“I was literally fifteen.”
“Like I said… diapers. I’ve managed it just fine on my own.”
“Right, I’m just here helping three days a week for no pay because I needed something else on my plate.”
He sighed, a rag that used to be white dangling down from his grasp like a flag of surrender. “Hey, if it’s a strain to be here…”
Jessie put her hand up, waving the thought away. “It’s not. I promise. I want to help. I like helping. Life is just… a lot lately.”
“Then what’s going on?” Lachlan pulled out the empty stool from under the counter. “You can talk to me.”
“I can’t. I’m not ready to talk about it.”
“Is it about last year? Did the nightmares come back?”
Jessie closed her eyes. They’d been so bad after she was taken, but slowly faded away since then.
“No. I promise. It’s not that.”
“Good. That head doc Sloane referred you to seemed to really help.”
“Yeah. She did.”
“Oh shit,” Lach groaned. “Does this mean it’s guy trouble?If there’s someone I need to kick the shit out of, Jess, just say the word.”
She laughed. “No. It’s not like that. Besides, I’d never tell you my boy problems. That’s what I have Birdie and Dawn and Adrienne for.”
“Damn, Lainey didn’t make the cut?” he chuckled.
“Sorry, that stuck up drama queen will never make the list, if I’m being honest.”
“Still holding onto high school grudges. That’s cold, Jess. She’s just Birdie’s baby sister, and since Birdie is practically family….”
“Yeah, I see what you’re trying to say.” Jess swallowed down a wave of nausea. “Dakota counts as family because he’s your best friend. Birdie counts as family because she’s Beau’s best friend. And, if we’re being honest here, I love her too much now to ever let her go. But Lainey? She’s the bitch who had everyone in school call me ‘goat girl’ for two years. I can’t forget that. And I won’t.”
Lachlan laughed. “You do really love Lucky though. Is that her fault?”
Jessie curled her fingers into a fist and crashed them into Lach’s arm. “Get out of the office and let me get back to work. I’m leaving early today.”
“You are?” His face fell. “Are you sure you’re okay?”
“Oh, I wasn’t planning on leaving early before this conversation. It’s just payback for you being an ass to me.”
“Fair play,” Lach groaned as he stood up from the stool. “I’m going to swing by the diner and get Duke to fry up some catfish for lunch. Want me to grab you an order when I do? We can eat together before you leave.”
The mention of fried fish did her in. Suddenly, that was all she could see. All she could smell. And never mind how the memory of the taste laid heavy on her tongue. Jessie jumpedout of the chair, wrapping her fingers around the base of the trash bin, holding on for dear life as the three crackers and sip of water she was able to get down came violently back up.
“Holy shit.” Lach was right there, patting her back. “Yeah, you’re going home now, kid.”
“Not a kid,” she groaned, slapping her hand up on the counter searching for the roll of paper towels. Lach must have figured out what she needed, because a second later, a ridiculous amount was shoved into her hand.
“Honestly, I’d rather not have you here. I can’t afford to catch whatever this is and be out.”
“Don’t worry. You can’t catch this. I promise.”
“Why?” Her brother was now crouched down, studying her face. “Did Mom not get you the same vaccinations as us? Is this what having chicken pox looks like as an adult?”
“You’re an idiot. I told you, mybrother, that you can’t catch what I, yoursister, have. And that’s what you came up with?”
