“I have to get going here,” I said. “I’ll keep in touch.”
“Have fun.”
I ended the call and ignored Kinney’s second message the way I ignored the first.
He was waiting for me at a diner right up the road.
He wanted to go up the coast and hit every little town, diner, whatever along the way. It was supposed to be my trip. All my shit packed into my car because if I found the right place to live, I was going to stay.
Just like that.
And Whitney was going to run the bakery.
And I was going to find a way to either keep things in order or offer to sell it to Whitney.
Then all of Hidden would be gone.
For good.
Except now Jett was leaving too.
I laughed out loud as I pulled back onto the road.
After all these years…
We ended up in Hidden almost by accident.
Aunt Bea saving my butt.
Pop saving his.
Then we were together.
Then we weren’t.
And even then, we stayed in the same town.
All that happened…
I was the one who put up the FOR SALE sign first though. It was my idea to get out of there first. So Jett could take his house sale and stick it up his ass.
Even still… it was funny to me.
I was leaving.
He was leaving.
Then what?
Would we somehow bump into each other in some small town along the coast?
Or maybe Jett was going east.
Set up his own shop like Pop and become the new Pop.
That made me laugh even harder.
Picturing him sitting behind a desk, being miserable, waiting to die.
In a way, I hoped that for him.
Take that back, Julia.
“Nope,” I whispered.
My hands gripped the wheel.
My heart raced as it continued to ache.
I saw the diner up ahead. There was a big sign sticking up, way up, in the air announcing it was indeed a diner.
The place probably had the best food ever too.
My hand started to move to turn on the blinker.
If I turned into the parking lot, Kinney would be there waiting. He would hug me. No. He would grab my arms and pull me close. He would kiss the top of my head. He would make a comment about me being late. And smelling like smoke. Then he’d bitch and complain about how much I had my car packed up. Then he’d casually slip in that he had a place with plenty of room for me and I was being childish…
I laughed out loud again.
I skipped the blinker.
And I didn’t hit the brakes.
In fact, I stepped on the gas pedal.
As the diner went by, I stuck my right hand out and put up my middle finger.
I knew Kinney probably saw me.
And that meant he was going to text me again.
And that meant I was going to ignore him again.
And it felt so fucking good to do that.
But the feeling passed like a quick high.
My eyes filled with tears.
Being reckless and crazy wasn’t the same without Jett.
Life wasn’t the same without Jett…
Chapter 5
NOW
Julia
“What’s that smell?”
It almost reminded me of the old days of the bakery. Before it became what Jett lovingly called a bakery-slash-coffeeshop-slash-coffeehouse-slash-cafe-slash-whatever-else-you-want-to-call-it.
Me at the counter, slouched over, my chin resting in my hands, daydreaming and staring all the way to the front door and beyond. Yet all my other senses were shutdown. In the past all I could dream about was getting out of here to meet up with Jett. All the planning and sneaking around and waiting until the right hour (which was always so damn late) but the moment he looked at me or kissed me, it made everything worth it.
Now… yeah, I was daydreaming about Jett.
But I was also thinking (not daydreaming) about-
“Did you hear me?”
Fingers snapped in front of my face.
I stepped back and swung my hand at Whitney’s hand.
“What are you doing?” I asked.
“Trying to get your attention. Are you okay?”
“Fine.”
“Something’s burning,” Whitney said.
“Shit,” I said.
My face dropped and I turned and ran into the kitchen.
I expected smoke to be pouring out of one of the ovens.
But it wasn’t quite that bad yet.
I hurried to turn the oven off and when I opened the door, there was a quick puff of smoke that did not smell like the classic bakery smell.
And the cookies on the tray were shriveled up and black.
I stared at them, blinking faster than I really needed to.
“At least it was only the macadamia ones,” Whitney said.
I turned my head and looked at her. “I don’t burn this stuff.”
“It happens.”
“No, it doesn’t. You don’t get it, Whitney. I don’t burn this stuff.”
“Well, today you do,” she said.
“I burn carrots.”
“Carrots?”
“And noodles.”
“Wait, what are you…”
“I burn popcorn. And I cook chicken to the point where it’s dry and gross because I’m worried about eating raw chicken. That’s what I burn. I can’t cook a microwavable dinner. Okay? But this stuff? This is…”
Whitney stepped in front of me. “You can get really pissed at me right now, Julia, but I feel I’ve been here long enough and have done enough to say something.”
“Which is?”
“You’re losing your mind,” she said. “And if it’s because of Jett, then I totally understand why your aunt hated him so much. This isn’t you. You’re dazed. I mean, hey, if you’re up all night riding him or making up for lost time, then I applaud you. But give me a heads up. Let me know. I can handle this place on my own. That doesn’t mean it’s not your place, but… hey, how long have you taken care of this place alone? You deserve more than a few hours off. Or a day off. I’ve got it. I’m good here.”
“And I’m obviously not,” I said.
“Maybe not today,” Whitney said with a grin.
“I don’t burn this stuff, Whitney.”
“Okay. But guess what? Sometimes you do. Hey, look at me. I was the smartest dork in high school. And then I was the dork that tripled her coursework in college. Right? There was a lot I didn’t do. Like graduate and just leave to find some small town to live in because life was on my nerves. Sometimes we do stuff that we aren’t supposed to do. Who gives a shit about it?”
I opened my mouth but held back.
Whitney knew some things. But not all things.
We were becoming closer by the day. More like friends. And more of me trusting her.
“Go for a ride and have a smoke,” Whitney said. “Go to the beach and read a book. Or listen to music.”
I side stepped and looked into the oven.
“You’re right,” I said. “At least it was only the macadamia nut cookies.”
* * *
Of course I went to the garage.
Where else would I go? Whitney had some good ideas, but, please, none of those compared to seeing Jett. Even though I had woken up this morning in his bed. His arms wrapped around me. And we had properly wished each other a very good morning. And when I thought I was running late, scrambling through his house, he had somehow had coffee already made for me. Meaning he got up in the middle of the night or something to get it all set up. I wasn’t sure. I didn’t ask. I just loved the gesture.
The fact was that I had everything I had ever wanted with him.
But there was a problem…
I got out of my car and the first person I saw was Wes.
I lifted my eyebrow at him
as he flicked a cigarette away and walked toward me.
“Is Aira okay?” he asked.
He was not blood related to Jett at all, but when he talked about Aira, it was like watching the past come to life again. The way he talked and acted. And to think I thought I stood a chance at protecting my niece from all of this.
Yeah… right…
“I should ask you that,” I said to Wes. “What are you doing here? Don’t you have somewhere to be?”
Wes shrugged his shoulders. “Let’s call it… a mandatory mental health day.”
“Ah,” I said. “So you got booted from HCH again?”
“Booted is such a strong word,” Wes said. “I was told to leave for a day. You know. Clear my head a little.”
“Do I want to know what you did?”
“Do you?” Wes asked.
“No.” I took a step and paused. “You know, I get the whole I’m still a teenager thing but you realize you’re an adult, right? Nineteen…”
I closed my mouth, my teeth smacking together.
Ohmygod, I’m Aunt Bea.
“I might not be the smartest guy around, Julia, but I do know how time and age works,” Wes said.
“Don’t be a smart ass,” I said to him.
“What did he say?” another voice growled.
Jett walked toward both of us.
I made a shocked face at Wes. “You’re in trouble now, bro.”
“Please,” Wes said. “I’m not afraid of Jett.”
“You’re not, huh?” Jett asked.
He went right after Wes.
Fists up, tightly locked, making Wes step back.
Wes waved his hands. “Don’t mess around today. I’m not in the mood.”
“You’re not in the mood?” Jett asked. “I’m not supposed to be looking at your ugly face until later.”
“Don’t say he’s ugly,” I said. “That makes Aira look bad. She’s pretty.”
“Yeah she is,” Jett said. “And I’ll never understand why she chose this ugly punk.”
Wes laughed. “What about you?”
“What about me?” Jett asked.
“You look like you just crawled from getting run over by a truck. And Julia is beautiful.”
“Watch yourself,” Jett said.
“Thanks, Wes,” I said. “I needed that.”
“Hey, it’s true,” Wes said. “If Aira never came back…”
Jett looked back at me. “Don’t talk to him.” Then he looked at Wes again. “Say one more word and I’ll knock you out.”
“See how easy he is to get?” Wes asked me.
“Julia, tell Wes he’s not allowed to see Aira ever again,” Jett said.
I laughed. “Wes, you are never allowed to see Aira again.”
Wes touched his chest. “Oh, no… what will I ever do now?”
Jett shook his head. He moved toward me and touched my face. “Are you okay, sweetheart?”
“Yeah,” I said. “Just taking a ride. Missed you.”
“How cute,” Wes said.
Jett moved an inch and I stopped him. “Let me,” I whispered.
I pointed at Wes and walked toward him.
He put his hands up. “Whoa… it was a joke.”
“Quit fucking around, Wes,” I said. “Or I will have Aira find someone else.”
“Why don’t you tell Julia why you’re here,” Jett said. “What prompted your one day vacation.”
Wes rolled his eyes. “It was a joke.”
“What was?” I asked.
“Apparently Wes decided that the guidance counselor was a lonely young woman,” Jett said. “And he wanted to fix that.”
“Meaning what?” I asked.
“It was a joke,” Wes repeated.
“I’m not sure of all the details,” Jett said, “but let’s just say it involved the idea of getting her something… that she could enjoy herself with…”
I gasped and curled my lip. “Weslee Jackson.”
“Again,” he said. “It. Was. A. Fucking. Joke.”
“Which wasn’t funny at all,” Jett said. “He needs to grow the hell up.”
“I was just looking out for someone,” Wes said. “I’m a guy who cares about others. The same way I care about Aira.”
“Please don’t,” I said, shutting my eyes.
“Or you two,” Wes said. “It’s good to see you two rolling around in the sheets again. Although I thought it would make Jett less of an asshole. But that’s impossible.”
Jett whistled and pointed to the garage. “Go. Finish what you were working on and then enjoy the rest of the afternoon cleaning Pop’s office. And his bathroom.”
“Fuck that,” Wes said. “Save that for Ryker and Walker.”
“Now,” Jett ordered.
Wes grinned.
And that grin… flashback to Jett at nineteen with anyone over the age of twenty-one telling him to do something…
When Wes walked away, I looked at Jett and sighed. “I should have taken my chances with the oven fire.”
“Fire?” Jett asked. “What?”
“Nothing,” I said, laughing. “Cookies burned. There was no fire. I was being dramatic. Hey, Jett, how are you?”
“I’m just living the dream, sweetheart,” he said. “Although the day has suddenly gotten better with you here.”
“Which is so stupid and cheesy to say,” I said.
We inched closer and had our arms around each other.
“I don’t think you’d want it any other way,” he said.
“Nope,” I said.
“So Whitney burned some cookies, huh?” Jett asked. He laughed. “Can’t believe I just asked that. I was the guy who used to go to fights for money and fun. Now I’m worried about your cookies.”
“You love my cookies,” I said, avoiding his question.
“I love plenty about you, sweetheart,” Jett said. “I’m surprised you left Whitney alone.”
“She’s fine,” I said. “She sort of kicked me out. Which I needed. I kind of feel like I’m turning into Aunt Bea.”
“You know, I always had a thing for her,” Jett said.
I smacked my hands off his shoulders. “Now I see where Wes gets it from. Sicko.”
“What?” Jett asked, smiling.
“You’re gross.”
“But you still love me, right?” Jett asked.
“Of course I do.”
“And I get to see you when I’m done here.”
“We’ll see.”
“You’re coming over again, right?”
“What’s wrong with my house?” I asked.
“Nothing. Why?”
“You think because you have a big house that impresses me?”
“No,” Jett said. “But I do have something big that does impress you.”
“Ohgod,” I said. “I can’t listen to this.”
Right on cue my cell started to ring.
It was Whitney.
I waved the phone at Jett.
“What else did she burn?” Jett asked. “Hopefully not the entire building down.”
“Wow, thanks for saying that.”
Jett laughed. “I’m kidding. I’m sure everything’s fine. Go take your call. Go back to the bakery. I’ll see you later.”
“Hey, don’t imply you’ll see me later,” I said. “I might have plans.”
“Oh yeah? You have someone else on the side?”
I shrugged my shoulders. “You never know, Jett. I mean, are we official now? Are we going steady? Am I going to wear your jacket or something?”
“You still believe in signs, sweetheart?” Jett asked.
“Yeah, I do. Got a problem with it?”
“No,” Jett said. “I’m pretty sure you got your sign this morning.”
I laughed. “You would say that. I’m not the first woman to be rolling around in your sheets, Jett.”
“But I want you to be the last,” he said.
“How romantic.” My phone started to ring
again. “Shit. I better take this. I’ll see you later.”
“Don’t imply it,” Jett teased.
I gave him the middle finger and walked to my car.
I took the call from Whitney. “Hey. What’s going on? Is the place on fire now?”
“Not yet,” Whitney said.
“Not yet? What the hell does that mean?”
Whitney made a sighing noise. “Some guy named Kinney is here looking for you.”
* * *
He sat at a table in the corner, the chair pulled obnoxiously out, one leg over the other, showing off a fancy, pointed brown shoe. A coffee on the table, on a napkin. Of course. Wearing dark blue slacks and a light blue buttoned down shirt. His right wrist covered in bracelets. Probably at least ten. Maybe more. Of course. And each would have some kind of worldly story too.
His clean-cut, perfect jaw line stared at me with the same intensity as his dark blue eyes. His short, blonde hair was the same ruffled, forever messy look that he had about himself from the day I met him.
Which was a long time ago.
And that realization made me feel old.
I was officially at the point where I had known Kinney for half my life. And in that half…
I swallowed hard and approached the table where he sat.
He uncrossed his left leg from the right and stood up.
He opened his arms and turned his head a little, raising his eyebrow.
Not sure if hugging me was allowed or not.
I grabbed the back of the closet chair and that was my answer to his request.
Kinney lowered his arms and laughed in silence.
“Hey,” he said.
“Hey,” I said.
“Sorry to bother you. And your, uh, manager?”
“I’m here, right?”
“I was a little persistent,” Kinney said. “Don’t worry, I didn’t tell her who I actually was.”
“Why would that matter?” I asked.
“I just know how you are with things.”
I turned my head and took a deep breath.
He wasn’t going to walk me into an argument.
I had legal documents that said I didn’t have to argue with him ever again.
“Hope you enjoy the coffee,” I said.
Kinney laughed. “I am. Not as good as where I was though.”
“Good to know.”
“I’m just passing through, Julia,” he said. “That’s about it. Just thought I’d check in on things.”
HIDDEN CREEK NOW: a hidden creek high novel Page 3
