Justice
I swear the girl who worked the cash register was two eggs short of a dozen. Maybe three.
“Stop, Tara. Let me talk to Mac or someone else who makes some damned sense.”
This phone’s next stop was the swamp. Bet on it.
“Hello, Justice. This is Mac. What Tara was trying to say was that someone came in and bought that trunk of yours. It’s been here two years, but they bought it right up. Went on and on about you undercutting yourself. Said she’d easily pay two grand for it somewhere else.”
Must have been some hoity-toity city girl rolled in and thought she’d bring back a little piece of that swamp.
“Okay. I’ll come by and get the money tomorrow. Thanks, Mac, and tell Tara to take it easy on the caffeine.”
He chuckled deep and loud over the phone. “Yep. I’m banning her from the coffeepot. Later, gator.”
He had no idea.
I reached to pick up a chisel, but before I touched the handle, I heard a throat clearing behind me. “Mother-fucking shit. I can’t even pick up a fucking tool without this phone ringing or one of you rat bastards interrupting me with your bullshit. Fuck. How am I supposed to make money when you fuckwads won’t leave me alone!”
Whoever it was behind me didn’t deserve my lashing out, but I was at my wits end. I needed to get some fucking stuff made so I could feed myself and stop relying on Eti and the rest of them to do it.
“You should put up a door if you don’t want to be disturbed.” Her voice crawled like a snake through my chest. I closed my eyes and shut out my gator’s liking her.
There was no way in hell that shit was going to happen.
“Oh? A door? I never thought of that. Silly me. I thought living out here in the fucking swamp was enough to make people leave me alone. But, here you are, so that theory is out.”
When I turned around, I expected her to bow up and meet me eye to eye and give me hell for the shit I’d just spouted. Instead, her gaze was turned downward, and her shoulders slumped slightly.
Aww, fuck. I’d done it again. “Look, I’m sorry. I just…”
“Yeah, you’re just a bastard. Good to know some things never change. I’m not really in the mood for you, either. I had a little visit from a Meemaw Reaper in my house telling me to bring this shit to Tansy. The thing is, it needs a little work. I thought maybe Etienne could handle it, but then I saw you over here. Is this your work, too?”
The girl-turned-woman glided over to the area where I kept items already for sale on my website. They’d gathered dust. She took to one item, a cypress kid’s chair I’d made with corn husks for the weaved seat. She touched it gently, like it would bite her.
I took the moment to take her in like this—quiet and serene.
Her vintage Pink Floyd T-shirt clung to every curve of her torso like it was made for that body. Her jeans were tight yet a little too long for her. She wore flip-flops that looked well past their prime. Brown curls were knotted on top of her head, and the black glasses she wore belonged to Clark Kent.
A little bit flirty—a little bit nerdy. Just like I liked my women.
Not just no, but fuck no.
“All this furniture just sits here or what?”
“They don’t sell. I’ve got this little...you know what? Let me see what you brought.”
Milla looked at the chair as though telling it she would be back later. “Yeah, anything for Tansy, right? That’s the vibe around here.”
My gator scented the hint of jealousy before I did. But he let me know quickly.
No talk of other females. Not yet.
What in the actual fuck?
She turned back and held up an old cradle. It was beat to hell and back, plus it looked like humidity had gotten to the finish as well.
“Oh, man. This is what Meemaw made you get?”
She handed it over. I grabbed a rag from my tool bench and began to clean it off so I could assess it.
“So, you know about her?”
I nodded.
“I can get it done today. I’ll bring it to you so you can give it to them. They’ll love it.”
She opened her mouth but I wasn’t having it. “No arguments. I’ll get it to you tomorrow.”
That smell was all around me now. Apples and cider and warmth and belonging. I didn’t know how she managed to smell like all my favorite things, but she did. And I didn’t like it.
But the beast inside me wallowed in it like a hot bath in the middle of winter.
She stepped closer. My heartbeat revved up with every step. This wasn’t happening. Not with her. Anyone but her.
“Justice, look, about when we were kids…”
I tossed the cradle down. I’d repair whatever I did to it later. “No. You don’t get to come in here with a soft-spoken apology. That time has come and gone. You ruined my fucking life that day. I don’t even know how you did it, and I don’t care. You’re Eti’s family, and that’s fine. But civil is all you and I are going to get. Now, I need to get back to work.”
“For Tansy,” she mumbled even softer than her apology. The jealousy scent was back, filling my nose with heat like burnt cinnamon.
If that’s what made her stay away, then so be it.
“Yeah, for Tansy.”