A Father's Love

Chapter 44

With her cousin back, Shelby slowly returned to her usual chipper self. People were surprised to see Jess back. Most were skeptical about it, wondering why Luke would allow the kid to come back after what happened, but they accepted it. There was one person who was not happy about it at all. In fact, she stopped by the diner one day. They exchanged "hey" and small talk before Rachel finally got to it.

"So I hear your nephew is back."

"Yep," he replied as Luke wiped down the counter.

"Why?"

"Why, what?" Luke asked, barely glancing up at her.

"Why is he back? I thought you sent him home?"

"He wanted to come back, so I said okay," he told her.

Rachel stared at him in confusion. "Just like that?"

"Yep." Tossing the rag off to the side, Luke picked up his notepad, checking things off. At that moment, Jess and Shelby came downstairs, snickering about something which Jess pretended to punch his cousin in the stomach. Shelby flinched out of the way just in time.

"Ha! Two for flinching." Jess then playfully punched her in the arm, receiving a playful kick to the leg. They stopped when the cousins noticed Rachel was there. "Oh, hey. Good of you to stop by," he told her, mockingly.

"Luke and I are having a private conversation, if you don't mind," she told him calmly.

Jess looked around the diner at the usual comers that frequent the diner a lot. "Considering you're in a public place, it ain't so private, now is it?"

Rachel ignored him and tried to say hello to Shelby, who hid behind Jess's legs, not even trying to make eye contact.

"Looks like she doesn't want to talk to you," he pointed out in the same manner.

"Jess, take Shelby and go," Luke told his nephew, firmly, nodding towards the door.

"Okay," Jess nodded. He then led Shelby over to the door, turning around to add one last smug comment. "Oh, and while you're here, bitching about whatever, make sure you tell Luke about your little threat you gave me the other day."

Luke perked up at that. He stared from Jess over to Rachel. "You threatened my nephew?"

"I didn't threaten him," she said.

"Really," Jess questioned, "because it sure sounded like one."

Rachel looked up from where she was staring at the floor. "You said the same thing," she reminded him.

He shrugged, "Technically, I was speaking out of defense. Plus, for another few weeks, I'm still in a minor. In fact, I probably could have yelled, I need an adult." Jess was enjoying himself by this point.

"Knock it off, Jess," Luke told him before asking Rachel, "what did you say?"

"I told him if he does anything to hurt our daughter, I'd make sure his life would be unpleasant."

Luke couldn't believe what he just heard. "What?" He stared directly at her.

"I didn't mean I'd do anything to him. I just meant I'd call the police," she corrected him. "Not sure what he meant when he said it, though."

"It doesn't matter, Rachel. You had no right to threaten my nephew," Luke spat at her. He was beyond furious by what she had done.

"I can't believe you're still letting him live here," she argued. "I know you're stubborn and all, but this isn't a risk you should be willing to take."