Page 78 of His Best Friend's Baby

He guessed the townspeople would do the squashing for him.

“Let’s go, Ben!” Julia cried, swinging Ben around as she lifted him from the car seat.

“Let’s go!” Ben yelled her words back at her and the both of them turned to look eagerly at Jesse.

“Let’s go,” he managed to say.

He climbed out carefully and took Ben’s tiny hand to cross the street. Julia took Ben’s other one completing the image of a family unit that caused Jesse’s heart to clench and throb with an emotion so painful he stood paralyzed for a moment.

I want this, he thought. Why can’t I have this?

Maybe being among the population of New Springs won’t be that bad, he hoped. Maybe he’d kept a low enough profile for the past few weeks that everyone would be talking about someone else. Maybe he was old news by now.

But as they approached the lineup, he recognized Patrick standing with his wife and Mr. Murphy, the detention monitor at the high school. They looked at him then turned away to whisper into the ears of the people around them. The sideways glances started and Jesse knew that this was the wake-up call his little fantasy life with Julia needed. He didn’t belong here. The people of this town hated him and the feelings were mutual.

He glanced at her, but she smiled and joked with Ben, oblivious to the poison in the air around them. Well, it wouldn’t take long for her to realize she’d thrown her lot in with the wrong man.

JULIA FLOATED inches off the ground, she was sure of it. The sun was shining, the air smelled like fried chicken and piña coladas, which wasn’t exactly how she imagined her first real date, but at the moment it seemed perfect.

Other people in line glanced at them and Julia blissfully wondered what they saw. A family? A handsome couple?

“You know, Jesse—” She realized Jesse was not with her in this happy place. His jaw was hard and tension rolled off him, strong enough to drop her back to earth.

“Are you okay?” she asked. She touched his arm and his muscle was like steel under his shirt as though he were ready for battle.

“Fine.” His eyes scanned the crowd without ever settling on anyone.

Without ever looking at her.

Her hopes for the night plummeted.

“Julia!”

She turned at her name and found Nell with her boyfriend standing at the bar behind them.

“How’re you doing?”

“We’re good.” Julia nearly laughed with the crazy way her emotions were ricocheting off Jesse’s tension.

“Hey.” Nell’s boyfriend, Ed smiled. “Aren’t you Jesse Filmore?”

“What about it?” Jesse asked, his eyes hostile, the jut of his jaw a promise of violence.

“I went to school over in Ashland. We played you guys for the conference title in football my senior year.”

A slow grin covered Jesse’s face. “That was a heck of a game.”

“You’re only smiling because you won. I was a halfback.”

Jesse nodded. “Me, too.”

Nell rolled her eyes at Julia as the two men recounted their glory days. Julia wanted to shake him. See, she wanted to yell. It’s not as bad as you think. Give this place a chance.

Finally, their name was called for a table.

“You want to join us?” Julia asked, relieved that Jesse had found if not a friend then at least someone not caught up in the myth of Mitch.

“We already ate,” Nell said. “Maybe next weekend?”

“Sounds great,” Julia replied with perhaps a bit too much enthusiasm. Jesse cast her a knowing glance from the corner of his eye, as if he suspected she was planning double dates for the next twenty years.

With her son in her arms, her man at her back and her heart in her throat, Julia followed the hostess to their table.

She had not been so happy in years and could only hope that Jesse’s prejudice against this place wouldn’t destroy her joy.

“Hey!” a man said as they passed his table. Jesse jerked and Julia’s back straightened.

Please, please, don’t let this be something bad.

The man stood, wiped his shiny fingers on a napkin and held out a hand. “Jesse, good to see you.” Jesse shook the man’s hand with a one quick pump. “I’ve been telling some of my neighbors about the help you gave me with my roof and hot water heater. Hoping to drum up some business for you.”

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