Page 53 of Rough Fantasy
He nodded. Jillian gave him a kiss on the cheek. “Now, you better go make up with that grumpy man because I have a deadline I set for myself.”
“Sure thing. You know if Conner hadn’t gotten to you first, I would have taken a shot at you.”
“And you might have had a shot. Especially with that accent.”
He laughed and stood, holding a hand out to her. She waved it away.
“Naw. You go make up with Conner, I’m going to sit here and contemplate my next scene. It isn’t really sounding right, so I need a break.”
Zeke walked up the hill, which wasn’t easy in the sand. He waved at one of the guys who owned the house in front of Jillian’s before turning toward the front door.
He opened the screen and found Conner right where he left him.
“Over your temper?”
“Zeke?”
“Yes.”
“You want to tell me what that’s about?”
He didn’t but he probably needed to give some kind of an explanation. “You know we were involved.”
“Yes.”
“Dammit, Conner, stop working for a second.”
He hit a few keys, probably saving what he had been writing and looked up at Zeke. He didn’t know what to say now. Zeke had been known as having a cool head. He had to. Growing up in a primarily white area, he had learned to pick his fights. Why he got so hot and bothered over this now was sort of a mystery to him.
“I’m waiting.”
“Okay. We were involved but we called it off. You know that. But, it doesn’t mean I don’t still care for her. I know how she feels when you question every one of her moves.”
“I ask her how things go.”
How did Jillian put up with such a stubborn mule? Why did he?
He sighed and sat in the chair. “I set up that meeting with Colfax. You asked me how it went.”
“Yeah, you said fine. Why, did something go wrong?”
“No, but Maura does something, and you have a list of twenty questions.”
“Well I want to make sure--”
“Exactly. Jesus, you don’t even see it, do you? Jennifer has been working less time for you and you have more faith in her abilities than you do Maura.”
Conner sighed. “I didn’t realize she felt that way.”
“I’m not sure she does. Not all the time. She is used to it. But some praise from you would be good. And you need to trust her. What’s more, she needs you to trust her. She’s smarter than both of us put together.”
Conner smiled. “That’s the truth.”
“She’s not a little girl anymore.”
“No. But it’s just second nature to me. I don’t even think about it. I didn’t realize I was doing it.”
“Lay off her and she’ll do better.”