Spreading the News

By Jade C. Jamison

The scales are starting to fall from her eyes...

Thanks to Sean, Nicki’s starting to pay lots more attention to what the politicians around Winchester are doing—and she decides to do something about it. When the City Council draws a line between the haves and have nots, Nicki decides to take a stand, and it won’t make her popular around her hometown.

Meanwhile, Nicki finds herself in a love triangle and she thinks she knows what she wants...but does she really? Spreading the news is easier than trying to solve her love life.

PLEASE NOTE: This book was previously published in 2011 as ONE MORE TIME.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Jade C. Jamison
• Release date: Jul 24, 2021
• ISBN: 9781005559236

Jade C. Jamison

1. Imagine 2. Play some music 3. Write 4. Blow readers away 5. RepeatJade C. Jamison is a steamy romance author, heavy metal fangirl, wife and mom, coffee connoisseur, cat lover, and vegan foodie--not necessarily in that order. She loves life and believes we learn our wisest lessons when reading, especially if it's fiction. Her heroines are fierce, her heroes all but broken, both seeking redemption together. Whether in a small Colorado town or big city, she strives to take her readers' breath away...one story at a time.Find out more at www.jadecjamison.com ORhttp://www.subscribepage.com/JadeCJamison (newsletter)

Book preview

CHAPTER 1

Y ou sure you wanna do this? Jesse asked as his car cruised through one of the older sections of Winchester, Colorado.

"Of course, I’m sure, Nicki said. Why wouldn’t I want to meet your dad?"

‘Cause he can be a real bastard sometimes.

Nicki gave Jesse a gentle smile, because she knew he was just feeling nervous. Maybe he was embarrassed of his dad or afraid of what his dad might say—but he and Nicki had been together for well over two months, save one breakup week in the middle. While he’d met her parents early in their relationship, he’d been reluctant to have her meet his father. Because she’d been pressing him to do it, he finally caved. They’d planned a few days ago to eat lunch somewhere Sunday afternoon and then go visit his father, but Jesse still didn’t seem prepared for it. Could his relationship with his dad be that fractured? Don’t worry, Jesse. I won’t take it personally.

"I will." It was moments like these when Nicki could tell Jesse still missed smoking. He was gritting his teeth so hard, it made Nicki’s jaw hurt.

It’ll be fine. I promise. Nicki put her hand on Jesse’s thigh, giving it a little squeeze of reassurance, but Jesse still looked anxious. And if it’s not, you can make it up to me later. When he looked over at Nicki, he grinned. He knew exactly what she meant, and he was always willing to oblige.

Aside from their breakup week, Jesse and Nicki had pretty much had a smooth relationship. Aside from the incident that had caused their breakup, they hadn’t fought once, and they spent every spare moment together. Once in a while, they included their mutual friend Sean (the catalyst of said breakup), but they were still in the beginning phase of what felt like a pretty solid relationship, and they enjoyed each other’s company.

Jesse pulled his blue Mustang to the curb in front of a red brick turn-of-the-century Victorian house. Taking a deep breath, he pulled his keys out of the ignition. Well, here goes nothin’.

Nicki looked over at him. Because Jesse hadn’t opened his door yet, she hadn’t, either. It’ll be fine.

He placed his hand on her cheek. I’m glad you’ve got enough optimism for the both of us. Leaning toward her, he gave her a simple peck on the lips, but she wrapped her arms around his neck, pulling him into a full-on French kiss. It might help him relax.

The stiffness in his muscles told her it didn’t help, even though he seemed to enjoy it.

Ready?

Yep. Opening her door, Nicki jumped out, waiting for Jesse to join her on the other side.

As he walked around the car, she admired her boyfriend’s looks. Not long ago, she hadn’t given him much notice. He had been just Jesse, a guy who’d pursued her on occasion with no success because he’d been flying under her radar. But now she wondered how she’d managed to overlook him all these years. He had to be one of the sweetest, most genuine guys she’d ever met, but—goddamn—he was hot, too. From had short brown hair that he was wearing semi-spiked today, giving him a bit of a bad boy look, and his warm brown eyes that Nicki could get lost in to his lean, mean body—not ripped like a bodybuilder, yet sinewy and hard in all the places that mattered.

But her Nicki’s favorite thing about Jesse? The man was tattooed almost from head to toe, saving his face, neck, and hands. There were more tattoos that didn’t meet the eye than were visible when he dressed, and Nicki loved that she got to see some of his art that the rest of the world didn’t. Add to it, he had several piercings not only in each ear but also in his right eyebrow, right nostril, and both nipples. With or without all the body mods, though, Jesse was comfortable with who he was, and Nicki found that confidence to be the sexiest thing of all about him.

Once he made it over to where Nicki stood by the sidewalk, Jesse grabbed her hand. They walked a couple of steps up to the white picketed gate, and Jesse opened it for her. His hand grasped hers a little too hard, but she tried to ignore it, playing the role of the perfect girlfriend. Soon, they stepped up on the porch, and Nicki’s sandal snagged on a rickety board. She didn’t say anything, not wanting to make Jesse feel worse than her already did. Instead, she was glad his hand was holding hers more firmly, so she didn't trip. When he rang the doorbell, he sucked down a deep breath before opening the door with his free hand. Nicki followed him into a hallway with a staircase on one side and two sets of French doors, one to the left and one in front of them at the end of the hall that paralleled the staircase. Jesse yelled, Hey, dad, it’s me, Jesse.

As he led Nicki down the hallway, a gravelly voice cut through the creaks of the floorboards underneath them. I’m in here, in the living room. After they Nicki passed through the French doors into a dining room, Jesse turned to the left, his hand still gripping hers tightly.

They passed into the living room, a spacious area that was clean enough but could have used a woman’s touch. Because the shades were drawn, the room was cast in shadows, although some daylight made its way in. The room reeked of old, stale tobacco smoke. As her eyes adjusted to the dimmer room, Nicki noticed a blue sofa against the wall that looked ancient but remained in good condition; in front of it was a newer oak coffee table with stacks of magazines and newspapers. To the left of it was a recliner, and before they entered the room, Nicki could only see the back of a man’s head. As they entered the room, he turned around and stood up.

Jesse’s father was thin and about an inch shorter than his son. Nicki could see some of the resemblance, as Jesse had the same brown eyes. But his father was losing his hair and what he had left was fading to white. After seeming to consider Nicki, he actually smiled before looking over at Jesse. Son, it’s good to see you.

As Jesse embraced his father, letting go of her hand, she felt herself letting go of a breath she’d been holding in without even realizing it. You, too, dad.

When Jesse released his father, the older man asked, And who is this pretty young lady?

Nicki put on her most charismatic smile as while Jesse said, Dad, this is Nicki. I told you about her, remember?

His father’s brow furrowed as his eyes shifted to Nicki again. Oh, I guess you did. It’s nice to meet you.

You, too. Nicki hesitated, wondering if she should offer to shake his hand or not. Jesse’s stress was starting to affect her, making her question her every move. In fact, she didn’t even feel comfortable making the usual chit-chat she might otherwise engage in—like telling this man that she’d heard a lot about him (which would have been a lie anyway). She’d hardly heard a thing about the man.

Maybe it would be best to simply smile and get a lay of the land.

Nicki, this is my dad, Melvin Roberts.

Well, have a seat. Jesse flipped on the light switch to the living room, chasing away the shadows, bringing to light the rest of the room. While she and Jesse sat on the sofa, there were two other empty chairs in the cavernous space, along with a fireplace to the right that appeared to have been unused for decades. Directly to the front was a widescreen television, probably the newest object in the room, flanked by two bookshelves hiding behind the empty chairs, holding books that looked as if they hadn’t been touched since the previous century. Next to the recliner where Melvin sat was an end table with a large ashtray filled to the rim with spent cigarette butts.

Jesse draped his arm over Nicki’s shoulders, pulling her close. Reaching behind her back, she gathered her long brown hair in her hand to pull it over to the side, saving it from getting snagged. Instead of placing a hand on Jesse’s thigh to help reassure and comfort him, she rested her hands in her lap. Until she could get a good sense of Melvin Roberts, she didn’t want him judging her. While she wouldn’t normally care, this felt important, and Jesse had made her gun shy. After making a good first impression, she’d be able to relax a little bit. Putting her hand on her boyfriend’s thigh could communicate a lot—this Nicki knew from interactions with her own parents. They were old-fashioned and, while they might have suspected their daughter was neither virginly nor chaste, she didn’t feel the need to broadcast how free she really felt about her sexuality.

Jesse’s father grabbed his pack of cigarettes and a lighter off the end table and lit a cigarette. So how did you two meet anyway?

Sensing Jesse’s exasperation at having to repeat something he’d already told his dad at an earlier time, Nicki decided to break the ice, answering his question herself. We met in high school.

As Mr. Roberts blew a stream of white smoke out of his puckered lips, he said, "And years later, he finally got the balls to ask you out. Well, I’m glad someone’s taking an interest in the boy. I’ve told him and told him no one wants a circus freak."

Well, this just took an awkward turn. Nicki’s first inclination was to rip this man a new one—but, out of the very few things Jesse had said about her father, she figured he was a broken, bitter man, and she didn’t have the heart to take a stab at him. From what Nicki had gathered, the death of Jesse’s mother had permanently changed his dad, making the man more introspective and introverted. While Jesse had never once said his dad had been a bad father, losing his mother had taken away a part of his dad that never came back.

So Nicki wasn’t going to simply bite back, but, feeling the way Jesse’s arm and torso grew more tense against her, she felt like she needed to say something—because her boyfriend was keeping his mouth shut. At this point, she felt like she had a good read on his dad, even though she’d barely met him. She got the idea that he didn’t really meant what he was saying and instead just wanted to get a rise out of Jesse. To what end, she didn’t know—but it had most definitely worked.

With another sweet smile, Nicki said, "Mr. Roberts, with all due respect, your son is not a circus freak. Believe me, there are people out there who qualify, but Jesse’s not one of them."

You don’t think so? All he needs now is to put some hooks in his nipples and swing a cinderblock back and forth.

Raising an eyebrow, Nicki peeked over at Jesse. His expression told her that he wasn’t amused, but he’d heard this song and dance a dozen times before. So she was going to try another tactic. Mr. Roberts, have you ever seen people with gauges?

"Gauges? What do you mean, gauges?"

"Gauges are something people put in their ears—and sometimes other areas—and basically they create large, uh, holes in a person’s body, and a lot of people will dangle jewelry out of them. I know this guy with a gauge this big in his ear." Holding her right hand up, she touched her index finger to her thumb to create a circle that was about two inches in diameter.

Jesse asked, Is it even called a gauge then?

Instead of answering, Nicki shrugged.

Jesse’s dad asked, This is in their earlobes?

Nicki wouldn’t say it out loud, but she was proud that she’d managed to take