11. Chapter Eleven
Chapter Eleven
June
I ve only been in Glens garage office once, when I first bought my store and realized the wiring was all sorts of wonky. Its been a couple of years since then, but Im pretty sure everything looks just as it did back then, down to Glen himself and the mug of coffee sitting in front of him. The grizzled man, somewhere in his fifties, sits hunched over a paper planner, muttering to himself as he compares a couple different dates.
Jonah glances at me, holding my arm as we stand in the doorway. Does he keep track of his appointments on paper? he whispers, his eyes wide.
I nod. A lot of people in Laketown are old school.
I would miss so many meetings and auditions if Dexter didnt put everything into my phone for me.
Youre hopeless, Jonah James.
Glen still hasnt noticed us, so I clear my throat. He looks up, surprised, and takes us in. Well hello. What can I do for you?
Jonah nudges me, his mouth clamped shut. He told me on the walk over that he doesnt know enough about electric work to ask the right questions, so I get to handle this round of questioning.
Im not sure I know enough either, but Ill do my best. Good afternoon, I say, my voice as creaky from nerves as it is from trying to sound old. We were told you could help us with a little problem were having.
Glens eyes jump between us. Oh? What sort of problem?
We should have done some research before coming over here. I dont even know how to get the conversation on the right track. We have an RV, and the Shoot, I dont even know what problems an RV might have, and the way Glen is staring at me is only making my nerves worse. The sunroof. It wont open.
Jonah snorts a little laugh, covering it with a cough. And the lights wont turn on, he adds. Oh, thats way better. Everything else seems to be in working order, so I think maybe there is a connection issue somewhere.
For a guy who claims to know nothing about electrical, he sounds incredibly confident, and I envy that so much. Yeah, okay, hes spent years learning to make his roles believable, but it would be a lot easier to see Jonah as a normal guy if he would stop being so perfect.
Glen tucks his pencil inside the planner and closes it, wiping his hands on his tan button-up as he stands. I can take a look at it.
Oh, we didnt bring it with us, I say quickly. Maybe too quickly. Jonah tightens his hold on my arm, a nudge to remind me to stay in character. I clear my throat. We parked over near the high school, next to all those movie trailers.
Glen scoffs. Theres your problem right there.
I resist the urge to grin in triumph. Oh?
The movie folk think the place is haunted.
I glance at Jonah, who shrugs minutely. How fascinating. That woman at the diner said something like that.
Jonah chuckles, his expression a mixture of thoughtful and amused. I thought you didnt believe in ghosts, my love.
Oh, he needs to stop calling me that if he wants me to stay focused. Its bad enough that we havent stopped touching each other since sitting down at the diner, and the more he calls me his love, the more I might start to believe it.
Tearing my eyes from his, I focus back on Glen. Martin is right, and I dont believe in ghosts. But if I did, could a ghost do something to our wiring?
He snorts. Of course not.
What was that young man saying about a mechanical failure on the set the other day? Jonah asks me, squishing his face into a look of consternation. Maybe our problem is related to that.
Something about a forklift, I reply, hoping the incorrect machine will make me sound less suspicious.
Crane, Glen grunts. An actress got stuck in a harness in the air for a while.
I gasp, covering my mouth in horror. Oh no! How horrible.
Glen blows a bit of dust from a shelf next to him, looking wildly uncomfortable. She was fine.
What was the cause?
I, uh, cant figure out how the wire got damaged to the point of breaking in two. I inspected everything myself before they rented the machine, and it was all perfect. Got the movie people pretty spooked.
So a ghost chewed through the wire? I ask, unable to hide my skepticism. Hes nervous about the whole situation, and my instincts are telling me to keep pushing. He knows something hes not saying. Maybe you missed a
It was perfect before I turned it over to them, he says again, narrowing his eyes at me. Did you want to get your lights fixed, or what? I have to make a house call, and my schedule is pretty full, but my daughter just got out of class at the high school and could take a look if youre in a hurry.
Oh. I tilt my head, trying to imagine a teenage girl fixing an RV. An RV that doesnt exist. Oh, we wouldnt want to bother her. Were in no rush.
Glen grunts. I can tell you some things to look for until I have a chance to get over there. His gaze turns stormy. Could be a few days though.
Any direction you could give us would be lovely, I say, though I dont mean it. Jonah makes conversation look so easy when he does it, and Im annoyed that Ive already messed things up with Glen by pushing too hard. Maybe I should have let Jonah handle the investigation on his ownIve clearly lost my touch.
Do you have any tools? Glen asks, shuffling back to his desk. If not, you can try the hardware store on Main Street.
I perk up. That store looks delightful.
Sure. I hear she might not have opened the door yet today, so you might be out of luck if you need something.
She? I smile wide. How inspiring to know there are women out there redefining gender norms. I squeak when Jonah elbows me in the ribs, keeping my eyes on Glen even though hes looking at me warily. Anyway, we would love advice on where to look for problems on our RV.
Okay, so, youll want to check the
Could you write it down? I say as an idea sparks out of nowhere. If nothing else, we can compare his handwriting to the note that was left on my door. Please. Neither of us can claim a good memory anymore.
Sighing, Glen looks between us before grabbing a scrap of paper and scribbling some notes on it.
Jonah leans down, burying his face in my wig as he whispers, You are brilliant.
I feel that praise in a shiver that travels from my head to my toes. Or maybe I feel him . Ive been trying not to relive the kiss he gave me in the diner, but I have been failing miserably because Ive shared two kisses with this man now, and the only thing they have accomplished is making me want more. More than a simple peck. More often. More .
You smell good, Jonah murmurs, using our clasped arms to pull me closer. My darling wife.
Another shiver prompts me to lean into him and soak up his warmth. Its the hairspray. My hair is plastered to my head under the wig, held down by a tight length of fabric. Im pretty sure Im incredibly flammable right now.
Jonahs laugh seems to escape out of him against his will, and we both look over at Glen, who has stopped writing and is standing there staring at us. We are on a third honeymoon, Jonah says brightly. A last hurrah before
Dont you dare say before I die, I snap, pinching his side. Its as much to stay in character as it is because I didnt like it when he said it the first time either. Jonah James is a bright spot in the world and will hopefully be around for a long time.
Glen hums and scoots around his desk to hand the paper to Jonah. The handwriting is vastly different from the note left on my door last week. These are your basic problem areas, he explains, offering up some details for a couple of the bullet points while both of us pretend to listen intently. And you might want to think about moving your vehicle to the other side of town.
Is the film crew dangerous? I ask. The alarm in my voice is only half fake.
Grunting, Glen picks up a worn leather bag and hefts it over his shoulder. Not necessarily, but something is angry with them. Person or ghost, it would be better for you to keep your distance until someone figures out whats causing all the problems.
He shows us outside and offers a ride back to Main Street, but Jonah declines, telling Glen that we are content to walk and enjoy the sights of the town. Once Glen has driven off in his truck, we are finally alone for the first time all morning.
Or, mostly alone. Jonahs eyes flit across the street, where Dexter has found a seat against a tree in front of a house and looks all too conspicuous typing something on his phone.
I dont think he understands lying low, I mutter.
Jonah snickers. Hes doing his best.
I cant help but wonder if Jonah ever gets tired of someone always being around. He may not be top tier in Hollywood, but he is famous enough that he brings his bodyguard home with him. Is he ever alone? That must be suffocating.
I need to change the subject before I start imagining being a part of that life, always under scrutiny. What did you think of Glens take on the sabotage?
I think Jonah leans in again, pulling the same move as before by burying his face in my fake hair as his arms wrap around me. You were on to something and spooked him. Seriously, you smell so good.
If anyone smells good, its him, and I tuck myself into his embrace. Even with Dexter keeping an eye on us, it might be time to explore that whole more kisses idea. I dont know when we might get another chance until we shed our old folk personas later today.
Before I can suggest ducking behind a tree and out of sight of Dexter, Jonah pulls away and grabs his phone from his pocket, reading something with a furrowed brow. Interesting
It had better be interesting. Care to share?
Richie says there was a sighting of someone sneaking around set about twenty minutes ago, but no one was able to get more than a glimpse because they kept disappearing; everyone who saw the person seems to have seen something different.
I narrow one eye. Does that make it more or less likely to be a ghost?
Chuckling, Jonah pockets his phone and holds out his arm to me. Apparently its time for us to continue our investigation. Honestly? Im not sure. It could mean were looking for more than one person.
But thats not necessarily new information.
And we havent narrowed anything down yet, Jonah adds.
Except I think we can cross Glens name off the very long list of potential suspects.
Really?
I nod, sorting through my thoughts even though I can feel Jonahs eyes on me as we slowly make our way down the sidewalk. If I look at him, Ill lose my train of thought. He was jumpy, yeah, but I get the sense that he takes too much pride in his work to let something go wrong like a broken wire.
Jonah hums thoughtfully. But you have to admit there was something sketchy about him, right?
Obviously. But thats not evidence. I think we should try the grocery store next.
Why? Jonah turns us back toward Main Street, keeping our pace slow. And thats not me questioning your idea, by the way. I want to follow your logic so I dont get left behind.
I would never leave you behind, Jonah James.
Do you promise, June Harper? He grins at me, sending a wave of heat through my body as his eyes trace my features.
Do I mean those words? No matter how much Im starting to like this guy, our worlds are so different that its difficult to picture either of us being a part of the others life. People here in Laketown seem to think hell bring nothing but troubleheck, I was one of those peopleso I cant see Jonah settling in here very easily. And Im not sure I could handle the spotlight of his life of fame when I have grown used to the solitude of a quiet, small-town life. It all feelsimpossible.
I want to figure out whos trying to mess with the film, but theres a part of melarger than Im willing to admitthat hopes it takes a long time to solve this thing, just so I dont have to say goodbye to Jonah James.