Page 107 of Hit the Ground
“Yes.” He pumped his fist. “Thank you, thank you, thank you. You’re the best, and I promise to be fast.”
Jesse seemed as jittery as I was on the drive to his mom’s house. His knees were bouncing, and he chattered nonstop.
“Hey, do you know what I heard?”
I glanced at him. “Tell me.”
“There’s a professor at Savage U who teaches a class onShadow of the Isle. Did you take it when you went there?”
“No, sadly I didn’t.” I flipped on my blinker before turning down Shelby’s road. “That’s the one thing I regret about college. Professor Astor’s class filled up so fast I was never able to sign up for it.”
“If I go there, I’m definitely taking that class.” He crinkled his nose. “I mean, if he’s still alive. He’s got to be pretty old.”
I laughed. “I don’t think he’sthatold. I’m pretty sure he’s younger than your grandparents.”
“Yeah…well, they’re kind of old.” He perked up when his house came into view. “We’re here.”
“We are.” I pulled up to the curb, my gut churning. “In and out, right?”
“Right.” He put his hand on the door handle but didn’t get out. “Hey…um, do you think you could come in with me? I know it might be weird, but—”
I squeezed his shoulder. “Of course I will.” I was almost certain Caleb would prefer it, even though he would never ask it of me.I was more than willing to be uncomfortable if it meant making sure Jesse was okay.
Jesse led the way to the front door, which swung open before we got there. Shelby stood in the doorway, drinking in the sight of her son like she had been parched for ages.
“Hi, Mom.”
She reached out and ruffled his hair. “Hey, Jess. This is unexpected.”
He shuffled his feet on the porch, his hands deep in his pockets. “I need some stuff from my room. Alice drove me here from the library.”
Shelby’s gaze jerked toward me, and she smiled stiffly. “That was nice of her.” Then she moved to the side. “Go ahead and grab what you need.”
Jesse darted by her, leaving us standing there in tense silence. I searched for something to say, but I didn’t really know Shelby, and I couldn’t think of anything besides commenting on the weather.
Thankfully, Shelby swept her arm out. “Well, come in. I know my son. He’s never been fast in his life.”
I stepped into her house and immediately got tangled up in a pile of bags inside the door. As I braced myself to eat the floor, Shelby caught my arms, keeping me upright.
“Oh shoot, I’m so sorry.” She made sure I was steady before letting go. “My house isn’t usually such a mess. This is the last ofhisshit. He’s supposed to be picking it up soon, but I don’t know when ‘soon’ is.”
Shelby glared at the bags, like they’d personally affronted her. I guessed in a way they had. Kent’s stuff lingering meant he still had a connection to her, and Jesse wouldn’t feel comfortable returning. I didn’t know what I would have done in her shoes, so I certainly couldn’t blame her. At least she was trying to set things right.
When she looked up at me, I offered her a tight smile.
“Your house is really cute.” I looked around her tidy living room. Everything was cream or brown, but her walls exploded with color. “Your art is fantastic. The piece above your sofa is gorgeous.”
“Isn’t it? Would you believe I found it at a yard sale?”
I gasped. “Wow. The most luck I’ve had at yard sales is my collection of vintage Harlequin Romances.”
She barked a laugh. “Oh man. My mother used to read those. The covers,shoo.” She fanned her face with her hand.
“They don’t make them like they used to, that’s for sure.” I tucked my hands in the pockets of my cardigan. “Though we do have a pretty nice selection at the library.”
“Yeah?” Shelby ran her hand over her ponytail. “I should stop in. It’s been a while since I’ve read a good romance.”
“You should,” I agreed.
