10. Gisele
“You invited him for dinner!” I screeched at Elle, her wide smile not doing anything to curb my temper.
“You know he can hear you right Gissy?” Elle chuckled. Using her thumb to indicate where the hot cop was standing watching me with a smirk of his face and a bottle of Dimple Whiskey.
Suck up. Obviously, Elle had given him the tip dad loved the finer things in life especially when it came to his favourite alcoholic beverage.
Groaning I felt my face warming yet again. “Golly gosh Elle, don’t call me that.”
“Gisele, get over it. He is here for dinner; he brought the good stuff and that is that.”
Spitting mad at my sisters attempt to set me up with Detective Jury, and annoyed at myself because I was wildly attracted to him, I dug my heels in.
“I can’t stay, I have to pick Miracle up from Claudia’s.”
“Can’t, Claude rang and said she fell asleep on Josh while watching telly an hour ago, they put her to bed and decided to call it an early night themselves.”
Not giving up, I got desperate. “I have a key to Claudia’s house and yours too, I can let myself in. Miracle won’t wake up if I picked her up by her feet and slung her over my shoulder.”
Elle giggled her head nodding up and down in agreement. “That is true, your child sleeps like the dead, however Claude mentioned Josh said he wants to start trying for a baby, so —” My desperation suddenly turned into utter joy for my sister. Jumping up and down, my hands clapping loudly, I burst into happy tears.
“Seriously?”
Elle’s smile mirrored mine, her eyes welling up with happiness the same as me. “Yep! Can you believe it, Miracle is going to have a little cousin to play with soon.” Crossing her fingers on both hands, Elle joined me in jumping up and down in the entry between the kitchen and dining room.
“Does Georgina and dad know?”
Rolling her eyes, Elle’s facial expression said it all.
She knew.
“I had Claude on speaker when she told me, the second she said it mum dropped to her knees and started praying for Josh’s sperm to hit their target. Her exact words.”
A deep timbre chuckle came from beside me, startling me.
Damn, HC moved like a ninja.
“Are you a ninja or something?” I blurted out my silent thought, then smacked my hand over my mouth.
Too late big mouth.
“Ah, why does your family have an obsession with sperm?”
Huh?
“Pardon?” I asked taken aback. Why would he ask such a question.
“Well, your sister called you Gissy, and your mother is praying for your brother-in-law. I was just wondering,” His tone held a hint of humour, but his face remained stoic, not giving away anything. Unfortunately for me my mother chose that precise moment to walk in.
“Gissy is one of her pet names, Detective. Amongst others. I’m glad you could make it Jamison. And good brownie points for bringing the good stuff.” Taking the moment of the stunned silence to take the bottle from Jamison, she continued to embarrass me.
“I am a firm believer in the Lord our God and the power of prayer. However, due to an unfortunate event in church several years back, I have been banned from any Mass service. Therefore, I do my praying whenever and wherever the moment requires.”
Ah, the demise of my mother in the eyes of the church. Her all-time favourite story to tell never tiring of telling it, whilst my sisters and I were truly over it.
“Mum, Detective Jury?—”
“Just Jamison will be fine, Gisele,” Detective, or Jamison interrupted me, “I’m not here in a formal compacity. I’m here to enjoy a homecooked meal, good company and good whiskey.” He insisted with a grin. Damn he was a fine-looking specimen. He really did look very much like the Hollywood heart throb from one of my favourite shows. Uncanny resemblance.
“Well, okay I’ll call you Jamison if you promise not to call me Gissy, deal?” Holding out my hand, I waited for him to accept, what I didn’t expect was the zap of electricity when his large rough hand engulfed mine.
Holy Shit.
“Holy shit indeed,” Jamison echoed, looking down at our clasped hands. Looking equally affected as me.
“Did I say that out loud?”
“Oh chickee, you sure did,” Elle laughed, looking downright gleeful. “Come on Jamison Jury, dinner is ready and waiting and so is dad.” With the mention of my father, I pulled my hand out of Jamison grasp reluctantly. The heat and tingles still on my skin.
“Yeah, what she said,” I mumbled a might discombobulated to my reaction from a simple handshake.
“Do you have family back in Gracefield, Jury?” my father asked our dinner guest, on his third three fingers of Dimples.
“Yes Jock, I have a few aunts and uncles, a handful of cousins, but I’m only close with one.” Jamison answered, still nursing his first glass. Through the main meal, Jamison didn’t touch his whiskey other than to toast opening the bottle. Since then, it sat untouched. I hoped that meant he was not much of a drinker. That would be a refreshing change.
“No parents?” Georgina pried, as was her nature.
“My father died when I was seven months old. Motorcycle accident. My mother died from breast cancer five years ago.”
“Oh, I’m so sorry, Jamison,” Elle interjected.
“No need Elle, I have no memory of my father, and mum was not the type to mourn and live in the past. She raised me in a happy home, I had a great upbringing until her health started to fail and we found out about the cancer. She was already stage four by the time we found out. It was tough for a while, but I have wonderful happy memories of her and choose to concentrate on them rather than the sad ones.”
The way he spoke about the losses in his life without any bitterness or pity, while incredibly sad, I could tell my dad was impressed with the detective, however grudgingly.
“And what about lady friends? Any one special waiting on you to return?” Mum asked him, sending me a wicked wink, making both Elle and I groan in defeat.
And here we go.
Jamison didn’t flinch at mum’s sticky nosing, not a bit. “No one ma’am. I had a long-term girlfriend a few years back. We broke up somewhat amicably, and since her there has been no one serious.”
“Still holding a torch for her perhaps?” mum kept prodding, and my face started flaming up again.
“No torch, Georgina, no issues. Just have not been tempted to do the love thing again.” Jamison assured my mum, but something in his tone told me he wanted me to understand and believe his words. I had no idea what was going on with Jamison and me, it was like he had a personal line straight to my brain.
“Wonderful,” mum gushed, then pointed at me, “Gisele is our only unattached daughter. You met her wanker baby daddy earlier today. He was the half-lit douche demanding full custody of his daughter. Of course, I use the term father loosely when referring to him. He does not make any effort with Miracle unless Gissy nags him.” Mum kept spewing out embarrassing facts about my failed relationship, and she would not have stopped had I not sent my dad pleading eyes. Thankfully, he understood I needed saving from his wife.
“So, Jamison, what more can you do about Jake’s whereabouts?” Dad asked, changing the topic to another uncomfortable one.
Thanks Dad.
“Well Jock, I have a few people I need to speak with in Blessings other than your family, but I promise to keep you all advised through the process,” Jamison offered kindly. I knew he wasn’t obligated to, being it was Jake’s parents who made the report. Elle wasn’t in the mood to know let alone care where her husband was. That might come across the wrong way and possibly make her look guilty, but if you knew the idiot, then having a rest from him would appear to be a blessing. No pun intended.
Dad regarded Jamison silently, I could almost hear the gears grinding. He got like that when he was about to say something that may or may not get him in trouble with mum.
“If you need any help navigating the town, come get me. There might be a few that won’t talk to outsiders, plus I know the mine shafts in the area like the back of my hand,” dad supplied helpfully. Helping him look guilty!
“Oh, good one Jock,” mum huffed, “You might as well have confessed you had something to do with it.” Staring at her husband with exasperation. My sister agreed.
“Geez dad, if they find parts of Jake’s body tossed down different shafts you are the first person the detective will suspect,” Ellie cried, looking like she was about to throw up.
Nodding my head vigorously I turned to Jamison. “Dad would never cut up a human body, I swear that. He hates it when it’s time to cut off a chooks head for Sunday dinner. He gets Josh to do it nine times out of ten.”
“Ducks on a pond,” dad muttered, hanging his head. “Will you women please for the love of God be quiet.”
Mum scoffed, Elle and I giggled, and Jamison out right belly laughed. And what that laugh did to my insides, good golly miss molly.
“Thanks for the offer, Jock, I will definitely take your help when it’s needed.” Jamison said once he got himself under control.
Not long after that fun discussion, and without finishing his whiskey, Jamison announced it was time for him to leave and head to the bed and breakfast.
“I thought the pub would be a better fit for you Jamison,” mum said as we all walked him to the door. “The bed and breakfast are run by an old busy body she’ll rifle through your personal belongings while you sleep.”
“And you wouldn’t,” Elle muttered under her breathe, snickering along with me because it ws true. Coping a Georgina death glare, I shut my mouth quick smart.
“The pub doesn’t have a room available until the morning,” Jamison told her, giving me a wink.
Wow.
“Something about a blocked pipe.”
“Gissy has blocked pipes I bet,” Elle snickered, mum joining in this time, not me or dad.
“Jury, I suggest you take off now before this escalates. You still have your sanity, run while you still can.”
Inside I was screaming for him to stay. I wasn’t ready to stop gorking at his handsome face, deep blue eyes and sexy greying hair. Not by a long shot. However, I managed to keep those thoughts to myself, and said a polite goodbye instead.
It wasn’t until I watched him climb into his car and drive away did I twig that he looked reluctant to leave. The way his blue eyes lingered on me with what I hoped was longing.