Chapter 35 #2
Before I can protest, I’m holding a small human who’s staring at me with wide, curious eyes. The kid’s heavier than he looks, and I adjust my grip awkwardly, not sure where to put my hands.
Feeling heavy surveillance on me, I lift my gaze and find Olivia carefully watching me.
She’s in no rush to get her coffee as she claimed.
Is it some sort of test? Feeling like a member of some survival reality show, I adjust my grip on the little man in my arms, securing him tighter to my chest. That seems to make Olivia happy, considering the wide-ass smile currently stretching across her face.
With a short, satisfied nod, she pats Jake on his shoulder and grabs the menu off the counter.
Brodie reaches up and grabs a fistful of my beard.
“Ow,” I mutter, trying to extract his fingers.
Nora watches me with barely contained amusement. “Need help there, big guy?”
“I’m fine,” I grunt, though the kid is now trying to climb up my shoulder like I’m a human jungle gym he doesn’t like very much, punching me with his little knees as he goes .
Jake laughs. “He does that to everyone. Don’t take it personally.”
“Wasn’t planning to,” I say, finally getting Brodie settled against my chest. The kid immediately relaxes, resting his head on my shoulder like he’s found his new favorite spot. Something in my chest tightens, and I want to rub the ache off.
“Look at that,” Moon says, eyeing me with new interest. “Steve’s got the touch.”
“Jericho,” Nora and I say in unison, which makes her laugh.
“So,” Jake starts, sitting next to us, “how long have you two been a thing?”
My mouth opens but no sound comes out. Nora’s face flushes crimson.
“We’re not—” she starts, just as I say, “It’s new.”
Nora’s head whips toward me, eyes wide. Jake’s eyebrows shoot up, and Olivia nearly spits out her coffee.
“Well,” Moon says, looking smug, “isn’t that interesting.”
Cheryl snorts. “So it’s official now? Good to know. I’ll update the town bulletin board.”
“There’s no bulletin board,” Nora mutters.
“I’ll make one,” Cheryl replies sweetly.
Brodie chooses that moment to pat my face with his sticky hand, leaving what I hope is just jelly on my cheek. I don’t flinch, which earns me an approving nod from Olivia.
“He likes you,” she says again, this time with certainty. “He usually screams bloody murder with strangers.”
“I’m honored,” I say dryly, bouncing the kid slightly when he starts to squirm. He immediately settles, and I find myself oddly proud of this small victory.
Jake watches me with narrowed eyes. “So you’re plowing driveways now? Jonah mentioned something about that.”
“Among other things,” Cheryl mutters under her breath.
“Cheryl!” Nora hisses .
Jake bursts out laughing, and Moon joins in, her cackle cutting through the diner. Nora’s face is now the color of her hair.
“Among other things,” I agree, finding my voice and surprising myself with the confidence in it. I look directly at Nora while I say it, and her eyes widen while the crimson creeps down to her neck now.
“Okay!” she says loudly, clapping her hands together and walking behind the counter. “Who wants breakfast? Roman’s making those apple pancakes everyone loves.”
“Deflection,” Jake coughs into his hand.
I adjust Brodie on my hip, finding a rhythm that keeps him content. The kid’s eyes are getting heavy, his head lolling against my shoulder. There’s something strangely familiar about holding him—like muscle memory from a life I didn’t know I had.
“Give him here,” Olivia says, reaching for her son. “He’s about to pass out, and you look like you need rescuing.”
I hand Brodie over, feeling oddly reluctant to let him go. “He’s a good kid.”
“He is,” Olivia agrees, studying me. “Most days. When he’s not destroying the house or trying to eat rocks.”
Jake leans forward, coffee mug between his hands. “So, Jericho. What’s your story? Jonah says you keep to yourself.”
I shrug, returning Jake’s steady gaze. “Not much to tell.”
“Oh, I doubt that,” Jake says with a knowing smile that makes me wonder exactly what Jonah has shared with him.
“Jericho’s a man of few words,” Nora interjects, sliding back onto the stool beside me. Her thigh brushes mine, and I feel the warmth through my jeans.
“Reminds me of your grandfather,” Moon says, eyeing me. “He’d go days without speaking, then suddenly recite poetry in the middle of dinner.”
Nora’s eyes widen. “You never told me that about Grandpa. ”
“You never asked,” Moon replies with a wink. “Some men save their words for when they matter.”
I feel Nora’s eyes on me, but I keep my attention on my coffee. Jake is still watching me, and I can feel him trying to piece me together like a puzzle.
“You’re from where again?” he asks casually. Too casually.
“Around,” I answer, matching his tone.
Olivia snorts. “God, he’s just like you used to be,” she tells Jake. “All mysterious and broody.”
“I was never broody,” Jake protests.
“You were the definition of broody,” Nora laughs. “Remember when you wouldn’t tell anyone why you came to town? You’d bark at anyone who approached you on the street.”
Jake runs a hand through his hair, looking sheepish. “That was different.”
“How?” Nora challenges, leaning forward.
“I had my reasons,” Jake says, exchanging a meaningful glance with his wife.
“And maybe Jericho has his,” Olivia points out, adjusting the sleeping Brodie in her arms.
I take a long sip of coffee, grateful for the momentary distraction. The diner feels smaller suddenly, with all these eyes on me, probing for pieces of a past I’ve carefully locked away.
“I’m just a guy who fixes things,” I say finally, keeping my voice even. “Driveways, registers, whatever needs it.”
“Very humble,” Moon says, patting my arm. “I like that in a young man.”
“He’s anything but a young man,” Cheryl mutters, making Karina snort coffee through her nose. She grabs a towel and starts dabbing it on her front, drawing everyone’s attention to her.
The conversation shifts, thankfully, to Jake and Olivia’s travels, to Moon’s complaints about the weather, and eventually to Brodie’s latest milestones. This is where they lose me because I have zero idea what they’re talking about.
I listen more than I speak, watching how Nora lights up around them, how she laughs easier, fuller. Her hand occasionally brushes mine under the counter, a secret touch that sends warmth through my fingers.
I watch them interact, trying to ignore the growing knot in my stomach.
These people have history. Years of it, woven tight like one of those fancy quilts Moon probably has stashed somewhere.
And I’m the loose thread, hanging off the edge.
They freely share their past while I hide mine under a hundred layers.
Can I ever become a part of this without sharing who I was?
Because who I was is not me anymore, life made sure of it, but the past seems to matter to them.
I must have been staring at them too hard because I finally see Jake watching me with a raised eyebrow. There’s something knowing in his look—like he sees more than I want him to.
“So,” Jake says, turning to me again, “you planning to stick around Big Love for a while?”
The question lands heavier than it should. Nora’s hand freezes on her mug, and I feel her go still beside me. Moon’s eyes narrow slightly, and even Cheryl looks up from her phone.
“Yeah,” I say, surprised by how easily the word comes out. “I am.”
Something in Nora’s posture relaxes, and I catch the small smile playing at the corner of her mouth.
“Good,” Jake nods, seemingly satisfied. “Place grows on you.”
“Like a fungus,” Cheryl adds.
“A charming fungus,” Olivia corrects, bouncing Brodie gently.
The conversation flows around me again, and I let it wash over me like water over stone. Nora’s thigh presses against mine, warm and solid, and I find myself grounded in that touch.
After breakfast, Jake pulls me aside while the others are chatting. His hand is firm on my shoulder as he steers me toward the far end of the counter. There’s something in his eyes I can’t quite read—not hostility, but a wariness that makes my shoulders tense.
“So,” he says, voice low enough that only I can hear, “you and Nora.”
“Me and Nora,” I echo, not giving him anything.
He studies me for a moment, then sighs. “Nora’s been through some shit.”
“I’m aware.”
“Are you?” His eyes sharpen. “Because I’m not just talking about Dick. Though that asshole did a number on her.”
I stay silent, waiting.
“She doesn’t let people in easily,” Jake continues. “Not really. She’ll laugh and joke and make everyone think they know her, but…” He glances over at Nora, who’s now bouncing Brodie on her hip, face lit up with a smile. “There’s a lot she keeps locked down.”
“Why are you telling me this?” I ask, though I already know.
“Because I saw how she looked at you.” He turns back to me. “And how you looked at her. And I need to know if you’re going to be another person who breaks her heart.”
My jaw tightens. “That’s not the plan.”
“Plans change,” he says. “And sometimes people don’t see them coming.”
I meet his gaze head-on. “I don’t have a habit of breaking things I care about.”
“Good.” He nods, seeming satisfied with my answer. “Because that family—” he gestures toward the Moon women “— they’ve been through enough. They don’t need more heartache.”
“I know that.”
Jake studies me for another long moment before his posture relaxes slightly. “I asked around about you when Cheryl said you moved next door to her family.”
My body tenses. I don’t ask what he learned because I already know.
“And I didn’t like what I found.” His intense stare is focused on me.
“Then why are we talking here?” I say through gritted teeth. “If I were you, I’d warn me off by now.”
He tilts his head to the side. “Do you think I’d let you around my family if I believed everything I heard?”
“I don’t know you well enough to think anything.” It comes out more hostile than I intended.
His eyes narrow, watching every twitch of my face. “C’mon. We both know you know my type. And I know yours.”
I grind my jaw, waiting for him to continue, and he lets out a short laugh.
“I see.”
“Do you?” His eyes scan my face—too fast, too calculating.
Another chuckle. “I wonder why Kenneth was on your side while history seems to think otherwise.”
“You’d have to ask him.” I try relaxing my shoulders and not appear as tense.
“I have.” His lips twitch but not into a smile.
“And?” I ask because curiosity wins. Little Hope’s sheriff used to be my teammate when we were kids.
He was a couple of years older than me when we met at the same hockey practice before my family moved away from Maine.
And he seemed to be the only one from my old life on my side of the room—quite literally—when the time came .
“And he didn’t say why, but I trust his judgment.”
I swallow an embarrassing lump in my throat.
His voice suddenly drops. “But I’m watching you.”
I meet his gaze up front and hold it for a few seconds before I acknowledge his threat with a nod of my head.
It’s good that the Moons have someone on their side.
Besides me. Because those women are now my family, and this is the only reason I let him speak to me this way—he has their best interest at heart.
“Kenneth says you’re a good guy. Says you keep your word,” he continues with an unblinking stare.
I nod once, wondering exactly what else Kenneth has shared about me. Besides how I’ve spent a lot of time with his wife.
“That counts for something,” Jake admits. “Just know that if you hurt her, you’ll have me to answer to.”
Despite his slightly lightened tone, there’s steel beneath the words. I respect that.
“Understood,” I say simply, knowing he definitely can deliver his threat.
A slow smile spreads across his face as he smacks me on a shoulder, nearly moving me—not an easy feat. “Well, now that we’ve got that out of the way, you want to tell me what you’ve done to my house? Jonah says you’ve been ripping up floors.”
“Just the ones that needed it,” I reply, grateful for the change in subject. “Your bathroom floor was rotting through.”
“Yeah, that tracks,” Jake laughs. “That place was a money pit. Surprised you took it on.”
I shrug. “Needed a project.”
“Everyone who moves to Big Love does,” he says cryptically.
Before I can ask what his project was, Olivia walks up to us.
“We need to go home soon, Brodie is out cold.” She nods toward the booth where the kid is sleeping on the bench with his head placed on Moon’s lap.
“It was good meeting you, Steve,” she says with a wink to me, and pulls Jake back to the ladies.
Jake turns to me one more time. “We’ll catch up later. I want to hear more about these renovations.” His tone suggests there’s more than just house updates he wants.
I nod, watching them walking together to the counter as a picture-perfect family.
Nora appears at my side, her eyes following them before turning to me. “So… you survived the Jake inquisition. That’s promising.”
“Wasn’t aware I was being tested,” I say, though we both know that’s exactly what it was.
“Weren’t you?” She smiles, turning to head outside.
I hold the door open as Nora steps by, the chilly air making her pull her puffy jacket tighter around herself.
“So, that was Jake,” I say, trying to sound casual.
“That was Jake,” she confirms with a smile. “He’s good people.”
I nod, letting that sink in. Good people. Good. I think? “He seems… protective.”
Nora laughs. “That’s one word for it. What did he say to you when he pulled you aside? He looked serious.”
“Nothing much,” I lie. “Asked about the renovations I’ve been doing on his old place.”
Nora gives me a sidelong glance, clearly not buying it. “Uh-huh. And I bet he just mentioned the weather too.”
I shrug, watching her face. “He might have mentioned you.”
“Thought so.” She kicks at a clump of snow with her boot. “What did he say? The whole ‘if you hurt her, they’ll never find your body’ speech?”
“Something like that.”
She groans, covering her face with her hands. “I’m sorry, Jericho. It’s very embarrassing that they gave you a grilling for no reason.”
“Don’t,” I say, pulling her hands away from her face. “It’s good that you have people who care that much.”
Her eyes meet mine, searching. “I guess.”
We walk in silence for a moment, our boots crunching through the snow. It’s a good way to fill the silence while I’m trying to process what just happened in that diner.