Page 8 of Too Safe

He’s so good to me—too good, almost, in a way that makes me feel unworthy. But as he’s reminded me time and time again, we’re family.

Family.

The idea never meant much before. A half sister twelve years older than me and a mother who rarely mustered up enough disdain to remember she had a kid to take care of were the only family I had for a long time. It’ll take time for me to trust that this thing with Sam isn’t too good to be true.

“There she is,” he drawls when I enter the front office. “There’s someone I want you to meet. Jo, this is Jeannie. She’s been my right-hand gal for almost twenty years.”

I turn to the desk, where a middle-aged woman with tightly curled, bleach-blond hair is stationed.

“Hey, sugar. Good to meet you.” She rises out of her seat and shuffles toward me.

My body tenses without my permission as she moves into my personal space.

“Welcome to Lake Chapel,” she adds as she wraps her arms around me and pulls me into a suffocatingly tight hug.

I stiffen further on contact, which only seems to inspire her to squeeze tighter.

“I’m a hugger,” she laughs, then finally releases me. The smell of cheap hairspray and stale cigarette smoke lingers in the space between us as she takes a step back but keeps her hands on my shoulders, holding me at arm’s length.

“You’re gorgeous.” She turns to Sam. “She’s gorgeous!”

Sam shakes his head, then runs his hand over his stubbled face. “Give the girl some space, Jeannie. Jesus.”

“I’m just so happy she’s here.” She squeezes my shoulders once more, her affection coming on a little too strong. What the hell has Sam told her?

Shaking my head, I force the paranoia that goes hand-in-hand with my anxiety back to the recesses of my mind.

Jeannie plops into her desk chair again and spins to face me. “Sam says you’re going to help with the cleaning? And the filing?”

I nod. That was our agreement. Sam’s gone above and beyond to make all this happen for me, so before I arrived, I insisted that I help around the shop. And that was before he gifted Honey to me.

“I’ll show you the ropes over the next few weeks. How to file invoices, where we keep the cleaning supplies. I’m here on Mondays and Wednesdays, but we’ll let you get the hang of your classes before we set up any kind of schedule. Okay, sugar?”

I nod again.

“She’s quiet, isn’t she?” Jeannie asks Sam.

My cheeks flame in response. I know my reservedness can come off as rude or even bitchy, so I pull in a deep breath, searching for the right words so I can offer some sort of explanation.

“It’s been a big day,” I admit. Driving to campus. Finding my classes. Not to mention the run-in with Crusade and his boys.

My phone vibrates in my back pocket. I’m itching to reach for it, but that will only make me look ruder.

Turning to my uncle, I press my lips together, weighing my options. I’m not used to having anyone to answer to, and we’re still trying to figure out our dynamic.

“Um, I thought maybe I’d get started on my reading for class. Then I could make dinner?”

His answering chuckle eases my discomfort immediately. Maybe we’re more alike than we first realized. He has no idea how any of this is supposed to work, either. But we’re trying.

“That sounds great, Jojo. I’ll have Jeannie make a list of which days I’ll be out of town this month for you. Eat around six?”

I nod, then turn to Jeannie. “It was nice to meet you.”

“You, too, sugar! You just let me know if you need anything, okay? I’ll leave my number here on the desk. You can call me anytime. Or text me if that’s easier. I’m not so good with the texts, but I can try.”

“Let the girl study, Jeannie,” Sam scolds mildly. “See you in a bit,” he adds with a knowing look in my direction, followed by a chin tip toward the back of the shop.

That alone gives me the distinct impression that Jeannie can talk a person’s ear off for an hour when all they expected was a two-minute conversation.

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