Hopefully, their personality would keep.
I escaped my house easily enough, Billy holding a big umbrella over our heads, but then stopped short in my driveway. Billy’s truck was nowhere in sight. In its place was an impressive, black Lincoln town car. The first thing I noticed about the car—other than its make, model, and color—was that it had suicide doors and appeared to be vintage.
“What’s this?” I asked.
“This is Cletus’s car. He wanted us to drive it over.”
Beau was leaning against the car and lifted his head from where he was scrolling on his phone. The redhead gave me a welcoming grin, and then he wagged his eyebrows. “Bring any muffins?”
I chuckled and blushed because I’d looked up the euphemism-use of the word muffin on my laptop. My father would see it in the search history, but I told myself it was just as well. Sooner or later a girl with a mind to marry has to figure things out. Ignorance didn’t feel much like bliss these days.
Billy scowled at his brother, but I cut in before he could reprimand Beau. “No muffins for you.”
“What? Why?”
“Because I’m a discriminate baker.”
Billy barked a laugh. And once Beau recovered from his shock, he laughed as well.
When we were settled and on our way, I thought to ask, “Where is Cletus? Are we picking him up?”
“No. We’re the only ones driving. I had work last night and Beau held down things at the auto shop. Everyone else flew out yesterday on, uh, Sienna’s plane.”
“Sienna has a plane?”
Beau answered from the back seat. “She chartered it, to fly from Knoxville to Nashville.”
“Oh.” I let this information sink in. I’d never known anyone who chartered a plane. It took me a moment to wrap my mind around the idea. “So, who went yesterday?”
“Everybody. Jethro and Sienna, Duane and Jess, Ashley and Drew, Cletus, of course. Roscoe is already in Nashville, for vet school, so he’s meeting us there.”
“I didn’t know he was becoming a vet.” I glanced over my shoulder at Beau.
“Y’all are the same age, right?” Billy checked his side mirror and merged onto the highway.
“That’s right. We were in church choir together.” I didn’t add that he and I had never spoken to each other over the course of our entire lives, but so it goes being the unofficial reject in a small town.
Rascally Roscoe is what the pastor’s wife used to call him; becoming a vet and working with animals suited his playful spirit.
“He’s not going to recognize you.” Billy’s comment drew my eyes to him; he was watching me with a thoughtful frown.
“I’m sure he’s changed, too.”
“Not much.” Beau laughed. “He’s basically the same. Meanwhile, you’ve become a swan in the last two months. What happened all the sudden?”
“Jennifer has always been lovely.” Billy scowled at Beau through the rearview mirror, and his defense of me sounded almost . . . well, it sounded almost brotherly. It reminded me of Isaac and made me happy-sad.
“That’s not what I meant, Billy,” Beau responded irritably. He tapped me on the shoulder and I turned in my seat to meet his earnest expression. “I wasn’t referring to what you look like, Jenn. You have changed. You’re finally talking to people. It’s good.”
“I’m not talking to many people,” I said and thought out loud. “Just ya’ll, really. Cletus has—” I stopped myself, glancing at Billy.
“This isn’t a date, so feel free to bring up Cletus to your heart’s content.” He dipped his head in an encouraging nod.
I gave him a grateful smile. “Cletus has been a big help, and so has your brother here.” I indicated to Billy with my thumb. “I think I’ve been stuck. Y’all grew up here, you understand how it is. Everybody thinks they know everybody, but they don’t. Not really. Look at my family, Isaac for example. If someone had predicted five years ago that Isaac would be riding with the Iron Wraiths, I think everyone would’ve called that person crazy.”
“Do you talk much? You and Isaac?” The line of Billy’s brow had grown stern, preoccupied.
I shook my head, attempting to ignore the dull ache in my chest. “I’ve seen him, around town. But he doesn’t acknowledge me.” I stared out my window and spoke my thoughts as they occurred to me. “His indifference was difficult at first, and confusing. Growing up, you know how sheltered we were. My momma kept us busy and we had a good education, but I’d be lying if I said it wasn’t lonely sometimes. Isaac was my friend, my only friend really if you don’t count my pen pals. And I was his. He was so serious and stern all the time, and I’d make him laugh.”
Beau placed his hand on my shoulder and gave it a squeeze. “He’ll come around.”