Page 46 of In the Pursuit of Haven
He gave me a confused look over his shoulder. “I should feed you more often.”
“Yes, you should,” I said. “Don’t get me wrong. Not even your famous grilled lobster rolls will get you out of hot water.” Before he could argue that he didn’t have to run his new business venture past me, I shrugged. “I won’t complain if you try to win me over with food though. This is great!” I stopped just short of bumping him sassily with my hip.
Better not act too out of the ordinary.He was already watching me like I’d gotten a sugar high off a box of Bette Ann’s Shipwreck Chocolates.
His eyes had narrowed on me, and finishing up the eggs, I quickly switched tactics. Cleaning my dishes off at the sink, I headed for the closet to tug out more boxes. “We’ve got a long day ahead of us.”
“You don’t want to talk?” he asked.
“You got something new to say?”
“No.”
“Okay.” I raised my shoulder and left to tackle the rest of the living room. I hurried through my chores, far into the afternoon, enduring Jessie’s wary, suspicious glances over at me. The sun cheerily mocked whatever dark thought that tried to fleetingly find me. The storm last night might as well have been a figment of my imagination for how none of the snow had stayed on the ground.
The sun cooked us in the living room through the abundance of windows, and I couldn’t bear to get out of my lightweight pajama shorts, but hey, I was in backwards land anyway, with my nights and days starting to run into the other. What was another anomaly?
I worked myself into a sweaty mess, only sitting down on the hard floor for a blueberry muffin break and laughing over Stu scrambling up the curtains to avoid Finn’s friendly overtures.
“I’m headed to the mainland tonight,” Jessie said. He steeled himself like he was getting ready to thwart my tantrum. “Anything you want me to pick up?”
Not really, because I’ll just pick it up myself!“Be careful out there, Jessie,” I said. “I mean it.”
“You need to stop worrying about me.”
“Would it matter if I did?” I asked. “I don’t have a say over your life anymore.”
He leaned back, pressing his palms against the edges of Haven’s empty shelf. “No, babe, it’s not like that.”
“What is it then?” I asked.
“I’m just asking you to trust me.”
I used to before all this.“We were supposed to be a team,” I whispered.
“We are, but this is something that I need to do, and I have to go in alone.”
I wasn’t sure why I was pushing this so hard—I knew he’d continue to block me from his life, and it only hurt me more when I heard his every rejection. Still, I wanted to know if we could save our marriage, but this?
He’d gone against everything he’d ever promised me and now that the secret was out about this treasure, he was rubbing in how he had every right to throw his life away.
I felt farther away from him than ever. Turning from him, I landed on my elbows to massage Stu’s belly. “Have fun with your stinky friends,” I murmured into the cat’s soft fur.Especially that guy with the big fists; he’s a riot.
Jessie waited a moment, like he’d hoped I’d give him my blessing, but he could forget that.
He grunted out in frustration and stood to get his keys. A little earlier than he’d said he was leaving, but I could tell he was having a hard time not losing his temper.
And so am I!It took nerves of steel not to throw in his face how much I was going to make him regret this. “I hope being an idiot is worth it!” I called out to him.
He didn’t answer. The door slammed between us.
Chapter Fourteen
Iavoided the Salem wharf at all costs.
Marblehead was more my style tonight, and far away from any of Jessie’s rough… frenemies… whoever they were. “Professionals,” I huffed out.Sure!
The neighboring peninsula was where Haven was buried… and Crabb’s good friend, Samuel Cheever.
