Page 19 of In the Pursuit of Haven
I felt the tears well up in my eyes, just like I didn’t want them to do. He was playing unfair by pretending to care.
He steadied himself. “Let me come over to Haven’s place and help you pack up, organize, do whatever it is that you have to do to say goodbye.”
That was a very bad idea! Only two hours in his company and Jessie could convince me that nothing was wrong between us. “If you want to help me, you’ll keep away,” I said.
He sighed. “Give me a week, Roxy, please.”
“No.”
“C’mon, it won’t be that hard, and then I’ll give you everything you want—the property, the dog, the…” His teeth clenched before he could say the “divorce” word. “…anythingthat makes you happy.”
Divorce wasn’t making me happy! And his eagerness to help me pack and get out of his hair left me trembling with indignation. He’d given his heart to Divine or he’d fight for me! He’d explain away these past few months… unless it was truly as bad as I’d suspected and he just couldn’t.
“Why?” I asked. “What are you possibly getting out of this?”
“Maybe I want to know more about your aunt.”
I scoffed at the lame excuse. “Not a chance.”
“Maybe I don’t want you to do this alone. I care about you.”
I glared. He knew exactly what he had to do if that was the case—talk to me! Beg my forgiveness, return the old Jessie to me that I knew and loved and not go wandering off to women named Divine!“I seriously doubt it,” I muttered.
His eyes hardened and he took a deep breath and gave a casual shrug. “Maybe it doesn’t matter anymore. Those are my conditions. Take it or leave it.”
Jessie wasn’t giving me a choice, was he? I couldn’t figure out what he was up to. It was only another mystery driving us apart—he certainly wasn’t coming to help pack up Aunt Haven’s things for any of the reasons he gave me.
And does it matter? I want her property back. The Crabb’s had no right to it.
“Okay,” I whispered. But I was keeping my eyes on him, and under no condition was I going to fall under his spell again.
Not that he’d try. Who was I kidding? That was possibly the worst part about all of this. He’d gone after Divine and he wasn’t coming back. My heart ripped open again at the thought.
I swung around on my heel to leave, almost running headlong into his sister. Abby giggled and steadied me with a hug. “Roxy! I was beginning to wonder if we’d ever see you while you were in town.”
My heart squeezed at the sight of my sister-in-law. We’d grown close over the years. She was in the long johns shirt, overalls, and mucking boots she usually wore when coming back from a fishing expedition. I noticed that her father had docked his fishing boat behind them.
“It’s been too long,” I told her.
Abby’s hand went to her long blonde hair. She kept it in a thick braid down her back. Wisps escaped to frame her rosy face. She cracked a smile. “Jessie always guards you from us—like a selfish bear.”
The man in question shoved his hands into his pockets behind Abby as if she’d caught him with his hands in the cookie jar.
Her father stalked up behind his progeny like a menacing shadow. A deep scowl was set firmly into the wrinkles of his jowls, like he was constantly getting ready to yell. “What did I tell you about standing around out here squawking like a bunch of seagulls?” Peter Crabb caught sight of me and took two steps back. “Should’ve known little Miss Fancy Pants was out here causing a commotion.”
My hands clenched, but we all knew fighting him only made him worse.
“Dad,” Jessie growled. “Leave her alone.”
Pete glared over at his son. “Get this catch in before it gets spoiled or the next time you come begging around here for another job, I’ll throw you to the sharks.”
Jessie took a deep breath and plastered such a look of extreme patience to his face that it pained even me. “Yes, sir. I’m on it.”
“That’s not what it looks like,” Pete grumbled. He marched away, and I swore I heard, “Lazy, good for nothing,” under the guy’s stinky breath.
And this was the one who’d taught Jessie how to be a man? I seethed. No wonder we were having problems.
Jessie’s eyes went to his sister’s, and I watched the siblings communicate without having to say a word. She shrugged and his eyes narrowed on her like she was holding something back.
