Read Online Treasure on Lilac Lane: A Jewell Cove Novel by Donna Alward - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Donna Alward
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intellectually—certain things still triggered an automatic response, like a muscle memory to a threat. One of those things was the way a man looked after a binge. In her experience they were irritable at best, and a hair trigger at worst.
Once she’d had time to process things, she’d calmed down. And felt a little foolish for being so snappish.
“Oh, you know,” she said as lightly as she could manage. “Okay, considering.”
“I saw him the other night. He was with Bryce.”
Great. Rick plus the police chief. “What trouble did he get himself into this time?”
“Trouble?” Summer’s brows pulled together in confusion. “No trouble. He was having some dinner at Breezes and I was on shift that night. He’s moved back into his mom’s house, you know.”
Jess hadn’t known. She’d tried to keep her nose firmly out of Rick’s business. It was too complicated and all they usually ended up doing was arguing anyway. “That’s good,” she said, concentrating on a line of stitches. “It’s got to be better than where he was.”
“Sure, but I bet it’s hard, too. Bryce said Rick really seems to be making an effort to get his act together. Shame he’s laid off. It would probably be easier if he were working.”
Keeping busy was always a good idea, Jess knew firsthand. It was a rare thing for her to sit idle. It gave her too much time to think. Like think about how Rick’s mouth had quirked up when he was teasing her in the car, or how the muscles had rippled his shirt when he lifted boxes. Now she felt smaller than ever, because Rick had really needed this job and she hadn’t made it easy for him.
“Anything else new?” she asked, wanting to change the subject.
Summer shrugged. “Remember Karen Greer? I heard she and her husband just moved back to Jewell Cove. Apparently, she has cancer and isn’t doing so well, so Brian moved them back to town. Says she wants to be by the ocean.” Summer paused to shake her head sadly. “Word is, Brian called the kids and asked them to come home. I guess they don’t want to wait until Christmas. It might be too late by then.” Her words were quiet, in deference to the sad subject.
Jess’s body went suddenly cold and her hand stopped midstitch.
“Didn’t I hear that you went out with Mike Greer back in the day?” Summer’s voice perked up as she knotted a new thread. “I think Bryce mentioned that.”
Summer had continued on as if the mentioning of Mike Greer’s name was simple gossipy conversation. Her stitches were smooth and even; she was utterly unaware of how Jess had frozen in her chair.
Mike Greer. Just the name was enough to make her tremble. Josh had made him promise to never come back to Jewell Cove and to her knowledge he never had. Of course, Josh had also promised Mike that if he did return, he’d never walk again. And he’d meant it. The quilt in Jess’s hands faded as she struggled to breathe, trapped in her memories. Josh had been the one to tend her cuts and bruises. He’d been staying at their mom’s place, home on leave, when he’d stopped by the little house she and Mike had rented from his parents. She had been so young back then, so determined to have her own way by moving out, unwilling to admit that her boyfriend would never change. But when she saw Josh’s reaction to her injuries, she’d known enough was enough.
Jess’s fingers tightened on the scrap of cloth in front of her. That night she’d left Mike, but no matter what Josh said, Jess had felt so stupid. She’d refused to let anyone else see just what her life had become. Instead, Josh drove her to the shelter and held her hand as she’d called their mother and explained that she and Mike had broken up and she was visiting friends for a while to clear her head. He’d made sure that Mike was really gone, and once the visual evidence of that night was gone from her face, she’d returned home. Started getting on with her life.
Sort of.
“Jess, are you
Once she’d had time to process things, she’d calmed down. And felt a little foolish for being so snappish.
“Oh, you know,” she said as lightly as she could manage. “Okay, considering.”
“I saw him the other night. He was with Bryce.”
Great. Rick plus the police chief. “What trouble did he get himself into this time?”
“Trouble?” Summer’s brows pulled together in confusion. “No trouble. He was having some dinner at Breezes and I was on shift that night. He’s moved back into his mom’s house, you know.”
Jess hadn’t known. She’d tried to keep her nose firmly out of Rick’s business. It was too complicated and all they usually ended up doing was arguing anyway. “That’s good,” she said, concentrating on a line of stitches. “It’s got to be better than where he was.”
“Sure, but I bet it’s hard, too. Bryce said Rick really seems to be making an effort to get his act together. Shame he’s laid off. It would probably be easier if he were working.”
Keeping busy was always a good idea, Jess knew firsthand. It was a rare thing for her to sit idle. It gave her too much time to think. Like think about how Rick’s mouth had quirked up when he was teasing her in the car, or how the muscles had rippled his shirt when he lifted boxes. Now she felt smaller than ever, because Rick had really needed this job and she hadn’t made it easy for him.
“Anything else new?” she asked, wanting to change the subject.
Summer shrugged. “Remember Karen Greer? I heard she and her husband just moved back to Jewell Cove. Apparently, she has cancer and isn’t doing so well, so Brian moved them back to town. Says she wants to be by the ocean.” Summer paused to shake her head sadly. “Word is, Brian called the kids and asked them to come home. I guess they don’t want to wait until Christmas. It might be too late by then.” Her words were quiet, in deference to the sad subject.
Jess’s body went suddenly cold and her hand stopped midstitch.
“Didn’t I hear that you went out with Mike Greer back in the day?” Summer’s voice perked up as she knotted a new thread. “I think Bryce mentioned that.”
Summer had continued on as if the mentioning of Mike Greer’s name was simple gossipy conversation. Her stitches were smooth and even; she was utterly unaware of how Jess had frozen in her chair.
Mike Greer. Just the name was enough to make her tremble. Josh had made him promise to never come back to Jewell Cove and to her knowledge he never had. Of course, Josh had also promised Mike that if he did return, he’d never walk again. And he’d meant it. The quilt in Jess’s hands faded as she struggled to breathe, trapped in her memories. Josh had been the one to tend her cuts and bruises. He’d been staying at their mom’s place, home on leave, when he’d stopped by the little house she and Mike had rented from his parents. She had been so young back then, so determined to have her own way by moving out, unwilling to admit that her boyfriend would never change. But when she saw Josh’s reaction to her injuries, she’d known enough was enough.
Jess’s fingers tightened on the scrap of cloth in front of her. That night she’d left Mike, but no matter what Josh said, Jess had felt so stupid. She’d refused to let anyone else see just what her life had become. Instead, Josh drove her to the shelter and held her hand as she’d called their mother and explained that she and Mike had broken up and she was visiting friends for a while to clear her head. He’d made sure that Mike was really gone, and once the visual evidence of that night was gone from her face, she’d returned home. Started getting on with her life.
Sort of.
“Jess, are you
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