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It wasn’tthe glitchy light that made Jolene uncomfortable. She just chalked it up to the old electrics they hadn’t gotten to yet. It wasn’t the sudden creaks or sounds in the pipes that made her uneasy either. That was something she could explain.
But the shadows behind her shower curtaindidmake her uncomfortable. Quickly, she ripped the curtain back, brandishing her only weapon: a razor. She looked through the steam, and saw nothing. A chill went down her spine as she leaned back and peered out the door.
“Jasper?” she called. Silence.
Jolene shut the water off and snatched her towel. Slowly she stepped out of the shower, trying to be quiet.
“Jasper, go outside, I’m not ready yet!”
Again, silence. Timidly, she peered out of the doorway to the bathroom, then to the hallway. Seeing nothing out of the ordinary, Jolene chose to shrug off the odd feeling and finish getting ready. With the heat, her dark brown hair air-dried quickly after she ran a quick hand through it to defeat the tangle. From her duffle bag, she grabbed a clean, white, V-neck t-shirt and a pair of jean shorts that showed off her shapely legs.
After lacing up her white tennis shoes, she headed toward the door. Just as she opened the screen door on the other side, she heard a small clattering and looked down. There, scattered on the porch were small pebbles of various sizes, and a black-eyed Susan.
“Hey there, ready to go?” Jasper asked, walking onto the porch with clean blue jeans and a gray, close-fitted, crewneck t-shirt. She could smell the cologne he put on, and liked it immediately. Ignoring the appetizing scent, she reached down and picked up the wildflower.
“Is this from you?” she asked, holding it up to her nose.
Jasper’s ears turned red as he gave her an uncomfortable look.
“No, ma’am, that was not me,” he admitted, rubbing the back of his neck.
“But it looks like someone already has an admirer.”
Jolene frowned slightly as she walked to the edge of the porch and tossed the flower out into the sand.
“Strange,” she mused, shaking her head.
“Ready to go?” Jasper asked, still looking at the rocks. “Maybe we should lock up first.”
Jolene nodded in agreement and went inside to grab her purse and shut and lock the windows.
“Come on, I’m starving,” she said as she locked the front door.
Just as Jasper was opening the passenger side door for her, they saw Anthony’s truck and a Subaru pull up to the driveway that the three cabins shared. Jasper shut the door as he said, “Well, look who’s early.”
4
Emma looked around Jolene’s cabin, astounded by how spruced up it looked. She looked over to the counter where Jasper was helping Anthony unload all of the to-go boxes from the bar, and felt a burst of appreciation.
“You really outdid yourself, Jasper,” she praised, walking up to join them all.
“Thanks,” Jasper replied, “but it wasn’t all me. Jolene was an amazing foreman today.” Emma watched as he looked over at Jolene and winked. She smirked when she saw Jolene blush as she rolled her eyes, and turn back to help Clarissa make the Bloody Marys. Emma felt something connecting between the two of them and swallowed a secret smile.
“Well, thank you both. That wasn’t necessary, but it’s greatly appreciated, and of course, I’ll be happy to pay you for your work.”
“No, you won’t,” Jasper and Anthony said in unison, both of them looking up at her at the same moment. They turned to look at each other in annoyance, then shook their heads. It was only then that Emma realized how much the brothers looked alike. Even their mannerisms were almost identical.
“You don’t need to do that, Miss Emma,” Jasper said, his eyes still on his little brother. He finally turned away from him after a few seconds and looked back at Emma.
“Please take it as a payment for last night. It’s the least we could do.”
“Well then, who am I to look a gift horse in the mouth?” she replied easily, loading her plate up. She tried to sneak out the back door as the two sets of siblings started conversations, but Anthony saw her and asked her where she was going. She gave him a reassuring smile and squeezed his hand.
“You got this. You all do. I’m going to take this delicious plate of food and Cerberus over to my place, have a nice meal, and relax in my new hot tub. You’re all free to come join me after, but you’ve got to get some stuff sorted out.”
Anthony sighed as if disappointed, but his face read of understanding.
