Page 4 of Too Much Heat

Sissy. Stop complaining.

You owe me a beer.

Nah, you’re going to live here too.

Until I get married.

We’ll see.

Tonight, the place felt empty. It didn’t always. When his family visited. When Jackson stopped by. When he entertained women, none who had interested him in a serious relationship. Suddenly, he wished he’d find someone to share his life. But he quickly squelched the idea. Best not to get close to anybody. Another loss might kill him.

He thought about how much trouble the woman on his group was giving him. What to do about her?

A knock came on the kitchen screen and then it opened.

“Hey, buddy,” Jackson Kane said when he walked through the door. He held up a six pack of beer and a pizza. The smell of the spicy sauce made Joe’s stomach growl. “If you have plansI’ll leave the beer and take the pizza home to Maisy. She’s having cravings.”

Maisy Shepherd Kane was pregnant, and the couple and their adoptive son were over the moon.

“No plans. Stay. Give me the details of how she’s doing. Do you have a name? Is it a boy or girl?

“We wanted to be surprised so we don’t know either.” Jackson set the food and drink on the counter and opened two bottles. “How come you don’t have any plans tonight?”

“I don’t know. I was wishing I’d made them.”

Jackson studied him. He probably sensed Joe’s loneliness. They were close friends since they’d bonded three years ago when the two of them walked out of a support group meeting. He’d been the one to pull Joe back from the edge when his grief over Jimmy got to be too much for him. Over the years, Joe had been there for Jackson, too. “Let’s kick back outside. It’s a great night.”

They brought everything to the backyard and sat at an oak table Joe and Jimmy had found at a flea market and refinished. They’d bought chairs and ended up spending a lot of time out here.

“Remember when we filled in the holes in the backyard? You never found out who did it.”

“Nope. What a crazy prank.”

Jackson rubbed his hand on the table. “Do you think about Jimmy every time you sit here?”

“Uh-huh. Usually, it’s pleasant to remember things about him. Today not so much.”

His friend sipped his beer. “Why?”

“I came home in a weird place. I was thinking about Jimmy and me working on the kitchen. I felt…” He looked past Jackson’s shoulders and stared at the trees. “I guess I’m lonely.”

“I remember the feeling. Sometimes it creeps up on you.”

“Yeah.”

“Do you want a family, Joe?”

“I don’t know. When I think about getting close to a woman, I panic.”

“You should take a chance anyway. We just hired somebody to replace Maisy. Her name is Ellen and she’s not only a looker, she’s smart and personable. We could have her over for dinner and invite you.”

“That’d be pretty obvious.”

“She and Annie have gotten close. We could—”

“No, nothing arranged. If it does happen, it’s got to be organic.”

Jackson burst out laughing. Even after three months, Joe still couldn’t get used to the changes Maisy brought in his life. “That’s like waiting for the stars to shine in the daytime.”

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