Kindred Spirit - Noah Harris Page 0,24
Jacob snorted, finally getting a grip with his other hand. “Do me a favor and make sure nothing’s underneath me, would you?”
“Coast is clear.”
Taking Levi’s words as truth, Jacob looked down and released his grip on the house. It wasn’t a large drop, and he crouched as he hit the ground, absorbing the brief shock. He rubbed the bit of grime and dirt from the roof onto his pants leg.
Levi leaned into his view, eyes wide. “You sure you’re okay?”
Jacob chuckled. “It wasn’t even a full story drop. I’m okay.”
“Just...used to ladders dropping out from under you?”
“Ladder didn’t really drop, it…” Jacob stopped, frowning down at the ladder. “Moved.”
A shadow crossed over Levi’s worried face. “Moved?”
There was something knowing in Levi’s expression, and Jacob turned his attention to the other man. He could almost picture the wheels spinning behind the man’s bright eyes, and he thought there might even be an ember of anger there too.
“I guess I didn’t secure it enough. It’s okay. Beats the last time I fell off something.”
“When was that?”
“Uh, about four years ago. Helo I was in got clipped, and we had to make an emergency landing. My dumbass wasn’t secured like I was supposed to be, and I tipped right out. Thankfully there was a very convenient cliff that made it a three-story drop instead of a ten-story one.”
And boy oh boy, had he caught hell from his CO as he’d been stitched up.
Levi’s dark expression disappeared under his surprise. “Military?”
Jacob nodded. “Army, got out a few years ago.”
Levi grunted. “Well, that makes a lot of sense.”
“What, because I didn’t look artsy enough for you?” Jacob teased.
Levi cocked his head, apparently unaware of how close he was to Jacob. “Something like that. Or maybe exactly like that. Most of the artists I knew were runners, not weightlifters.”
Jacob snorted. “C’mon, you’re still hanging onto the stereotypes?”
“I mean, stereotypes exist for a reason.”
“Then I’m happy to break them. I’ll keep myself as a big, burly, totally not artsy seeming artist.”
Levi blinked, eyes drifting to Jacob’s arms. “I don’t think you’ll hear any complaints.”
“From anyone specifically?”
His question seemed to drive home just how close Levi had got in his concern for Jacob’s wellbeing. Laughing softly, with a little flush to his cheeks, Levi took a couple of shuffling steps backward and peered up.
“Well, looks like you got the clamps on before disaster struck.”
“More like an accident, not disaster.”
Levi snorted, glancing over his shoulder. “Yeah. Accident.”
Jacob clapped his hands together, knowing he wasn’t going to get the mystery solved anytime soon. “So, what’s next on the list?”
Levi shrugged. “Can’t do much until the cement is set. So I guess we’re done for the day. Should be good to work on tomorrow, though.”
“You want me to come back out with you tomorrow?” Jacob asked.
Levi bent down to collect the ladder. “Uh, do you want to?”
Jacob smiled. “Hey, believe it or not, this was actually really nice.”
Levi frowned at the ladder as he bundled it under one arm. “I think you and I have two very different definitions of nice.”
“Eh, I got to spend some more time with you, which in case you haven’t noticed, I kind of enjoy doing.” True, but it still left Jacob’s stomach squirming with guilt. “And it’s been a little while since I had an excuse to do something. Kind of nice to get some work done, put my body to use on something other than a treadmill or a weight rack.”
Levi shook his head but smiled. “You are an odd one.”
This coming from the man who was often talking to himself when he thought no one else was around to hear him. Jacob wasn’t going to mention that, any more than he was going to mention his suspicion that Levi knew more about the ‘accident’ than he was letting on. It still wasn’t something he could put in a report as being indicative of anything more than a repeat of strange events that always seemed to surround Levi.
Levi stopped, turning to face Jacob, chewing his bottom lip. “So, uh, if you’re going to come out here tomorrow…”
Jacob waited before prodding with a “Yeah?”
Levi shrugged, trying for nonchalant but coming off tense. “If you want, you can come crash at my place. I can get us a pizza, we can watch a movie, maybe have a beer or two. Then we can head back out here first thing in the morning.”
Jacob couldn’t hide his surprise. Considering how Levi had seemed perfectly happy skirting around whatever