Page 9 of Watercolor Skulls

Oh. Oh, maybe this was a mistake. What have I gotten myself into? A big guy with greying hair steps away from the bed frame and wraps Jesse up in his arms. “Baby girl, you didn’t tell me you decided to rent this place out. It’s not ready.”

Jesse hugs him tight before kissing him on the cheek. “I didn’t intend to, but she fell in love with the place. She needs it today.”

He glances at me over her shoulder and smiles. He looks like Jesse. They have the same intense green eyes. “Is that so?” He steps around her, heading straight for me. I hold my ground, forcing myself not to back away.

“I’m Bill, Jesse’s dad.” He smiles proudly when he calls himself her dad. It makes me happy for her, yet sad for me. He thrusts a big hand out towards me, so I reach out to take it. He shakes my hand and pulls me in for a hug.

He hugs me.

Jesse clears her throat. “Dad,” she says quietly.

He releases me at once. “Oh, sorry. I’m a bit of a hugger.” He laughs.

“That’s okay,” I say, wrapping my arms around my aching ribs. Shoot that hurt.

I glance at the other two men. My heart stops. A pretty, edgy looking one winks at me in greeting. He seems harmless but the other one makes me pause. He is scary with a capital S. I take a step back. Of course, he notices and smirks.

Jesse walks over and smacks him in the arm. “Lily, this is my husband, Dirk, and our best friend, Raffe.” She points to the pretty one.

“It’s nice to meet all of you. I’m sorry to be a bother. Jesse insisted.” I place my hand over my heart, letting them know how grateful I am.

Raffe laughs. “Jesse insisting. You don’t say.” He pats Dirk on the back.

I quickly look at the two empty rooms and point to the smallest one. “This room will work.”

Jesse steps in front of me. “The other room is bigger.”

“I don’t mind the small room. I like the window in that one.”

“You heard her boys,” she says, clapping her hands together to get them moving.

We leave Raffe and Dirk alone to get the bed set up. Bill, Jesse, and I head back downstairs. She heads over to the refrigerator and starts to wipe it down with the cleaner she bought.

“I can do that. Please, you’ve done so much for me already.”

“I feel bad, this isn’t our usual standard of rental,” she says, scrubbing away.

Her dad leans against the counter, turning his eyes on me. “Will you be looking for a job around here?”

I hop on the counter, wincing at the pain that radiates up my spine. His eyebrows pull together as he watches me. “I guess. I haven’t thought much about it. Everything is happening so fast.”

Jesse hollers from the fridge, her head still inside, “She had a bad breakup, she’s a teacher.”

“Oh,” he says, pulling himself away from the counter and stretching. “Well, you probably wouldn’t be interested then.”

“I don’t know. I’m kind of looking for something different. What were you thinking?”

“I just opened a bar in town. I’m needing another bartender. Business has been picking up and my wife and I are having a hard time keeping up. Jesse is busy with her tattoo shop and our other daughters just turned eighteen, so they are still too young to give us a hand, not that either of them would want to.”

“I don’t know anything about bartending,” I admit honestly.

“Well, most of our customers are beer drinkers so as long as you can run a bottle opener you should be good. I’m down to give you a shot.” He knocks his knuckles on the counter. “So, what do you say?”

My mind rolls it around, these people have been so nice to me and I’m a complete stranger. It just doesn’t make sense. But I like them. They don’t sugar coat things. They tell you how it is right from the get-go.

“Okay.” I hold my hand out to shake on it.

“How old are you?” he asks as he shakes my hand.

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