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I thought that way about Liv and her man Mason, and it happened. I just wish it would have worked with Grannie Pam.
I shut that thought down as fast as I could. No crying. My family expects me to be happy and bubbly, and they are sure I have dealt with Grannie Pam’s death. There’s no reason to burden them with something I should be dealing with on my own.
And yes, I know I should lean on them if I need to, but I can handle this. I have Meredith and all the cereal a girl could want. I also have Taylor Swift songs.
“Well, I have some work to do, and I’m sure you do too,” I say, rising out of the chair. I don’t have any work right now by choice, but I haven’t let my family know. I’m maintaining my clients, but I’ve put any new clients on hold. Other than the LOLs and the shelter.
“Okay. You know we can figure out a situation at my house, even with Meredith.”
Of course, Liv says that. Old habits die hard. She’s always trying to figure out how to do all the things, but she’s working at letting some things go. And as someone who loves her to pieces, I can’t let her take it on. She needs time with Mason, and the kids are getting to know him well.
“Don’t worry. Estella is a fair person. Besides, Jon never stays that long, from what I hear.”
“She’s right on both accounts,” Travis says. Nancy shoots him a look, and he shrugs. “You know it’s true.”
She rolls her eyes, and I see the resemblance to Jon now that she’s frowning. How pretty would he be if he smiled?
Too pretty. I know to stay away from those guys. Heartbreak is not something I want to deal with right now, and Jon Howard is a heartbreak wrapped in some sexy cologne. Also, he has something against me since I tackled him, split his lip, and stole his house—allegedly.
After leaving the office, I walk back to my house. One thing I love about Juniper is the ability to walk to most places. I grew up in a small town, which was more of a farming community. The downtown wasn’t as great as Juniper—one of the reasons my old hometown is dying right now. Juniper’s LOLs might be worried about the younger generation leaving town, but the tourist traffic is impressive.
It only takes about fifteen minutes to make it back to the house. People wave and smile at me as I walk past businesses and homes. It was never like this in my hometown. I was always the odd little O’Bryan girl. Yeah, I get that I’m weird, and I am okay with that. It took me a few years to understand that I’m not everyone’s favorite. Still, I just never fit in with those folks. Even though I’ve known most of them all my life, I feel more at home in Juniper Springs. No one questions my eating habits or that I rattle on about nothing at all in particular.
As I step up on the porch, I cringe. Memories of my activities last night come flashing back to me. Travis is right. I did a number on Jon. But my brother Fritz was military and taught me how to defend myself, as did my cop brother-in-law. I have never had a problem punching a guy in the nuts. I am seriously proud of that, and it helped out more than once in my dating life. People, especially men, think I’m ditzy and that they can take advantage of me. Thanks to an ex with questionable behavior, I learned not to let men lie to my face or treat me as if I didn’t matter.
I unlock the door and find Meredith sitting in the foyer. Her little face is scrunched up, and her tail is dancing back and force. She’s irritated, and I don’t blame her.
“Sorry. Maybe I should start taking you with me when I’m not going out to eat.”
Her nose twitches, then she stands and stalks away. So judgey. She’s started to get territorial about me and this house. Just yesterday, she hissed at the neighbor behind us. Granted, he’s weird AF, and that’s saying a lot coming from me. There’s something about him I don’t trust, so maybe that’s what Meredith picks up on.
He’s renting the place but spends a lot of time in the backyard. I mean, I get it. Maybe he needs some nature time, but he’s not the owner. He rented it through one of those vacation apps. And yes, I know this because everyone knows everything in Juniper. With that thought, I pull out my phone and bring up the Juniper Springs Express. I thought I might have to search for it, but we are the biggest news to hit. I start from the beginning of the thread.
Mrs. Petersen: I understand there was a ruckus on Preston Street.
Mrs. Fallon: Josh was called out. The old Howard house.
See. Nothing changes in small towns. I know they still own it, but from what I understand, Estella hasn’t lived in it for decades.
Mrs. B:Avery O’Bryan took out an intruder.
Damn right, I did.
Five minutes later:
Mrs. B:Oh, that’s Jon Howard. She took out Jon. *gif laughing and crying*
Mrs. Fallon:What do you mean?
Mrs. B:No intruder. Just Jon showing up.
The conversation goes on for a while, all the way up until Jon finally leaves about thirty minutes after the incident. I roll my eyes. They really made quite a big deal out of it. When people woke up this morning and read the incident report, there was another rush of messages. Some are not so nice about Jon. Those teenagers are definitely after him. He’d better be careful.
I enter the living room and find Meredith standing by the sliding glass door.
“I guess we need to have our nature walk.”
“Meow.”
