The blank expressions continued. She needed to come up with something before the crickets took over.
“Can you believe this guy…” she jabbed her thumb in Luke’s direction “…has like fifty pair of argyle socks?”
The room erupted into laughter. Luke looked at Jessica with a really-you-had-to-go-there look.
The evening progressed with Luke’s family sharing some of his secrets, including his Star Wars obsession, his first time using a nail gun that ended in three of his fingers being nailed together, and his addiction to German chocolate cake. Jessica took mental notes for blackmailing him in the future. Everyone seemed content with their triathlon training explanation for their five month friendship.
“If you leave the windows cracked in the bedrooms it could get chilly, so there’s extra blankets in the closet,” Felicity called from the sofa where she sat cuddled in Tom’s arms.
The rest of the family had left. Jessica was surprised that everyone except Luke lived in a ten mile radius of their parents’ bed and breakfast. She loved their close family. It made her feel at home. Jessica only had one sibling, but their family of four was just as close. They were all survivors and always there for each other.
“Thanks, Mom,” Luke called as he ushered Jessica toward the stairs.
“Good night.” Jessica waved to Luke’s parents.
“Jones … Jones … Jones … Your family is amazing.” Jessica flopped back on her bed as Luke stood in the doorway. “I don’t even know where to begin. First, your dad’s name is Tom Jones … Tom … Jones.” Jessica rolled to her side, wearing a huge grin. “And all your siblings look like your dad with his blond hair, except you, the black sheep with your black hair, fifty pair of argyle socks, and fancy condo in San Francisco, which is way outside of the ten mile radius of the Jones’ family circle.”
Luke grabbed an extra blanket from the closet and tossed it on the bed. “Lake has black hair. I have twenty pair of argyle socks. My condo’s not that fancy, and I’m far from the black sheep of my family. Now, good night.”
“But your dad’s name …”
Luke turned before exiting.
“That’s pretty cool, right?”
Luke smirked before closing the door behind him.
He was a fucking unicorn. A unicorn with argyle socks, but no less a unicorn. It was a fantasy at best, but if she could catch him, Jessica knew her dreams would come true.
Chapter Twenty-Four
Under four layers of blankets protecting her from the cool morning breeze, Jessica slept in past her usual waking time. A poking on her arm brought her out of her sleep like an animal under attack. There was a grunt, several snaps, and flailing limbs as she tumbled to the ground with a pool stick busted in three different areas.
“Good morning.”
Breathless, she fought away the tangled hair that strangled her face, only to catch Luke sitting in a chair by the vanity mirror. “What are you doing?”
He smiled. “Waking you for our run.”
“By poking me with a pool stick?” She grabbed one of the broken pieces and flicked it at him.
“Yes.” He caught it and ran his finger over the splintered wood.
“Why?”
“Just a hunch.”
“About?” She widened her eyes.
“About how you might react if someone or something brought you out of a possible dream state or startled you.”
Jessica crawled back onto the bed. “And so?”
Luke waved the broken stick at her. “And so I was right to sacrifice the pool stick instead of one or all of my limbs.”
She ran her hands through her hair. “Four kicked me in the ribs to wake me up. My hands and legs were zip tied, but I struggled to break free from the stabbing pain in my stomach and ribs so eventually the zip ties rubbed directly on my wrist bones.” Jessica held up her wrists to show him her pearly faded scars. “The moral of the story is I don’t like to be woken by touch. But you already knew that.”
Luke shook his head. “I didn’t. But anyone who scopes out a room for possible ways to kill everyone in it probably doesn’t react well to surprises. I was just testing my theory.”
“Are you afraid of me?” Jessica asked, just above a whisper as she dropped her chin to her chest. He was the one person she didn’t want to scare.
“No.”
She looked up. His eyes locked with hers. No flinch. Not even a blink of doubt.
“But then why—” She pointed to the broken stick.
“Who was the first victim to realize they shouldn’t wake you?”
She sucked in a breath and willed all other emotions to stay in check. “Are we going for a run together by the lake?”
It was a rare occasion for Luke to let his professional mask slip and show any sort of emotion, but that was one of the few times Jessica saw sympathy in his eyes. She hated it.