Finally, he said, “You have no idea how gorgeous you are, do you?”
I gaped at him, because that was not what I’d expected him to say.
But before I could recover, a stern voice to my left interjected. “She has no idea whatsoever.”
I turned and found Cletus standing at my shoulder. Startled, I stumbled a step to the side so I could see him better. What I found surprised me.
His jaw was clenched.
His mouth was curved into a frown.
And Cletus’s eyes, a dangerous and fiery blue, were narrowed on his brother.
CHAPTER 12
“When a thing is funny, search it carefully for a hidden truth.”
― George Bernard Shaw, Back to Methuselah
Cletus
“Cletus.” Billy bestowed upon me a single head nod. His typically taciturn eyes were alight with some mischief. I didn’t miss how he slid his arm around Jennifer’s waist and brought her close to his side. I didn’t miss it and I didn’t like it.
What is he up to?
“Billy.” I also noticed how he’d splayed his hand on her hip. I didn’t like that either. Gradually, I brought my eyes back to his, catching the tail end of a smirk. I increased the intensity of my eye squint.
“Why aren’t you playing?” Billy asked, all nice and easy. Smooth even.
I knew my brother well enough to know he was fighting a smile. But he didn’t smile. Billy didn’t do anything he didn’t want to do, a fact I should have remembered before I’d tricked him into a date with Jenn.
Rookie mistake. You should have sent in Beau. I was disappointed with myself.
Jennifer cleared her throat, drawing my attention to her. She was confused, although bewildered might have been a better word. Beneath the bewilderment, she was looking at me with anticipatory hope.
“Hi, Cletus,” she said, her voice soft and friendly and expectant. “How are you?”
I studied her, my eyes darting over her person in a quick assessment. She’d changed. It had only been two days since I’d seen her last, since our surprising picnic at Cooper Road Trail. But she’d taken her homework very seriously. Successfully leaving her house in that dress couldn’t have been easy. I was proud of her and wanted to tell her so.
But I was also irritated with my brother and seeing red because of it.
Even before Billy arrived, Jennifer Sylvester on his arm in her surprising dress and a new hair style, the day had not been an enjoyable one.
Beau had lost his temper, again. Shelly had tried to give him pointers on a tricky engine rebuild. She didn’t seem the least bit flustered by his outburst, which only served to irritate him further. He’d left in a snit.
Then, I’d tried to make taffy. It wasn’t the first time I’d tried to make taffy, and it wouldn’t be the last. I never succeeded, but I was determined.
Next, upon arriving to the jam session, one of my banjo strings had broken. Not the end of the word, certainly. But then, as I was restringing it, another string broke.
And now I’d just overheard my older brother—who was supposed to be permanently embroiled in a sweeping, tragic, and epic love story with Claire McClure—confusing my Jenn and raising her hopes.
My Jenn.
Not Billy’s Jenn.
Mine.
“Jennifer Sylvester,” I said, digging deep and finding the wherewithal to be a gentleman. I gave her a deferential head nod and a taut smile. “How are you this fine evening?”
Her pretty eyes dimmed by degrees even as her smile increased. It looked fake, and that made my own smile slip.
“Fine. Thank you,” she said, her attention dropping to the floor.
She was twisting her fingers. She was nervous.
Dammit, Billy. You had one job. One. Job.
I moved my glare to my brother. “May I have a word?”
“Now?” he asked, looking and sounding almost delighted. Of note, delighted for Billy was imperturbably stoic for everyone else.
“Yes. Now.” I bared my teeth in a grin.
Billy’s eyes moved between mine and I cursed his fastidious grooming. He’d taken extra care with the beard trimmer this afternoon. He also smelled like a profligate, cologne, and unrequited infatuation.
My older brother turned and whispered something into Jennifer’s ear. I stiffened, barely restraining the urge to grab him by his shirt collar and yank him down the hall.
But I didn’t. Instead I made a list of all his most treasured possessions for . . . reasons.
She nodded and sent him a genuine, albeit small smile. Jennifer turned her smile to me but didn’t raise her eyes higher than my neck.