Chapter 5
Chapter Five
P arking his truck in the driveway, Jody walked to where Silas and Fynn were standing.
“What’s going on?” he asked his eldest brother. “Why isn’t Fynn getting ready for school?”
Silas’ craggy face turned toward him. At his expression, Jody knew he was in trouble, though he didn’t know what he’d done when he hadn’t even been home.
“What’d I do?”
“Fynn, go get ready for school.”
Fynn gave him a sympathetic glance as he headed for the main house.
“I wasn’t supposed to be here for another thirty minutes—”
“Where were you last night?” Silas’ solemn voice cut him off.
“I’m not a kid anymore, Silas. Where I spent the night isn’t any of your business.”
Silas’ inscrutable expression became even more withdrawn. “Fine.” His brother started toward the house.
“Wait.” Jody started after him. “Why did you have Fynn out, reading the sky?”
“I was double-checking something.”
“What were you double-checking?”
“Nothing pertaining to me, or the others.”
“You saw something that would affect me ? What was it?”
Silas went up the steps to the house. “Like you said, you’re not a kid anymore. Find out for yourself.”
Shit, he had pissed Silas off.
Instead of following him inside, Jody strode off in the direction of his trailer. When Silas was angry, it wouldn’t do any good to badger him. He was a great believer in the live-and-learn philosophy.
Dammit. Jody kicked a large stick out of his way. He knew better than to give Silas attitude. Being the oldest of ten kids of a single father, Silas had borne the responsibility of caring for the younger children. After their father and little sister had died in an accident, he took on the full-time responsibility of their family without complaint. Jody didn’t think he would have had the capacity to handle the obligations of putting a roof over their heads and food on the table for so many children, all the while experiencing his own grief, as Silas had done.
Silas had always been the more serious of his siblings. After the accident, he had grown even more somber.
Reaching his trailer, Jody changed from his jeans and T-shirt to gray cargo pants and an orange hoodie. After putting on a thick pair of socks, he laced up his boots before heading out of the door. With five minutes to spare, he rushed to where he was meeting up with his brothers for the job they had been hired to do for the day.
His brothers were gathered around Matthew and Isaac’s workshop. When he felt the focus of their gazes, his eyes automatically went to Jacob—they had a close bond and looked out for each other. Reading the caution in his eyes, Jody walked to where he was standing to listen to what Silas was saying.
“We need to have the fence installed by lunchtime.”
Was Silas talking about the job in the new housing subdivision? How in the fuck were they supposed to get it done in four hours? Not about to ask Silas the question and draw his ire again, Jody remained silent.
Thankfully, Jacob didn’t feel the same restraint.
“That’s a three-day job; what’s the hurry?”
“This morning, we’re going to be working on the job. Then Matthew, Isaac, Jacob, and Reaper will be finishing the other job.”
What other job didn’t he know about?
“What will the rest of you be doing?” Jacob frowned. “Matthew said his next order won’t be ready until next week.”
Instead of looking at Jacob, Silas stared at Jody. “We’ll be working at the diner.”
Jody’s mouth dropped open.
Unable to wait for Jacob or one of his other brothers to ask the question burning in his mind, he asked it himself. “What will we be doing at the diner?”
“Whatever the new owner needs us to do. She is having trouble settling in and needs our help before she becomes discouraged and sells the diner.”
From Jody’s perspective, he wanted the woman to sell and leave town. The sooner, the better. Especially before his soul mate came to town.
“What does it matter if she does?”
Silas arched an eyebrow in his direction. “It doesn’t matter to me if she does, but you might care. The owner is your soul mate.”
Jody started shaking his head. “She isn’t my soul mate.”
As the words came out of his mouth, he felt the truth in his bones.
Turning around so his brothers couldn’t see his face, Jody recalled the reaction he’d had when he saw her for the first time. His soul and body had recognized her as his mate; it’d been his damn ego that had let him down. Silas had warned him numerous times that his hookups were going to bite him in his ass.
“She is,” Silas argued firmly from behind his back.
Jody turned back around. “I met her this morning.”
All of his brothers stared at him with curious eyes, except for Silas.
“When did you find out?” he asked him.
“This morning when I woke up. I saw the stars becoming clearer. I woke Fynn up. He was telling me what he saw when you came home.”
“The stars didn’t want me to know ahead of time.”
“No, they didn’t,” Silas agreed. “It was the first time since before Greer’s stroke that I could see her here.”
Jody stared at Silas sympathetically. Silas had read the stars after Matthew’s soul mate had arrived in town. Silas’ soul mate’s star was also moving closer to his, which meant Silas and his soul mate would soon be together.
After Greer’s stroke, Silas’ soul mate’s star had moved further away. Silas had said it was his punishment for using his gift to warn Matthew’s wife that she was in danger and prevented her from being killed by a man who had tormented her since childhood.
“I didn’t make the best first impression,” Jody admitted to his brothers.
Jacob looked as if he wasn’t surprised. “What happened?”
“I took Baylin to the diner to have breakfast and had to end up telling her I wasn’t going to see her anymore. I didn’t break it to her gently. Baylin was making out like we were a couple. I got angry,” he explained curtly. “The waitress had a first-row seat.”
Jacob and Isaac grimaced, Matthew broke into laughter, while Silas remained stoic.
“I told you Treepoint was too small of a town to cat around in,” Matthew rubbed it in like salt in a wound.
Jody glared at Matthew. “The last thing I want to hear right now is I told you so .”
Matthew arched his brows at him. “You didn’t have a problem making fun of me for staying home when you and Isaac went out.”
Jody knew it would be a total waste of time to continue arguing with Matthew. Instead, he looked at Silas for guidance. “How can I fix it?”
“You’re on your own where that’s concerned. My main concern is that she stays in town. If she closes the diner down and leaves town, that’s going to put us out of order for our soul mates.” His expression turned disconsolate.
Jamming his hands into his pockets, Jody felt terrible about how Silas’ soul mate had moved farther away from him. His brother had sacrificed his own happiness more than once to benefit their family. He deserved his own family rather than making sure they were taken care of. They were all grown men except for Fynn; it was time they stopped relying so heavily on Silas.
“I’m sorry, bro.” Jody placed a hand on Silas’ shoulder. “I fucked up. You warned me, and I didn’t listen. This morning, I acted like an ass to you because, deep down, I knew who she was, and I didn’t want to admit it because it was easier to not acknowledge what I was feeling rather than admitting I had screwed up. I’ll fix it. I swear.”
Changing his solemn tone to one more cheerful, he gazed toward his brothers, whose expressions had turned serious when Silas had said Jody’s soul mate leaving would affect their own soul mates.
“I might have fucked up, but that doesn’t mean I’m down for the count. I’m not afraid of a challenge.” At this point, he didn’t know if he was trying to ease his brothers’ worries or his own, but he went all-in. “Once I turn my charm on her, she’ll fall in love with me like that.” Jody snapped his fingers confidently.
All of his brothers stared at him doubtfully.
“We’re so fucked,” Isaac muttered under his breath.
Jody didn’t appreciate Isaac’s lack of confidence, especially since his older brother wasn’t so innocent himself.
“You all go on to the housing development. I’ve got this,” he assured them, giving Isaac a glare, which dared him to say anything else. “I’ll let you know when the wedding is,” he told them overconfidently.
His brothers shrugged despite their dubious expressions. Disbanding, they went into Matthew and Isaac’s workshop before coming back out to load their trucks with the iron fencing.
“If you change your mind, call, and we’ll come over,” Silas told him, remaining by his side.
“You worry too much.” Jody gave Silas a brotherly smack on his back before turning to go back to his trailer.
“Where are you going? I thought you were going to the diner?”
“I have to change first. I’m not going to nab the girl wearing this get-up. I have to make a better impression.”
Jody couldn’t make out what Silas muttered under his breath. “What did you say?”
“I said, I’m going to die a bachelor.”