1. Jolie #3
I press my hand against my chest, feeling my heart hammer against my palm. They know. They see me. And they're not running.
I force myself to push off the wall and walk back into the kitchen.
A plate of food is sitting on the table, and I stare at it. Jett looks up from his phone. "Breakfast."
"I didn't ask for breakfast," I say.
"I know."
"Then why is it here?"
"Because Jarvis thinks you're going to pass out if you don't eat."
I look at Jarvis, who's standing near the bar with his arms folded. "You don't have to take care of me."
"I know," he says.
"Then why are you?"
"Because someone should."
The answer catches me off guard. I've spent most of my life taking care of myself. My grandparents took care of me when I was young, but after college, I made a point of becoming independent. I don't like asking people for help, and I hate feeling like a burden.
Jarvis pulls out a chair. "Sit down." I hesitate. "You've been driving since early morning. You're exhausted, you're dealing with the estate, and you're trying to make a major financial decision. Eat first."
There's no anger in his voice. No criticism. Just certainty. I sit.
Jett watches me take the first bite. "Better?" I nod. "Good." He looks toward the folder sitting on the counter. "You're going to need that."
"What is it?"
"Your mother's business records."
I glance at Jarvis. "You brought those out already?"
"I knew you were coming."
I pick up the folder. My mother's handwriting is visible on the top page, and I recognize it immediately. I turn through the pages slowly. She kept everything—every invoice, menu change, customer note, and employee schedule. I never knew how much time she spent thinking about this place.
I close the folder. "I still don't understand why you're asking me to stay."
Jarvis pulls out the chair across from me. "Because your mother spent thirty years building this business."
"And?"
"And you should understand what she built before you decide to destroy it."
The word makes me flinch. "Sell it," I correct him. He nods. "Sell it."
I look down at my hands. "What's the difference?"
"One is a financial decision. The other is an emotional one."
I look back at him. "You think I'm being emotional."
"I think you're grieving." I don't have an answer, because he's right.
Jett sits across from me and speaks more quietly than before. "Your mother talked about you."
I look at him. "What?"
"She talked about you. Over the years."
"She never told me."
"I know."
"What did she say?"
Jett glances at Jarvis, who gives him a small nod. "She worried that you hated her."
I look away. "She should have talked to me."
"Maybe she should have."
I look at Jett again. "You don't have to defend her."
"I'm not." He leans back. "I'm just telling you what I know."
Jarvis reaches for the folder. "Give me thirty days." I look at him. "Thirty days?"
"Stay here for thirty days. Learn the business. Go through the records. Talk to the employees. Look at what your mother built."
"And if I still want to sell?"
"You sell."
I study his face. "You won't stop me?"
"No."
Jett nods. "I think that's fair."
I look at him. "You're taking his side again."
"I'm taking the side of making an informed decision."
I sigh. Thirty days. It's longer than I want to stay. It's longer than I planned to stay. But if I sell the restaurant without knowing everything about it, I might regret that too.
"What happens if I agree?" I ask.
"You stay here," Jarvis says. "You learn the business. You see the financial situation for yourself. You decide whether selling is still what you want."
"And where am I supposed to stay?"
"Upstairs."
I look toward the ceiling. "My mother's apartment?"
"Yes."
Jett smiles. "There's a guest room if you don't want hers."
I look at him. "That would be appreciated."
"I figured."
Jarvis stands. "Your meeting with Wolfe is at nine." I glance at the clock. 8:58. "You're kidding." Jett laughs. "That's probably why he didn't tell you to relax."
I stand quickly. "I need to cancel."
Jarvis nods. "You can."
I stop. "You aren't going to tell me to meet him anyway?"
"No." That surprises me.
"If you want thirty days, you need to start by telling him the sale is delayed."
I take out my phone. For the first time since I arrived, I hesitate. Thirty days. That's the agreement.
I make the call. When Wolfe answers, I tell him the meeting needs to be postponed. He isn't happy. I don't care.
When I hang up, I look at Jarvis and Jett. "Thirty days." Jarvis nods. "Thirty days."
I pick up the folder from the table and hold it against my chest. I still intend to sell the restaurant. I still intend to leave this town. But something has shifted, and I can feel it in the way my skin still tingles where Jarvis touched me, in the way Jett's voice still echoes in my ears.
Thirty days. I tell myself it's just a delay. I tell myself I'm still in control. But as I walk toward the stairs, I feel their eyes on my back, and I know I'm lying to myself.
I haven't been in control since I walked through that door.