10-14-2018, 09:45 PM
An uneasy feeling stretched his stomach, and it wasn’t from the Belgian waffle buffet at the casino. It felt wrong to leave without Natalie. She’d been with them since the ball so why would she leave now? Was it a misunderstanding of some sort? Although it was difficult to deny the appearance of the matter, Jensen shared in Jay’s worry. If the danger the Carpenter family was really as dire as Jay said, without a reason to doubt the Legionnaire’s word, then Jensen was obligated to provide asylum where he could. He wasn’t exaggerating about the size of their Preston Hollow mansion; although, after living the life of a vagrant the past few years, he was ashamed of just how much prosperity he and Jessika acquired for a family of four. A small redemption but the gesture still suffused a small sense of the heroic upon the preacher.
He stretched his legs lakeside, admiring the greenery and landscaping when they pulled up. Jay quietly approached, and Jensen felt himself tense at the other man’s proximity.
”Would you stay with them while I look around?”
Jensen glanced at the family. Jay’s mother was easy to talk to, but the family dynamic bound the foursome together like barbed wire not silken strands of love. Jessika and he never behaved so at odds in front of other people. Such things were for private lives. Maybe a lack of privacy was part of the ongoing problem, and time alone with Jay might do the family some good?
“Why don’t you stay and I’ll go?” he asked only to be denied. Jay was hard-headed, worse when the Stetson shaded the intensity of his gaze, that was for sure. Jensen watched his retreat in search of Natalie for a few steps, licked his lips nervously and went to wait with the rest.
They were consolidating items from one vehicle to the other when Jensen heard a thud and a string of curses erupting from Jay’s father. The soldier’s bag had overturned, a few items cascading out. A box of shells scattered along with it. Jensen hurried over to help pick up the mess, but Caroline was there first. She pulled some piece of clothing that was disrupted in the fall with what seemed to be every intention to fluff and refold it, but instead her brow furrowed thoughtfully.
“What’s this?” She asked curiously.
Jensen gasped when he realized what she was holding.
“Let me help,” he hurried to take it off her hands, but David intervened. He snatched at the sleeve, eyes roamed the patches and cloth, fingers gripped the chain. A bright red face turned to Jensen, who had no idea what to do. “I think that’s a, umm, uh,” he was a terrible liar, but frantically tried to think of one anyway. “It’s not what you think it is.”
David didn’t buy it, though. Jensen’s attention snapped toward Cayli, who was now witness yet again to another fight between her parents. He went to go stand by her, looking down upon her apologetically.
Jay returned, dust kicked up around his feet as his skid to a stop. Everything that followed happened so fast that Jensen barely processed it. Channeling darkened the other man’s brow, and Jensen forced himself to look at the ground rather than watch. Soon, they were piled in the car again, but silence loomed like a stormcloud. Thunder could very well be rolling through the car and it would have gone unnoticed.
He stretched his legs lakeside, admiring the greenery and landscaping when they pulled up. Jay quietly approached, and Jensen felt himself tense at the other man’s proximity.
”Would you stay with them while I look around?”
Jensen glanced at the family. Jay’s mother was easy to talk to, but the family dynamic bound the foursome together like barbed wire not silken strands of love. Jessika and he never behaved so at odds in front of other people. Such things were for private lives. Maybe a lack of privacy was part of the ongoing problem, and time alone with Jay might do the family some good?
“Why don’t you stay and I’ll go?” he asked only to be denied. Jay was hard-headed, worse when the Stetson shaded the intensity of his gaze, that was for sure. Jensen watched his retreat in search of Natalie for a few steps, licked his lips nervously and went to wait with the rest.
They were consolidating items from one vehicle to the other when Jensen heard a thud and a string of curses erupting from Jay’s father. The soldier’s bag had overturned, a few items cascading out. A box of shells scattered along with it. Jensen hurried over to help pick up the mess, but Caroline was there first. She pulled some piece of clothing that was disrupted in the fall with what seemed to be every intention to fluff and refold it, but instead her brow furrowed thoughtfully.
“What’s this?” She asked curiously.
Jensen gasped when he realized what she was holding.
“Let me help,” he hurried to take it off her hands, but David intervened. He snatched at the sleeve, eyes roamed the patches and cloth, fingers gripped the chain. A bright red face turned to Jensen, who had no idea what to do. “I think that’s a, umm, uh,” he was a terrible liar, but frantically tried to think of one anyway. “It’s not what you think it is.”
David didn’t buy it, though. Jensen’s attention snapped toward Cayli, who was now witness yet again to another fight between her parents. He went to go stand by her, looking down upon her apologetically.
Jay returned, dust kicked up around his feet as his skid to a stop. Everything that followed happened so fast that Jensen barely processed it. Channeling darkened the other man’s brow, and Jensen forced himself to look at the ground rather than watch. Soon, they were piled in the car again, but silence loomed like a stormcloud. Thunder could very well be rolling through the car and it would have gone unnoticed.