fired back, his eyes blazing the same midnight fire as the girl in front of him. “Didn’t ya, Jess?”
“What’s the fuss over? There’s a windbreaker hanging in the closet, and two blue-jean jackets,” Jesse told them, buttoning up the shirt to his uniform. He wiped at his sleepy eyes, wishing he’d had at least a few more winks. But he had to get a move on or he’d be late for his shift. He stuffed the ends of the shirt into his pants, checked his gun, then reached for his badge
.
“A windbreaker is for geeks.”
“And the blue-jean jackets?” Jesse asked
.
“Not total geekdom, but way too old to be cool,” Rachel, his younger sister, informed him. “Everybody’s wearing the Harley jackets, and I called it first, and you owe me for baking you that cake last week. You’ll just have to stay home,” she told her brother. “Or go à la geek. But then your new buddies don’t really go for the nerd look.”
“Shut up,” Jason replied. “Now give it up. They’re waiting for me.”
“Who?” Rachel challenged. “Ask him where he’s going, Jess. I bet it ain’t to the library.”
“
It
isn’t,”
Jesse corrected, sitting down to pull his boots on. “I bet it
isn’t
to the library.”
Jason laughed in his sister’s face, and she tightened her grip on the “cool” jacket, as Jessie had heard over and over before he’d given in and forked over nearly a hundred bucks to get one for Jason’s last birthday. Money he would have been better off saving. Finances had been tight for the past few months since they’d made the move to Houston. Tighter than tight. Hell,he’d nearly gone under a time or two. But not much longer, he promised himself
.
“You can stay home tonight,” Rachel informed Jason. “It won’t kill you, you know.”
“Enough,” Jesse said, getting to his feet. “Give Rachel the jacket.”
“But it’s
my
jacket.”
“You should have thought of that when you were eating that chocolate cake.”
Jason ground his teeth, but he let go. A triumphant Rachel hugged the jacket, then threw her arms around Jesse’s waist
.
“Thanks. I wish you didn’t have to work all night.”
“I have to.” He patted her shoulder, ignoring the urge to slide his arms around her and pull her even closer
.
“I know, but I still wish you didn’t. I love you,” she said fiercely, giving him another hug
.
The words hovered on the tip of his tongue, but he couldn’t open his mouth. Years of holding back, of bottling up his feelings, barricading them behind a hard wall of strength, had taken their toll
.
He simply stroked his sister’s smooth hair for a long moment, relishing the feel, like silk against his palms. Then she pulled away and disappeared into an adjoining bedroom, the coveted jacket clutched tight in her hands
.
“I don’t need a stinking jacket just to go out,” Jason muttered, arms folded, a frown on his face. “It’s not that cold.” He folded his arms in a belligerent pose. “I can’t believe she thinks that stunt is gonna keep me cooped up here. I can look cool without that stupid jacket.”
“Where is it you have to go that’s so urgent?” Jesse asked
.
“Just to hang out at Mitch’s.”
“And who’s Mitch?”
“This guy I met. He’s in one of my classes at school.”
“And you can’t skip one night?”
“I can, but I don’t want to.”
“You sure there isn’t more to it?”
“Scout’s honor.”
“You’re not a scout.”
“I swear.” Jason crossed his heart
.
Jesse gave his brother a searching glance, then let his expression soften. He retraced his steps to the bedroom, rummaged inside the closet, and pulled out a worn jacket that hadn’t seen light in at least fifteen years
.
He ran a hand over the football patch embroidered just under his name, before tossing it at his surprised brother. “This cool enough for you?”
“You’re letting me borrow your letterman’s jacket?” The boy’s eyes lit with surprise, then
“What’s the fuss over? There’s a windbreaker hanging in the closet, and two blue-jean jackets,” Jesse told them, buttoning up the shirt to his uniform. He wiped at his sleepy eyes, wishing he’d had at least a few more winks. But he had to get a move on or he’d be late for his shift. He stuffed the ends of the shirt into his pants, checked his gun, then reached for his badge
.
“A windbreaker is for geeks.”
“And the blue-jean jackets?” Jesse asked
.
“Not total geekdom, but way too old to be cool,” Rachel, his younger sister, informed him. “Everybody’s wearing the Harley jackets, and I called it first, and you owe me for baking you that cake last week. You’ll just have to stay home,” she told her brother. “Or go à la geek. But then your new buddies don’t really go for the nerd look.”
“Shut up,” Jason replied. “Now give it up. They’re waiting for me.”
“Who?” Rachel challenged. “Ask him where he’s going, Jess. I bet it ain’t to the library.”
“
It
isn’t,”
Jesse corrected, sitting down to pull his boots on. “I bet it
isn’t
to the library.”
Jason laughed in his sister’s face, and she tightened her grip on the “cool” jacket, as Jessie had heard over and over before he’d given in and forked over nearly a hundred bucks to get one for Jason’s last birthday. Money he would have been better off saving. Finances had been tight for the past few months since they’d made the move to Houston. Tighter than tight. Hell,he’d nearly gone under a time or two. But not much longer, he promised himself
.
“You can stay home tonight,” Rachel informed Jason. “It won’t kill you, you know.”
“Enough,” Jesse said, getting to his feet. “Give Rachel the jacket.”
“But it’s
my
jacket.”
“You should have thought of that when you were eating that chocolate cake.”
Jason ground his teeth, but he let go. A triumphant Rachel hugged the jacket, then threw her arms around Jesse’s waist
.
“Thanks. I wish you didn’t have to work all night.”
“I have to.” He patted her shoulder, ignoring the urge to slide his arms around her and pull her even closer
.
“I know, but I still wish you didn’t. I love you,” she said fiercely, giving him another hug
.
The words hovered on the tip of his tongue, but he couldn’t open his mouth. Years of holding back, of bottling up his feelings, barricading them behind a hard wall of strength, had taken their toll
.
He simply stroked his sister’s smooth hair for a long moment, relishing the feel, like silk against his palms. Then she pulled away and disappeared into an adjoining bedroom, the coveted jacket clutched tight in her hands
.
“I don’t need a stinking jacket just to go out,” Jason muttered, arms folded, a frown on his face. “It’s not that cold.” He folded his arms in a belligerent pose. “I can’t believe she thinks that stunt is gonna keep me cooped up here. I can look cool without that stupid jacket.”
“Where is it you have to go that’s so urgent?” Jesse asked
.
“Just to hang out at Mitch’s.”
“And who’s Mitch?”
“This guy I met. He’s in one of my classes at school.”
“And you can’t skip one night?”
“I can, but I don’t want to.”
“You sure there isn’t more to it?”
“Scout’s honor.”
“You’re not a scout.”
“I swear.” Jason crossed his heart
.
Jesse gave his brother a searching glance, then let his expression soften. He retraced his steps to the bedroom, rummaged inside the closet, and pulled out a worn jacket that hadn’t seen light in at least fifteen years
.
He ran a hand over the football patch embroidered just under his name, before tossing it at his surprised brother. “This cool enough for you?”
“You’re letting me borrow your letterman’s jacket?” The boy’s eyes lit with surprise, then
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