“My friend Braden is going to handle everything with my stepsister. He wants to draw up some papers so it’s made clear to Shelly who owns what. And Braden is going to fix it so she never again hassles me for money.” Hallie let out her breath. “For me, it’s going to be a sort of Declaration of Independence.”
Jamie sat down on the side of the bed. “And this Braden guy gets to be the hero. So how does he look in that big, flowing cape?”
“Braden looks good in anything.” She threw back the covers and got out of bed. “And Jared said I could use the car of a man named Toby.” Hallie went to the bathroom and shut the door. When she came out, Jamie was stretched out on her bed, hands behind his head, and staring up at the ceiling.
“Toby is a girl and she’s going to marry my cousin Graydon,” he said.
“Are you invited to the wedding?” Hallie asked as she grabbed a pair of jeans.
“No, but Aunt Jilly is. It’s in another country, but my uncle Mike rigged up some TVs so the wedding can be streamed in live. I could get him to connect it here if you want to see it. I think it’s going to be a fairly big wedding.”
“That would be nice,” Hallie said. She stepped behind the bathroom door to put on underwear, the jeans, and a T-shirt, then went back into the bedroom. “You want to get up so I can make the bed?”
“No,” Jamie said, still looking up. “Tell me more about this guy Braden. Can you trust him?”
“Absolutely. He knows Shelly and the things she’s done over the years, so that’s an advantage to me. He won’t be falling for her like you and all the other men in the world do.”
“What?!” Jamie sat up on the bed. “How did I become the villain in this? I’ve never even met your stepsister.”
“No, but you keep her photos in your date book. Why? So you can drool over them?” Hallie said before she thought, then added quickly, “None of that matters. I need to get the car so I can go to a store called Marine Home. I have a lot of things to get.”
When Jamie got off the bed, he grabbed his crutches so fast he nearly fell, but he managed to head Hallie off before she reached the stairs. “You can’t accuse me of something, then walk out before I can defend myself.”
“You’d only need a defense if you were being attacked—which you’re not. All men make fools of themselves over Shelly.” Hallie stopped trying to get around him and glared. “Why aren’t you in the gym trying to put even more muscle on your body?”
“I slept well and late,” he said. “And now I’m being falsely accused of some crime I didn’t commit. Yes, I exchanged emails with your stepsister, but I thought she was you.”
“And you have some gorgeous photos of her. Great. Now please move so I can leave. I have a lot of work to do today.”
“On me? My leg is doing well, aches some, but I know you can fix that.” He gave her a suggestive little smile.
She glared at him. “For your information, there is more in my life than just you. In a few days, my friend Braden Westbrook is going to come here and I want this place to look good. I’m going to buy a lot of cleaning supplies, then return here and scrub the tea room. Braden isn’t the type of man to like anything as filthy as that place is. Now, are you satisfied, and can I go?”
Jamie didn’t move. “You’re going to do all this for him? By yourself?”
“Yes.” She looked at him hard—and could swear there was jealousy in his eyes. “I’d ask you to go with me, but you won’t leave the grounds, so I guess the entire project is mine alone.” She turned sideways to get past him and started down the stairs.
“I’ll go with you,” he said.
Hallie paused halfway down the stairs but didn’t look back. “You’ll drive?”
“Don’t push it,” he said.
Smiling, she continued down the stairs.
In the store, Hallie concentrated on what she needed to get the cleaning done, and did her best to ignore Jamie’s nervousness.
Before they left, she’d made a list. When she was ready to go, she fully expected Jamie to chicken out. In fact, he seemed to be sweating at the prospect of going. But she said, “Don’t let me forget to call Braden’s mother and get her recipe for oatmeal raisin cookies. They’re his favorite.”
That comment seemed to strengthen Jamie’s resolve so much that he went with her across Kingsley Lane to Jared’s big house. He waited outside while she got the car keys, then they walked down the lane to a small house to get the car. On the drive, he grasped the armrest at the two roundabouts, but he did well.
By the time they got to the store, Hallie was thinking, James Michael Taggert, what in the world happened to you?!
The cleaning supplies were in a far corner and as soon as they were away from other people and the open space, Jamie calmed considerably and they filled the big cart to the brim. On the way to the register, they bought a vacuum cleaner and many dust bags for it.
When Jamie insisted on paying for it all, Hallie protested. “Let me win something over Braden the Magnificent,” he mumbled as he handed over his credit card.
By the time they left, Hallie was dizzy with hunger and she pulled into the parking lot of a restaurant called Downyflake. Jamie almost refused to go in, and when he did, he wouldn’t sit at a table near a window. He took one in a closed corner.