Coincidentally But Eternally Connected

Field of Innocence

All of this happened in a matter of seconds, but when I turned my attention back to Phil, I saw a challenge. He was used to being the center of attention, especially in this small town where options were few. Here was the perfect woman in front of him, though surely to Phil she was just an objective; the ultimate conquest. Yet she only had eyes for me. I looked down at him, because he was a few inches shorter than me, and tilted up the corner of my mouth. 

The unchecked jealousy I typically felt around anyone who showed interest in Hope started to subside. Hope loved me; she wanted only me. For the first time in my life, I felt secure, like I didn't have to scratch and claw for things. I had what I needed in my arms.

Still, I could have some fun at this guy's expense. Taking him down a peg or two would be helpful to the entire population of Duskwood.

"Hello. Phil, is it? Is that right, Jessy?" I looked past him to his sister, who was smirking at our little show. Phil talked at me, but I pretended not to hear him and waited courteously for a response from Jessy.

"Yes, Phil is my oldest sibling. Phil, I know you've heard about Hope from me, but now you get to meet her, um, Jake."

I nodded at him, not bothering to shake hands. He would do something idiotic like try to squeeze harder than me. Besides, it would require me to take my fingers away from Hope's soft skin. He nodded back curtly, his eyes sliding over to Hope. Her lashes fell low over her hazel-green eyes as she rested against me, lulled into sleepiness from my gentle back massage. I almost regretted not allowing her to rest more before this meeting, but I would make it up to her after. 

"Are we keeping you awake, Hope?" Phil joked and I bristled when she jolted uncomfortably at the sound of her name.

"If you are going to be rude, then we can leave. Perhaps we should just bring our information to the authorities." I kissed Hope on the forehead and prepared to turn, knowing Phil would stop me. And he did.

"Whoa, whoa. No need to be aggressive. Too bad you can't take a little joke. Why don't you sit down, and I'll make you all drinks as an apology?"

"I do not drink, and neither does Hope," I informed him, "But we will take a seat and ask our questions."

Phil scoffed. "You don't drink?" I ignored him and followed Jessy to the bar, seating Hope between us with her stool directly against mine.

"Knock it off, Phil," Jessy finally said. "Make a fuzzy navel for me while you talk."

Phil scowled at her but complied, trying to catch Hope's attention with his overly-ostentatious movements. But she was busy talking to Jessy, who was telling her a story about how Richy cheered up Alfie by letting him smash a coffee mug. My arm was loosely around her waist; she stroked my fingers as she listened to Jessy.

I opened my phone and pulled up the picture of the bracelet. Sliding the device across the with of the bar toward Phil, I asked, "What can you tell us about this jewelry?"

Phil glanced at it, and although his voice remained relaxed, there was a tightening around his eyes. "Why do you want to know?"

"We believe that this bracelet is linked to Hannah Donfort's disappearance," I said vaguely. Phil froze in his movements and looked at me guardedly. "We know that you brought it to the pawn shop. Why did you pawn it?"

Phil's mouth opened, then closed. He looked like a fish out of water. Jessy had stopped talking and was looking over at us now. "Phil? Is that true? Why did you have Jennifer Hanson's bracelet?" All three of us waited expectantly.

"Phil," Hope called calmly and cautiously, as if she was approaching a feral animal. "Can you start at the end and work your way backward? Maybe that will feel more comfortable. Tell us when you brought the bracelet to the pawn shop."