Page 26 of The Devil You Know
Seth had thought about coming home so many times and how he wanted to celebrate. He’d also come up with plenty of things for the two of them to do, craving a chance to get to know his brother again after his time away.
“Did you have other ideas?” Seth asked.
“Plenty. I want to go on ghost hunts. There’s supposed to be a hell gate bridge. I want to go do a video there.”
Something twisted hard and cold inside Seth. “Um, maybe not,” he said, unable to shake the dread that chilled his marrow. Everything told him not to go to that bridge, and he had no idea why.
Jesse looked a little spooked. “Sure. There’s plenty of other stuff to do. Indianapolis isn’t that far away. Or Chicago.”
Seth nodded. “Good. That’s all…good.”
“You okay?” Jesse gave him a quizzical look.
“Yeah. Just…you know that phrase about feeling like someone walked over your grave?” Seth shivered. “Kinda had that a moment ago.”
Jesse clapped him on the shoulder. “Let’s fix that right now.” He took Seth on an off-the-cuff walking tour, pointing out local landmarks, meandered through a local park, and stopped at a place Jesse assured him served the best ice cream in Indiana.
Going places and doing things was fun, but what Seth liked the most was spending time with his brother and having Jesse’s full attention.
Despite the ice cream, Seth’s stomach rumbled.
“Hungry?” Jesse asked and checked the time on his phone. “By the time we get to the steakhouse, our reservation should be ready. We’ve got a bit of a walk to the car. Let’s go.”
Seth enjoyed seeing Jesse’s idea of a perfect day and gave his brother credit for the playful sense of adventure he brought to the itinerary.
The smell of grilled meat and wood smoke filled the air when they parked beside a stacked stone building that had clearly been a landmark for quite some time.
“This place is famous locally for its prime rib, but all its steaks are good,” Jesse assured him. They walked inside, and Seth saw a large stone fireplace with a roaring fire. The decor looked comfortable and homey, without all the brass and steel common in upscale chain restaurants. Jesse checked in at the host station, and Seth couldn’t help noticing how much Jesse had grown up.
The server led them to a table for four in a quiet corner. “Wait until you see the menu,” Jesse told him. “Great stuff.”
To Seth’s surprise, the menu was both extensive and reasonably priced. He and Jesse ordered prime rib, which came with huge baked potatoes and a shared side of grilled asparagus. Over dinner, Jesse told him more about his time at college and then his job, and Seth enjoyed hearing about the drama of campus life and his brother’s accomplishments.
Jesse asked about what it had been like on deployment. Seth answered truthfully, but glossed over the worst experiences, the things that were difficult to explain to civilians, and the memories that fueled his nightmares.
“I learned combat skills from the soldiers I served with,” Seth told him. “And the computer stuff they taught me will pay off with the security company I want to start. But if I had it to do over again, I wouldn’t have gone. It changed me, and I’ll never be able to change back.”
The sympathy in Jesse’s eyes told Seth he was forgiven for his impulsive enlistment. “No matter what you did, you wouldn’t be the same person you were six years ago. Everyone changes. But you’re still my brother. And I’m very glad to have you home.”
Seth didn’t think he could possibly have room for dessert, but the tray of homemade cheesecake slices looked too good to pass up. They placed their orders and asked for coffee to go with it.
“You won’t regret having dessert,” Jesse told him as they waited. “If you feel guilty about eating it, we can go on a hike tomorrow.”
“Jesse?” A voice sounded behind Seth, and he turned to see a good-looking black-haired man approaching with a grin.
“Taylor! Come meet my brother,” Jesse said, waiving the newcomer over. “Have dessert with us.”
Taylor held out his hand to Seth. “I’m Taylor Greer. You must be Seth. I’ve heard a lot about you.”
Seth didn’t miss the way the man checked him out. He shifted in his chair, flattered but uncomfortable at having someone cruise him in front of his brother.
“Nice to meet you,” Seth replied. “How do you know Jesse?”
“We work together; started at the same time. And we both were part of the RPG club back in college,” Taylor answered. “I’m a bit older than the other guys in our class because I took a couple of years off to work. Jesse always talked about his big brother. I’m happy to meet you.”
Taylor slid into the empty seat beside Seth and turned inward to face both brothers. “So, how long are you in town for?” he asked Seth.
“Don’t know for sure yet,” Seth replied. “A while, if I’m lucky.”
