Pieces by Michelle D. Argyle Read Free Book Online Page B

doesn’t look so great to would-be employers when they see a two-year, jobless gap on my resume. And I have to report that I’m on parole. It might be a long time before I can get back into architecture with a good firm. I could try freelancing or starting my own company, but that would take more money than I have—to do it right, anyway.”
    Money. It always came back to that. She looked away. “I didn’t mean it’s bad you’re working construction. I meant—”
    He put a finger to her lips and leaned in to kiss her forehead. “You don’t need to worry about any of this. Things will work out. They will always work out for you and me.”
    The intensity in his voice put her on edge for a moment, but she pushed it aside as he kissed her again. She forgot his fumbled words and worried looks. She forgot about the Mercedes and the licorice and prison and being kidnapped. There was only Jesse, his strong arms around her, the way he ignored the taste of licorice in her mouth, the way he held her so tightly she knew he would sacrifice anything for her.
    “Jesse!”
    He ripped away from her, backing up so fast she stumbled into the open Mercedes and scraped her ankle on the gravel. She cried out, looking down to see blood beading across her torn skin. Jesse was back by his truck now, his eyes widening as he looked at her ankle and then turned to his father marching down the walkway from the apartment complex. The two looked so alike, it was uncanny. Naomi blinked and steadied herself as James walked around the front of the truck, his attention darting from her to Jesse.
    “Explain yourself,” he growled at Jesse. It was the first time Naomi had ever seen him angry. He was usually so calm.
    Jesse shut the truck’s door and faced his father. “It’s nothing. I was helping Naomi back into the car so she could leave. I told her she couldn’t be here. We were kissing goodbye and that’s it.”
    Naomi raised an eyebrow. More like making out goodbye.
    “Damn straight she can’t be here.” James whirled around to face her, but the distance from across the street undermined the threat in his eyes.
    “Naomi, I understand why you would want to come here, but when I told your mother about Jesse and asked her to inform you he was on parole, it was so you’d understand not to come here anymore. Surely, your mother informed you Jesse is not allowed to see you. Do you want him back in prison?” He turned to Jesse. “Did you have anything to do with this?”
    “No, Dad.”
    The anger on Jesse’s face startled Naomi. It was aimed at his father, fire swirling in his eyes. Naomi had never seen such an expression on him, even when she had seen him angry with Eric. She took a step back, almost losing her balance as she tried to make sense of what she was seeing. Then, as quickly as it came, the anger dissolved and Jesse’s countenance relaxed.
    “I’m sorry about coming,” she said in cracked voice.
    James held out his cell phone. “Your mother is on the line. She called to tell me you might show up.”
    With her voice stuck in her throat, Naomi walked across the street. Her body felt stiff and foreign. Her ankle throbbed. So, her mother didn’t trust her. She had let her take off knowing she would come straight here. Something dark boiled inside Naomi’s chest as she looked at Jesse and took James’s phone. She placed it to her ear.
    “Mom?”
    There was silence for a moment.
    “You need to come home right now. I told you not to see him.”
    “I wasn’t planning to,” Naomi grumbled, turning away. “It just happened.”
    Wow, that sounded stupid. She cringed.
    “Don’t give me that crap, Naomi. Get your ass home. Right now. If you’re not home in two hours, I’m coming to find you.”
    Shocked, Naomi opened her mouth to retort, but the line went dead and she realized her mother had hung up. She lowered the phone from her ear and stared down at it as if she expected her mother to call back and apologize. She had