Page 51 of Fluke
He shuts the door behind me. “Damn. You didn’t have to dress up for this, but I’m not complaining. You look great.”
“Well,” I say, spinning in a circle, “this dress was a whole twenty-five bucks online. I’m not sure it counts as dressing up.”
“Are you going to do this version of not dressing up next weekend? Because, if so, I need to make arrangements.”
“What for …Oh.” I laugh as he wiggles his eyebrows. “Speaking of roosters, is this a permanent piece of decor? Because I didn’t really see you as a lawn ornament kind of guy, but it makes sense somehow.”
“It was supposed to be out of here two days ago, yet here it sits. I think the fact that I haven’t lost my cool too much about it fucks with Banks more than if I got truly pissed. It’s reverse psychology at its best.”
“Is there ever a dull time in your life?”
“Never.” He holds a finger between us and then turns his head. “Hi, Mom.”
Oh, yeah. Damaris. I spin around. “Hi, Mrs. Carmichael.”
“Stop that,” she says, beaming. “How have you been, Pippa? I haven’t seen you in a long time.”
“I’m great. How about you?”
She slides her gaze to Jess and grins. “I’m doing exceptionally well today. Very excited to have you for dinner, honey.”
Jess rolls his eyes, and I can’t help but chuckle.
“I’m happy to be here too,” I say.
She nods toward her house. “I’ll let you two … you know, settle in or what have you. I’m going to go in and finish dinner. Give me forty-five minutes or so?”
“Thanks, Mom,” Jess says, humoring her.
She laughs and disappears through the entryway.
“You’ll have to pardon my mama,” he says, leading me toward the sidewalk to his porch. “I gave her a heads-up that you were coming, and she’s … let’s say she’s reading into things a little too much.”
He pushes the door open and lets me walk in first.
The two-story foyer is airy and bright with a staircase on the right side next to the wall. An oversized chandelier hangs from the ceiling, and I bet it’s beautiful at night when the light reflects off all the windows.
A small living area with a fireplace and black leather furniture completes the space, and the openings on either side of the rock chimney open in what appears to be a kitchen.
“I’m still working on it,” he says, sliding his hands into his pockets. “But she’s coming along.”
“This is beautiful. How much of this did you do yourself?”
“About all of it.” He walks toward the back part of the house. I follow. “Mom and Dad bought these houses—and the lot between Foxx and Banks, which was supposed to be for Paige—for us. But the catch was that they needed remodeling and updating. They needed a lot of work. As each of us moved out of Mom’s and into our own house, we all kind of pitched in and helped get it cleaned up and livable.”
“I love how you guys help one another.”
He stops next to a white stone-topped island. “That’s what family is for, right?”
“Yes, I must run. We’ll chat later.”Mom’s words echo through my head. “I don’t know personally, but I think that’s probably what nature intended.”
His brows pull together as he moves through the kitchen. “What is your family up to these days? Where’s Greg? I haven’t seen him since we graduated from high school.”
“My parents are out saving the world one life at a time. Greg is, too, I guess. He got married a few years ago and has a baby. Their kid will look at pictures someday and ask, ‘Who is that lady and why is she in your baby pictures, Dad?’”
Jess offers me a drink. I turn it down.
“So you don’t see him?” he asks.
