Page 39 of The Billionaire Land Baron

Chapter 9

When Jake went to the main house to shower, he didn’t see Shelby. Her door was closed and her dad said hello, but nothing about whether she was up or not. Jake wondered if she was angry and was still confused about the night before and why she stormed off. Maybe it was a good thing, he thought as he washed off the smoke and sweat and beer smell from the night before at the Lucky Line. Distancing herself from him was probably the best thing she could do, all things considered.

But he missed seeing her. He longed for the easy conversation the morning before and the perfectly cooked eggs. Maybe not so much the swimming with an alligator and the gun waving, but even thinking of that made him smile.

Matt knocked at his trailer door promptly at ten. Jake came out with his laptop bag, squinting in the blinding morning light. He shielded his eyes with his hand as they started walking to Matt’s truck.

“I feel like you guys have a different sun up there. And it’s angry at me.”

“Here.” Matt tossed Jake a pair of aviator sunglasses.

“Oh, I couldn’t—”

“Take them,” Matt said. “If it makes you feel better, they’re from the dollar store and I’ve got two more pairs in my truck. If I find something I like, I buy in multiples.”

“Thanks,” Jake said. As they reached the truck, he paused by the door. “Aren’t we waiting for Shelby?”

“She had the early shift at the diner. I took her in already.”

Jake slid into the seat, the air already blistering with heat. “You didn’t have to—”

“Jake. Stop making this into a big deal.”

“Okay,” Jake said.

They rode in silence for the next few miles. Jake realized that the uncomfortable feeling squirming around in his gut was the sense that he was indebted to Matt for all his kindness. Usually Jake could just pay for things, which left him without feeling that sense of owing. It was uncomfortable and unfamiliar.

Matt was the only one who knew that Jake had anything to do with Shelby losing her house, yet he hadn’t said anything. He’d been playing chauffeur for Jake since Layla decided to die. And he had watched Shelby flirt with Jake, which couldn’t be easy. All these things just made him feel worse, somehow.

He tried to think of conversation that steered clear of all these topics. “Matt, I can’t believe I haven’t asked yet. What do you do?”

Matt drummed his fingers on the wheel. “I’m a plumber. It’s my dad’s business—our family business. And don’t make any jokes about pipes.”

“I don’t think I know any,” Jake said and they both laughed.

“It’s not the sexiest job. But it pays the bills. What exactly do you do?”

Jake thought about how to describe his job. “My official title is COO of Obsidian Development. As for what I do? That’s a little harder to describe. I help plan large-scale corporate developments and projects.”

“Like whatever you’re doing here in Lucky.” When Jake didn’t say anything, Matt glanced at him. “I guess it’s big. There’s been some talk.”

Jake paused. “Yeah.”

“What exactly are you building here?”

“I can’t really talk about it. Yet. Other than to say that it would boost the local economy. Really help out here in Lucky.”

“Sounds like Walmart.”

“It’s not a Walmart.”

“No, I mean, it sounds like what Walmart and companies like that always says when they come into a small community and destroy all the small businesses. You say you’ll help, but at what cost?”

Jake glanced over at Matt to see his jaw working. Not for the first time, Jake found himself wondering if the cost had gotten too high. For the towns he’d been developing and for him.

Shelby only felta little bad about lying to Matt. She didn’t have an early shift at the diner but was going to look at houses with Gracielynn. She should be used to lying. Much of her life was a lie when it came down to it. She kept her dad at peace by not telling him everything about his illness, their house, the finances, and her life plans. But an outright lie felt worse. Especially to Matt.

She knew Matt knew about losing her land already, but the idea of looking at houses made this whole thing real. She wasn’t ready for it. Not by a long shot.

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