Page 83 of Long Road Home

“So,” I said, setting down my fork. “I have something to tell y’all.”

A flash of white stopped at the edge of the booth, cutting me off.

“Oh, yes,” Jenni Akers said. She stood at the edge of the table, a smile like a shark plastered on her face, tapping her fingers on the edge of the booth. “Let’s all hear what the trailer trash scum has to say, I’m sure it’s thrilling.”

I lost a hinge in my jaw. That’s what it felt like. Seeing her, platinum blonde hair ending in sharp points at her shoulders. Jenni Akers was still beautiful in that plastic, lithe-looking way that told me she spent hours preparing herself to leave the house even if it was purely to check her mail. Her caramel colored eyes narrowed on me, flicked to Jordan, lingered on Cooper much longer than proper, and then stuck on Rebecca.

“Scurry away, Jenni.” Rebecca waved her hand like she was flinging away a mosquito. “No one wants you here.”

Jenni popped a hip. Bright, hot pink fingernails tapped on the table. “Probably because Joseph’s not here, right?”

“You fucking cunt,” Jordan growled. He was already pushing up from the table, standing to full height.

My gaze was glued to Rebecca whose face had turned to ash, and then fury. Had smoke risen from her ears I wouldn’t have been surprised, but all of it left me so confused.

“Oh please, Jordan,” Jenni said. “It’s not like everyone doesn’t know. It wasn’t exactly a secret.”

“Get the fuck out,” Cooper said. Both of them were standing, caging Jenni in. I was as lost as a mouse in a maze.

What the hell was going on?

“Who in the hell do you think you are?” Cooper asked, his words boiling at a volcanic heat. His voice was low, fists pushed into the tabletop, but his quietness in no way diminished his fury. “You know what? Don’t answer that. You’re nothing. You’re a cunt who has never grown up, always thinking you’re better than everyone else, but in reality, you’re the only piece of trash in this whole place.”

For a brief second, something that looked like fear flickered in Jenni’s brown eyes. She blinked it away quickly enough, but her fingers trembled right before she curled them into fists. “I was good enough to get her husband. And he didn’t complain once.”

“What?” I gasped. My hand that had been settled over Jordan’s curled into the back of his. He flipped his hand over and squeezed mine without looking at me. My gaze bounced around the table, jumping from person to person. All of them knew what was going on but me, but it was becoming easier to figure out.

And I had had it. Tonight had been the first time I’d felt surrounded by familyandfriends.

This bitch wasn’t ruining anything.

“You’re a miserable human being,” I said, my voice rising and each word clipped. It was enough to pull Jenni’s focus off Rebecca and Cooper.

“Ironic, coming from the girl who was left as if she really was nothing.”

I’d known it was coming. Had prepared for that. Weeks around Jordan and his love and forgiveness and the feeling we could get past all that had somehow knitted itself together in my marrow, my spine, strengthening the backbone I’d worked so hard to find.

“And?” I asked, bored with the accusation. “What’s your point?”

She picked at her fingernail, grinning like the Cheshire Cat. “I find it ironic, you know? Your mother leaves you for trash, dumps off her baby as if you meant nothing to her, which, you probably didn’t.” She flicked a hand out, like Rebecca had done. Except I was no gnat, and with every ridiculous thing she said, my boldness grew. “And yet you can say I’m nothing.”

“Your daddy isn’t mayor anymore, Jenni. And I don’t know why you still hang around this town, probably because you still think you run it, but what I’ve learned since I’ve been back is that you are a very large fish, in a very small pond. What you’re too vapid to realize is that your pond has dried up. No one wants you. No one likes you because you are a bitch to everyone you come in contact with. Tell me, who actually enjoys being around you?”

“Rebecca’s dead husband didn’t seem to mind. In fact, I’d say he enjoyed himself rather immensely.”

“And that’s why you’re a cunt. Because you can say that without thought or feeling and no one at this table has any use for you.”

The Wizard of Oz popped into my head. Glenda waving her hand.Be gone. Before someone drops a house on you, too.

The memory made me smile. I bit my lip. Jenni was nothing more than a witch who’d get what was coming to her. I was over worrying about where she’d strike next. She’d lost her power years ago over me, because I was finally, freakingfinally, taking it back.

“You’ll be saying something different very soon, once I end up your neighbor and Gavin and I finally get your ranch.” She rolled her eyes, but I saw the pain it’d caused. That was Jenni. She hurt, she lashed out. She’d probably hurt every day of her life and only knew how to take it out on others.

“Which will be never.” Cooper crossed his arms over his chest and glared at her. “Because Jeffersons know they’d have to get through me and there’s no way in hell I’d let that happen.”

“That’s enough, Jenni.” Gavin Jefferson stepped up to the table, gave a glance to everyone at the table. “Said you were coming over to say hello, not to be a bitch. And that shit you spewed is never going to happen.”

His hand came out, settled on her lower back. It was a gesture to push her away, move her from the scene she was causing.

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