Read Online Loving Jessie by Dallas Schulze - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Dallas Schulze
Ads: Link
he said, affecting a haughty tone, and Jessie laughed out loud.
“I might buy that if I didn’t know that you consider Twinkies the height of culinary perfection.”
“It’s only because of government corruption that they haven’t been properly recognized as the perfect food,” he whined, and then spoiled his sullen look by grinning when Jessie laughed again.
“Oh, Matt, I’ve missed you,” she said, setting her hand on his knee. “It’s so good to have you home.”
“It feels good to be back.” But not nearly as good as your hand feels on my leg . Matt quashed the thought almost before it was born. The heat must have fried his brain. This was Jessie, for God’s sake! But he was relieved when she moved her hand away.
“Reilly and I had a drink at Harry’s Bar last night,” he said, shifting his legs into a more comfortable position. It was pure coincidence that it also put him out of herreach. Or maybe it put her out of his reach. Not that there was any question of anyone reaching for anyone else.
“I haven’t seen him in a while,” Jessie said, and Matt made an effort to pull his attention back to the conversation. “How is he?”
“Okay.” He shrugged, ignoring the twinge of pain in his shoulder. “Business is apparently good.” There was a scrub jay on the ground under a huge old sycamore, shuffling through the fallen leaves with a self-important air. His eyes on the bird, Matt debated whether or not he wanted to say anything more. He generally made it a point to avoid gossip, despite the business he was in. The line between news and gossip was often blurry, which was one reason he’d always been happy that his job was to take the pictures rather than to tell the story. Still, Reilly was his friend. Jessie’s friend. And something was definitely not right.
“I haven’t seen much of Reilly over the last few years,” Jessie said, unwittingly saving him the effort of making a decision. “Not since he got married, I guess.”
So much for Jessie knowing what’s going on . “What’s Dana like?” Matt asked.
Now how was she to answer that? Jessie wondered. She didn’t really qualify as an unbiased source. She looked down, half-afraid of what Matt might see in her eyes. He’d always had a tendency to see more than you wanted him to. “I don’t really know her all that well. She seems a little cool. Distant maybe.”
Matt thought about the woman he’d met and shook his head slowly. “I don’t know, Jessie. Maybe. She seemed…lonely to me.”
“Men always fall for those big blue eyes,” Jessie said lightly, but the words had a sharp edge, even in her own ears. God, now she sounded like a jealous cat. And thefact that she was jealous only made it worse. She lifted her glass and took a long drink, hoping the cold lemonade would help cool the heat in her cheeks.
“Actually, I had something I wanted to talk to you about,” she said, changing the subject abruptly.
“You mean you didn’t drive all the way out here just for the pleasure of my company?” Matt arched one dark brow. “I’m crushed.”
“I doubt that,” Jessie said dryly. She glanced at him, then looked away again. She was worrying her lower lip with her teeth, Matt saw, and wondered if she was nervous. He refused to admit to wondering how it might feel to nibble on her lip himself.
“Grandad was writing a book when he died,” Jessie said abruptly. “A book on roses in general, but really on his rose garden in particular. He was pretty well known among rosarians, you know.”
“I seem to recall he had some pretty spectacular battles with Reilly’s mother over how to prune them.” Matt’s tone was reminiscent, and Jessie relaxed, her sudden attack of nerves dissolving. There was no reason to be nervous about talking to Matt.
“I half expected them to come to blows a time or two,” she said.
“Pruning shears at twenty paces?”
“Or a duel to the death with trowels.” Her smile faded, her eyes
“I might buy that if I didn’t know that you consider Twinkies the height of culinary perfection.”
“It’s only because of government corruption that they haven’t been properly recognized as the perfect food,” he whined, and then spoiled his sullen look by grinning when Jessie laughed again.
“Oh, Matt, I’ve missed you,” she said, setting her hand on his knee. “It’s so good to have you home.”
“It feels good to be back.” But not nearly as good as your hand feels on my leg . Matt quashed the thought almost before it was born. The heat must have fried his brain. This was Jessie, for God’s sake! But he was relieved when she moved her hand away.
“Reilly and I had a drink at Harry’s Bar last night,” he said, shifting his legs into a more comfortable position. It was pure coincidence that it also put him out of herreach. Or maybe it put her out of his reach. Not that there was any question of anyone reaching for anyone else.
“I haven’t seen him in a while,” Jessie said, and Matt made an effort to pull his attention back to the conversation. “How is he?”
“Okay.” He shrugged, ignoring the twinge of pain in his shoulder. “Business is apparently good.” There was a scrub jay on the ground under a huge old sycamore, shuffling through the fallen leaves with a self-important air. His eyes on the bird, Matt debated whether or not he wanted to say anything more. He generally made it a point to avoid gossip, despite the business he was in. The line between news and gossip was often blurry, which was one reason he’d always been happy that his job was to take the pictures rather than to tell the story. Still, Reilly was his friend. Jessie’s friend. And something was definitely not right.
“I haven’t seen much of Reilly over the last few years,” Jessie said, unwittingly saving him the effort of making a decision. “Not since he got married, I guess.”
So much for Jessie knowing what’s going on . “What’s Dana like?” Matt asked.
Now how was she to answer that? Jessie wondered. She didn’t really qualify as an unbiased source. She looked down, half-afraid of what Matt might see in her eyes. He’d always had a tendency to see more than you wanted him to. “I don’t really know her all that well. She seems a little cool. Distant maybe.”
Matt thought about the woman he’d met and shook his head slowly. “I don’t know, Jessie. Maybe. She seemed…lonely to me.”
“Men always fall for those big blue eyes,” Jessie said lightly, but the words had a sharp edge, even in her own ears. God, now she sounded like a jealous cat. And thefact that she was jealous only made it worse. She lifted her glass and took a long drink, hoping the cold lemonade would help cool the heat in her cheeks.
“Actually, I had something I wanted to talk to you about,” she said, changing the subject abruptly.
“You mean you didn’t drive all the way out here just for the pleasure of my company?” Matt arched one dark brow. “I’m crushed.”
“I doubt that,” Jessie said dryly. She glanced at him, then looked away again. She was worrying her lower lip with her teeth, Matt saw, and wondered if she was nervous. He refused to admit to wondering how it might feel to nibble on her lip himself.
“Grandad was writing a book when he died,” Jessie said abruptly. “A book on roses in general, but really on his rose garden in particular. He was pretty well known among rosarians, you know.”
“I seem to recall he had some pretty spectacular battles with Reilly’s mother over how to prune them.” Matt’s tone was reminiscent, and Jessie relaxed, her sudden attack of nerves dissolving. There was no reason to be nervous about talking to Matt.
“I half expected them to come to blows a time or two,” she said.
“Pruning shears at twenty paces?”
“Or a duel to the death with trowels.” Her smile faded, her eyes
Similar Books
