by Kris Jett
Luci bit her bottom lip and gave Jessie a few rapid blinks before she turned on her heel and left the room.
“Good lord, Jessie. Where are your manners? That was awful,” her mom said. She grabbed a tub and bussed the table nearest to them, not looking at Jessie. When Nick wasn’t in, they all pitched in bussed tables.
“Manners? She’s family right. That’s what you kept saying. They’re family and they need us and that’s why it has to be okay that everyone comes home and is suddenly up under my nose at work and we’re pretending like we haven’t ignored each other for years.”
Her mom stopped and glared at Jessie over her shoulder. “You need to calm down.”
But Jessie couldn’t calm down. Her wick was lit. She’d been holding things in too long and she was afraid it would all erupt now. “And what the hell is that ridiculous noise coming from the speakers?”
“Jessie Lynn!” her mom hissed, using that warning mom tone Jessie hadn’t heard since she stole her mom’s car senior year and stayed out all night with April.
“What?” Jessie asked before her eyes fell on the couple at table six, staring at her. She lowered her voice. “Sorry. I’ll talk quieter. But what is that sound?”
Jessie’s mom looked off to the side, sighed, and then looked her daughter in the eyes. “It’s a tropical waterfall. Luci thought it would be soothing.”
“Are you freaking kidding me?” Jessie said slowly, unable to keep the anger in her voice from seeping through. “No, just no. “We’re a pub, not a damn yoga studio. That goes now.” Jessie stomped into the back where the stereo was and yanked out the Zen Serenity CD and frisbeed it behind her back. She put the stereo back on the radio station it had been on every day for as long as she could remember and walked back out to the dining area to re-join her mom. “There. One down, a few more changes to go,” she announced.
Her mom just stood still, staring at her. “Why are you so angry today? And what did you do last night? You look awful.”
“Gee thanks, Mom.” Jessie took the tub of dishes out of her mom’s hands and finished bussing the table.
“I mean your eyes are kind of bloodshot and your face is bloated. You feeling okay?” She reached out her hand like she was going to check Jessie’s temperature but Jessie dodged her.
“I’m fine. And I went out with April last night. I just stayed up a little too late, that’s all.”
“Well,” her mom said, “if you’re so concerned with your sisters changing things around here make sure you get in on time.”
“I shouldn’t have to; it’s my pub, I mean, ARGH!” Jessie grabbed her head and rubbed her temples. “We’re dropping this. I’ve got work to do. Customers are coming in.” Jessie went to retrieve an order pad and when she went to greet the family of four seated at table two, Luci was already there.
“Are you sure you want fried zucchini sticks?” Luci asked the family. “It’d be so much healthier if we steamed them for you instead.”
Jessie whipped her head around and glared at her mom. Her mom shrugged in a what can we do fashion.
Jessie decided to ignore Luci’s behavior for the moment but it wouldn’t last long. She’d have to have a talk with her and straighten her out if they were going to keep their customers.
Jessie finished up the post-lunch clean up and was exhausted, physically and mentally. Her sisters being at work with her was harder than she thought. Wynn was slow as molasses and Luci was completely clueless. It was like having to run a pub and babysit two children at the same time. And her mom kept telling her to relax and give them a chance. They’ll eventually get the hang of things, she insisted. Jessie wanted to give them all the time in the world and get as far away from the whole family as she could.
Her thoughts turned to Cade which was a nice place to be. She wondered why she hadn’t seen him still since their snowmobile ride. She knew his business just opened but he still needed to eat. Maybe she should stop in and get a part for her snowmobile. Maybe her old idler wheel cap cracked and she needed to buy a new one.
Jessie decided she would pay a visit to Cade’s new shop, but first, a stop at MoonBeans. She’ll grab him some coffee as a sort of opening day present. And this way she could have a word with April too. It was so not cool for her to ditch her like that.
Jessie was second in line at the counter in MoonBeans. April was taking Clyde from the hardware store’s coffee and croissants order and she looked awful. Her hair was piled on her head in a messy bun and there were bags under her eyes.
“Hey girl,” April said in a tired voice when it was Jessie’s turn.
“Rough night, huh?”
“Yeah, sure was. You get home okay?”
“Uh, yeah. No thanks to you,” Jessie begun. “What happened? Why didn’t you bring me home?”
April’s jaw dropped. “What? You’re kidding, right?”
Jessie gave her a confused look. “Why would I be kidding? You wouldn’t believe where I ended up.”
“Whoa, whoa, whoa.” April put her hands in the air and shook her head. “This has got to be a joke. Girl, I begged you not to go with Jason. I called that mofo every name in the book and told him to get away from you. You were crawling all over him and said he was your boyfriend again.”
“What? No! I didn’t.” Jessie put her hands on her cheeks. Did she really say that? How humiliating. And dead wrong.
“Yes, you did. You cussed me out and told me to mind my own business. Look at this. You see this?” April held her arm up and pulled her sleeve down off her wrist.
Jesse lowered her hands from her face and tilted her head to get a better look. “What is it?”
“Your teeth marks. You bit me, girlfriend.”
“Oh no! I’m so sorry April! What the heck got into me last night?” Jessie had gotten drunk a few times over the years but never to this magnitude.
“It’s okay. It doesn’t even hurt.” She pulled her sleeve back over her wrist. “And Jason swore up and down to me that all he was going to do was give you a ride straight home. You couldn’t walk out of the bar so I was going to need help getting you home anyway. I told him if I’d heard anything to the contrary I’d hunt him down and kill him today. Did you get home okay?”
“I’ll save that story for later. You’ve got another customer coming in.” Jessie nodded to the bell over the door jingling. “Can you just get me three coffees to go for now? And I’m really, really sorry about last night. I feel so stupid. I’ll make it up to you.”
“You know we’re cool,” April said. She poured the coffees, fixed a tray and handed it to Jessie.
She smiled gratefully at her best friend and silently vowed to never lose control like that again.
Chapter Fourteen
The afternoon was flying by and all three brothers were hard at work. The place looked great for opening day. There were balloons everywhere and finger foods laid out on a long table for the customers. And there were a lot of them stopping in. Some to actually pick up a piece for their snowmobile or schedule an appointment. And others just curious to see what the new place looked like. There was one older woman in heavy makeup with a long fluffy fur coat over a leopard printed dress passing out her own business cards to everyone in the place. And then there were those that he swore only came for the cookies and coffeecake. Whatever their reason, the place was packed and the guys were feeling confident about their decision to open shop in Snowy Ridge.
Cade was filling out a work order for a 2009 250 HP Turbo Yamaha Nytro sled when out of the corner of his eye he saw Jessie walk into the shop. His breath caught briefly but he didn’t look up or acknowledge her presence. He finished filling out the paperwork and talking to the customer and only when the transaction was complete did he allow himself to finally turn and look at Jessie. She stood there beaming at him, a tray of coffees in her hand.
Cade had to admit, she looked completely adorable and genuinely happy to see him. Almost like a kid presenting their parent with a clay pot they�
�d made in school. He was instantly touched and wanted to race over to her and wrap her in his arms. But something was holding him back. The image last night of her ex-boyfriend with his hands all over her kept rolling around in his mind. He was likely misunderstanding what her showing up today really meant. Jessie wasn’t necessarily here because she wanted to see him. She was probably just being neighborly. Welcoming a fellow small business owner in a small community. After all, Cade recognized several of the people milling around the shop from the community. A postal worker, the lady who works nights at one of the two gas stations in town, and the guy from the small old-fashioned movie theater that Cade kept meaning to check out one of these evenings. So, it was only natural that Jessie would stop in to represent the Starlight Pub. It was her duty.
Jessie was making her way over to him but got held up by the lady in the fur who squeezed her tight and planted a kiss on Jessie’s cheek, leaving a pair of big red lips behind for evidence. Jessie smiled politely and exchanged a few words with the woman before continuing toward Cade.
“Congratulations!” she said brightly when she reached him. “I brought you and your brothers some coffee. Figured you’d need the extra jolt.”
She thrust the tray toward him and Cade accepted it. “Thanks,” he said flatly. “You didn’t need to do that.”
“It’s no problem. I wanted to stop by and see the new shop. See you.” She gave him a flirty smile and took a step closer.
He fidgeted uneasily. She smelled sweet, like cookies or something. But Cade was pretty sure Jessie wasn’t baking this morning after the night she’d had.
She clasped her hands behind her back, pushing her chest out toward Cade. She was getting dangerously close and he wasn’t sure he could remain cool with her. He took a step back and placed the tray of coffees on a counter. When his eyes met hers again he thought she’d looked minorly disappointed. But he must have misread her. He seemed to be good at that.
“How are ya doing? Cash Stone,” Cade’s older brother said as he reached for Jessie’s hand and firmly shook it. “Don’t think I’ve seen you around town yet. I’d have remembered you.”
Jessie briefly glanced at Cade and then gave Cash a weary smile. “Jessie Foster. Nice to meet you. I own Starlight Pub. You know, up the street from here?”
“Ah yes, Starlight,” Cash said. “I’ve been meaning to get in there for a drink. Now I have all the more reason.” Cash grinned greedily at Jessie and winked.
Cade could feel the hairs on the back of his neck stand up. Of course, his brother would come over here and flirt with her. He’d flirt with a coat rack. All he ever thought about was his next hook up.
Jessie gave a nervous laugh. “Sure. Come on in. You’ll have to give me my hand back though.” Cash was still holding Jessie’s hand in his.
“You sure you want it back?” Cash teased, pulling Jessie closer to him.
Jessie shot Cade a ‘help me’ look. He knew she was waiting for him to say something but what could he say? That he thought there might have been something beginning between them? That he felt a crazy attraction to her that he hadn’t felt with another girl in a long, long time? None of that mattered now. If she needed someone to rescue her she should call up her boyfriend to come save her.
“Cade,” she said, drawing out his name slowly. “Didn’t you want to talk to me about something?”
Cade glanced back and forth between his brother and Jessie. “Yeah, I did.” He pulled a slip of paper from his back pocket and handed it to her. “Here’s a coupon for fifty dollars off your first snowmobile repair.”
Jessie’s mouth fell open in complete shock. Cade didn’t wait around to see any further reaction. He turned away from his brother and Jessie and thrust himself into the crowd to greet other potential customers.
Chapter Fifteen
Could this day get any worse? Jessie thought. She had woken up hung-over in her ex-boyfriend’s bed. Then had pancakes that she had apparently demanded his mother make for her. Went to work to find her beloved pub had been feng shuid within an inch of its life. And then the guy she thought she was starting to fall for completely humiliated her at his store’s grand opening by acting like she was no more special than a random customer stopping in to pick up a set of windshield wipers. No, it couldn’t get worse than this.
Or could it.
Not more than five minutes ago, Jessie had trudged up the stairs to her apartment, after a quick wave to Fran who was working on the front window display at Novel Idea, her heart set on a nap. She had to be back at Starlight for the dinner hour and she felt just wretched after her long night and morning. There was a knock at the door.
“No…” Jessie whispered into Joplin’s fur, the cat cradled in her arms. “No one’s supposed to know we’re even here. Maybe they’ll go away.”
But whoever it was knocked again, louder this time.
Maybe it was Fran, Jessie thought. She saw Jessie come home and sometimes Fran brought her books for free that didn’t sell in the bargain section.
“Fran?” Jessie called out. “I was just about to lie down. Not feeling too great. Can we chat later?” She stood still, hugging Joplin tight.
“It’s not Fran.”
Ugh. It most definitely was not Fran. That was her sister Wynn’s voice. What was she doing at Jessie’s apartment?
“Oh,” Jessie said. She tried to think of something to say or do to make Wynn go away. She was so tired and didn’t want to deal with her sister right now. But her mind was blank.
“Are you going to open the door?” Wynn called out.
Damn. She wasn’t going to get out of this. Her eyes swept the small apartment, noting the book and papers covering the small kitchen table and the sink full of dishes. Not exactly suitable for entertaining at the moment. Jessie sighed. “Coming.”
She opened the door and saw her older sister standing in the hall, her niece at her side all bundled up like she was about to play in the snow.
“Cat!” Melody squealed. She thrust her two chubby hands toward Joplin and toddled into the apartment.
Joplin dug her claws into Jessie’s arm, recoiling from Melody’s reach.
“Cat!” Melody demanded again.
“Um, sorry honey,” Jessie said. “Joplin’s not really used to anyone but me.” At that, Joplin leapt out of Jessie’s arm and crawled under a chair in the tiny living room. Melody shot off after her. “I wouldn’t…” Jessie started but trailed off. What could she say? This little girl was determined and she knew Joplin could handle herself. She’d just find somewhere to hide until the two left.
Jessie stood aside and let Wynn come into her apartment.
Wynn slowly looked around, taking everything in. “Cute place,” she said.
Jessie examined her sister. She looked as tired as Jessie felt. Was working at the pub taking this big of a toll on her already? Jessie had worked at Starlight forever but she knows all the running back and forth and being on your feet for hours could wear a person out if they weren’t used to it.
Jessie wracked her brain, trying to figure out if she had anything to offer her sister and her niece. Living alone she tended to eat out and didn’t keep too much food around. She did have some green tea though. And from the looks of it, both of them could use a caffeine kick. “Are you thirsty?” she asked Wynn. “I could make us tea. And I think I still have some Girl Scout thin mints in the freezer. Can Melody have one?”
Jessie glanced over at Melody who was lying on the floor, her arm jammed as far under the couch as she could get it. Joplin seemed to have wedged herself behind the couch right under the small window, just out of Melody’s reach.
“That sounds great,” her sister said.
Jessie nodded and busied herself putting a kettle on the stove and dumping the cookies on a ceramic plate. Never in a million years did she think she’d be entertaining Wynn in her home. It was all so bizarre.
“Did you make these yourself?” Wynn asked, running her hand along a series of
pictures mounted on wood Jessie had perched on the window sill. There were two of Joplin, one of Jessie’s mom holding her when she was a baby, and one of the front of Starlight Pub after a fresh snow with the twinkle lights popping through.
Jessie smiled as she pulled down two of her favorite mugs, both covered with old famous literary quotes. “Yeah. Sometimes I get crafty. When I find the time that is. It was just something I saw on Pinterest. Super easy really. You just brush some gel medium on the wood, press a picture into it and let it dry, and then cover with some mod podge. Looks real professional though huh?”
“They’re beautiful,” Wynn said.
“Thanks. You ever go on Pinterest?” Jessie asked, attempting to make small talk. She had no idea who her sister was anymore. What she liked to do or how she lived her life with Melody.
“Sometimes,” Wynn admitted. She crossed her arms and moved back toward the kitchen. “I tried to make Melody some cookie monster cupcakes for her first birthday. They didn’t turn out too good though. More like piles of blue mush.”
“Yeah, some of the stuff on there is hard to recreate. It’s addicting though.”
“Yeah.” Wynn plopped down on one of the two chairs at Jessie’s kitchen table.
Jessie kept one eye on the tea she was making and one eye on her sister. Wynn gazed in Melody’s direction but it wasn’t like she really saw her. It was more like her mind was preoccupied with something else.
“It’s colder here than I remember,” Wynn said, shaking her gaze to meet Jessie’s eyes.
“Um, yeah,” Jessie said. “It’s always pretty cold here in the winter.” Which seemed like an extremely stupid comment to make. Wynn grew up here; she knew how cold it got. This was so awkward.
Jessie set the tea and cookies on the table and took a seat. She watched her sister. And waited.
The stretched-out silence made Jessie uncomfortable and she cleared her throat a couple of times. She wondered what it was the two of them were doing here. They hadn’t talked in four years, Wynn’s decision. And now she sits at her kitchen table talking about the weather and Pinterest fails.
