Page 39 of The Flame

Harry waved at the truck and closed the door.

“We’re always happy to have you here, for as long as you like, and as long as possible.” He winked playfully and lowered his voice. “If you could put in a good word with Jessie for me, I’d be forever grateful. I don’t know what I’ve done, but I’m sorry. Really sorry. Don’t forget to mention how sorry I am. I’m groveling here.”

He was speaking in a teasing tone. That was Harry, always a laugh, always good-natured, truly one of the nicest people I’ve ever met. But it seemed something was going on between them…or not.I gave myself a mental slap.

Harry hadn’t done anything wrong.

I had.

And apparently Jessie hadn’t shared why she was in a bad mood.

“Jessie’s in the kitchen,” he said. “Go on through.”

“Thanks.” I almost gave him another hug, because I could, because Harry was another person I would miss. But that would have been weird, so I didn’t.

Jessie wasn’t aware of my arrival. She had her back to me, water running in the kitchen sink as she rinsed off their dinner dishes. The kettle on the stove whistled and she shut off the water, grabbing a drying towel as she turned, and abruptly dropped it when she caught sight of me.

“Sorry,” I said, stepping deeper inside the kitchen. “I didn’t mean to startle you.”

“What?” She scowled at me. “What are you doing here?”

“Harry let me in.”

“That’s not…” She flapped a hand, sighed, and moved to take the kettle off the stove. “What do you want, Georga?”

I hated this.

Some of her anger was justified, but I was done taking the blame for everything she’d thrown at me. Still, I hated this rift between us. I’d do just about anything to get my friend back.

That wasn’t why I was here, though.

Jessie flicked her voluminous black curls over one shoulder and reached for mugs. “I’m making hot chocolate. Or would you prefer coffee?”

“Jessie.” I edged around the kitchen table, but her knitted brows stopped me before I got anywhere near her. “I don’t want hot chocolate. I don’t want coffee. I just want to talk.”

“Well, go on.” She shoved her hands into the front pockets of her pants, every bit as stubborn as me. Her brown eyes were flat without the mischief we usually amused ourselves with. “I’m not going to kick you out of my house, Georga, and it’s not like you’re going to leave of your own free will until you’ve had your say. So what is it?”

I rubbed the ache developing at my temple. “You know what I said about Daniel?”

“Of course I do.” Jessie blew out a noisy breath. “I’ve also spoken to Brenda about it. She lives two streets over from me now. Did you know that?”

The accusation in her tone grated on my nerves. “I didn’t know, but what are you saying? Is that somehow my fault now, too?”

Her expression softened fractionally. “I’m notblamingyou, Georga. I’m just…it was distressing, seeing Brenda like that. She’s lost everything. Her husband. Her home. Her future. She knows Daniel is going to be sent to rehab, and she knows what kind of life she’s looking at with him once he returns.”

I thought of Brenda’s outburst of spiteful rage and had to bite my tongue. That’s not why I was here, and I wasn’t heartless…or maybe my perspective had just shifted. I was also about to lose my home. My future. At least I still had Roman. Maybe she was just hurting so badly, and I’d been the face she’d lashed out at.

I pulled out a chair and sat. “What I’ve got to tell you, please, don’t say anything to anyone, and especially not to Brenda. At least, not until it’s done. Then you’re welcome to let her know.”

Jessie took one step closer. “What’s going on?”

“Daniel and the other heirs will be admitted to rehab within the next day or so, and Roman and I have a plan to get them out,” I said. “We’re taking them to The Smoke, and we’re going with them.”

“What do you mean, you’re going with them?” She came another step forward, pressing her palms to the table. “You’re coming back, right?”

“I can’t.” My throat thickened with all the emotions warring inside me. “Roman is organizing his own transfer out of Capra. We’ll be living in The Smoke.”

“I don’t understand. You’ve been there before and you’ve come back.”

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