The House on Blackberry Hill (Jewell Cove 1)

ere until the work is done and I can sell it.”

“You’ve decided for sure?” Jess sounded disappointed.

Whether or not she was having any moments of indecision was none of Jess’s business; besides, she wasn’t certain that Jess wouldn’t go and tell everything to her cousin anyway. Perhaps with the best intentions, but Abby wasn’t about to say anything that might come back to bite her later. “Well, nothing’s written in stone,” she replied. “But yeah … selling it seems to make the most sense.”

After a few moments of silence she looked over at Jess. She was frowning at Josh and another man who was sitting with him. “What’s the matter?” Abby asked.

“Nothing. I mean, I know Josh is struggling. I’m just not sure hanging out with Rick Sullivan is the best plan. Sarah was out of her mind to invite him.”

Abby supposed she should be relieved that Jess meddled everywhere and not just in her and Tom’s business. “Why?”

The wrinkle between Jess’s eyebrows grew deeper. “Rick lost his hand overseas. He’s dealt with it by drinking. A lot. I’d rather that not happen to Josh.”

Abby looked closer. Now that she thought about it, she remembered Rick. He’d been in the Rusty Fern the first night she’d been in town. He’d given the bartender a hard time and Tom had gotten him to leave.

“Maybe she thought Rick would understand. Or that Josh needed a friend.”

Jess’s dark eyes were worried as they met Abby’s. “I’m not convinced that’s the sort of friend he needs. Rick’s changed a lot, and not for the better.”

There wasn’t much she could say to that, so she asked the question that had been burning on her mind all evening. “Jess, why hasn’t Tom spoken to Josh?”

Jess’s face turned deceptively innocent. “What?”

Before Abby could repeat her question, they were joined by Tom’s mom and dad, and shortly after, Tom. The words sat on her tongue, harder to hold in the longer the evening went on and still Tom and Josh didn’t acknowledge each other. Tom even reached down once and took her hand in his, and for a second a delicious thrill slid up her arm at the contact. But she soon realized there was a tension in his fingers that had nothing to do with holding her hand. Instead of it making her feel closer to him, she felt even more isolated.

Twilight was beginning to settle in and the patio lanterns were casting the first bit of warm glow when Tom leaned over and said in her ear, “Come on, let me show you Sarah’s roses. Maybe the garden will give you some ideas for the one at the house.”

He led her across the lawn, but it just so happened that their route intersected with Josh as he went to put his empty beer can in a recycle bin.

For a long moment resentment seemed to sizzle, making Abby’s tummy churn uneasily as her gaze darted between the two men.

Josh looked Tom in the eye before letting his gaze slide over to Abby. She didn’t quite like the way he examined her, from the tips of her toes to the top of her head. Much like Tom had that first day, but this time the mocking stare felt … She held in a shudder. Not threatening. But definitely not friendly. Insolent. Tom’s fingers flexed over hers and she forced herself to breathe normally. Things were tense enough without her letting Josh get to her. Tom hadn’t wanted to come today, she remembered. Jess had insisted. Abby swallowed. They’d all known tonight would be tense, then. And no one had seen fit to warn her she was walking into a viper’s nest of family drama. She lifted her chin. Josh would not intimidate her, however. That much she could control.

Josh finally looked back at Tom, the mocking smile still playing on his lips.

She heard the strain in Tom’s voice as he spoke. “Josh. Welcome home.” To her surprise Tom held out his hand. She was impressed with his self-control, considering all the hostility in the air and the fact that it was clear Josh was deliberately trying to provoke Tom.

Josh didn’t answer. Instead he drew back and sucker punched Tom in the jaw.

Abby’s heart hit her throat the moment that Tom hit the ground. Josh stood above his cousin, his fingers still clenched and his eyes blazing blue fire. In shock, her heart pounding, she knelt down beside a stunned Tom. “Oh, my God, are you okay?”

His black eyes met hers for an instant. “Yeah, I’m okay,” he reassured her, sitting up. His hand rubbed the side of his face where Josh’s fist had connected with bone. Tom looked up at Josh and his eyes burned with an intensity that was frightening. “The first one was free,” he said, with quiet steel underlining the words. “The next one won’t be.”

Slowly Tom got to his feet. Oh, God, a fistfight? Abby pulled on his arm. “Don’t,” she whispered hoarsely. “Let’s just go.”

Meggie rushed up, Tom’s parents right on her heels. “Josh! What on earth is going on?”

Josh leaned forward, his fingers still curled in a fist. Another dark-haired man moved in, gripping Josh’s arm with one hand. The Rick person Jess didn’t like. Better and better.

“I’m settling an old score,” he replied to Meggie through gritted teeth, though his gaze never left Tom. “One that should have been settled long ago, right, cousin?”

Abby looked from Josh to Tom. An old score? What on earth?

“The score was settled,” Tom answered tightly. “And you damn well know it. You won. Let it go, Josh. It makes no difference now.”

He sounded so tired. So weary, and Abby was suddenly aware of the resigned expressions of everyone around them. Like they’d all expected the explosion. Tom turned to her. “Come on, let’s get out of here.” He took her hand and to her relief started to walk away. The last thing she wanted was for him to get in some brawl and ruin Josh’s homecoming—something that apparently meant a great deal to the rest of his family.

But Josh wasn’t as willing to let it go.