Jenson (Wild Men Book 4)

by Melissa Belle

“And where’s your date for the evening?” Veronica glances around the room.

  Mom gasps. “That’s right! I never asked if you brought someone.” She looks at me expectantly. “Is it someone we know?”

  “Well,” I pause. “I…I brought Jenson. He and I are both currently unattached. It just made sense. He’s my friend-date.”

  “So Jenson helped you out,” Mom says with a knowing smile. “What a gentleman to do his cousin a favor when she’s lonely. Isn’t he so sweet?”

  “Oh, isn’t he good?” Veronica agrees. “I’ve only met him a handful of times before, but he stuck out in my mind. So handsome and so kind.”

  I nod and quickly excuse myself for the restroom.

  I take my time and when I exit the bathroom, I hear low voices coming from the dark part of the hallway behind the stairwell.

  “…I took care of Calvin.”

  I can’t see who’s talking, and I shift forward until I recognize Glenn’s large form and white head of hair. His back is to me, and he’s blocking his companion, who says—

  “How?”

  Jenson. Glenn’s talking to Jenson about Calvin?

  “Let’s just say I’ve been at the paper a long time. And everyone’s got some skeletons in their closet. I just happen to know what Calvin’s are. And I told him if he breathes—or Christ, if he writes—so much as a word about you and Olivia, he’ll wish he hadn’t. Because if what I have on him gets out, he’d be fired faster than he could refute it.”

  “I appreciate you protecting Olivia like that, Glenn. We’re not planning to keep quiet forever.”

  “You sure about this?” Glenn’s tone turns to genuine concern. “Because I wasn’t just protecting Olivia. I was looking out for you too. I hope you realize that if this comes out, your situation will be more precarious than hers.”

  Jenson doesn’t say anything in response, but Glenn continues, “Randolph is a tight-knit school, and they pride themselves on a family-oriented community. I don’t know how they’ll react to this. And your mom…she was the outcast in town until the Grahams took her in. I’m worried how people will treat her.”

  “I am too,” Jenson admits, and I flinch. “But Olivia’s not my cousin, and you know it.”

  “I do, but this town’s got a short memory and is big on gossip.” Glenn puts his hand on Jenson’s arm. “Olivia comes from the golden family. She’d come out of this okay in the long run. Her father may be pushed out as mayor, which I know they’d all take hard, but she shouldn’t be too scathed on a personal level. But you…just think about it. Take your time before you act.”

  When he leaves, I step out from the stairwell and head for Jenson.

  “J.”

  His green eyes widen. “Olive. Did you hear any of that?”

  “Most of it.”

  “It’s good news about Calvin.” His expression is warm and calm.

  “But not about you.” My voice sounds cold to my own ears.

  Jenson cocks his head. “What are you saying?”

  “I’m saying what Glenn just said—you have far more to lose than I do.”

  “Your father could lose the election—you don’t think that’s a lot to lose? Glenn’s making no sense. We’re in this together, Olivia, no matter what happens.”

  “But…”

  “And no matter what happens,” he repeats, “I’m never letting you go again.”

  Chapter Twenty-Three

  “Jenson…” I flush with emotion. “I don’t like the idea of you losing anything because of me.”

  He takes hold of my arms. “Do you really think a damn job is more important to me than you? I can do something else if I have to. As long as I can take care of my sons, I’m happy.”

  “You love football. It’s in your blood. And I know how hard it is to get a coaching position. Openings don’t just pop up every day. Maybe we should wait until the season ends…”

  “Olive…”

  We stop speaking as my mother hustles toward us from the other side of the rooftop.

  “Oh, Olivia. Jenson.” Mom’s tone is clearly agitated, and we turn toward her immediately.

  “Mom, are you okay?”

  “Honey, Auntie Sue just went home to God. God rest her soul.”

  My breath catches in my throat. “Where is she?”

  “She was sitting at the table with Matilda when she slumped over. Cara’s uncle is a doctor, and he performed CPR right away. The paramedics have been called, but it’s already too late. She’s gone.”

  I feel hot tears burn my eyes.

  Mom leaves us when Dad calls for her, and Jenson and I are alone.

  “Auntie Sue must finally be feeling better than she’s felt for a while now,” Jenson says quietly as he kisses my cheek. “And we’ll see her on the other side someday, you know?”

  I nod at him through my tears.

  This wedding quickly goes from a celebration to a mourning. Auntie Sue was my constant in the Graham family. She was everyone’s constant. The matriarch who never flinched no matter what life threw at her. She was always there. Until now.

  And what I overheard between Jenson and Glenn? That weighs on my already-heavy heart when the evening finally ends hours later and I drift off to sleep.

  The next few days are filled with making arrangements for Auntie Sue’s wake and funeral. Meghan takes the boys, but Jenson and I are never alone, and when he tries to make plans with me, I come up with excuses.

  “Olive.” His voice is terse as we separate from the rest of the family at the wake. “You’re avoiding me.”

  “I’m sorry,” I say. “I just…Glenn’s warning threw me for a loop. I don’t want you making a rash decision based on your feelings for me.” The words catch in my throat. “I want you to take the time to think about what he said.”

  Before Jenson can respond, Sheldon walks in the door. He comes over and gives me a hug, and I know he won’t be able to resist. Sure enough, his voice goes low as he mutters, “Olive, I didn’t even know you were dating anybody. Or screwing anybody, for that matter. Whichever it is, you’ve really kept it quiet.”

  “Yeah.” I pause. “It’s been that way lately.” I lift my left hand to brush my hair out of my eyes and tuck it behind my ear.

  “Do you think you’ll reveal the mystery guy someday?” Sheldon asks me as his gaze lights on my ring. “Looks more serious than just screwing, by the way.”

  He turns to fist bump Jenson. “So do you know anything about my little sister’s love life?”

  Jenson coughs and takes a sip of his tea before saying, “I don’t think I’m the right person to be answering that question tonight, Sheldon.”

  Mom dances toward us. “Oh, Olivia! I almost forgot to tell you Will may stop by in a bit.”

  Sheldon’s eyes get so big I think they may pop out of his head. He starts pointing at me. “Is it Will? Is that the guy?”

  “No,” I say firmly. “It is not. And Mom,” I say to her. “You know I don’t like Will. I told you what happened the one night I agreed to meet him.”

  Sheldon snaps his gaze from Mom to me. The confusion is written all over his face. He doesn’t understand why I’m keeping a secret at my own expense. He knows I could shut Mom up quickly if I just told her I had a boyfriend, if I just showed her the ring I’m wearing. If he only knew.

  I excuse myself and go kneel at Auntie Sue’s casket alone.

  Auntie Sue looks serene, much more at peace than the last hundred times I’ve seen her. She doesn’t look like she’s fighting so hard anymore to just…breathe.

  Good-bye Auntie Sue. God bless you.

  I look at the beautiful photograph Matilda placed on top of the casket. It’s a picture of Auntie Sue when she was nineteen years old. The photo is a bit blurry and torn around the edges, but it’s been perfectly framed, and Auntie Sue’s face shines through the glass. Her eyes look so full of promise, so filled with hope and optimism.

  I bow my head and thank her for holding up our family for al
l of these years.

  “It can’t have been easy,” I say under my breath. “This is your time now.”

  Vivian comes to the wake to “pay her respects to the matriarch of your family.” She runs into Dad’s second cousin, Ed, whom she worked with years ago, and they end up sitting with me on the couch.

  Jenson stops by, but a second later, Dad comes over and asks if we’re doing okay.

  “Fine, Dad,” I say to him. “How are you?”

  He kneels down next to Jenson. “These things are always difficult, aren’t they?” he says as he pulls at his tie. “I can’t imagine working in a funeral home.”

  “I’m with you on that,” Jenson says.

  A noise at the door gets our attention, and we all turn our heads to witness Daphne and Todd making their grand entrance. I say grand because they practically skip into the funeral parlor. They look like they barely had time to clean up after their latest roll in the hay, and I’m not exaggerating.

  Dad gets called away by Cybil, and Jenson stands up to say hi to Daphne, who gives him a big hug before going to wait in line to see Auntie Sue.

  “Not to be crude, but Daphne literally looks like she has semen in her hair,” Jenson whispers as he squats down next to me.

  I refuse to look in Daphne’s direction. “Do not say that sentence aloud again,” I say to him. “I forbid you.”

  Not more than a minute later, Sheldon kneels down next to Jenson and says the same thing.

  “God, you boys have such dirty minds,” I say just as Cara joins us.

  “Did he just run right over here and tell you?” Cara says. “Don’t even answer that. I don’t need to ask.”

  “Like Cara, I would rather not talk about it, or think about it, for that matter,” I say.

  “No offense, Olivia,” Sheldon says. “But there’s not much else going on in the funeral parlor. Daphne’s given everyone the story of the evening.”

  In fact, Sheldon and Jenson aren’t the only ones noticing Daphne and Todd. Half the guests are staring at them or whispering when they pass by.

  I excuse myself and hurry over to my sister.

  “Hey!” Daphne says.

  “How are things with Todd?” I ask her.

  “Okay,” she says. “We talked.”

  “That’s good.”

  “We had sex,” she continues.

  “You don’t say.”

  “We spent the whole night in the same bed,” she adds.

  “That’s awesome! You’re on your way back.”

  “Yeah, I don’t know. I hope so. We decided to go to couples therapy, too. So time will tell.”

  I beckon her out of earshot of anyone else before I say in a whisper, “I’m happy things are going better with Todd, but your hair has a residue in it.”

  Daphne puts her hand to her head and smiles.

  “Right,” I say. “And it’s obvious. You must respect the dead in a funeral home. That’s the only reason a funeral home exists.”

  “Oh, Olive. You’re so uptight.”

  Daphne always was the rebellious one out of the three of us. It’s funny to think of now because she’s been locked up in her house, playing mother and housewife for so long, but she was the one who snuck Dad’s beer out of the cellar and got wasted on our roof. She was the one who got high on weekends freshman year and tried to cheat on a geometry test. She was the one who was sleeping with her boyfriend and got caught by his parents in their bed in the middle of the school day. She was smart and demanded a lot of herself academically, but she also loved to be a wild child.

  I look at her with fresh eyes. “I think you’ve let the rebel go too much,” I say suddenly.

  Her pretty blue eyes widen. “What?”

  “You’re the rebel in our family, Daph. You always were. I think you put that part of yourself away when you got married and had kids, and now she’s locked up somewhere in the closet of your mind. You miss her, don’t you?”

  Daphne’s mouth drops open. “Jesus. You’re right.”

  “I think you should bring her out again. Not by drinking or getting high. But somehow, you need to reconnect with her. You’re dying inside without that part of you. Let your kids see who you are, Daphne. Don’t just show them a 1950s housewife. That’s not you.”

  Daphne pulls me in for a hug. “You are so freaking smart, you know that? No wonder you make so much money.”

  “I don’t make so much money. I make money. Will, on the other hand,” I say as I see him stride through the door, wearing a designer suit and sunglasses, “makes soooo much money. Look at what he’s wearing.”

  “Did you have sex with him?” she asks as he waves at me and heads in our direction.

  “You sound like Mom. And the answer is no. Not on your life.”

  “Olivia.” Will leans down and kisses my cheek. “So sorry to meet you again under these circumstances.” He looks at Daphne through his shades. “I’m sorry, I don’t believe we were formally introduced. I’m Will.”

  “This is my sister, Daphne,” I say. “Now if you’ll excuse me…”

  “I want to take you out,” Will says loudly as I try to walk away.

  Daphne’s eyes flash to mine.

  “No, thank you. I’m busy.”

  “I didn’t mean tonight necessarily,” he says.

  “I’m busy every night,” I say as Jenson approaches us.

  He gives Will a hard look, and Will acts like Jenson doesn’t even exist.

  “You can’t be busy every night,” Will says. “Your mom says you’re single and divorced.”

  As if on cue, Mom comes over to our group. “Oh, hello Will,” she says pleasantly. “I see you and Olivia have found one another.”

  I breathe out heavily. Jenson’s clenching his jaw, and his eyes have turned cold.

  “Mom,” I say. “Please stay out of this. I told Will I’m busy.”

  Sheldon, never one to miss anything interesting, strolls by with Cara. He stops on a dime as soon as he hears what I say to Mom, and then he shifts his gaze over to Will. When he sees Will wearing shades, even though we’re inside and it’s nighttime, Sheldon starts to laugh.

  “What‘s so funny?” I say to him.

  He leans in and whispers to me, “I just know this guy’s not your type. I may not know much, but I know that. So I believe you when you said it’s not him.”

  I turn to Will. “Excuse me. We’re leaving for the burial soon,” I say before walking away.

  We pile into our cars and follow the funeral procession through town from one end to the other until we arrive at the cemetery.

  I sing along with everyone else to Come Labor On while Dad and the other pallbearers lower Auntie Sue’s casket into the ground.

  Afterward, we drive to Cybil’s house where she has a three-course meal spread out in her dining room. Miraculously, Will has disappeared, but before I know it, Cindy’s next to me asking if I can help her find Jenson a good woman.

  Jenson’s across the table with my mother, who’s rambling on to him about Will and what a shame it is that I won’t give him a second chance.

  “I think Jenson can work out his own love life,” I say to Cindy, trying to be as polite as I can.

  Vivian’s next to me on my other side and she laughs. “God, if only my mother had learned that rule.”

  I want to ask Vivian why she’s here, but when I see Ed putting a piece of meat on her plate, the light dawns. Apparently wakes are a good place to meet someone.

  “I’m just worried,” Cindy says as Sheldon shakes his head and shoots Jenson a sympathetic look. “He’s already been divorced once. And you too Olivia. I want to see you both settled and happy.”

  Not one minute later, my phone buzzes with a text.

  You and me. I’m taking you home after. I know you’ve been avoiding me, but don’t even try to argue me.

  I look over at Jenson, and his hot green eyes lock onto mine.

  I give him a nod, and he walks away from Mom at the same time tha
t I get up from the table and stand by the bay window. Jenson joins me as I stare out at the rain, which provides a welcome relief from Cindy, who’s behind me again and talking in a loud whisper.

  “Missy called last night to pay her respects to Auntie Sue,” Cindy says. “I had forgotten about her.”

  I raise my eyebrows questioningly at Jenson.

  “Missy from my senior prom,” he explains. “She met Auntie Sue one time. Prom night when we took pictures. Missy and I were always just friends.”

  “She read about the death in the obituary,” Cindy says. “And she was just so sweet and kind and single…”

  Of course Missy’s still single. Why else would she scour the obituaries and find a way to try to worm her way back into the life of some guy she had a crush on in high school?

  Meanwhile, Mom is STILL talking about Will, this time to Sheldon, who doesn’t want to hear it.

  “Mom, the guy’s a tool,” Sheldon says. “Let’s call a spade a spade here.”

  “Sheldon, don’t be rude,” Mom admonishes him. “If not Will, then maybe that sweet boy you mentioned the other day to me, Cindy. What was his name again—Howard?”

  “Howard!” Cindy says. “Olivia, I think you’d love him. He’s corporate like you are, and…”

  And then it happens. Jenson loses it. But not in a way that would look reasonable and acceptable. No, he loses it in a way only he can.

  He bends down to put his plate on the ground.

  Then he stands up straight, and out of absolutely nowhere, he puts his hand on the back of my neck, pulls me flush to him, and kisses me.

  Right on the mouth.

  I hear the loud gasps as I put my arms around his waist and kiss him back.

  We don’t kiss for long, just long enough to make our intentions clear.

  When we pull away after several seconds, the room has fallen into a hush.

  I look around at the sea of confusion blanketing everyone’s faces: Mom, Cindy, Sheldon, Daphne, and Dad. They’re so confused that they try to make it right, try to pretend it’s okay at first. Mom smiles, Cindy smiles, and Sheldon…well, Sheldon doesn’t know what to do, I think, because he’s slowly putting two and two together. I actually see the realization flash across his face the moment his mind registers the truth behind my secret boyfriend. His mouth contorts into knowing, and he just…stares at Jenson and me in shock.