“Possibly, but who the hell knows why Amelia does the shit she does.”
I think of all the signs I missed, and all the times Amelia hurt Douglass and no one ever noticed or cared.
Harper bares her teeth. “I hate that bitch. I should have kicked her ass as soon as I saw her at the bar next to Douglass. I knew she was up to no good.”
“I can guaran-fucking-tee you that she will never lay a hand on Douglass again.”
I may be reluctant to sabotage Chase for the time being, but I will take immense pleasure in running Amelia out of town if she comes within a hundred feet of Douglass again.
A pair of dark distressed designer blue jeans gets shoved at me. “Casual yet also dressy. And they’ll go nicely with the shirt.”
I drape both items of clothing on the hook on the back of the door. I’ll figure out shoes later. I roll my eyes at myself because I sound like a girl. Next thing I know, Harper will convince me to manscape my chest and eyebrows, have a mani-pedi, and get a haircut. Fearing that it will happen, I push her out of the closet and take a seat at the foot of my bed.
“Harp, how much did Douglass tell you about…” I gesture at myself.
“Snippets here and there when we were both too drunk to care what came out of our mouths. She never mentioned you by name if that’s what you’re asking. Why?”
“So you know about Natalie.”
I assume Harper must know since she knew Douglass was moving back to Woodspire.
“What about her aunt Natalie?” She walks over and plants her feet in front of me.
Shit. Alright, she doesn’t know.
“I can’t tell you.”
Harper huffs. “Jordan! Come on! What’s with all the secrets today?”
I cut her off, all serious. “I really can’t, so don’t push. That goes for Douglass as well.”
“Is Natalie hurt?”
“No, nothing like that. And I can’t say anything more without breaking Douglass’s confidence.”
Her face falls with worry. “Now you’re scaring me. If it’s not Natalie, then is it Douglass? Is she okay?”
Is she? I don’t know. She’s not eating. She’s trying her best to take care of Natalie and apparently is desperate for money. Then all the shit with Amelia and her telling me what really happened that night.
“She’s just dealing with a lot right now,” I reply. “As it is, it was hard enough for her to open up to me. So I’m begging you, please don’t say anything and mess up the progress I made with her.”
Arms crossed and eyes narrowed, Harper’s entire countenance becomes defensive. “That’s a hard ask. She’s one of my best friends. If there’s something going on with her, I want to help.”
Needing a hug and knowing Harper needs one too, I stand up and wrap her in my arms.
“Douglass will be okay because we’ll make sure of it. She’s family. And if there’s one thing we Montgomery siblings know how to do well, it’s how to take care of our family.”
“Damn straight,” she agrees with conviction.
Chapter 32
I arrive fifteen minutes early at the Java Bean on Main Street with my head in a mess. My brain is having trouble processing the events of the past twenty-four hours. How can so much happen in such a short amount of time? However, as much as those thoughts could fill a dozen pages in my blue journal, the only thing I could write this morning was,Holy shit! Jordan is taking me out on a date, followed by a bunch of exclamation marks. Needing an affirmation for the day that represented keeping calm, I went with a quote from Zhuang Zhou: “Stay centered by accepting whatever happens to you.” Easier said than done.
Getting out of the Tesla, I glance around, happy to see that not much has changed in this part of Woodspire. Main Street has remained locked in the past with its red brick and wood buildings that harken back to a time when the Texas and Pacific Railroad used to come through this area. Instead of tearing it down when the rail line was moved farther north, the defunct train depot at the end of Main was turned into a museum. Every year in elementary school, our class would take a field trip there, and I’d spend most of the time playing with the old telegraph machine.
I close the car door and get out of the way for another car to park in the empty space beside me. The street is busy with traffic and pedestrians enjoying a sunny Saturday morning out and about. Something I should do as well, maybe a little exploring and sightseeing later to reacquaint myself with my old hometown. I hope Bailey’s Bookstore hasn’t shut down. I loved spending my Friday evenings there, cozied up in one of their leather bean bag chairs, reading a book.
The sun glints off the red, black, and chrome Java Bean signage, and I pull my sunglasses down from where they are perched on the top of my head. Part of me is a little nervous meeting up with Chase for coffee after what happened with Amelia last night.
