coffee and stirred slowly. “I saw them dancing. They looked good.”
“Terrific.” Matt’s fingers tightened around the sturdy mug.
Gabe leaned his hips against the counter, crossing his long legs at the ankles as he studied his brother. “You know, if it was anyone but you, I’d think you had a hangover.”
Matt hunched his shoulders and stared down into his coffee without answering. Gabe knew as well as he did that his foul mood had nothing to do with overindulging the night before. If there was one lesson their childhood had driven home for both of them, it was to treat anything alcoholic with extreme caution. Gabe didn’t drink at all, and Matt usually limited himself to an occasional beer. No, he couldn’t blame his filthy mood on a hangover.
“Rough night?” Gabe asked.
The concern in his voice made it clear what he was asking. Matt hadn’t told him about the nightmares, but his brother knew something was eating at him. It wasn’t the nightmares that had kept him awake until nearly dawn, though. When he closed his eyes, he saw Jessie looking at Reilly with her heart in her eyes. Or he saw her staring up at him, those same eyes wide with shock, her mouth softly swollen from his kiss. Either way, it hadn’t made for a restful night, but that wasn’t Gabe’s fault. Sighing, he ran his fingers through his hair and forced a half smile.
“Just woke up on the wrong side of the bed, I guess. Sorry.”
Gabe nodded, accepting the explanation at face value, though Matt knew he didn’t believe for a minute that that was all there was to it. But Gabe wouldn’t push, which was one of the reasons he’d come here.
Matt poured himself another cup of coffee before leaning one hip against the stove. “What are you planning to do with the old Chevy that’s out in the shed?”
“You mean the garage?”
Matt snorted. “Only if you have delusions of grandeur. Looks like an old chicken coop.”
“Probably was,” Gabe said without offense. He lifted his wide shoulders in a shrug. “The car was here when I bought the house. It’s mostly parts, and I don’t know if they’re all there. I don’t even know what it is. Or was.”
“It’s a ’56 Chevy Bel Air two-door hardtop with a 225-horse V–8 and a three-speed stick. It’s got—” He cut short his description when Gabe’s eyes glazed over. His brother’s interest in cars began and ended with whether or not they could get him from point A to point B. Matt’s smile was a little sheepish as he shrugged. “I thought I might see what it would take to put it back together.”
“Be my guest.” Gabe pushed away from the counter and headed out of the kitchen. “Just promise you won’t try and tell me about it.”
“I’m thinking purple, except for maybe one stripe right down the middle, where I’ll go for lime green or maybe pink. What do you think?”
“About what?” Jessie rubbed her finger over an invisible smudge on the speckled counter. It was midafternoon on a Monday, and the only customers at Ernie’s were a young couple huddled together on one side of a booth, their food growing cold in front of them as theytalked and laughed together. Jessie had heard them tell their waitress that they were on their honeymoon, staying at the Willow Inn. Not that they’d really needed to tell anyone that, she thought, looking at them. They were so obviously in love, so obviously starry-eyed about their future together. Just looking at them made her feel old and very alone.
“What do you think about me dying my hair purple with lime-green accents?” Lurene asked, and, this time, the very blandness of her tone caught Jessie’s wandering attention. She blinked and lifted her head to look at the other woman, who was leaning against the counter across from her.
“What?”
“Of course, with hair like that, I’d have to accessorize a bit more carefully,” Lurene said thoughtfully. “I’m thinking a nose ring or two, maybe have my teeth filed
“Terrific.” Matt’s fingers tightened around the sturdy mug.
Gabe leaned his hips against the counter, crossing his long legs at the ankles as he studied his brother. “You know, if it was anyone but you, I’d think you had a hangover.”
Matt hunched his shoulders and stared down into his coffee without answering. Gabe knew as well as he did that his foul mood had nothing to do with overindulging the night before. If there was one lesson their childhood had driven home for both of them, it was to treat anything alcoholic with extreme caution. Gabe didn’t drink at all, and Matt usually limited himself to an occasional beer. No, he couldn’t blame his filthy mood on a hangover.
“Rough night?” Gabe asked.
The concern in his voice made it clear what he was asking. Matt hadn’t told him about the nightmares, but his brother knew something was eating at him. It wasn’t the nightmares that had kept him awake until nearly dawn, though. When he closed his eyes, he saw Jessie looking at Reilly with her heart in her eyes. Or he saw her staring up at him, those same eyes wide with shock, her mouth softly swollen from his kiss. Either way, it hadn’t made for a restful night, but that wasn’t Gabe’s fault. Sighing, he ran his fingers through his hair and forced a half smile.
“Just woke up on the wrong side of the bed, I guess. Sorry.”
Gabe nodded, accepting the explanation at face value, though Matt knew he didn’t believe for a minute that that was all there was to it. But Gabe wouldn’t push, which was one of the reasons he’d come here.
Matt poured himself another cup of coffee before leaning one hip against the stove. “What are you planning to do with the old Chevy that’s out in the shed?”
“You mean the garage?”
Matt snorted. “Only if you have delusions of grandeur. Looks like an old chicken coop.”
“Probably was,” Gabe said without offense. He lifted his wide shoulders in a shrug. “The car was here when I bought the house. It’s mostly parts, and I don’t know if they’re all there. I don’t even know what it is. Or was.”
“It’s a ’56 Chevy Bel Air two-door hardtop with a 225-horse V–8 and a three-speed stick. It’s got—” He cut short his description when Gabe’s eyes glazed over. His brother’s interest in cars began and ended with whether or not they could get him from point A to point B. Matt’s smile was a little sheepish as he shrugged. “I thought I might see what it would take to put it back together.”
“Be my guest.” Gabe pushed away from the counter and headed out of the kitchen. “Just promise you won’t try and tell me about it.”
“I’m thinking purple, except for maybe one stripe right down the middle, where I’ll go for lime green or maybe pink. What do you think?”
“About what?” Jessie rubbed her finger over an invisible smudge on the speckled counter. It was midafternoon on a Monday, and the only customers at Ernie’s were a young couple huddled together on one side of a booth, their food growing cold in front of them as theytalked and laughed together. Jessie had heard them tell their waitress that they were on their honeymoon, staying at the Willow Inn. Not that they’d really needed to tell anyone that, she thought, looking at them. They were so obviously in love, so obviously starry-eyed about their future together. Just looking at them made her feel old and very alone.
“What do you think about me dying my hair purple with lime-green accents?” Lurene asked, and, this time, the very blandness of her tone caught Jessie’s wandering attention. She blinked and lifted her head to look at the other woman, who was leaning against the counter across from her.
“What?”
“Of course, with hair like that, I’d have to accessorize a bit more carefully,” Lurene said thoughtfully. “I’m thinking a nose ring or two, maybe have my teeth filed
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