Read Online Smoky Mountain Dreams by Leta Blake - Free Book Online Page A

“Anyway, when I
got back, I needed some income and a place to live. My Gran suggested I go out
for a position here at SMD. I got the job and she offered for me to stay in her
house. Then she fell, and the rest is history.”
    “Are you happy here?” Jesse asked.
    “Dang, man. That’s a tough question.”
    “I’m sorry.”
    “No, it’s fine. Don’t be sorry.” Christopher wished he hadn’t
pulled his hand away. He cleared his throat. “I don’t know. I like my work. I
love to sing and perform. I guess I’m happy, sure. I could be working a cash
register somewhere like Darla, so it could be worse. How about you? Jewelry
makes you happy?”
    Jesse smiled and cast his eyes down. “Not as much as it used
to. But speaking of jewelry—I brought along the design for your grandmother’s
locket. I figured if I managed to finagle some time with you tonight I might be
able to get the go ahead to move forward with it.
    Christopher felt his heart sink. It wasn’t a date. It was
business. “Sure, of course. Let’s see it.”
    Jesse reached into the inside breast pocket of his coat and
pulled out a folded piece of paper. He smoothed it onto the table between them
and turned it so Christopher could see.
    The drawing was in ink, detailed and meticulous. An oval
locket, noted as being two and one-third inches tall and two inches wide, was
pictured with three stones in the middle set together to form an approximation
of a heart. Around the stones and along the sides, oak leaves and acorns were
built up, as though holding the stones in place.
    “My friend Matt Crowe lives on the Qualla Boundary—you know,
the Cherokee land? I’ve already emailed him about deer teeth to use here,”
Jesse said, pointing at the three white ovals on the drawing. “Obviously teeth
vary naturally, and they aren’t as easy to shape and polish without damaging
them, so I’ll have to see if the teeth he supplies will actually work to form a
heart, but we can figure out how to use whatever he gives me.”
    “The heart’s a little kitsch, anyway,” Christopher said. He
was surprised by how pleased he was with the design, though he didn’t know why.
Jesse had a reputation for a reason, and listening to his clients was probably
key to making them happy.
    “I can remove it.”
    “No. Gran likes kitsch.”
    Jesse chuckled. “Most grandmothers do. But if you feel like
it’s too much…”
    “No. Really, I like it. I guess we’ll see if the teeth work.
If they don’t, I’m sure I’ll like the design just as well without the heart.”
    Jesse seemed to be measuring his sincerity, and then nodded.
“As you can see, there will be four frames for the pictures inside the locket,
and I was thinking a small acorn at the pinnacle of each frame would be a nice
touch.”
    Jesse explained the drawing a bit more, his fine fingers
pointing out the various design elements and features. Christopher ate as he
listened, nodding and asking questions that seemed pertinent but were really
designed to keep Jesse talking. Even if this was just a business meeting,
Christopher didn’t want it to be over yet.
    Eventually there was no getting around it. There was nothing
more to be said about the locket, and it was just a matter of giving Jesse the
go ahead, which Christopher did enthusiastically. As Jesse folded the paper
again, Christopher took a final bite of his biscuit and sighed. He supposed now
would be the moment when Jesse took his leave.
    Instead, Jesse smiled. “Do you have to head home now? Or…”
his eyes dropped to Christopher’s mouth and lingered there. “Here, you’ve
got—let me just—” Jesse reached out and wiped crumbs from the corner of
Christopher’s lower lip.
    Christopher licked the place Jesse had just touched and
watched Jesse’s eyes follow his tongue. He was gay. He had to be. Other guys
would’ve said, “Dude, you’ve got food on your face,” if they said anything at
all. They wouldn’t have touched his mouth. They