room for Easter goodies. Right now, their kitchen refrigerator was full of food for the wedding reception.
Ansel nodded. “Sounds good to me. Easter’s two weeks after the wedding, right? We can stock up a little at a time. Walker and Didi won’t be here for that. They’re driving to his parents’ house.”
Smart man. Their house would be full to the brim again, and he might be ready for something smaller after the wedding.
The air was warm when they walked to the garage, but dark clouds were gathering in the west. They’d have to hurry or they’d get caught in the storm.
Their cart was heaped with groceries when they left the store. It took them multiple trips to carry all of the bags into the house. The cats loved it, racing back and forth to keep an eye on things. George supervised from his dog bed.
They still had more to go when Radley pulled into their drive. He went to the van to help them carry the rest of the things inside. They were on their last load when the first splats of rain fell.
“Thanks, you came at the right time. We didn’t have to get wet.” Ansel went to the refrigerator to get his brother a beer. He poured more coffee for himself. “What brings you on a Saturday?” Radley usually came for their Sunday meal.
“Someone broke into my apartment when I was shopping with Elspeth today.” When Jazzi gasped, he hurried to say, “Nothing’s missing, but then I don’t have much. The burglar dumped everything, though, even my flour and sugar canisters. Elspeth helped me clean everything, but I was wondering. Would you mind if I start bringing her over every once in a while on Sunday? She visits her family in Peru some weekends.”
“Ooh, it must be getting serious,” Jazzi teased.
Radley grinned at her. “She just lost Donovan. She wants to take it slow. I’m fine with that. I can wait.”
It was serious. And it was about time Ansel’s older brothers found some nice girls. She put the milk and new beer in the refrigerator and smiled. “Bring her along. We always have plenty of food.”
“I’ll put extra in the money jar,” Radley told her.
“Just remember my tip.”
He laughed. “I’ll bring an extra quarter.”
“You’re the second house that’s been broken into,” Ansel said, reverting back to the break-in. “Jarrett and Brianne’s apartment got torn apart yesterday.”
“Torn apart?”
“Yeah, the burglar even jabbed gouges in their walls.”
Radley shook his head. “I got off lucky then. He was probably in a hurry. People on my floor work odd hours. They’re in and out a lot.” He pinched his lips together. “Someone new is moving into Donovan’s apartment this week.”
“Is that hard for you?” Ansel put the ham and prime rib on the counter to carry to the basement la
ter.
“A little. Part of why I wanted to stay out of the building more than usual. I met the new guy. He’s nice enough, but it’s going to take a while not to think of 2D as Donovan’s place.” He took a deep breath and blew it out. “Well, I’d better get going. Elspeth’s cooking me supper tonight and I promised to hang a shelving unit for her.”
They waved him off.
Ansel started putting frozen foods away. “I get what Radley said about seeing someone move into Donovan’s. It has to stir up memories.” He flipped on some music while they dealt with the rest of the groceries.
The upbeat songs put them in a silly mood, and soon, Ansel wrapped his arms around her and they started dancing around the kitchen. He dipped her, and they were laughing when Jazzi’s cell phone buzzed. With a sigh, Ansel righted her and turned off the music.
“Hello?” Jazzi answered.
Someone mumbled on the other end and she couldn’t make out what they said.
“Sorry. I didn’t catch that. Can you repeat it?”
“H…lp.” The voice was so weak, she could hardly hear it. She frowned and looked at caller ID.
“Brianne?”
“H…p.” There was a thud when the phone dropped and went dead.
“We’re on our way! Hang in there.” She wasn’t sure if Brianne could hear her. She hung up and told Ansel, “Brianne’s in trouble. She needs us now.”
They zipped out of the house so fast, George didn’t even have a chance to whine. Ansel pushed the speed limit on the way to Jarrett’s apartment and Jazzi called 911. Then she called Gaff. They raced up the outside steps and shoved the door open. Jarrett pulled in beside their van and frowned up at them.
“Brianne!” Jazzi called.
He raced up after them.
Brianne’s body sprawled on the floor, bloody and unconscious, her cell phone next to her outstretched hand. Jazzi knelt beside her and felt for a pulse. When Ansel stared, she gave him a reassuring nod. Jarrett reached to hold her, but Ansel shook his head.
“Don’t move her. Something might be broken. It’s not safe.”
