“Jessop? As in Lusty, Texas, Jessops?”
“As in the sons of Craig and Jackson and Anna Jessop, yes.” Jason had been shocked when Craig had said he was getting extra steak because the boys and their wife were flying in from L. A. and were coming to supper. And then told him which boys he meant.
“This isn’t such a sleepy little town after all, is it?”
“It’s not, no.” Jason ran a hand through his hair. Then he sat down and looked at his cousin—his best friend. “I’ve come to the conclusion that everything I’ve believed about how to succeed, how to get ahead…is fucking bullshit.”
“It’s not.” Phillip sat forward. “The only part that might be is believing you had to live that discipline twenty-four/seven or that your way was the only way.”
“Peter told me his brother left New York when his doctor warned he was on a short track to a heart attack. He also said that Julián came to the heart-truth that there was more to life than chasing financial success. Now he’s married, one of two fathers to a little guy, and happy. Very happy, and Peter looked pleased as hell when he said that. I thought that maybe that was a lot of family sharing with someone he didn’t know all that well. And then I began to think.”
“About what?”
“About everything that’s happened since we came here, I guess. Oh, not about being drawn to Leesa and…and how we are with her. But the rest of it. The family part of it.”
“Before you say another word, I have something to tell you.”
Phillip appeared as serious as Jason had ever seen him. He looked, really looked, at his best friend and realized he felt nervous about what he was about to reveal.
“All right. I’m listening.”
“It was something I noticed at the twins’ house that first morning when we had breakfast there. When you told your folks that we were staying in Lusty for a while? They looked...relieved. Like they were really glad you were going to be here and spend time getting to know these relatives.”
“Huh.” Jason had missed that, but he wasn’t the least bit surprised that Phillip had caught it. He’d known, for a long time now, that the main reason they worked so well together was because they balanced each other out. Phillip was more observant than he was, especially when it came to people and the emotional side of things. For his part, he could read trends in the markets and seemed to have a talent for picking winners.
Had his parents wanted him to spend time specifically here? Or had they just wanted him to take some time off? They’d been subtle, both of them, but Jason had understood they thought that he worked too hard and that he was too rigid in his ways.
“I just realized something. I was thinking about how subtle my parents have been the last couple of months about wanting me to relax—both my attitude and the number of hours I put in on the business. But if I noticed, then maybe they weren’t being all that subtle.”
“I really wanted this rest, J. Coop. What’s the sense of working so hard, building something to success, if you don’t take the time to enjoy it?”
This was the first time Phillip had ever said anything like that to him, and the fact it was, really was telling. Jason didn’t doubt for one moment the bond between them. It was real and two sided. What he did doubt, and for the first time, was that he had been as good a friend to Phillip as Phillip had been to him.
You understood he badly wanted to stay here in Lusty instead of heading off somewhere else for your vacation. Jason didn’t know why his inner voice was trying to cut him some slack. In his own mind, he sure as hell didn’t deserve any.
Jason had some serious thinking to do. It was time he did just that. He looked at Phillip and nodded. “You’re right, of course. I’m sorry I’ve been such a…such a pain.”
“You have never been a pain, my friend. Rigid and driven? Yes. But I honestly believe that we wouldn’t have the success we’ve achieved if you hadn’t been.”
“Thank you for that. And maybe you’re right. But my mistake was carrying it all too far—and letting that attitude intrude where it really didn’t belong.”
Jason guessed, by the fact that Phillip didn’t contradict him, he’d said it exactly right. He thought about all his family relationships and knew he needed to re-evaluate the way he’d been over the last several years. One thing he already knew about Lusty was that, here, family came first. How fitting would it be, then, if he put his focus on those relationships and have a real good look at his life from that perspective?
To his way of thinking, that was a damn good place to start.
Chapter Twelve
Leesa enjoyed cooking for Jason and Phillip and never minded doing so, even after a long shift at Lusty Appetites. But this—sitting and relaxing in their kitchen with a glass of wine as the two men worked together to get supper ready for her—this was nice, too.
Jason had announced, upon her arrival, that he’d purchased fresh steak earlier that day. She watched as he prepared it for grilling, and while his actions were competent, she thought his mind wasn’t completely on the task at hand. He seemed to be a bit preoccupied, but she couldn’t tell by his expression if that preoccupation involved pleasant thoughts, or not.
Leesa supposed that if she was a woman who was a bit less self-assured, she’d be worried that whatever bothered him had something to do with her.
But she wasn’t that woman, and so, while she kept an eye on him, and his mood, she was more than willing to let him have the emotional and mental space he seemed to need right then.
Leesa often used the mundane, like cooking, to let whatever troubled her roll around in the back of her mind. Then, when it had rolled sufficiently, she likened leaving it alone to putting a pot of bean soup on the back burner. Bean soup, at a low heat, could continue to become soup over hours using the slightest of simmers and practically no attention at all.
Much like the mysterious way the human subconscious works on problems.
“You had a busy day today,” Jason said. “Aunt Bernice told me that a tour bus out of Dallas stopped in just past the usual lunch rush.”
Leesa nodded. “Apparently the driver had made a wrong turn a few years back and happened upon Lusty, and the restaurant, by accident. I’ve been told that, since then, he swings through a couple of times a year. He called in and gave us a half-hour’s heads-up.” Leesa grinned. “It sure was busy, but I don’t mind busy.”
As they’d indulged in conversation, her inner sense kicked her. It was all well and good to have a policy of giving someone space. No one wanted to be around a person who was clingy and intrusive all the time. But there was an ache in her chest, and she knew she wasn’t going to leave it alone. This wasn’t just anyone, this was Jason, and she had the sense he was hurting.
“How was your day, Jason? You seem a little…pensive.”
Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Phillip look up. His slight grin and the wink he sent her settled on her like a soothing balm. He’s glad I’m asking.
Jason looked up from seasoning the steaks and met her gaze. “My day? It was eye opening. And I admit to being pensive. I’ll tell you all about it as we eat.”
They’d wrapped potatoes in foil and placed them on the grill, closing the lid, about forty minutes before Jason set the meat on the fire. In almost no time at all, Leesa was sitting with those two grill-cooked dishes and a good portion of the green salad Phillip had put together.
“You’ve a good hand with the grill.” Leesa’s steak had been cooked to perfection.
“Thanks. I’ve always enjoyed cooking in general, but I especially like grilling.”
“I like cooking, too,” Phillip said. “Mom insisted that we all learn. She thought we should be able to do for ourselves when we left home for college so we didn’t have to rely on restaurants. No offense, sweetheart.”
Phillip’s Cheshire-cat grin made her chuckle. “Of course not.” She almost said that if she had a son, she’d insist on the same thing, that he be able to cook. And any daught
er of hers would damn sure know how to check her car’s oil and change the tires. Let’s pull those thoughts back right now and tuck them away. This wasn’t the moment for that.
“So, my day.”
Jason looked so sad just then Leesa set her fork down and covered his hand with her own. “You don’t need to tell me if it will upset you.”
“No, I want to share with you. And yes, I’m upset, but with myself. It all started innocuously enough when I went to the grocery store for the steak and ran into a few members of the family.”
“Hard not to in this town.”
“That’s true enough.”
Leesa listened as Jason shared the things that he’d learned that day and the thoughts that had accompanied those revelations.
Here, if she needed it, was further proof that Jason Benedict had nothing at all in common with her ex. She doubted that loser had ever admitted being responsible for a single thing, and he sure as hell would never spend time in self-reflection and evaluation. Well, maybe if he had a brush with death he might. Leesa told her thoughts to shut the hell up and turned her attention back to where it belonged, on Jason.
As he was explaining some of his thought processes, she thought back to what she’d known of him before he’d arrived. Yes, Jason came to Lusty with what his sister had called a “huge stick” up his butt. But he hadn’t been aware of it, or of how his attitude and behavior had been received by others.
“I feel as if I’ve fucked up badly. But Phillip said that my focus, my drive, are why we’ve been successful. He gave me a perspective I don’t really feel at the moment.”
“I agree with Phillip. Your attention to detail and goal-focused drive, those are habits that all successful people share. I’d be willing to bet if you spoke to anyone in the families who’ve achieved their goals, they’d all tell you the same thing. You can’t get there without them.”
“Thank you, sweetheart. I think I need to work on believing that. But I still need to make some changes.” He looked down at his plate then met her gaze again. “I’ve been looking at the man I’ve been, especially the way I’ve treated Alice, hell, the way I treated all my family, and my attitude toward family life in general.” He shook his head, and Leesa could read the disgust in his expression. “Fuck, I’ve had a stick up my ass all this time, and I never even knew it.”
Leesa held back the laugh, because he’d just said what she’d so recently thought. To her credit, she didn’t guffaw. However, she could tell by the way Jason nearly smirked that he knew she wanted to. Time to redeem myself.
“There’s one thing about us human beings that you can count on,” Leesa said. “We have brains and free will and, if we’ve a mind to, if we really want to, we can accomplish anything we set out to do. I really believe that. And I also believe, without a single doubt, that if you want to change how you treat others, if you want to adjust your behavior, then you will. It was your mind and your determination that set your course for you all those years ago. You discovered something miraculous when you were a kid—that your own determination could guide you to success. That hasn’t changed. You just need to modify it.”
He looked over at Phillip and then back to her. As she watched, it was as if a burden had been lifted from him. His expression cleared, and the rigidity in his shoulders eased. A gentle smile replaced that thoughtful expression, and he lifted her hand to his lips.
“Thank you, Leesa. I’m very glad you’re in my corner.”
“There is absolutely no place else I’d rather be.”
“I’m going to be spending the next little while thinking about myself and what I want to do differently. And I’m going to start off with a couple of things I’ve been putting off. I’ll see where that takes me.”
“I’m here if you need me,” Leesa said.
“So am I, J. Coop.”
Jason’s grin tripped her heart. “Then I don’t see how I can possibly fail.”
The next morning, Leesa began her shift with a smile on her face and a bounce in her step. With each day that passed, she felt as if she, Jason, and Phillip were growing closer.
As she checked the breakfast grits and then began the daily soup, her thoughts were on Jason. His revelations of the night before filled her with pride. He hadn’t dwelled on the disappointment he’d felt with himself when he’d understood how he’d been. No, he’d determined to do better, and her money was on him to succeed.
The kitchen door swung open, and Carrie Benedict came in. She wore a huge grin and the standard dark slacks and white shirt that all the staff wore. She stowed her purse in her drawer and reached for her apron.
“Grandma needed a little grandson time, and the way DMC grinned when she came through the door, I’m thinking he needed a little grandma time, too.”
Carrie and her husbands Chase and Brian had named their son Donald Michael Carson, in honor of all their fathers. Carrie had taken to calling him DMC, and Leesa thought it was the cutest thing, ever.
“I read somewhere that young children do need a break from their parents, as much as parents need a break from them.” Leesa grinned. She really liked Carrie and welcomed her presence in the kitchen—even on days she wasn’t scheduled to work. Carrie only wanted to come in part time until DMC was at least two, and who could blame her for that? Leesa returned her thoughts to the conversation. “Of course, I don’t know if that has to do with human nature or if it has something to do with the general permissiveness of grandparents.”
“Oh, I don’t have an opinion there. I know he loves just about everybody he meets. Even as a newborn he was happy to be passed around.”
“Well, you certainly don’t look bummed out about this turn of events. Would I be right in saying that Mom could use a little adult world time, too?” Leesa asked her.
“You would. And I don’t feel guilty about that at all. So, I’m here to help any way I can.”
“Well, you’re the boss, so you tell me what you’d like to do.”
“I think I just want to lose myself in the cooking for a while. I see you’re starting the soup. I’ll get started on the day’s rice dish.”
Time flew. Leesa loved being busy, and she simply gave herself over to what needed to be done. Rachel and Ginny shared server duties, with Michelle scheduled to come in for the supper hour to help. Tracy arrived and, when she saw Carrie at the stove, announced she would focus on producing a load of pastries.
Conversation was had in bits and pieces between taking care of customers, and the rhythm that Leesa loved made it all fun.
“We have a gentleman out in the dining room who’s asking about you,” Rachel said. The door swung behind her. “He said he’s a former army buddy and wanted to know if you had time to talk to him. I told him I’d check.”
Ginny had swung into the kitchen on Rachel’s heels and had clearly overheard.
Leesa met Ginny’s gaze. It was actually past time for her break, but she knew no one would have said a word about that to this man, whoever he was. “Did he give you a name?”
“He said you knew him as Corporal Arnie Bates, though he did say he’s not in the army anymore,” Rachel said.
“Do you want to go talk to him? Or do you want me to call Adam?”
Ginny must have seen something in my expression. Bates had been a friend of her ex, though not, as far as she could tell, a close one. But there had been something about him that had made her…wary. As far as she knew, he’d been wounded during the same attack on their base as she had. She couldn’t recall how serious his injury had been. And now that she thought about it, she couldn’t actually recall if she’d ever seen him after that.
Leesa didn’t doubt her ability to handle herself in any given situation. But there was a difference, in her mind, between being caught off guard and having to deal and willfully walking into a situation of unknown purpose. “I think yes, to both.”
“Good call.” Tracy nodded. “Rachel, you go tell him she’ll be out in just a moment. Ginny, go and ke
ep an eye on him after Rachel delivers the message. I’ll call your husband—and mine, who’s with him at the moment.”
Tracy can be the boss when she feels she needs to be. “That sounds like a plan, Tracy. Thanks, guys.”
Leesa gave it five minutes, and then she wiped her hands, removed her apron, and headed out into the dining room. She spotted Arnie Bates immediately—and he sure as hell spotted her, too. Their gazes met, and she read an intelligence there she hadn’t noticed before.
Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Adam and Peter Alvarez-Kendall come into the restaurant. She made her way over to Bates, ready to see why he’d wanted to talk to her.
She sensed Adam and Peter coming up behind her and wondered at the shuttered look that Bates dropped into place as they approached.
“Bateman.” Peter sounded irked. “I heard you were back in Dallas. What the hell do you want with Leesa?”
“Alvarez. What the hell are you doing here?”
“This is my hometown.”
Leesa didn’t notice it happening, but in the blink of an eye, both the sheriff and the fed had maneuvered her so that she was nearly behind them.
Bates—or Bateman—looked from Peter, to the sheriff, and finally met her gaze once more. He exhaled heavily and nodded. “Well, I guess you gentlemen had better join us, then. I have something to discuss with Ms. Jordan—and I don’t think it’s going to be a welcome topic of conversation at all.”
* * * *
Bryce Jordan stored the cleaning cart that carried his tools of the trade—mop, broom, and the fucking, disgusting toilet brush—in the large closet and then closed the door on it, and his job, for the next few days. Inside, he felt ready to explode. He hated this fucking job, and he hated this fucking city.
Jordan hadn’t been able to stop thinking about his ex, about the possibility of getting some of his own back, since Arnie had gotten back to him. His old bud had found the bitch for him, and now, finally, he’d have his moment. Arnie even told him he’d be his “witness”.
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