The Will

  “God damn it,” Uncle Davis muttered.

  And that was when it happened. That was when it came right out of me. I couldn’t stop it.

  And I totally understood it.

  I looked to my uncle, brows raised, hands lifted up at my sides, and I asked, “Seriously?”

  “Josie—” Jake started but I cut him off.

  Still addressing my uncle, I asked, “Are you whacked?”

  “Girl—” he began but I cut him off too.

  “What did you think you were going to accomplish?”

  He didn’t answer my question.

  He groused, “Stupid motion sensor lights. Dark day they were invented.”

  “Uncle Davis!” I snapped loudly. “What did you think you were going to accomplish?”

  He glared at me but said not a word.

  “God, you’re an idiot,” I shared.

  “Respect your uncle, girl,” he bit out.

  “I would, if you’d ever given me one, single, itty, bitty, miniscule reason to do so,” I fired back, then huffed, “Yeesh.”

  He glared at me again.

  I rolled my eyes and looked to Jake. “Are you all right?”

  “I am but the window to the greenhouse door isn’t,” he answered.

  I cut my eyes to my uncle. “You’re going to pay for that.”

  “How?” he asked back. “Givin’ blood? Girl, I broke in so I could get some shit to pawn ‘cause I can’t even afford the gas money to get home.”

  “Well, a better solution to your problem was to give blood to get your gas money because you’re not getting a thing from this house or a dime from me,” I told him then kept at him, “The good news is, at least you have a free place to sleep tonight because I’m so totally pressing charges.”

  He glared at me again.

  I decided I was finished with him so I moved to the coffeepot and announced, “I’m making coffee. Jake? Coffee?”

  “Yeah, babe,” he replied but his voice was trembling with something I knew very well.

  Humor.

  I hit the button to start the brewing process and looked to him.

  “Are you amused?” I asked.

  Even through his very large grin, he lied, “No.”

  I narrowed my eyes on him. “That’s the right answer even if it’s a false one.”

  His voice was still filled with his amusement when he replied, “It’s still the answer I’m givin’ when you’re this pissed and this cute.”

  “Angry is not cute, Jake,” I educated him.

  “It is the way you do it, Slick,” he returned.

  I shot him a look but rearranged my face when I looked to Conner. “I woke your sister and possibly frightened her. Perhaps you could tell her all is well and she can go back to sleep.”

  “You got it, Josie,” Conner murmured, grinned at his dad and took off.

  “And put on a sweatshirt!” I yelled at his back. “You’ll catch a chill!”

  That was when Jake burst out laughing.

  I again cut my eyes to him and asked an exasperated, “What’s amusing now?”

  He didn’t answer me.

  Instead he declared, “If it wasn’t sick, I’d totally make out with you right now in front of your shit for brains uncle.”

  Alas, that was sick and perhaps one of only a handful of times I could conjure in my head where making out with Jake would be unwelcome.

  “We’ll make out later,” I told him.

  “You bet your ass we will,” he muttered.

  “Someone get me a bucket,” Uncle Davis begged.

  “That’s enough out of you,” I snapped.

  Jake burst out laughing again.

  I rolled my eyes and went to the cupboard to get mugs for I needed to prepare. I had a feeling it was going to be a long morning

  * * * * *

  The cruiser with Uncle Davis in the backseat had pulled away and I was standing in the foyer with Jake, Conner and Sheriff Coert.

  “Thank you, Sheriff Coert,” I said, extending my hand.

  He took it, gave it a light squeeze and replied, “Just Coert.”

  “All right. Just Coert.” I grinned, and gave him a squeeze back.

  He let my hand go and looked to Jake.

  “Bring Josie to the department in a couple of hours. The old coot can get used to his bunk and Josie can press charges at a decent hour.”

  “Got it,” Jake said.

  The sheriff looked back to me. “Sorry this happened, Josie.”

  “I’m not. I sincerely doubt if he should possibly be able to talk anyone into representing him in contesting Gran’s will that a judge would smile upon him breaking and entering. I would say he hammered the final nail in his coffin so I’m quite all right with it.”

  “Good to look on the bright side,” Coert noted.

  “Indeed,” I agreed.

  “Love to shoot the shit for the rest of the morning, man, but need to get my woman and son to bed,” Jake said at this point, sliding his arm around my shoulders.

  “Right,” Coert murmured then looked to Conner. “Con.”

  “Later, Coert,” Con said.

  Coert looked to me. “Josie. Next time I see you, let’s make it for a good reason.”

  “I’ll look forward to that.”

  He jerked up his chin, clapped Jake on the shoulder and Jake let me go to follow him to the door.

  Jake closed and locked the door behind him then turned to Conner and me.

  “Go on up,” he said to Conner and his eyes came to me. “I’ll be up in a bit.”

  A bit? Why in a bit?

  “Are you okay?” I asked.

  “Got a window to board up,” he answered.

  Of course.

  Jake was going to board the window to the greenhouse in the wee hours of the morning.

  My man was so wonderful.

  “I’ll help, Dad,” Conner offered.

  And Conner was such a lovely young man.

  “I got it, Con. Hit the sack. It’s barely five. You gotta work today and you need your sleep,” Jake said to his son.

  “I’ll help, Dad,” Conner repeated and didn’t wait for his father again to refuse.

  He turned to the steps and took them two at a time, likely going up so he could put some shoes on in order to help his father.

  I looked up at Jake. “Your son is lovely.”

  Jake’s eyes got warm and he agreed, “Yeah, babe.” Then his warm eyes moved to the stairs in a way that made mine move to the stairs and I saw Amber halfway down them looking like she was sleepwalking.

  “Eath’s barfing, Dad,” she announced.

  Oh dear.

  I looked up at Jake and said, “I’ll get Eath. You get the window.”

  “Right, babe,” he answered, bent into me and touched his mouth to mine.

  Jake headed toward the kitchen and I headed to the steps and up them, following an Amber who was meandering so much, I lifted my hands to her hips and guided her back to her bed where she collapsed.

  I threw the covers over her, quickly tucked her in then I went to the bathroom where Ethan was indeed barfing.

  Five minutes into this unpleasant experience, Bryant wandered in and then he and Ethan took turns barfing.

  It was then I made a mental note that perhaps next time I would not purchase so much snack food and allow them to consume it at will while staying up to all hours and watching DVDs.

  * * * * *

  Some time later, I felt the bed move as Jake joined me in it.

  I turned to him, cuddling closer, murmuring, “Is all well with the window?”

  “Yeah, babe. Eath good?”

  “Yes, darling.”

  “Good,” he muttered, pulling me closer.

  “Jake?” I called.

  “Yeah?” he asked.

  “How did you know the light had gone on outside? You had to be dead asleep.”

  “Sixth sense,” he replied. “Man’s any man at all, Slick, he’s got his
family under a roof, he’s attuned to what happens around that roof, especially if it might be a threat.”

  My drowsy eyes fully opened and I stared at the planes of his chest in the weak light of dawn.

  “Sleep, babe,” Jake ordered preposterously.

  “Okay,” I lied, still staring at his chest, feeling the power of his body stretched out, mine resting against it, the covers over us creating a warm cocoon.

  But the warmth I felt had nothing to do with covers.

  It had to do with feeling safe and being part of a family.

  I liked that feeling so much, I allowed myself to bask in it. Thus Jake fell asleep before me.

  A little after he did, I joined him.

  * * * * *

  “Hey, Josie.”

  “Hello, Deon,” I replied on a smile as he opened the door to The Circus for me and I sauntered in.

  I walked through the club, waving at Paulette (whose hair looked fabulous after her keratin treatment) and Shoshana (who had reported to me that her tips were mostly the same but her boyfriend adored her as a brunette now that she dyed it from the red) as well as nodding to Adam behind the bar.

  I hit the door to Jake’s office and punched the code into the keypad thinking that pressing charges was a rather lengthy process. Luckily, Ethan, Bryant and Joshua, who were with us until three that day, thought a trip to the police station to press charges against a “lame old loser” (Ethan’s words) was the bomb.

  Fortunately, Junior and Alyssa felt the same way.

  Joshua’s parents were rather alarmed his sleepover included a trip to the sheriff’s department but Jake had a word and they got over it.

  Nevertheless, all the activity meant a delay in Jake and my make out session, especially when girl Taylor showed at the front door about an hour after the boys went home, jumping up and down, squealing.

  I was concerned she drove in that excited state but I understood it when I learned that Kieran Wentworth was yet again up from college for the weekend. It would seem he was thus simply to “run into” girl Taylor who had mentioned when she met him at church several weeks before that her younger brother was to participate in some martial arts event that day.

  It would seem she was correct about her hopeful deduction that he was up just for her, for Kieran Wentworth had no younger brother in this event. Although he participated in the same martial arts practice and had a black belt so he at least had a slim cover story.

  He sat with her throughout the whole event.

  She was beside herself with glee.

  The evening degenerated when Conner returned from attempting somewhat the same maneuver and therefore after work had gone to some choral performance the school was putting on. A performance in which Sofie had a solo.

  Conner approached her after the performance was over to compliment her on her singing. Strides were made when she stood with him long enough to listen to this. More strides were made when she expressed her gratitude for the compliment. Gains were lost when Conner asked for her number. It was reported through Conner from Jake to me that she then told him that he was the cutest and sweetest guy in school and “deserved someone worthy of him, like Ellie and not like me.”

  At this point, she teared up and made her escape.

  Conner spent the rest of evening phoning around to get her number. He succeeded in this endeavor and disappeared into his room. He had not been heard of since and I hoped he at least got Sofie to converse with him over the phone.

  I didn’t want him to give up. There was a challenge and then there was beating your head against the wall. But I suspected Sofie would be worth it. I just hoped Conner would understand that, keep at it and break through whatever was creating that wall.

  It was at this point that Jake needed to go to the club so he left.

  Thus all day and no promised make out session.

  Therefore, I made certain the kids were taken care of, Ethan in bed and asked Amber to keep an eye on things and make sure all was well at Lavender House while I went to the club. She agreed. I then took myself off to my room to prepare.

  Little clingy black dress.

  Very high heels.

  Evening make up.

  Hair down.

  I put on a stylish coat that concealed this outfit and it was tied shut as I made my way up the stairs to Jake’s office.

  He was sitting behind his desk and his eyes were on me as I walked up the stairs.

  “Surprised, babe. Didn’t know you were coming,” he said on a smile.

  “I’m here,” I replied just as my phone in my purse rang. “Hang on a second, darling,” I said, keeping my eyes to him.

  I took my phone out of my purse and saw it was Alyssa calling.

  I dumped my purse in one of the chairs in front of Jake’s desk as I took the call and put it to my ear.

  “Hey, honey,” I greeted, tugging on the belt to my coat.

  “Ohmigod!” she cried in my ear. “You…would not…believe,” she stated.

  She was quite excited but then again I had a feeling I knew what she was talking about since Conner had secured her daughter’s number.

  “What wouldn’t I believe?” I asked, eyes on Jake as I shrugged my coat off one shoulder.

  “Is it too late?” she asked back.

  “No,” I answered, shrugging my coat off the other shoulder and watching Jake’s eyes drop to my rather clingy dress.

  “Get this,” she started. “I just got a call from one of my girls who told me that Pearl Milshorn pulled her money out of the new development that was supposed to be breaking ground in two weeks up by Mills jetty.”

  I tossed my coat over the back of the chair, eyes to Jake, assessing his reaction and uncertain why this information so excited my friend, thus murmuring, “Hmm?”

  “Pearl is pulling her money out of that development, Josie,” she mostly repeated as Jake’s eyes came back to mine and I held them but his dropped again when I shimmied up my tight skirt. “The one out by Mills jetty. The fancy one with all the shops and stuff they’re putting in. Pearl’s the biggest investor. She was doing it for her kids. She knew inheritance taxes would eat some of it up so if she did that and turned over the shares before she died, she’d be able to give a gift that keeps on giving without Uncle Sam taking a chunk.”

  Hand under my skirt, I hooked my fingers in my panties and slid them down my legs until they fell freely to the floor.

  I stepped free of them.

  Jake’s eyes darted back up to my face and a quiver glided along my inner thighs at the look in them.

  As this happened, I said to Alyssa, “That’s quite interesting.”

  “Josie,” she sounded impatient. “Pearl was investing in that development. And I mean big time. The woman is drowning in money. She’s the biggest investor in the project, except for Boston Stone. But her pulling her money means that huge project is dead in the water.”

  At the mention of Boston Stone, I blinked and looked to the floor.

  “Pardon?”

  “She heard what Stone was doing to you and she yanked her funding. That’s massive Josie. She told the other investors the only way she’d go forward is if they found someone to replace Stone. She’s squeezing him out and they’re breaking ground in two weeks. We’re talking jobs, material, a lot of people are depending on this and everyone is looking to Stone who screwed the pooch because Pearl made it known she wouldn’t do business with a man who behaved the way Stone behaved with you. This project is gonna cost millions but word is it’s gonna rake in millions more to the investors. Stone backs out, he’s taking a huge hit. Those investors are not gonna let this deal die. They’re going to find someone else and he’s the mastermind behind that. He’ll lose all his time and effort and he won’t make a penny.”

  “Oh my goodness,” I breathed just as Jake’s body came into my eyesight which was a fraction of a second before my skirt was yanked all the way up to my hips and I started moving backward because Jake was pushing me that wa
y.

  I lifted my eyes to him, caught the look on his face and my mouth got dry as I experienced a full body spasm.

  “Isn’t that awesome?” Alyssa fairly shrieked in my ear.

  “It is, sweetheart. Very awesome. But I have to go. I’ll call you back tomorrow,” I told her.

  “Everything okay?” she asked when the backs of my legs hit couch and Jake’s hands found my behind.

  “Yes,” I said breathily. “Thanks for calling me and telling me that. I have a feeling it’s very good news.”

  “No probs and I have a feeling it is too,” she replied. “Talk to you tomorrow.”

  “Goodnight, honey.”

  “’Night, babelicious.”

  I barely heard her finish her farewell before Jake had my phone out of my hand. He tossed it without looking in the general direction of the chair in front of his desk. I heard the plonk, however, and knew it hit the floor.

  I put my hands to his biceps and told him, “I have some news about Boston Stone.”

  “Right now I do not give one fuck about Boston Stone,” he replied.

  “Okay,” I whispered.

  “You got something else you wanna play out here, baby, or is it my turn?” he asked.

  I actually had an entire scenario I wished to play out but although I thought Alyssa’s call was only making that scenario better, it distracted me.

  Now I wanted Jake to have his turn.

  “Your turn,” I answered.

  “Do you know what it does to a man to have a beautiful, classy woman who is looking more than her normal fine—when her normal fine is off-the-fuckin’-charts—walk into his office, show him her fantastic body in a fuckin’ amazing dress then take her panties off right in front of him?”

  “Um…” I mumbled.

  It must be said I knew what I’d hoped it would do to him.

  But by the look in his eyes and the sound of his voice, it was clear I’d succeeded well beyond my wildest imaginings.

  He didn’t share this wisdom overtly but he still did.

  And he did this by stating, “You got one choice, you either suck me or I eat you. After that, I take over.”

  This was hard. His mouth between my legs was heaven.