Chapter 22 Was Promising
WAS PROMISING
“You’re in a mood,” Jocelyn’s brother said to her the next morning. She got here early, Chance leaving after the firetrucks left.
She didn’t go back to sleep, just lay there staring at the ceiling wondering what was going to happen next.
They’d hit a pivotal point last night without even trying and now she was trying to figure out how to balance while she teetered side to side.
“Didn’t sleep much last night.”
“Which explains the large coffee that you rarely come in with. How come you didn’t get me one?” Gabe asked.
“I didn’t think I was going to get it but drove by and found my car going through the drive-thru. Sorry.”
She walked past her brother to her office, him right on her heels. She could never shake him loose when he thought something was wrong.
“Are you sure everything is okay?”
He wouldn’t leave until she gave him something.
“The stupid alarms were going off again last night. They caught the person who was setting them at least. It was like three in the morning before I got back into bed.”
“Was Chance with you?”
She lifted her eyelids to glance at Gabe. “Why?”
“Because this isn’t the first time the alarms have gone off on you, but it would be the first time you had a guy with you, and since you don’t want people to know about him, it might be hard to hide. Or if men in his department saw him.”
“They did,” she said.
“And he had a problem with it or you did?”
She wasn’t so sure.
She shrugged. “It’s fine.”
“Doesn’t sound it to me,” Gabe said. “Is it because the Fierces kind of have their mark on it?”
“They don’t,” she snarled.
“Whoa,” her brother said, his hands up, a smirk following. “Okay. They don’t.”
She sighed. “Gabe. You know him. Do you think he’d like that someone was setting him up with me? Or what do you think his reaction would be if he knew?”
“I don’t know him that well. I didn’t even know you and Jayce went to school with him.”
“You didn’t tell Jayce about Chance and me, did you?”
“No, but he’ll find out at some point. It can’t stay a secret forever even if you want it to. Is it just fun for you both?”
“It’s fun,” she said. “But I’m not sure how much more.
I don’t know what he wants. He’s been pretty honest about not really being in relationships.
He doesn’t have much free time.” She debated adding this and decided it wouldn’t hurt.
“He thinks he’s not good enough for me. He jokes about it, but I know he really means it. ”
“That’s bullshit,” Gabe said. “We aren’t snobs.”
“No, but everyone carries shit from their youth. He had a hard life. I mean, really hard.”
“How hard?” Gabe asked. “Like trouble with the law?”
She didn’t want to tell her brother what she knew, but she could trust him. “No. They labeled him a troublemaker as a kid in school. His mother was a teen when she had him, his grandmother raised him and got custody when his mother overdosed when Chance was thirteen.”
“That’s rough.”
“It is. He bought that pub because his grandmother had worked there for like twenty years and would have lost her job when it went up for sale. She wasn’t ready or financially stable enough to retire.”
“That makes him a pretty honorable guy to me.”
“Me too. I don’t think he sees those qualities. And you can’t push someone who isn’t ready. We’ll figure it out on our own one way or another.”
“As your older brother, you know I’ve got to watch out for you.”
“That’s fine, as long as you’re respectful about it. I didn’t get involved with you and Elise and even had your back a few times with Mom and Dad. Remember that.”
Gabe's lips went to the side, his nose twitching some. He didn’t enjoy hearing that, she knew, but too damn bad.
“Yeah, yeah. I’m here if you need anything.”
“I know, thanks.”
It just reminded her that Chance didn’t have any of that growing up.
She didn’t think she took it for granted, but maybe she did.
When lunch rolled around, she ordered from Rhea’s Chance and went to pick it up. She knew he was at the firehouse, but she could start with his grandmother.
At this point, it didn’t matter. The important players had the knowledge.
“Good afternoon,” Rhea said.
“Hi. I’m just picking up lunch. I know Chance is at the firehouse.”
“Oh, one of you is going to finally admit it.”
She smiled at the light that came into Rhea’s eyes. Okay, that was promising.
“Doesn’t seem as if there has to be a need to keep it quiet when you know. My parents were here earlier this week. But I’m sure you knew that too.”
“I did,” Rhea said. “Would you like to sit and eat here and have a chat? It can stay between us.”
She cringed. As much as she would love to do that, she didn’t want Chance upset if he found out.
But she also saw the look in Rhea’s eyes that said she wasn’t really asking.
“I’m not sure how much he’ll appreciate that.”
“In the long run, he will,” Rhea said. “Trust me on this.”
She had to. She didn’t want to risk pissing off the only person who had any insight into Chance.
“Then yes, what could it hurt?”
“Go grab that corner table and I’ll get your lunch and bring it over. Ginger ale, right?”
She smiled that Chance’s grandmother remembered that. “Yes, please.”
She moved to the table in the corner. It wasn’t all that busy. It was a Friday afternoon, but it wasn’t noon yet. She wouldn’t take up much of Rhea’s time.
Rhea came over with her chicken sandwich and fries on a plate rather than the takeout container and her drink, set it down, and then pulled out a seat.
“My grandson is hard to get a read on.”
“You’re telling me.”
Rhea laughed. The woman looked her age, maybe even older, but was dressed in black pants and the same staff shirt that everyone else wore. A hard life would wear on you faster.
Her hair was dyed brown but pulled back, not much makeup on her face, but years of worry lines had etched their way in deep.
“He’s always been that way. He keeps everything in and makes jokes out of it.”
“Seems as if he hasn’t changed as much as I would have thought.”
“I remember back when he was in school he’d talk about a girl in art class. He didn’t mean to, but it came up. I never got her name, but she was nice to him. Always said hi and made him laugh. He’d even smile when he talked about it.”
Jocelyn put her hand up in front of her mouth to smile as she was chewing. “I think it’s me.”
“I’m sure it is. I always knew there was a reason he went to that class because he hated art as much as he did math.”
“I looked forward to seeing him. I know he kind of got the shaft back then. People judged him.”
“And you didn’t,” Rhea said. “I see that now. But this thing, whatever it is you’ve got, he might not be ready for it. So give him time.”
Her shoulders relaxed, she let out a breath. “Thank you for that. I mean it. I’m doubting myself and I don’t do that. We talked some last night and I left feeling awkward and confused about it.”
“How so?”
She didn’t want to go into detail. That might push it even in her eyes. “Just the way he was acting.”
“Almost withdrawn but trying to pretend he wasn’t?”
“That would be him,” she said.
“Chance will never let on how serious the doubts are that he’s carried in his life. Or the scars he’s got hidden. If you keep an open mind they are there, that will go a long way.”
Jocelyn nodded, saw a group of people coming, and ate faster. “I’ll get out of here quickly.”
Rhea stood up. “Take your time. It’s fine. This will be between us, you have my word.”
“The same.”
She wouldn’t break her word to Rhea because she might need more help in the future.
“Jocelyn,” Garrett Fierce said. “It’s so nice to see you.”
“The same,” she said. “Are you here to meet my father?”
He and Grant were just walking into the building when they saw Jocelyn come toward the door and held it for her.
“We are. He’s expecting us,” Grant said.
“Why don’t you come on back?”
“While we are walking down, you know, if you ever want to get set up, we know someone who would be perfect for you.”
“I appreciate it,” she said. “But I’ve found myself in a situationship right now. I’d like to see where it goes.”
He looked at his brother, then back. No one informed them that she was seeing someone.
“Well then, I hope you find what you’re looking for.”
“Me too,” she said. “You know where my father’s office is. Have a nice day, gentlemen.”
The minute they were in Jim’s office, he shut the door.
“Who is Jocelyn dating?” Garrett asked.
“What?”
“We just told her we’d love to set her up. She said she was in one of those situationship things. Not sure what the hell that means. I’m going back to she’s dating someone. We never put fancy titles on things,” Garrett said.
“I don’t understand why this generation has to be so complicated,” Grant said.
“Your guess is as good as mine,” Jim said. “As for Jocelyn. She’s keeping quiet about it. She normally does.”
But the nodding of Jim’s head up and down more than once and the wiggling of the eyebrows gave him exactly what he was hoping to hear.