“Yes, sir,” Wes said.
I slapped my hand to Wes’s face and he stumbled to the right with an umph sound.
“Holy shit,” Elijah said.
“That was barely a slap,” I said with a grin.
Wes rubbed his cheek and blinked fast. “Tell Julia I said hey.”
“What?” I asked.
“You think you’re rushing out of here that fast just for a regular broken down car?” Wes asked.
“You have no idea what you’re talking about.”
“There’s eyes everywhere in this town too,” Wes said.
“Wes, if I decide to hit you for real, I’ll make it so you never talk again,” I said. “That means no more lip locking with Aira.”
“I’m just going by what I heard,” Wes said with a shit eating grin that rattled me to my core.
He looked like me when I was his age.
Talked the same too.
Acted the same.
And was madly in love in the same way I was too.
Which was why I could never talk to him about his relationship with Aira. I had no leg to stand on when it came to that. Other than the ending. And even then, Wes was too stubborn to realize that sometimes things in life just changed.
I walked toward the front of the garage and looked out to the lot.
I rubbed my jaw.
This goddamn town could never keep its mouth shut.
But the best part of it was everyone seemed to have a secret.
And it had always been that way.
Waiting for everyone’s secrets and dirt to come out.
I left the garage and got on my motorcycle.
With one place in mind to visit.
I wasn’t in the mood for coffee, but I’d buy some if need be.
* * *
I could have parked right out front. And walked through the doors like a normal customer would do. Walk to the counter. Wait my turn. Place an order for something simple like a black coffee or get extra fancy like everyone else seemed to do, speaking in another language to order a decent drink with caffeine.
That wasn’t my style.
At least not today.
I cruised around to the back of the bakery.
When I saw Julia’s car sitting there, I shook my head.
I already knew the story.
She had left to go do something for herself. She ran out of gas and called me for help. I helped her. We got into a little thing which ended with her telling me to fuck off and throwing me the middle finger.
Typical Jett and Julia.
But I knew Julia.
She got about a mile down the road and somehow justified it in her mind that the universe made her run out of gas because she left the bakery. So she turned around and drove right back to make sure things were okay there.
I climbed off my ride and the back door to the bakery opened.
Out stepped a woman I had never seen before.
She stretched her neck and then reached back and fixed her black hair.
She looked around and reached into her pocket and took out cigarettes.
As she lit one, she finally looked at me.
I walked toward her and nodded my head.
She took a drag and lifted her eyebrow.
“Something wrong?” she asked me.
“I’ve never seen you before,” I said.
“I’m a secretive person,” she said.
“You’re the one helping Julia run the place,” I said. “That makes some sense.”
“And you are?”
“Can you let her know that Jett is here?”
“Jett? Like an airplane?”
“Haven’t heard that one before,” I said.
“Sure,” she said. “I’ll just jet inside and get her. Even though it’s my break.”
“I’ll make sure you get another one,” I said. “I promise.”
“Can I at least finish my cigarette first? These aren’t cheap.”
“They aren’t healthy either.”
The woman gasped. “Haven’t heard that one before.”
I nodded. “Well played. Tell you what. Finish your smoke. Have another too.”
I stepped toward the door and the woman side stepped. “Whoa. Wait a second. What are you doing?”
“Look. Sweetheart. You have no idea who I am. Who Julia is. My guess is you’re wondering why the hell she came back so soon, right?”
“No. She ran out of gas.”
“I brought her the gas. She never paid me for it.”
“You’re not going to hurt her, are you?”
“No,” I said. “She’s expecting me.”
“That’s a lie,” the woman said.
“Enjoy your smoke, sweetheart.”
I stepped into the back of the bakery.
I walked to the office and turned as Julia’s phone buzzed on the desk.
She was slightly bent, staring at a laptop screen.
My eyes danced along the familiar curves of her body. The ones that always had a way to fuck with my heart and head. Smashing both together like I threatened to do to Wes and Elijah’s heads.
Julia reached for her phone and read the text message she had just gotten.
Then she quickly turned and gasped when she saw me.
“Jett.”
“Hey.”
“Whitney just texted me.”
“Whitney?”
“She should be outside on her break…”
“Oh, the pretty girl smoking a cigarette.”
Julia curled her lip. “Yeah. That’s her.”
“She’s the one helping you around here, huh?”
“What do you want?”
“You never paid me back for the gas, sweetheart.”
“Is that so?”
“Yeah. I mean I was thinking about it… and since you don’t like taking help… and it was pretty clear you got upset with me helping you…”
“You thought it would balance things out by having me pay you for the gas,” she said.
“Exactly. Keep things even. I’d hate to see you get upset again.”
“You want me to not get upset again? Then get out of here.”
“What? This isn’t the first time I’ve had to sneak in through that back door to see you. Right?”
I smirked.
Julia tried to look angry but her cheeks flushed.
She opened a drawer at the desk and took out a black box.
She dug through the messy pile of papers on her desk, obviously looking for a key to get into the box.
I jumped forward and put my hand to hers. “I’m not serious, Julia.”
“I am,” she said.
“Why’d you come back here?”
“Excuse me? I own the place.”
“You were going somewhere. Then you came back.”
“Why’s it your business, Jett?”
“You ran out of gas, sweetheart. That’s not a sign from the universe to rush back here.”
“Who the hell do you think you are?” Julia asked. “Plus, if I didn’t come back, you’d be out there flirting with Whitney some more.”
I grinned. “You’re still adorable when you get jealous.”
“Me? Jealous? Of what? You?”
“What are you doing later?”
“None of your business.”
“I’m trying to make it my business.”
“Why?”
“You said we could have a time to rip each apart. Or me rip you apart. Right?”
“I was just being nice. I needed you.”
“So you used me… again…”
Julia ripped her hand away from me and pushed at my chest. “Get out. I don’t know what you’re trying to do right now, Jett. But get out.”
“I might just stop by around closing time,” I said. “Bring something for us to drink. See what happens.”
“The door will be locked and I’ll be on my way home,” Julia said.
“We’ll see,” I said. “Glad
the car is running again. Did you get more gas yet?”
“Once again… None. Of. Your. Business.”
“Hey,” I said. “I shouldn’t have thrown that comment at you before.”
“Doesn’t bother me,” Julia said. “You have a right to your opinion.”
I moved back to the desk and Julia put her hand out.
She touched my chest for a second.
Then her hand closed around my shirt.
“Just push me away, sweetheart,” I said. “Then I’ll be gone.”
“Yeah, right. It’s always up to me, isn’t it?”
“It is. I made my decision a long time ago. And I never questioned it.”
“There you go again, throwing comments at me.”
“Can’t help it.”
“Maybe you should try, Jett.”
“You really sure you want me to do that?”
Julia shrugged her shoulders.
I inched closer to her.
She bit her lip.
There were two ways she did that though.
One way was nervous. Where she’d bite the middle of her lip. The other way was the entire right side of her lip… which was for…
I touched her cheek and brought my lips down to hers.
If asked, I knew how many years, months, and weeks it had been since my lips last touched hers.
And while it wasn’t an actual kiss (at least not the kind of kiss a woman like Julia deserved) a kiss was a kiss…
I heard someone clear their throat and I pulled away.
I turned and Julia let out a gasp and hurried to wipe her lips as though they were stained a glowing, neon color.
Whitney was in the doorway. “Sorry to interrupt. Theresa is here for that order…”
“Yup,” Julia said. She wiped her lips again. “Yup. You got it. Awesome.”
Julia hurried out of the office and Whitney stared at me.
I winked. “Don’t worry, sweetheart. I’m not some creeper that sneaks in and kisses whoever is in the office.”
“Good to know,” Whitney said.
I puckered my lips and kissed the air.
She curled her lip and hurried away.
I had to laugh.
I was in the damn office of See B’s Bakery wishing Julia could just leave early and spend time with me.
Just like old times… just like fucking old times…
Chapter 7
THEN
Jett
There wasn’t a day when Pop didn’t throw something, slam something, or break something. He cursed so fluently it was like its own language. He could slip the word fuck into anything and make a word or sentence have so much more meaning.
The only time I ever saw Pop get really bad though was when his sons came around.
East and West.
East took off a year ago and hadn’t been around since. He was just as much of a sly piece of shit as his brother, West.
It also didn’t help matters that West was Wes’s father.
So when West was around, Wes didn’t know how to handle himself. He would get more pissed off than usual. And for being a young kid, he had a mean streak about him that told a tale of the future. Sometimes I looked at Wes and saw myself in him. And I knew where that path would end up. I also knew if it wasn’t for Pop kicking my ass when it needed to be kicked, I’d have been either in jail or dead.
I didn’t feel obligated to do the same for Wes. I did it because I loved the kid. And by kicking his ass that meant being there when nobody else was. Understanding what he was doing and why. And making damn sure he could always count on me.
Because his father…
The office door opened and West stood with one foot out.
“You’re fucking blind,” he yelled at Pop.
I felt every muscle in my body tighten.
I put the wrench down in my hand, knowing I was a second away from throwing it at West.
“Is that all you’ve got for me, son?” Pop’s growling voice yelled back.
“You’ll pay for this shit, old man,” West said. “Your day’s coming soon.”
“Is that a threat?” Pop yelled.
“Not a threat. Look at you. You old haggard fucker you.”
I slammed my hand to the bench and looked at West.
He looked at me. “Got something to say, Jett?”
I walked from the bench and my hands balled up into fists.
“Yeah, that’s right,” West said. “Come on. You’re his favorite pet. Right? Jett the Pet.”
I brought my right fist back and West lifted his shirt just enough to show me had a gun sticking out of the waist of his jeans.
The guy was nothing but trouble. And that was coming from a guy like me who was nothing but trouble. West was all about himself. And money. He wanted cash and he wanted to disappear for good.
“You going to stay quiet, Jett?” West asked me.
“Get the fuck out of here, man,” I said. “We’re trying to work. To actually run a business.”
“And I’m trying to show the old man he doesn’t need it,” West said. “He’s stupid.”
I threw my hand out and grabbed West’s shirt.
He fumbled to reach for his gun.
My heart jumped up into my throat.
All I thought about right then was Julia.
Picturing her falling to her knees, in Aunt Bea’s arms, crying because I took a bullet from West.
I let West go and he stepped down into the garage.
Pop showed up in the doorway with his black shirt tucked into his black jeans, his dark hair slicked back, the wrinkles on his face making him look meaner by the day.
He pointed at West.
Then he pointed to the open garage door.
“Out,” he said.
“You look over those plans,” West said. “Look at that offer. Don’t be a hero. Trust me, Pop. You’ve never been a hero and never will be.”
I took a step and Pop’s hand clamped down on my shoulder.
His thumb dug into muscle and I felt my legs go numb for a second.
Pop was definitely the strongest man I had ever met in my life.
West walked backward a few steps and then turned and walked away fast.
He got into his car and sped off out of the parking lot.
I looked up at Pop and he nodded to me.
When he went back into the office, I followed.
“This shit,” he said and swatted at all the papers on the desk.
“What is it?”
“Another proposal for the land,” he said. “They’ve been after it for years.”
“Who?”
Pop looked at me. “Everyone. You know anything about this shit, Jett?”
“No,” I said.
Pop put his finger to the desk. “Learn. You don’t want to crank a wrench until you’re crippled and end up with nothing in life. Learn. I’ll help you.”
“I’m not a business guy, Pop,” I said.
“Neither am I,” he said. “That’s why I won’t sell. Look at that number they’re offering.”
I looked and looked again. I blinked, counting the zeros.
“Holy shit, Pop.”
“My sons demand I sell it all,” Pop said. “Because then they’ll wait for me to write them a check to go away. Or just wait for me to die so they get it. But I’ll never sell it. Want to know why?”
“Because of the small town feel?” I asked. “You don’t want more houses and developments here…”
“No,” Pop said.
“Then why, Pop?”
“Number one…” He lifted a thick, grease stained finger. “I like watching that number go up year after year. And number two…” He lifted another finger. “I like pissing everyone in this town off.”
I laughed. “Only you, Pop. Only you.”
“It’s the truth. I know what they all want. Even my sons.”
“West was out of line talking to you that way. I hope you know that.”
“I’m well aware of it.”
“Why don’t you knock his teeth out?”
“Too much work for too little payoff,” Pop said.
I looked down at the offer again. I shoved the number aside in my mind. My eyes looked at the map of everything Pop owned. It was really expansive. A ton of land. It made sense why his family wanted him to sell. Maybe not everything though.
“Hey, Pop,” I said. “What about a small piece?”
“What?”
“A small piece of land,” I said. “You do something with it. I don’t know. You don’t have to have it developed. But maybe there’s something else to do. Use the land to make some more money. Increase the value even more. Shove it in their faces even more.”
“You think that’s smart?” Pop asked.
“What the hell do I know?”
“That’s exactly what I said when I opened this place, Jett. I knew nothing of running a business. But it worked. I knew nothing of grabbing land. But it worked. Maybe we could figure something out. You promise me to learn the ins and outs of this shit and we’ll see where it goes.”
I shook my head. “Not sure about that, Pop. West gets wind of that…”
Pop punched the desk. “He’ll leave. He’ll go find an excuse. Go home and pick a fight with Carolyn and stir up Wes.”
“Mind if I head that way then?” I asked.
“You probably should. You’re damn good to that boy. Wish I was younger. I have no energy or time for that.”
“You just be you, Pop. The world will always revolve around you.”
Pop let out a quick laugh. “Hey, Jett.” He held up a fist. “What do you think? You still swinging the fists there?”
“Only when I get hungry,” I said.
“I told you I could help with that,” Pop said.
“No, Pop. You pay what you pay here. That’s more than fair.”
“Stubborn son of a bitch.”
“What did you just call my mother?” I asked.
Pop laughed again. “Get the hell out of my office, Jett.”
I walked out of the main office door to go outside.
I wasn’t expecting to have a visitor at my car.
Buddy was tall, old, and fat. His greasy gray hair was slicked back and his face looked like someone invisible was trying to pull all his fat skin down to the ground. He looked like he was melting. And judging by the way he sweat twenty-three out of twenty-four hours in a day, maybe he was.
HIDDEN CREEK THEN: a hidden creek high novel Page 4
