Jason's Princess: A King Brothers Story (6 page)

“You already took him to the range? Why didn’t he tell me?” Her face was adorably put out. He seriously wanted to kiss her. Damn, it was getting harder to keep his hands to himself.

“He didn’t? Ah, well, don’t take it personal, Jujyfruit. He probably considered it ‘guy stuff’ and didn’t want to bother you with it. He could use some more practice and with you there with him he will feel more comfortable talking to you about this kind of stuff. At least, that’s how it is with my brothers. Dad insisted we all learn to shoot, including Mom. She’s a pretty good shot too.” Jason smiled, proud that his mom could handle herself when she needed to.

“Does your mom carry a weapon?”

“Yep. Dad won’t let her out of the house without either a weapon on her person, in her purse or in her car. It’s a dangerous world out there, Julie. I think yesterday proved just how dangerous it can be.”

She asked him more about his parents carrying weapons, conversing comfortably while they prepped for lunch. They lost track of time and before Jason knew it, some of his crew was showing up at the window.

“Hey boss. I’ll take the lunch special!” laughed Josh. Figures he’d catch Jason working in the truck with Julie. He rolled his eyes at his brother.

“I’ll give you the special all right,” he muttered. He watched Julie smile at his baby brother. A twinge of jealousy pinged through his chest, like it always did when they were together. He hoped some day soon that Julie would feel as comfortable around him as she was with Josh. He knew that they were just good friends, that there was nothing romantic between them, and never would be, but some days it was hard to see the easy rapport between them. Jason knew he’d made good strides with her today, so he would remain hopeful.

Starting to bump into each other too much when the orders began flying, he stepped out of the truck to give her room. He made his way over to Josh, who was slurping the soup that he had helped make.

“How is it?”

“Good. She’s a great cook.”

“I helped her make it today.” He laughed when Josh spit his spoonful back into the bowl.

“No way! How’d you get her to let you help? She always kicks people out of her kitchen.” He took another spoonful of soup. “She’s never let me help her, Jason. I think that’s a good sign.”

Jason told Josh all about the morning and the plans he had made with Julie on Saturday. His brother smiled and gave a wink.

“Do you want to fly solo on this? You can use anything I have at the house. I know you want to try doing something with her without the rest of us.”

Jason appreciated his brother’s offer. “If you don’t mind? I know you guys are close. What reasoning do I give that you’re not going to be there?”

“Honestly, I have a date, so we aren’t making up a story. If she asks me later, which she will, our stories will be the same.” Winking, Josh threw his food containers in the trash and clapped him on the shoulder.

Jason breathed a sigh of relief and noticed that things were settling down. He stepped back into the truck and began helping Julie clean up.

“Jason, please. You don’t have to help. Once I’m done, I’m going to drive the truck home.” She was shutting him out again, the easy camaraderie of this morning gone, replaced with the usual coolness she seemed to reserve just for him. He didn’t want things to cool off, so he grabbed her arm, stopping what she was doing. She looked up at him wideeyed and before she could tell him to back off, he leaned down and kissed her quick on her surprised lips. Her eyes were impossibly large when he backed up a step, just in case she decided to smack him.

Instead she whispered, “Why did you do that?” Her hand shook when she touched her fingertips to her mouth.

Tucking a loose strand of hair behind her ear, he told her, “Because I needed to. Don’t bother asking for an apology because you won’t get one. Someday, I hope you’ll let me do that again.” When she said nothing, just stood there in silence staring daggers at him, he shrugged and decided he better let her know what was what for the rest of the day.

“If you’re leaving right after you finish cleaning up, I’ll help you, then follow you home. If you just want to move the truck back to the office and do clean up there, that’s fine too, but either way, I WILL be following you home today. Understand?” Praying she wouldn’t go completely ballistic, he stared her down. It took her a while to respond by throwing a dishtowel in his face. He laughed.

“Fine. Get to wiping,
Boss
.” She sneered, letting him know that she didn’t respect the title one bit. He chuckled and began wiping.

CHAPTER 5

WORKING FOR THE WEEKEND

The rest of the week flew by in the same way; Julie would drive her truck to the construction site, parking near his trailer, and Jason would immediately show up for breakfast. He usually stayed with her until the lunch craziness was done. The quick kiss he had given her on Tuesday wasn’t repeated, to her confusing relief and dismay. She believed his sudden interest in her had to do with keeping her safe, nothing more.

She admitted to herself that they were developing an odd friendship of sorts, as they talked about everything in her small Cafe Armstrong kitchen. Jason was still a bossy autocrat, but she was beginning to see a very caring side to him. He had good rapport with the majority of his crew. Her observation was that he was fair and genuinely cared for each worker, but he was guarded with all of them except his brothers. When Josh and Jarod were around, the atmosphere was completely different; competitive and comical. They were his family but they were also his best friends.

She remembered a time when Billy had been counted as Jason’s friend. Billy had told her that he loved Jason, though she never understood why. As her relationship with Billy grew, she noticed that his friendship with Jason became strained, then distant until finally they were no longer friends but outright enemies. The week before her parents died they had been out at one of the taverns in town. Jason and his brothers had come in that night looking for them. She couldn’t remember all of the details because she had had a few too many, but a brawl had broken out. She had taken Billy to the emergency room for a broken nose. He withdrew from her emotionally afterward. Billy broke her heart in so many pieces that she was still missing a few.

When the horrible news of her parents death came, she realized Billy had already left town. She blamed Jason for it. Before the fight in the tavern, Billy had told her Jason had been harassing him behind her back and because the Kings were affluent in their town, Billy could never make any charges stick against Jason, especially with Jarod making his way up in the sheriff’s department. She had tried to contact Billy’s parents to find out if he was ok but they wouldn’t accept her calls. He had completely vanished from her life.

She was left with a twelve year old brother who’s grief was almost beyond them both, and she had no prospect of work or means of support. Her parents had purchased a small life insurance policy, which was enough to pay off the small house they currently lived in, with enough money left over for her to invest in her food truck. She had to drop out of school and it was touch and go for a while. Lauren had done all she could to help but she was a struggling student herself, and Julie wouldn’t hear Lauren’s desperate plan of moving in with her to help her with Charlie. One of them dropping out of school was enough.

But Josh was relentless and practically shoved his family at her. She couldn’t stand the sight of Jason and wasn’t really thrilled with Jarod, but James and Camille King had been a godsend to her mental health, offering them as much pseudoparental advice and encouragement as both Charlie and she needed. Josh, however, had stepped in and helped when Charlie had spiraled out of control four months later. Josh had absconded with him in his camp trailer. Julie thought she should go with him but Josh had begged her to trust him. He told her that Charlie needed a little “man time”. He had been right. After that week long trip, Charlie had returned to her a different kid. He was respectful to her and less angry about their parents’ death.

Unfortunately, Charlie had come back singing Jason’s praises and idolized him to this day. Julie was afraid that Charlie would end up being a bully, getting into fights with everyone, but it never happened. Julie was forever grateful to Josh for that weekend.

She realized now that she should be thanking Jason as well. As much as Charlie liked Josh, she knew that Jason was his true hero. Begrudgingly, she admitted to herself that Billy never treated her brother in any special way. He mostly ignored Charlie. She frowned at that realization.

Her cell phone rang as she was getting ready to start the engine of the truck. “Hello?”

“T.G.I.F.” It was Lauren.

“Back at ya. Let me put you on speakerphone. I’m getting ready to pull out of Jason’s parking lot.” She adjusted her phone in the handheld while Lauren chuckled.

“Jason’s parking lot, huh? And how is the Tattooed God this fine evening?” Julie could hear the teasing lust dripping in her BFF’s voice.

“Bossy as ever. He’s followed me home every night this week. He won’t take no for an answer. It’s easier just to let him follow me than to fight with him. Besides, with all the weird burglaries happening in my neighborhood I’m actually grateful that he checks out the house before he lets Charlie and I go inside.”

“Me too, Julie. We have absolutely no leads. There have been a few Secret Witness reports coming in but they’ve all been a dead end.” Julie appreciated her friend’s insider information at the sheriff’s department.

“How has work been for you this week? Still having trouble with whats-her-face?”

“Marguerite,” she said, as if something bitter were stuck in the back of her throat. “She is an absolute troll. I swear, Julie, I don’t know what I am going to do. She is horrible to work with; completely unreasonable, selfish, manipulative…”

Julie had heard this rant before. Lauren would fill the time with this tirade all the way home. It made Julie thankful that she didn’t work in an office atmosphere. It was hard, and sometimes scary, work but she loved being her own boss all the same.

Deciding that Lauren had lamented long enough she endeavored to change the subject. “Did you see Jarod today?”

“Of course. The good sheriff bestows his presence on us lowly surfs frequently when there are unsolved crimes afoot.”

Julie giggled at her friend as she went into a whole different rant about Jarod and his nonexistent personality. “If I ever see that ex of his, I will probably punch her in the nose.”

Julie was still giggling at her friend when Jason did his home inspection.

“All clear, Jujyfruit. Don’t forget, tomorrow we hit the range. What time do you want me to pick you up?”

“Not too early. I have morning chores to get done. Noon?” She crossed her fingers that he would agree.

“Noon it is. We’ll grab a quick bite before we get started, ok?” His eyes were brilliant green this evening, and his hopeful expression touched her heart.

“Sounds good. ‘Night, Jason.” She had a hard time getting her feet to move to the front door.

What am I waiting for, just go in, Julie
.

He stared at her for a minute before he sighed and said, “Goodnight, Jujyfruit.” And with that, he started his truck and drove down the road.

CHAPTER 6

CHANGE OF PLANS

Saturday was usually a day for her to catch up on household chores and grocery shopping. She also baked her pastries for the week. However, she was supposed to go shooting with Jason, so she was up early to try and fit everything in before noon. While she was getting pans down for breakfast, Charlie shuffled into the kitchen, hair in his usual Saturday morning bed head do, scratching his belly and squinting at the morning sun.

“Mornin’ Sis.”

“Good morning to you, too. Why are you up so early? I would’ve thought that you would sleep in after your first week of school.” She smiled, as she began whisking the pancake batter. The gash on his head wasn’t as ugly but there was bruising. The stitches were due to come out next week.

“Yeah, me too, but apparently my brain is already in ‘school mode’, thinking that I would be late for something if I didn’t get up.” He sauntered over to the coffee pot to pour himself a mug. “Are you shopping today?”

“Before we go to the range, yeah. What do you need? ” Apparently, he needed a lot because he gave her almost a full list of school supplies, snack ideas for quick bites when he was busy and a short list of clothes. She frowned to herself; didn’t she buy him school supplies this year? What kind of sister was she? Looking at the list in dismay, she realized she’d be hitting the superstore as well as her regular business supply places. She needed to get moving.

After breakfast, she headed out of the driveway in her small SUV. Even with the seats down in the back, she hoped she could fit everything she needed into her vehicle.

Driving into town, she thought back to her week with Jason. He had been a real help to her and being in his presence distracted her from all the scary thoughts that usually ran through her head when she was alone. She hadn’t stressed about upcoming deadlines with bills like she normally did throughout the week. She admitted to herself that even though his company had jacked up her hormones, her brain was relaxed. Huh. She should get him a card or something.

Rolling up to a stop sign, she was still thinking about Jason and her mentally stress-free week while digging in her purse for some gum.
Secret Smile
was playing on the radio and she started singing along, when she was rear ended. She was hit hard enough that her lil’ SUV rolled into the crosswalk and she banged her forehead on the steering wheel. Thank God the air bags didn’t deploy. As she began to see if anyone else was hurt, the black truck behind her backed up and hit her again, pushing her further into the intersection.

What the hell?

Her engine had died so she immediately began turning the key in a panic to get out of this jerk’s way when she saw him back up like he was going to ram her again. Several cars had pulled over and were on their phones when she heard sirens.