Halfway Girl (Girl 2.5)

A blonde woman peeks her head around Jason’s waist, a flawless white smile taking up half of her face. “Don’t you worry, Jerimiah. He looked at me the same way when I showed up.”

“It’s true,” Birdie laughs. “He almost closed the door in her face.”

The color bleeds from Jason’s face. “Don’t remind me.”

“Imagine if Naomi had just gotten in her Range Rover and headed into the sunset,” Birdie continues, pursing her lips. “You would have missed out on getting to know what a great person she is. The last year never would have even happened—”

“I get where you’re going with this,” Jason grumbles.

“Good,” Birdie chirps. “That’s out of the way, now I can hug my nephew.”

“I want a hug first!” Naomi says, teary-eyed, squeezing past Jason to throw her arms around Birdie, leaving me and Jason to continue sizing each other up.

“My wife asked me to hold the baby on purpose,” Jason sighs, rubbing the infant’s bald head. “Lucky for you. I’m usually a lot more intimidating.” He squints one eye at me. “You’re not just here for a casual visit, are you?”

“No, sir.”

A muscle ticks in Jason’s jaw.

I hold out my hand.

He chews the idea over for a moment, but finally shakes it. “Naomi…”

“Right. Oh! Right.” Birdie’s blonde sister-in-law bounces back into the house, calling over her shoulder. “My husband knows I like to play a proper hostess. Just give me ten seconds…” Silence ticks past as we all stare at each other. “Okay come in!”

Jason steps aside to reveal Naomi holding a tray of what looks like lemonade in mason jars with little umbrellas sticking out of the ice. I bite the inside of my cheek and look down at Birdie, but she’s already patting me on the shoulder. “Don’t worry. It’s sugar-free, right, Naomi?”

“Yes, of course.”

I notice Jason watching me closely, but again, he’s rubbing circles onto the baby’s head, which really takes the bite out of his glare. “Birdie, come get Miles,” he says, dipping his bearded chin at me. “That’s the look of a man whose got something on his mind.”

“Jason Bristow,” Naomi says, the South twined around her words. “We’ve barely exchanged pleasantries and you’re already carting off our guest.”

“He’s right, ma’am,” I say, a picture of Birdie catching my eye from its place on the mantle. She’s on stage at what must be the beauty pageant she told me about—the one she competed in for her sister—speaking into a microphone and looking too gorgeous for words in a red dress. I wish I could go pick up the picture and examine every detail, but there’s too much on my mind that needs saying. “Thank you for the lemonade. But if you wouldn’t mind, I was hoping to speak with Mr. Bristow.”

Naomi sets down the tray of drinks, plucks one up and pushes it into my hand. “At least take it with you.” She lays a hand on my forearm and whispers to me out of the side of her mouth. “Don’t worry, Jerimiah. He’s all bluster.”

“I heard that,” Jason says, in the process of handing Birdie the baby boy, after which he gives his wife two, three, four lingering kisses, as if she might evaporate when he turns his back. “Come on. Let’s go talk in the kitchen. I have a feeling I’m going to need a beer for this.”

With a nod, I start to follow Jason out of the room, but Birdie intercepts me, laying her head on my shoulder for a moment. I stand there and let her, enjoying the sight of her holding a baby. Enjoying the way contentment rolls off of her, just from being around her family. If coming home makes her this happy, I’ll bring her here every weekend if I have to. I’m not sure how long we stand there, but Jason eventually clears his throat and Birdie straightens, giving me a long, encouraging look before returning to Naomi in the living room.

Jason and I enter the kitchen a moment later, and true to his word, Jason uncaps a beer at the refrigerator, pulling from the long, brown neck. “You want one?”

“No, sir.”

He sighs, jaw flexing once. “I don’t like surprises.”

We face each other over the marble island where I set my lemonade and I wonder, as an ex-Special Forces soldier, how often Jason has been in this situation. Interrogating the witness. “I don’t like surprises either.”

“Let me clarify.” Jason plants his fists on the island and leans forward. “The fact that you’re dating my sister is not a surprise. Birdie told my wife about you.”

“So you already know everything about me? I was expecting that.” He raises an eyebrow at me and I raise one back. “I’ve got nothing to hide.”

Jason regards me in stony silence. “It’s the showing up out of the blue. That’s the surprise I’m not too thrilled about.” His expression softens somewhat as he glances at the kitchen door. “Not that I don’t love having her home.” His eyes tick back in my direction. “All right, let’s hear it.”