The next few days were filled with work. Jeremy kept coming back to help, and even John and Flo pitched in; Flo with her baking, in particular, which was a hit with all the men.
Maybe before Jena left, she’d take some lessons.
Jena had excused herself from painting the fence to go and talk to Rose about how things were going, and Cade had insisted on tagging along. He’d claimed the seat next to Rose’s bed, which left Jena to perch on the mattress.
‘So, I think a few more days and we should be able to call an agent to get some photos done. Things are going really well.’
‘What about everything inside?’ Rose asked. ‘You’re not taking all my things away, are you?’ Her voice got higher at the end and she sat up straighter, or tried to, the soft pillows under her head making it difficult.
‘Well I do need to start boxing things up,’ Jena said. ‘But we can just store things in one of the wardrobes.’ She chewed her lip, really not liking the idea of it. There were fifty plus years of collected miscellany in this place. ‘Have you had a look at the brochures for rest homes? I know Will gave you some.’
Rose pursed her lips and looked away. ‘No. Not really. I’ll look later.’
‘John said that he’d buy the land, Rose,’ Cade said. ‘We could sell that and keep the house, a place for Jena to live, and you could stay here until the end.’
Until the end. That was a morbid way to put it.
‘I think she’d be more comfortable in a rest home, where she can get all the care she needs,’ Jena said, scowling at Cade. It wasn’t really any of his business, and there was a reason she hadn’t told Rose about John’s offer. It was better if everything was just sold off at once. Better for it all to be done with.
‘But this is her home,’ Cade said, his face full of shallow concern. ‘She loves it here; this is where she belongs.’
‘Look, Cade. I appreciate you being here to offer me support, but this is between me and Rose. Can you leave us to it?’ Jena raised an eyebrow, giving him a pointed look. She was trying to be nice, but it was hard when he was making it so difficult. It was none of his damn business, and why the hell did he want them to keep the house anyway?
It was in the middle of nowhere.
He hated it here.
Or at least, he had a week ago.
‘I’d rather be here, with you,’ he said, reaching a hand out to her and drawing her from the bed. She resisted, using the momentum and his grip to pull him up from his chair so they were both standing. Cade looked down at Rose, his eyes stern. ‘You should really consider that deal, Rose. Take the money, stay in your home. It’s perfect.’
‘Please go,’ Jena said. ‘I just need some time alone with Rose.’ She softened her gaze.
There was a knock at the door then, and Will pushed it open. ‘Sorry, didn’t mean to interrupt, but can we borrow you for a minute, Cade? Need to move a log.’
Cade growled, but it was so quiet only Jena could hear it. He plastered on a fake smile and turned to Will. ‘Sure thing, bud.’ And then he was gone.
‘That’s not Cade. Not any more,’ Rose said plainly.
Jena turned to her, frowning. ‘What do you mean?’
‘You need to be careful. That’s not the man you arrived here with. He’s not the same.’
Jena sat back down on the bed and reached for Rose’s hand. ‘I don’t understand, Rose. It’s just Cade,’ she said, though the words sounded a little hollow, even to her. He was different; Rose was right about that. But Jena didn’t know how Rose could know. She was stuck in here all day and had barely made an effort to get to know Cade. Were the bruises on her neck obvious? ‘He’s a bit of a dick sometimes, sure, but he’s still … him.’
Rose shook her head. ‘You need to talk to Will. Find a way.’
Jena scoffed. ‘I’m done talking to Will. He’s full of far-fetched ideas and—’
‘Has Cade found a watch?’
That stopped Jena in her tracks.
‘What?’
‘I’m back.’ Cade strolled through the doorway, looking like he belonged here. Jena glanced between him and Rose, wishing he’d leave again so she could find out why the hell Rose had brought up the watch.
‘Don’t they still need you?’ Jena asked, trying to keep her voice casual.
‘Nope. All done.’ He plopped back into the chair by the bed, crossing one leg over his knee.
Jena sighed, wondering whether maybe Rose was onto something.
‘I need a nap now, dear,’ Rose said softly, patting her hand. ‘Give me a kiss.’
Jena frowned, but did as she asked. The old woman brushed her lips against Jena’s cheek and whispered, ‘Talk to Will.’
***
When she got back outside, she could see that John, Jeremy and Flo were driving down the driveway.
‘Are they going home for lunch, or for the day?’ Jena asked Will. She tried to look at him with different eyes; not angry ones, but the way her grandmother might look at him.
What did he know that Jena didn’t?
‘They’ve got some work to do this afternoon; I didn’t catch what, though. Farm stuff,’ Will said wryly. ‘I think we should be able to finish painting before it gets too late. Then, I guess we’ll be done.’
‘Did you convince Rose to take the offer?’ Cade asked. He swished his paint brush around in the ice cream container he was using for a paint tray.
‘No, but then, I’m not sure I want her to. I need to think about it.’
‘It’s a good deal,’ Cade said firmly.
‘We don’t even know how much they’re willing to pay, so you can’t say that.’
‘Fine, it’s an easy deal.’
There, that was the Cade she knew. Always taking the easy option. It wasn’t so much about the land for Jena, though; it was about the house. Did she really want to keep it after all that had happened here? And if she changed her mind and wanted to sell, would she still be able to find a buyer out here, if there was no land attached?
She did need to think about it more. That wasn’t procrastination; it was just common sense.
‘Well, I’ll sleep on it and talk to her again tomorrow. No point stressing about it right now.’ Jena sighed, then tried to figure out how to get Will alone so that she could question him. ‘I’ll just put dinner on, and then I’ll come back and help finish up.’
‘What are we having?’ Cade asked, eyes widening in hope.
He always seemed hungry at the moment, but maybe that was because of the manual labour.
‘Chicken casserole. I thought I’d put it in the crock pot, if I can find the bloody thing. Any idea where it is, Will?’ She shot him a pointed look, hoping he’d get the message. Though it would make total sense if he didn’t; it wasn’t like they were on the best of terms right now, and he wouldn’t be expecting her to actually want to talk to him.
His brows knitted together, his internal monologue no doubt matching her own, but it could pass as uncertainty as well. ‘I think it’s in one of the cupboards near the oven. Right at the back?’
‘I looked there,’ Jena said. ‘Come and show me. The sooner I get that on the sooner I can help with the fence.’
‘I can look too if you want,’ Cade offered, wiping his hands on his jeans and leaving white smears of paint down them.
Jena laughed. ‘Yeah, like you know where anything in the kitchen is. We’ll be right back.’ She took a few steps so that she was beside him, and kissed him on the cheek before turning for the house.
Will trailed behind her at a distance. Jena didn’t close the door when they went inside, not wanting to get Cade suspicious. She only needed a few minutes, surely.
Jena didn’t stop until she was in the kitchen, then she crossed her arms. Will came around the corner of the bench and scowled at the crock pot on the floor.
‘It’s right there,’ he said, pointing at it. ‘What’s this about?’
‘Rose told me to talk to you. She asked if Cade had found a watch.’
Will paled; it was barely noticeable against the darker tone of his skin. His mouth opened and closed as if he couldn’t find the right word.
‘Well?’ she demanded. ‘What the hell is she on about? Because he found a watch, and why would she ask that?’
‘Where is it?’ Will asked, turning to her, a stricken glare in his eyes. He looked like he wanted to reach out and grab her, shake her or something, but instead he shoved his hands in his pockets.
‘He probably has it on him. He doesn’t go anywhere without it lately.’
‘Lately?’ Will closed his eyes and blew out a breath, his shoulders sinking. ‘When did he find it?’
‘Almost a week ago. We went out to the swamp and—’
Will groaned and buried his face in his hands.
‘Stop making all that noise and tell me what the fuck is going on!’ And she was the one who grabbed him then, pulling his arms down so that he had to look at her. ‘Tell me.’
‘It’s possessed. The watch.’ He choked the words out. ‘If Cade has it ….’
Jena’s chest clenched up and she couldn’t seem to catch her breath. She sunk to the floor, her brain going through all the slivers of information she had, all the things she believed and the things she’d cast off as being pure fiction.
She didn’t believe in the spirit world. So, this meant nothing.
Cade was still Cade.
Sure, he was a little more possessive, a little … strange.
The way he’d fucked her so differently ….
But he’d just been tired and cranky. What with the driving, and then the walking.
‘It doesn’t mean anything,’ Jena said. Her words were muffled by her hair over her face, by her hands which covered her mouth. ‘It’s just a watch.’
Will dropped down beside her, kneeling on the faded linoleum, his eyes dark pools of pity. ‘It’s not just a watch, and he’s not just Cade any more. We have to get it off him. Have to get out of here.’
‘But—’
‘Jena!’ Cade’s voice came down the hallway.
Jena straightened her hair and put a smile on her face, grabbing the crock pot with both hands and standing up, just as Cade came into sight. ‘Found it!’ she said to him. ‘Was right in the back. Will’s just shoving the rest of the junk away. Guess it’s all going to have to get cleaned out at some point, though.’ She said this with a grimace, looking down at the floor as though the offending items were still there. But she met Will’s eyes, pleading with him to just be normal. To pretend.
He reached out, pulled a cupboard door quietly open and then banged it closed before standing up. ‘I think half of that stuff hasn’t been used in a decade. Make sure you give it a good clean.’ He shook his head and moved away from her, stalking out of the room and leaving her alone with Cade.
‘I don’t trust that guy,’ Cade said. ‘Something’s not quite right there.’ His eyes followed Will long after he was gone.
‘Oh, he’s okay. Besides, he’s not our problem. He’s just here for Rose.’ Jena rounded the bench and slipped an arm around Cade, pulling him close.
He felt like he normally did. No, better than normal, because he was actually pitching in. ‘I’ll just get this on then I’ll be out. Don’t want to leave you alone with the weirdo for too long.’ She laughed and pecked him on the cheek before moving away, but Cade caught her hand and drew her back.
‘It’s not him I want to be alone with,’ he murmured, kissing her. She grinned against his lips, though she had to force it a little, still remembering last night, and then pried her hand free.
‘Later. Now get back to work. This place isn’t going to sell itself.’ This time she managed to escape. She pulled out all the ingredients and set about preparing dinner, but Cade just stood there.
‘I still think you should keep the house. We could be happy here. Start a family, maybe ….’
‘Cade. We’ve never talked about a family. I don’t know what’s gotten into you lately, this isn’t like you at all.’
She froze. Not like him at all.
‘I just want to be with you. You and me and no one else, not for miles and miles.’ His voice was soft, tender. Loving. And yet it sent a chill up her spine.
Stupid Will and stupid Rose and their stupid theories.
‘I’ll think about it. I promise,’ she said, though she couldn’t inject those words with any joy. ‘Now go paint the fence. If we do stay, it’ll look nice for us, and if we’re going to have a house it should be nice.’
But she couldn’t imagine it. Not making a home here with him. He didn’t fit. She didn’t fit. At least, she didn’t think she did. Not any more.