“Yeah, sure.” Andi had tried to steer the conversation back to Trini, but her friend hadn’t wanted to talk about herself. That was so unlike her usual MO that their lunch conversation had kind of petered out, and they’d parted with promises to get in touch soon, promises yet to be fulfilled.
Now Jarrett stared through the window in the back door, next to the kitchen, to a spot in the middle distance, his gaze running past the willow losing its leaves at the water’s edge to fixate somewhere further on the faintly rippling waters of Schultz Lake. His hair was rakishly long, and he wore jeans and a black leather jacket, the combination making him look slightly dangerous. Her brother was a cool customer who played his cards close to the vest.
“You want something to drink?” Andi asked, heading to the kitchen and opening the refrigerator. She pulled out a pitcher of chilled water.
“I’m not staying. Just wanted to check in on you.”
“As you can see, I’m okay.”
“Back at work?”
“Yeah, for a while now.”
“You know,” Jarrett said, still gazing at the water, “he planted willows all around this lake. Schultz did, when he started developing. Had a thing for them, I guess.”
Andi shot a look to the partially denuded tree bending down toward the water. The willow branches were knobby whips.
“How are the Wrens?” Jarrett asked neutrally. Andi turned and gave him a sharp look. Jarrett had never said anything against Greg, but Andi had always known he hadn’t had much use for him.
“Pretty much the same as always.”
“Y’all still having trouble with the Carrera brothers?”
Andi’s brows lifted. “You pay attention to our dealings with them?”
“The Carreras get a lot of airplay, and that lodge you’re building at the end of the lake keeps coming up.”
Andi grunted an assent. She’d seen the lodge on the news as well. It was like time-lapse photography; every time it was shown it was a little closer to final framing.
“One of them was at Lacey’s,” he said. “Don’t know which one.”
“What?” Andi’s pulse leaped. Jarrett was regarding her intensely, waiting for her reaction.
“One of the Carreras. In fact, Trini was talking to him, or trying to, anyway.”
“Trini?”
“She walked right over to him and gave him some shit. You know Trini.” Jarrett smiled.
“Oh no. She shouldn’t have done that.”
“Relax. She was half drunk. Blake or Brian or whoever didn’t pay much attention.”
“How do you know that? I don’t trust the Carreras as far as I can throw ’em. And none of this is like Trini.”
“I know. How well does she know them?” he asked.
“She doesn’t. She didn’t, anyway. I don’t get what this is about.”
“I guess she was just drunk and flirty.”
“She was flirting with him? You said she got in his face.”
“Yeah, well.” He shrugged, as if dismissing the conversation. “It coulda been anything. I didn’t talk to her.”
Andi sensed he was starting to shut down on her, but now she wanted more information. “She was in a relationship the last I heard, although it wasn’t going well,” she admitted.
“Must be over now. Or else she’s cheatin’ on the guy.” He hitched his chin toward the window and the darkness beyond. “You oughta get a boat. This’d be a sweet place to keep one, take it out on the water at night.”
“Why were you at Lacey’s?” Andi asked again. “I mean, seriously.”
“Just wanted to make sure you were okay.” Another lift of a shoulder, but he was suddenly tense. “I stopped in at the bar. Don’t make a federal case out of it.” He moved toward the door.
“Wait! I didn’t mean to piss you off. It’s just you’ve never gone there before, at least to my knowledge, and I get the feeling you’re holding back.”
His expression shifted, his lips flattening. “I knew Trini’d be there, okay?” he finally spat out. “I texted with her and that’s where she was going.”
“You planned to meet her?”
“I just wanted to talk to her. But like I said, I think she went there to find somebody.”
“Bobby?”
“Who’s Bobby?” he asked.
“The guy she was seeing. The relationship that’s maybe over now.”
“Well, she gave the impression that she was there to meet other guys. Her eyes were on the door until Carrera walked in.”
“And then she got in his face?”
“I was talking to her and she just lost the conversation as soon as he came in. She went right over to him.”
“What’d she say?”
“Like how great the lodge you’re building was and how happy she was that some properties were going to stay intact. A kids’ camp, or something?”
“I didn’t know she knew so much about it.”
“I think she said something about you and a treadmill?”
“Oh God.” Andi paced across the room. “What the hell is she doing?”
He dismissed her. “I wouldn’t worry about it. He just blew it off.”
“She wasn’t waiting for him, was she?”
“Nah. She kept looking at the door, so she was waiting for someone, but I don’t think it was him.”
“Was she still there when you left?” Andi asked.