AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“Great timing,” Brenna said as she and Jesse ladled rice and stir-fry onto plates at the stove, then gravitated toward the small dining table.
Vi filled her plate and sniffed. The garlicky-soy sauce mix made her mouth water. She stood with her plate, leaning next to the cabinets.
Jesse set up an extra folding chair. “Plenty of room, Vi. Come sit down.” His dark eyes probed her face. “Long day?”
“It’s over now. A good night’s sleep and I’ll be ready to do it all over again tomorrow.” She joined them. A meal with friends barely outweighed the third-wheel feeling she got around these two.
She tasted a bite of the savory stir-fry. “Wow, Brenna. This is good.”
“It’s fantastic, darlin’.” Jesse flashed Brenna a smile, pinking her cheeks. He looked back at Vi. “You’ll tell me if something needs to be addressed in the massage department, won’t you?”
Vi hid a smile. Jesse’s attention to detail had become another Peeps’ legend. “Yes. So far, it’s nothing I can’t handle. A few folks think because they pay, they can tell me how to do my job.”
Jesse and Brenna groaned in commiseration.
They finished their meal, chatting about the day’s events. Staccato clicks in the hallway caught Vi’s attention. Paige entered the room in a high-necked evening gown and silver heels. An elegant updo crowned her head, and earrings dangled to her shoulders. The floral scent she wore competed with the stir-fry aroma.
“Goodness, woman! Where are you going?” Jesse grinned broadly.
“A charity fundraiser. And I’m late. Rory will be pacing.” Perfect red lips revealed Paige’s showstopper smile. Cramming a box of breath mints in her sparkly clutch, she asked, “Am I all together?”
Brenna screwed her face up in pretend scrutiny, then fisted her hand in a thumbs up. “You look stunning.”
“You’ll be the prettiest gal in the room,” Jesse echoed.
Paige hurried out the door, her scent lingering in the air.
Disappointment flooded Vi’s chest. Rory wouldn’t be available to chat tonight. He had a date.
After dinner, Vi shooed Brenna and Jesse out of the small kitchen. “Scoot. You know the rule, Brenna. You cooked, so you’re off the hook with clean-up.” She cast a side-eye as they exited the room. Jesse’s large bronze hands rested on Brenna’s shoulders. Must be nice.
Vi busied herself putting away spices, stumbling over Thunder on her way to the dishwasher. “Gracious, bud. You better stay out of the way. Neither of us wants me to fall on you.” She’d put the word out about needing forever homes. So far, no one had stepped up to claim him or the cats.
Vi stacked the dinner dishes in the dishwasher racks, threw away paper napkins, and hand-washed the pans. She should have listened to her gut. Rory and Paige were a couple.
Any attention Rory paid to her had to do with the house remodel. She wiped the counters with a dish towel, then gazed around the spotless kitchen. Now what?
Brenna and Jesse had already claimed the living room sofa. They would ask her to join them, but she could only take so much of their togetherness. Her original plan had been to hole up in her room and try to crack the code on Dad’s tablet. And wait to see if Rory would text first. But now she couldn’t sit still long enough for any codebreaking.
She needed to walk around the lake and sort out her whirling emotions. Cicada song and moonlit water would cure her antsy state. However, if Rory found out … well, she couldn’t stomach another safety discussion.
She paced the small kitchen, her ankle aching from the lack of support. Sighing, she maneuvered her foot into the thick sole of the walking boot, then strapped it over her jeans.
Biting her lip in frustration, Vi stalked into the living room. Multi-colored strands of tiny Christmas lights glowed from an evergreen garland. The scent of cedar emanated from the corner where a brightly decorated tree stood. Jesse and Brenna sat, heads close together on the sofa. Smooching, no doubt. Stifling the urge to roll her eyes, she perched on the chair, phone in hand.
“What’s going on, Vi?” Breathlessness laced Brenna’s words.
Honesty gained the upper hand. “I want to go out to the house and walk around the lake, but Rory says I shouldn’t be there by myself.”
As the words left her mouth, she thought of who might be available. “I’m going to text Silas. Maybe he’ll meet me out there.” Silas, a physical therapist at Peeps, stayed on the fringe of their friend group, mostly by choice. Still, he’d been friendly enough to her. He didn’t send any creepy vibes either. Her thumbs moved over the screen. She clicked SEND and looked at Jesse and Brenna. “If he can’t, I’m going to beg you two to go with me.” She hated to sound so needy even if her desperation forced a backup plan.
“No begging necessary. We’ll go.” Jesse sat forward, his boots scraping the floor. Brenna nodded vigorously. “Thanks. Let me see if Silas … here he is now.” She scanned the incoming text. “He’ll meet me there.” Vi smiled, relieved Jesse and Brenna were off the hook.
Jesse’s brows knit together. “Might be best if you waited in your car until Silas gets there.”
Not Jesse too. The need to walk overwhelmed her. “I’m out of here.” She snatched her purse off the floor and slung it over her shoulder.
“Stay safe, Vi.” Jesse’s baritone voice carried. She slowed her steps in a poor attempt at dignity.
