Jonah flashed an arrogant grin. “I’m in.”
Jonah had given her his confident cock-sure smirk when she’d handed over the keys. She hadn’t wanted to drive, to tell the truth. She wanted to sit back, not think, and watch the stars and trees fly by.
Any other moment in her life, Dani would’ve been unsettled by the contentment that sat with her as Jonah drove beside her. Any other moment, but she wasn’t thinking about that.
“So what are we stealing?” Jonah asked, almost gleeful from finally driving her Mustang.
“Aunt Kathryn has a photograph of my mother. I want it.”
“A picture? Are you serious?”
“Very,” Dani said firmly. “She burned all the other ones when our mother died. I guess this one got overlooked.”
“Where’s it at? How do you even know about it?”
“Jake told me that I looked like my mother. When I grilled him, he said Julia had a picture of Mom. She hides it in the sugar container.”
Jonah laughed, “Are you serious? The sugar container? That’s the last place to put a picture.”
“Not for Aunt Kathryn. She has sworn off sugar for the rest of her life.” Dani still had to grin though. It was a bit ridiculous.
“If it was my place, I’d hide it in the flour container. Guys don’t use flour.”
“Some guys do, I’m sure. Cooks, chefs.”
“I don’t know too many guys around these parts that bake with flour. If they do, they keep it quiet.” Small towns don’t produce guys that bake. Those guys would be greeted with a fist.
“There are a lot of hot chefs out there.” Dani chuckled.
“I don’t know ‘em.” Jonah shrugged, “But this is Craigstown, remember? Hell, I get flack for the river. I’m supposed to be a firefighter or a cop or…I don’t know, a lumberjack.”
“A lumberjack?” Speculative.
“Manly jobs, not snorkeling for mussels. Last Thanksgiving my grandmother sat me down and informed that it’s time I go into the family business. I should be competing with those CEOs and not be a nature-loving hippie.” He shook his head with a sad chuckle. “I love my grandmother, but she’s grown senile.”
“What’s the family business?” Surprised, Dani realized she’d never heard of any nearby relatives or other Bannons.
“Oh.” He signaled and turned the car onto a gravel road. “My dad’s side develops land for corporations. He works commercial, mainly.”
“Bannon Corp.,” she breathed, startled. The name was posted on billboards, at building sites, and sponsored just about every charity event in the local area. They owned the nearby metropolitan.
“Yeah,” Jonah said dryly. “It’s not really something we advertise around here. Besides, when Mom divorced Dad, we were the black sheep in the family. And when I went into my field, I became the family’s disappointment.”
“I can’t believe I never put two and two together.”
He shrugged again, “Bannon Corp. is so big, I think people get immune to it. It’s just there and no one’s really noticed it. Plus, I’ve never said anything. One girl asked me one time if we were related to that company.”
“Did you lie?”
“Didn’t have to. Aiden lied through her teeth for me.” The pride in his voice was unmistakable. Sibling protecting sibling.
“But all these companies that want to build on Falls River, do they know who you are? They have to run in your father’s circle.”
“Some of them know it upfront. My dad’s warned them about me or something. I’ve had quite a few job offers. Mostly from the guys who are looking to get into Dad’s social circle. But,” his eyes sparkled, “some don’t believe it until afterwards, after I’ve ripped their proposals to shreds. One guy commented that he saw the Bannon streak as he walked out of the conference room. I had a good laugh at that one.”
“Your father is a billionaire.”
“My father and my grandfather and my grandfather before that. Not me. Trust me, I’m very much not a billionaire.”
“You could be, though.” But he hadn’t.
“I’m not. That’s not me. I’m content where I’m at, besides, Aiden wouldn’t ever talk to me again if I went to the dark side.”
“The dark side.” Dani laughed. She had a sudden image of Aiden scolding her brother, hands on hips like she yelled at Bryant to stop picking on his sister.
“It’s kinda how we grew up thinking. Mom was ostracized because she left Dad. Wives are not supposed to leave their husbands, or at least, Bannon husbands. My grandparents tried to see us, but they weren’t willing to meet Mom halfway to pick us up. We always had to go to them and Mom couldn’t afford it all the time. Plus, her shifts at the hospital varied so much. Mom figured if they weren’t willing to send their private chauffeurs for us, we didn’t have to see ‘em.”
“And here I thought it was only my family that was screwed up.”
“I think most families are messed up some way. Wouldn’t be families if they weren’t.”
As her old house came into view, Jonah asked, “Should I cut the lights? Is anyone home?”
“I don’t think so. Jake had mentioned that he was going to take Julia to Mae’s Grill. Aunt Kathryn is at a clinic over the weekend. The house should be empty.”
“Do you still have a key?”
She did, but the locks would’ve been changed if Aunt Kathryn didn’t want her at the home.
“I know where Aunt Kathryn hides the spare.”
For all of the perfection Julia and Aunt Kathryn proclaimed, they kept losing their keys. All throughout their lives. Dani could never figure out how they’d lose ‘em, but they did. Erica had thought it hilarious and whenever (the little it happened) she fought with Julia or Aunt Kathryn, the spare key was moved.
Julia had grown wise and found a in, with or without a key.
Erica could never figure it out, but Dani had. Neither had asked her so she kept quiet.
So she had a back-up plan.
Dani told him to pull the car in the back and into a partial road that was hidden by a cluster of trees. If anyone arrived home, her car would still be hidden from sight. It had no way out except through the driveway, but that could be done without light.
Making sure not to slam the doors shut—just in case—neither spoke nor whispered as they approached the darkened home.
It looked how it had five years ago.
The same broken swing still swung from their boxelder. The same treehouse stood, but through the darkness, Dani thought the bottom had fallen loose. And as they approached the back door, the same porcelain frog decorated the surrounding flowerpots.
Dani knelt and opened the frog’s ear. Inside was their key.
Unlocking the door, Dani grabbed Jonah’s hand and pulled him behind. Jonah entwined their fingers.
It had been unspoken, but both made no move towards a light switch. The house sat on a hill and was viewable two miles in the distance. They didn’t need to proclaim their burglary. And, knowing Jake, his job wouldn’t allow the possibility of a forgotten light.
Dani had near perfect night vision and was easily able to see the kitchen’s layout. The flour container sat beside the sugar container and Dani felt inside. She sifted through all of the sugar and her finger caught onto the picture’s edge, flat on the bottom of the container.
Aunt Kathryn could sneak her spoonful of sugar and still not know it housed the picture.
Julia was smart. Aunt Kathryn would’ve needed to confess to her sugar-cravings if and when she either removed the picture or confronted Julia about its existence.
Dani stood in the window’s moonlight.
Jake was right.
Dani stared at herself.
She must’ve made a sound in distress or awe because Jonah moved and wrapped his arms around her waist. He pulled against his chest and propped his chin on her shoulder. Both stared at the illuminated picture.
Right next to her ear, he whispered, “She’s beau
tiful.”
And she was.
Her eyes sparked intelligence. A heart-shaped face surrounded perfectly plush lips. And her slender shoulders showed strength and fragility. She’d been graced with the same almond-colored eyes as Dani and her hair was almost a silvery brunette.
Dani was her mother’s reincarnation.
She’d never known until Jake’s slip.
A ragged breath escaped her and a lone tear slid its way down.
She ran her fingers over her mother’s face, as if to touch her, to feel the flesh and blood.
“We gotta go,” Jonah suddenly said. “A car’s coming. We go now, we can be on the road before they turn in.”
Dazed, Dani nodded. Numb. Jonah led her out and replaced the key. He hurriedly led her to the car and without turning the lights on, he drove around the house and down the driveway.
Jonah had been right. They’d turned onto the road and had driven five hundred yards before he switched on the car’s lights. Just then, another car pulled over a hill, slowed, and turned into the driveway.
Julia hadn’t stayed at Mae’s Grill long.
Dani didn’t really care. She turned back to studying her mother’s ethereal beauty. She wouldn’t slip through her fingers.
They drove in silence until Dani looked up and realized Jonah had driven to her cabin. Aunt Mae’s cabin.
“No Mae’s Grill tonight?” she asked, still clutching the photograph.
Jonah turned off the engine and nodded to her hands. “Figured you’d want to put that somewhere safe.”
Oh.
He added, “Didn’t know if you were up to the crowd tonight anyway.”
She wasn’t, but there’d be questions if they didn’t go. Hell, there’d be questions if they did go, but Dani had a sudden wish to hear Kate’s laugh and Aiden’s shriek as they mercilessly teased Robbie or Stilts. Dani wanted to hear Kate rate the sleaziness of the girls who propositioned Jonah. Which reminded her…
“Do you really just have to stand in a bar and get hit on?”
She chuckled at his shocked face and added, “I mean, I’ve seen it, but really? It’s like you’re just standing there and here come the pick-ups?”
A sheepish look, Jonah replied, clearing his throat, “Uh, well…yeah, I guess. I mean…I don’t sleep around and I don’t take those girls home. I’m not a manwhore, if that’s what you’re thinking.”
“You don’t have to hit on girls, do you?”
“Where did this come from?”
Dani grinned widely, picture in hand, and shook her head. “Nowhere. Just that girl was literally grinding her entire body on you.”
“Oh.” Jonah coughed again. “She…with her, I thought I’d let her and she’d go away. Or Hawk or Carl would hit on her. She’s…she’s one of those girls who get more aggressive if you put ‘em off, you know?”
“Right,” she mocked in disbelief.
“Really.” He shook his head. “I don’t want to…I don’t want to have this conversation.”
“Why?” Dani blinked her eyes innocently. In enjoyment.
“Because,” he sighed. “Not with you. I don’t want this conversation with you.”
She’d never seen the infamous and famous Jonah Bannon uncomfortable and self-conscious. It was a sight to behold.
“What?” she teased, no mercy. “Can’t handle owning to your frigidity?”
“Frigid?” That was worse. Jonah pressed, “I am not frigid.”
“I bet the girls are a total front. You don’t sleep with any of them, do you? Just like that one girl that you had Hawk take home and you were hiding from!”
“I am not frigid, but I’m not a whore. I’m healthy,” Jonah said firmly and got out.
After shutting her own door, Dani continued, laughing, “I bet you don’t even like sex…and you bake! With flour!”
“I don’t—,” he broke off and shook his head. “I like sex and I don’t bake.”
“Do you do kinky stuff with flour?”
“Where in hell did this come from?” He scowled and followed her inside. When the lights turned on, the words died in his throat.
Dani frowned, confused at the sudden speechless look on his face.
A slow smile spread across his face and he murmured, softly, “Having your mother’s picture agrees with you. You look…happy.”
She was. Dani frowned, how could she be happy? She turned away sharply.
“Don’t,” Jonah said quickly. He grabbed her arm and pulled her back. “Don’t shut down because you’re experiencing a moment of happiness. You got your mom’s picture. And you stole it from your aunt. I’ve met your aunt. Anything that’s taken right underneath her nose is worth a moment of happiness.”
Dani looked down to her momma’s smiling wisdom. Her eyes softened and she murmured, “She died when I was nine. I just have these little bits of memories from her. We were, I think, we were happy. Her, me, Julia, and Erica. The four of us.”
“I bet you’re just like her.”
“No.” Dani shook her head. “Erica was like Momma. Everyone loved my momma. She had this warm feeling about her.” That was what Dani remembered.
She’d been the dreamer, but she’d inspired everyone else to dream.
Erica had the same charisma.
“I think I’m like my father, whoever he was.” Though she had her suspicions. And she was going to test them out the next day.
Dani cleared her thoughts and moved into her bedroom. She placed the photograph on her dresser, propped against the mirror.
She’d hide it the next day. She wanted to see it when she went to sleep and when she awoke.
She wanted to see her momma bathed in the morning’s sunshine.
She looked up and saw Jonah waiting in the doorway. Watching. Curious.
Why was he different than Boone? Why did she allow him to see her when she’d shut out everyone else? Boone.
Caught in a spell, Dani stood there and held his eyes. Slowly, his eyes moved back to her lips. Dani caught her breath. Neither moved. And his phone rang.
Dani jumped while Jonah cursed and answered it. “Yeah?” He turned and moved back into the living room.
Ragged, Dani sat on her bed and exhaled. Lying down, she closed her eyes, hearing Jonah’s one-sided conversation. Aiden wanted to know where he was and if was going to Mae’s Grill. Jonah didn’t know. Why not?
Dani grinned as she heard a distracter. Jonah successfully blocked that trail of questions when he asked if Robbie was bringing Lori or Brooke. Even from the bedroom, she could hear Aiden go off, ranting about both of them.
Jonah moved back to the doorway and sent a grin as he leaned to the side.
Dani returned it from the bed. She stretched her arms and yawned, then closed her eyes.
“No, Aiden. I don’t know.” Jonah sounded exasperated. “I’m working tomorrow.” Aiden was inquiring about a family dinner, if he could barbeque with Bubba. You know it’s Bryant’s favorite meal. And he hasn’t seen you for a few days.
“Aiden,” Jonah interrupted, “I don’t know. I’ll try. I took Bry and Amalia swimming on Thursday.”
She knew, but she was just saying. Bryant misses his favorite uncle.
The guilt trip worked wonderfully because Dani heard Jonah sigh, “I’ll come for dinner tomorrow night…yes, I’ll barbeque.”
That’s all she wanted.
When he hung up, he murmured, “I always fall for it. She just dangles my niece and nephew and I do whatever she wants.”