by K. L. Jessop
“Well then there is something wrong with you.”
“Or you just lead a very sheltered life.”
Whoever he is, I can tell he’s joking, but that doesn’t stop the irritation I feel in my chest. Like my feet have a mind of their own, I head to the steps at the other end of my lawn to gain a better view of the Nelsons’ garden.
“You can lead an unsheltered life and still enjoy bubbles, you know,” I say a little loudly, finding Nora on the lawn, Pete in his wheelchair on the patio, and a guy I’ve seen going in and out of their house on occasion, his uniform now telling me that it’s Wade, Pete’s carer.
Nora spins around, looking as beautiful as ever. Her hair is up in a messy topknot, her T-shirt hanging off one shoulder, this time with the slogan ‘hell was full so I came back’, across the front. She’s wearing those shorts again that reveal her perfect legs—legs that I often imagine wrapped around me.
“Grayson. I didn’t see you there.” She studies me for a second, taking a closer step toward her side of the fence. “We didn’t wake you, did we?”
“No. I’ve been up for a bit. What’s going on here?” I nod at her dad. “Hey, Pete.”
Nora lifts up the bubble wand that she’s holding, the happiness in her face something I want to capture forever. “Just having fun with Dad. Like old times.”
Old times.
My chest tightens with her statement. I’ve heard those words too many times already since she’s been home. I know she means well. I know her intention behind them is harmless, but it just sparks something within me and I can’t work out what that is. I hold her gaze, not knowing how to respond, and once again question why this woman has the ability to strip me of everything.
“I don’t know who is having more fun, though: Nora or her dad,” Pete’s carer says, breaking the silence. His tall—not so muscular—body walks toward her, and I question how he has the strength to lift Pete when it comes to his physical therapy.
“Grayson, have you met Wade?”
I nod. “Hey.”
“Wade is the most annoying person out there,” Nora deadpans.
“How charming,” he replies.
“I’m only speaking the truth.”
“I wasn’t annoying when I bought you donuts this morning.”
I suddenly feel I’ve been kicked in the stomach, and my hands grip the edge of the fence. Donuts are our thing. No one else gets her them except me, not even Asher, and as she grew older and became the young woman she is now, those Saturday mornings we’d shared before she headed off to college became the best part of the week for me.
Nora makes matters worse when her eyes dart to me and she says, “There’re some left if you want to come over.”
What the hell is going on here? I’m an adult—a grown fucking man—and some kid has just passed a comment that shouldn’t bother me at all but instead has managed to grip my stomach with jealousy.
“No,” I say firmly. “I’ve got stuff to be getting on with.” With that, I walk away, trying to work out what the fuck is wrong with me.
Chapter Eight
Nora
I’m getting pissed off with his up and down attitude. I’ve not seen him in nearly two days and he just pops up out of the blue and expects me to be able to read him.
Last night’s late call had been so unexpected, and I’d been able to hear the tension in his voice. For a moment—when we bantered like before—there had been a flicker of the old Grayson, but as soon as I told him I missed us, I knew I’d done wrong.
The expression on his face when Wade had mentioned the donuts looked like envy to me. I hadn’t asked Wade to bring them, but I hadn’t thought twice when he did. Yet I feel like I’ve done wrong for accepting the generosity of a guy I’m starting to get to know.
“You were right, Pop,” I say to Dad as I pull myself up to sit on the kitchen island. “Gray’s changed.”
I tried to get a conversation out of Asher, asking him if he’d noticed a difference in him, but in typical Asher form, he just replied that he was fine.
“Give. Time.”
“But how much time? I know I’ve only been home a few days but… He’s not been the same with me in years. And I don’t know why.”
I’m so frustrated with myself for letting it get to this stage, and I have no reason to be. I’ve done nothing wrong, yet I’m the one that’s left feeling like crap.
“Maybe he’s just got fed up with the kid sister hanging around,” I sigh, hoping my words are not true. I have never been that annoying girl who bothered him. I have never been a girl that he would try to hide away from. If anything, the older I’ve become, the more he has hung around me and the stronger our friendship became. He’s always protected me in a way that Asher never has.
“Wrong. He. Needs… You.” Dad pauses. “D-don’t. Give. Up.”
I’m about to ask why he’s so certain that it’s me who Grayson needs when Wade comes in from the living room.
His six-foot frame towers over me when I’m not wearing heels. He’s your typical tall, dark, and handsome with chocolate eyes—the type of guy Makenna would eat for breakfast.
“Right, Pete. Are we ready for some physical therapy?”
“No.”
I laugh, as Wade stands with his hands on his hips looking at Dad. Their friendship is coming on so well already.
Jumping off the kitchen island, I head over to Dad. “You go and get stronger, Pop. I’m going to go hang out in the tree house for a little bit.”
I need to clear my head and it has always been my place to do that. “It’s been a while since I’ve been in there.”
I kiss him on the head, and he grasps my hand, looking up at me with conviction as he holds my gaze. “Time,” he whispers, and I know he’s referring to Grayson.
Smiling at him with a nod, I head out toward the treehouse and climb the wooden steps.
The smell of the old wood and the unused space hits my senses as I open the door. I open all the windows to let the air in as I look around. The day Dad had said he was going to build me a tree house, I’d been so excited. I’d asked for one for my birthday one year, but at the time, he had been deployed to Afghanistan. When he was home, he soon got to work on it along with Asher and Grayson. It was—and still is—the best treehouse I’d ever seen. You could practically live in here.
With solid wood walls and flooring, a makeshift bed of thick comfy blankets and two big beanbags, I’d spent the majority of my time as a young girl in here, reading and coloring.
Kicking the large bean bag with my foot to loosen it up a little, I sit down and get comfortable.
Looking up at the ceiling, I smile at the mural. Like I’m under the water, sea creatures and colors fill the space above me. Granted, I’ve outgrown it now regardless of my career in Marine biology, but it’s another happy memory. And one I don’t think I’d get rid of.
I wake with a jolt and for a moment try and work out where I am. It’s been a long while since I’ve fallen asleep in the tree house. As I focus on my surroundings, the smell of burgers hits my senses before I hear my brother shout for me from the bottom of the ladder.
“Nora. Wake up. I know you’re sleeping.”
My stomach growls, indicating I’ve been out here a while, as I shift myself up off the beanbag and stretch my arms above my head before standing.
“Nora?”
“Coming.”
Stepping down the ladder, I stand in front of my brother and study him for a moment. He looks a little restless, holding a bottle of beer. The dark circles under his eyes tell me he’s not sleeping, or that he’s been out getting drunk too often since he’s been home.
“Everything all right?”
“Fine. Why wouldn’t it be?”
“Because you’re here. And you’re drinking.” I realize I’ve hit a nerve when I notice his jaw tighten.
“Can’t a guy have a beer?”
“I never said you couldn’t. You’re just normally strict
er with your health and fitness.”
“It’s just a beer,” he groans, “And I’m here because Mom asked me to be.”
“She did? Why, what have I missed?”
“Family barbeque if you’d have slept any longer. Mom wanted to do one of her spontaneous afternoon gatherings.”
I smile. She is a nightmare with arranging things without warning. “Last minutes are the most fun,” I say, quoting Mom’s words. “And if it helps, I’m starving.”
“Burgers are almost done.”
“I hope we have fries.”
Asher puts his arm around my shoulders and kisses my hair as we head toward the house. “Would I do burgers without fries when my baby sis is around?”
“Depends what mood you’re in,” I joke, and in return I get a playful jab in the ribs.
“Watch it.”
When I enter the house, my breath catches when I see Grayson leaning against the kitchen counter. Dressed in dark jeans, and a white T-shirt, his ocean eyes travel down my body and awaken the butterflies in my stomach. For a second, I just stand, taking all of him in and letting myself fall into this moment because it’s the first time his eyes have been on me for this long since I’ve been home. But just like this morning, I don’t want to get my hopes hung on something that may not be there.
Moving aside as Asher is now behind me, I head further into the house and go over to Dad who is sat at the dining table. He looks a little pale, and I question whether he’s over done it on his physical therapy with Wade today.
“Hey, Pop.” I smile, placing my arms around his neck from behind and kissing his cheek. “You feeling okay?”
“Good.”
“Your father is tired and insists on not resting like he’s been told to,” Mom says as she places a fresh bowl of salad on the table, side eyeing him. “Apparently he wants to carry on with what you were doing this morning.”
I grin. “Bubbles?”
“Yeah.” Dad chuckles. “Wade. Stop. Us.”
“Physical therapy is more important, Pop. But yes, we can do that again.” I give Dad’s shoulder a squeeze before leaving him, making my way toward Mom and Grayson. “Mom, can I help with anything?”
“No, sweetheart, everything is sorted; the boys have helped. I’m just going to help your dad get settled outside and then I think we’ll be ready to eat.” She heads off, asking my brother if we are ready for the food.
“Shortcake,” Grayson says, stepping up to the side of me. “You okay?”
“Yeah, fine. Are you?”
He nods, a response I knew I’d receive. I’d known he wouldn’t say anything different, regardless of what I see in his eyes.
“Thanks again for the job. I’ll tell everyone over dinner,” I say, needing to break the sudden silence that has fallen between us. Being here with him now is the first time we’ve been alone together since I came home, and I dislike the awkwardness that has been placed between us. I know he feels it.
“It’s fine. Ryan spoke very highly of you.” The tone in his reply is like I’m some stranger he’s never met before, and I have to hold back the irritation that he’s inflicted with his comment.
“Well, at least someone does.”
He holds my gaze, and this silence that is becoming all too familiar is back around us. It never used to be like this. Our talks used to be endless, and it saddens me that we are not the same. He is not the same. I just want him to let me in.
“Gray—”
“How’s the tree house?” he interjects.
“Good. I gave Dad some space when he was with Wade earlier.”
“Gave him space but ended up falling asleep?”
Falling asleep in the tree house is something I’d often end up doing, piles of books around me, and Grayson had always been the one to wake me when my brother wasn’t here.
I can’t help my smile. “Maybe.”
“Can’t hide from me, Shortcake. I know you too well.”
There was a time when I would have agreed. If he knew me then he would know how much his absence has killed me. If he knew me well then, he would understand why his sudden change in character from this morning is even more confusing than the one on the phone last night.
“I’m not so sure you do anymore,” I whisper.
Without another word, I head out, sitting next to Dad to help him to eat and give Mom a break. As the food is handed out, we talk about everything and nothing. The sun is out, the smile on Dad’s face says it all, but it’s Grayson’s eyes that bring a chill to my skin the longer he sits across from me. I’ve rattled him, and I can’t work out if I’m pleased with it or not.
“Nora. Bubbles,” Dad says, nodding to where I left them this morning.
A smile breaks out across my face, and I jump up enthusiastically. “All right, Pop. You ready to watch the pro do what she does best?”
“What is with you two and bubbles,” Asher grumbles, coming back out from inside with another beer.
“Dad and I like them. What’s wrong with that?” I hand Dad the bubble tube to hold, making sure his grip is supported enough that he won’t drop it. “There you go. Hold as tight as you can. Let me know if it gets too slippery.”
When I turn back around, I catch Asher watching us, the look on his face unreadable. “What?”
He shakes his head before taking a mouthful of his beer. “Nothin’.”
I shake my head and return to what I was doing, wondering why men are so confusing at times. They’re all scowls and secrets.
“Okay you ready?”
“Go.”
The second I start blowing the bubbles, the excitement from dad makes my entire body fill with joy. He can’t do much, but doing this takes his mind off everything else, I know it.
Soon enough, we’re out of bubble mixture.
“Oh, man. This stuff never lasts long enough,” I say to Dad, poking my bottom lip out. “No wonder kids throw a tantrum when they are gone.”
“Nora, darling, your phone is going crazy,” Mom says. I head back to the patio table where everyone else is sitting. Grayson has hardly said a word since we came out of the kitchen, but that hasn’t stopped him watching me either.
“You all right, Grayson?” I ask, leaning over him to get my phone just as another text comes through.
“Fine.”
Sitting down opposite him, I hold his stare before I drop my eyes to look at my screen. Swiping across it, I see I’ve not one but four texts: one from Ryan and three from Makenna.
Ryan: Your first shift is at noon on Monday. I suggest you come in just before that so we can kit you out with the right uniform and go over a few things.
I decide to text him back first, grinning like an idiot before I read Makenna’s messages.
Me: Thank you so much, Ryan. See you Monday.
Makenna: What are you doing later? I have plans for us.
Makenna: Hmm… hello???
Makenna: You know it’s rude not to answer me, right? I do crazy shit when I’m ignored.
Me: I know you do. Sorry, I was sleeping and now we are having a cookout. Where’s the fire?
Makenna: I hear you have a new job. *Grins.* No need to thank me.
Me: You found out quick. I wonder how? *Wink*
Makenna: Perks of having a male friend who likes you to get naked. Your virgin body wouldn’t understand. Ha!
I giggle. She’s a constant tease.
Me: LOL.
“What are you laughing at?” Asher quizzes me with the same look on his face I always get when he wants to know the details of my life. “Who are you texting?”
“My future husband,”
“Nora,” he warns.
“Mom, when Wade comes around to be with Dad, he’ll be here over the lunch time period, right?”
“While I’m working, yes. Why?”
“It’s just I won’t be here some days because—”
“Where will you be?” Asher interrupts.
“Out. I’ve—”
> “Doing what?”
I place my phone down and tilt my head at him. He never lets me finish a sentence. “Having unprotected sex with a guy who’s name I won’t remember.”
“Nora!” Mom gasps.
Asher just glares at me. “Don’t fuck with me, Nora.”
“Then shut up and let me answer.” I cut him a look before turning to Mom. “I’ve got myself a little waitressing job for the summer.”
“Really?” Mom questions.
Grayson straightens in his chair, looking down at the ground and telling me in one single gesture that he doesn’t like the idea of it. Meanwhile, Asher is glaring at me like I’ve just committed a serious crime.
“You’ve got to be fucking kidding me,” he growls. The tension across the table could be cut with a knife.
“Wow, didn’t realize that would be an issue.”
“I’m sorry, sweetheart,” Mom replies. “That’s great news. Really it is. But I thought you put a hold on your studies to be with your dad.”
“So did I,” Asher grumbles.
“I don’t want you throwing all your hard work away just to set up in some job and have your qualifications wasted.”
“I won’t be throwing anything away, Mom. My plan is to still live the dream. But I don’t want to live out of your pockets while I’m home.”
“That. Great.”
I smile at Dad, squeezing his hand. “Thanks, Pop. I’ll be home in time for dinner, so we’ll still have fun together.”
“You don’t need a job, Nora.”
“That’s not your choice to make, Asher.”
“You could have said you were looking for one.”
“Why, so you could get in there first and check out whether or not it was appropriate for me to apply for?” I shake my head, tired of this conversation already and tired of battling with him about everything I do. “When is this going to stop, Ash? It’s just a waitressing job.”