Showing Jessie Read online

  Showing Jessie

  by

  JoMarie DeGioia

  PUBLISHED BY:

  Bailey Park Publishing at Smashwords

  Copyright © JoMarie DeGioia 2016

  All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any electronic or mechanical means, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without the written permission of the publisher, except where permitted by law.

  Ebook ISBN: 978-1-944181-05-5

  Contents

  Copyright

  Chapter 1

  Chapter 2

  Chapter 3

  Chapter 4

  Chapter 5

  Chapter 6

  Chapter 7

  Chapter 8

  Chapter 9

  Chapter 10

  Chapter 11

  Chapter 12

  Chapter 13

  Chapter 14

  Chapter 15

  Chapter 16

  Chapter 17

  Chapter 18

  Chapter 19

  Chapter 20

  Chapter 21

  Chapter 22

  Epilogue

  About the Author

  Discover other books by JoMarie DeGioia

  Connect with me online

  Chapter 1

  Cypress Corners, Florida

  There was a naked man in Jessie Wilde’s bed. Or he was nearly naked except for a pair of ratty boxers, and spread out face down as he snored loud enough to wake a drowsy alligator. One of his arms pinned her down on the mattress. Rubbing her free hand over her face, she closed her eyes and tried to rein in her anger. She could guess just how this guy got in her bed. She wasn’t going to put up with this. Not anymore.

  Shoving his arm off of her, she slid out from under his big body and rose with a groan. She grabbed up a quilt hanging over the iron footboard and wrapped it around herself. Though she slept in her flannel pajama pants and long-sleeve t-shirt, the March mornings were pretty chilly out by the lake.

  Glancing around the tent-cabin, it was pretty easy to see that there was no one else hiding in the snug little place that had been her home for the past four weeks.

  “Shannon!” She stomped as well as she could in stocking feet to the small back porch overlooking the lake. “Shannon, where are you?”

  “Oh hi, sis,” Shannon said, holding up a cup of coffee. Jessie’s coffee. “Want me to make you a cup?”

  Jessie took in a breath and eyed her sister. Her short hair, dyed ink-black, was a mess and her eye makeup was smeared. Her clothes, garish party clothes that looked wrinkled and out of place in the light of the morning, barely covered her. It was really tough looking into that face so like her own, though. Into those big brown eyes that looked much harder than Jessie’s ever did.

  “Why are you out here?” she managed to ask.

  Shannon shrugged. “To watch the sunrise.”

  “The sun rises on the other side,” Jessie said, hooking a thumb over her shoulder. “Why are you out here at my lakeshore?”

  “Yours?” Shannon blew out a breath. “Billy wanted to see the lake. He’d heard about Stepford and wanted a look-see.”

  Stepford. That was what the townies in nearby St. Cloud sometimes called the place where Jessie worked and, now, lived.

  Jessie fisted her hands. “I moved out here because of just this kind of crap, Shannon. And I gave you a key to use in case of an emergency. This really doesn’t qualify, does it?”

  Her sister waved a hand. “Oh, relax. It’s not like we did it on your bed. You were already out when we got here.”

  Jessie thanked God for small favors. “Get your latest up out of my bed and get out.”

  Shannon blinked at her, and then deliberately set the coffee cup down on the decking. “Is this how you treat your only sister?”

  Jessie bit her tongue to keep from telling her only sister just how she wanted to treat her. Wrapping her fingers tight around Shannon’s neck came to mind.

  “I’m serious, Shannon.”

  Shannon pouted, a practiced expression that had always worked on their late father. It wouldn’t work on Jessie though. Not anymore. Shannon must have seen that, because she rolled her eyes and huffed out a breath.

  “Fine.” Shannon stood and adjusted the short shirt and bra top she wore, wriggling as she did so. “I wouldn’t want to intrude on your precious space.”

  Jessie just grunted. Since when hadn’t Shannon intruded on her? She was twenty-six years old, after all. Shannon was only a year younger than that. It was high time they lived apart.

  “Just go?” she asked, gentling her tone.

  Shannon nodded and grabbed up her huge hobo bag. “Hey, Billy,” she shouted as she tromped back into the cabin in her heels. “Get up.”

  Jessie stayed out on the deck, breathing in deeply of the cool morning air. This was one of her favorite times of the day, the early morning. The fog was lifting off of the lake in wisps and the sky was growing that pretty pink color she loved.

  From somewhere behind her she could hear Billy’s deep voice rumbling something or other as Shannon urged him out of the tent-cabin. Heat rose in Jessie’s cheeks. She’d had enough of her sister’s random hookups when they’d shared an apartment in St. Cloud, and she wouldn’t put up with it out here. This was her place. Her home. If only her sister would get with the program.

  Once alone, Jessie made herself a cup of coffee. The cabin was wired for electricity and had running water, but it was the gorgeous setting that drew her. Situated at the wild far lakeshore of Cypress, its only companions were ancient live oaks, towering cypress trees and the wildlife that loved the pristine lake as much as she did. Over on the main lakeshore to the west side of the property there was more development and a soft sand beach, but Jessie much preferred the wildness out here.

  The furnishings were simple inside as well. Set beside the wide, decadent wrought-iron bed was a nightstand and a squat dresser with a small mirror on top. There was a tiny desk up against the bare wood framing the interior, and what she considered a quaint and rustic kitchen in the other corner. In addition to the sink and the miniscule counter, it had a small fridge, a wooden table with two chairs, and even a stacked washer and dryer unit.

  She took her cup of coffee, spilled in a dollop of almond milk from the fridge, and settled in one of the chairs by the table. The tent-cabin was beginning to feel like home. She’d brought her favorite quilt from the apartment, the one her mother had done years ago with tiny pieces of cloth in faded, natural colors. There weren’t a lot of her personal touches here yet, but it was a pretty cool place.

  It was built of canvas and exposed wood-framed walls, and it had small windows set way up in each of the gable ends of the structure for ventilation. It was just perfect for her too, as she’d always felt stifled in the apartment. Of course, that could have been due to the company rather than the environment.

  She and Shannon had lived together far too long. She knew that now. Her sister’s bad boyfriend choices, her never-ending mess in their shared bathroom not to mention the kitchen made it easy for Jessie to finally make a move. Ty Walsh also helped on that end.

  He was the Wildlife Technician at Cypress Corners, the place Jessie now called home. Sitting on over ten thousand sprawling acres, the property encompassed some of the prettiest land in the region. From the moment she’d toured the place with Ty, she’d been a goner. Not for him, despite the fact that he was a very good-looking guy. It was the wild and beautiful place itself that grabbed a hold of her.

  It was unusual that more than half the land was set aside as a sanctuary for native plants and animals, but it made her job as a sales representative a welcome challenge. She acted
as a liaison of sorts, between the Sales Center and the Cypress Institute, the body that oversaw the development’s implementation of its commitment to nature. The rest of it was dedicated to expensive homes, retail stores, and award-winning recreational facilities. Jessie knew the picturesque town center and the many amenities made the sales aspect of her job a breeze, too.

  There was no way she could afford a home here yet though, even in one of the more densely populated villages. Her last job had been in retail, leaving her little in the way of savings before making the leap of faith and applying at Cypress. But Ty and his wife Cassie moved out of the tent-cabin permanently two weeks ago and, when they offered it to Jessie, she gleefully moved in.

  Draining her cup, she washed it in the small sink and opened her laptop. Monday was now one of her favorite days, or it was on mornings she didn’t wake up with good ol’ boy Billy in her bed. She slipped on her glasses and clicked her computer awake, pulling up her appointments for today. She would tour a few families throughout the day, and take one group through the wilder east side of the property in the afternoon. She was a little nervous about leading that more eco-friendly tour on her own, but Ty had told her that he had complete confidence in her.

  She’d missed that kind of support since her father died, and this was another first since starting this job in June. Nine months later, she still felt flustered now and then. At least on Wednesdays she worked at the Cypress Institute all day. Research and paperwork gave her an excellent excuse to hide. From what, she wasn’t going to think about right now. She wouldn’t think about the who, either. Nuh uh.

  By the time she drove her beloved pink Jeep to the Sales Center, she’d put aside the most recent mess with Shannon and was ready to face her day. Her father had given her the car when she’d turned sixteen, knowing she would love it. Even Shannon’s birthday Miata a year later couldn’t take the shine off of Jessie’s Jeep.

  She parked in the crushed-shell lined lot to the left of the Sales Center and cranked off the motor. Humming to herself, she brushed off her favorite cream cardigan she wouldn’t need much longer this season and tucked her pink button-down into the waistband of her tan skirt. Along with her straw-wrapped wedge sandals, this outfit had become her uniform of sorts since she’d started work here. The skirt was a little bit dressier than the camp shirt and khakis she wore at the Institute.

  She shouldered her thick messenger bag, turned an eye toward the coffee shop across the street, and resisted the urge to spend some of her hard-earned bucks on a caramel macchiato this morning. Lettie, that gracious, outrageous older woman who always seemed to be seated in the coffee shop courtyard, raised a hand to her and Jessie returned the greeting. Turning, she hurried into the Sales Center and ran smack into the guy she’d been hoping to avoid.

  Dragging her eyes from the broad chest stretching his chambray shirt, she looked up into that perfect, golden face and forgot her own name.

  ***

  Noah Brady reached out to grasp Jessie’s slender shoulders and held her tight up against him. He could feel every inch of her body, curvy and toned, but told himself he was merely being chivalrous. The girl seemed like she was about to topple over with that huge bag draped across her body.

  “Oh!” she gasped, her amber eyes opened wide.

  “Easy there,” he said, setting her away from him with a touch of regret.

  She blushed a pretty pink that did something to her eyes. Those eyes were framed in long, thick lashes he’d never really noticed before. True, he usually saw her tucked behind her desk, swallowed by the sweater she was currently wearing and hiding behind her pink-framed glasses. She was a cute thing, though. Small but loaded with those curves he’d felt seconds before. Her full lips were parted as she continued to stare up at him.

  “You okay?” he asked.

  She suddenly smiled, a bright expression that hit him straight in the gut. Damn, she was pretty when she smiled.

  “Sure. Thanks.” She stared up at him for another long second and then gave a shake of her blond head. Her soft-looking Pixie bangs fell over her brow. “See you.”

  She turned and hurried away from him. He stood there like an idiot, watching until she disappeared down the hallway.

  “Did you need something, Noah?”

  Noah turned to the woman working the front desk. Ty Walsh’s mother job-shared at the Sales Center a few mornings a week, and this morning she was looking at him with an expectant expression. Sharon Walsh was a trim woman in her fifties, and Noah knew she suffered from Fibromyalgia. Ty said she had her good days and bad. Noah could guess by her bright eyes and wide smile that today was a good one.

  “I’m actually here to see Ben Chapman,” he told her.

  Sharon nodded and turned to the computer. After typing something on the keyboard she smiled at him again. “You can go back. But since when do you ask before walking back there?”

  He had no decent answer to her question. Since coming to work at Cypress back in September he’d been made to feel welcomed both at work and socially. In fact, he and Ben hung out a lot. They worked closely together, Ben as the architect in the green neighborhood of environmentally-friendly homes and Noah as the primary builder in that section. The only reason he could figure was that he’d been too stunned by holding Jessie pressed up against him.

  Giving Sharon a nod of thanks, he headed down the hallway to Ben Chapman’s office and rapped on the door.

  “Yeah, come in,” Ben called.

  Noah found Ben poring over plans spread on his drafting table. He held a mechanical pencil in his hand.

  “Working pencil and paper again?” Noah asked.

  Ben shot him a grin. “I prefer pencil and paper.” He ran his gaze over Noah’s attire, which consisted of a thick work shirt, faded jeans and sturdy work boots. “You know. Like you prefer to get dirty on the work site.”

  Noah smiled. “True. We’re placing footings for the big ranch-style today. Lots of footings.”

  Ben smirked at him. “Yeah, pal. I designed it.”

  Noah settled in the seat in front of Ben’s vacant desk. “So are you coming out?”

  “Can’t. Forbes wants to see me at eleven.”

  “Your loss. I wanted someone there from the green side of things, though.”

  “Take Jessie.”

  Noah felt his face heat. “What?”

  “She’s our earth girl, right? She should be working here today, not at the Institute.”

  “Yeah, I saw her. But she’s not a down-and-dirty kind of girl.” Ben arched a brow and Noah laughed over his own words. “That’s not what I meant, man.”

  “If you say so. Look, you’re working on my designs. The Institute won’t have a problem. They signed off on all the specs.”

  “Yeah, but I’ve been schooling my guys on the proper way to impact a building site. Holding extra material for repurposing. Leaving nothing behind.”

  “And I have to say your sites are clean. The cleanest I’ve seen, actually.”

  Pride filled him. “Thanks. This is a big job, though.”

  Ben gave him a deadpan expression. “Don’t tell me the golden boy is nervous.”

  Noah chuckled at the nickname Ben had slapped on him when he’d started at Cypress back in the fall. It made him think about his surf bum days back in Melbourne Beach, but he’d grown up a lot since then. He wasn’t that carefree beach boy any longer.

  “All right, fine,” Noah said without anger, coming to his feet. “Let me know when you want to come out and play.”

  Ben touched his temple with a two-finger salute and Noah left him to his pencil and paper. He passed the break room and thought about grabbing a second cup of coffee before heading out to the green neighborhood. The coffee shop was a little too froufrou for him usually, and then there was Lettie.

  More than once, the southern “woman of a certain age” had all but undressed him with her eyes. She was almost always there, sitting under her crepe myrtle tree with that ever-present sweet
tea in her hands.

  Forgoing the drink, he left his F-150 in the parking lot and went out to the row of charged-up golf carts ready and waiting at the curb. He chose the one with nubby tires like a Gator and slid into the seat. As he maneuvered the vehicle away from the town center toward the worksite, he thought about Jessie again. There was something about her. He’d noticed it from the moment he’d met her, a coiled energy and an indefinable quality. If he had to name it, it would be closed-up. Untouchable. He wanted to, though. Just that second or two holding her close had let him feel her heat and catch her scent. Fresh and sweet, like wildflowers.

  He set her from his mind as he arrived at the work site. His guys were already there. The forms were being set and he narrowed his eyes as he studied the lines. There was a lot riding on this project, both the neighborhood and the individual homes. Ben was the architect, and had been brought in not much before Noah signed with the developer to be the builder.

  Noah had built a community out on the east coast, an impressive and successful one, but this was the first time he’d worked in a place like Cypress. This particular project was only a portion of a huge development, and he could admit to himself that he was a little out of his element. He’d always preferred working with eco-friendly materials though, and here he felt comfortable making suggestions to Ben regarding the specifications of the different home models. But with the Cypress Institute involved so closely with the developer, that meant another entity had a say on just what went up in the community.

  He should get with Jessie, though. Ben wasn’t wrong there. She was a smart girl with an in at the Institute. Hell, she worked there one day a week. Noah had to make sure he avoided any missteps with this job. True, he’d come pretty far since nailing roofs back in college. He wasn’t the only one counting on his continued success, however. No. His son Max was counting on it, too.

  He switched off the golf cart motor and sat for a long minute. He wanted a different kind of future for his son. The settled, secure life he’d been working toward the past couple of years. The kind of life his parents had given him. He was tired of shuttling the kid between the boy’s mother’s place and his own.