Kindred Spirit - Noah Harris Page 0,9

about how big you are like you’re the turkey set down for Thanksgiving.”

There was a twinkle in her eyes that did nothing to ease Jacob’s nervousness. He couldn’t prove it, but he was pretty sure she was evaluating him, and he was quickly trying to figure out how to avoid any more of her attention. While he didn’t want to stereotype a small town, he wasn’t so intent on having everyone know that he hadn’t been with the fairer sex since his fumbling teenage years. It was only a few years later, with his first boyfriend, that he learned sex could be both not awkward and amazing.

“And I never got your name either. Good Lord, my mother would have my head on a platter if she could see how rude I’m being right now,” Laura proclaimed.

Jacob held up the basket. “Not quite sure what’s in here, but I think it proves you’re not being rude at all. And it’s Jacob, Jacob Reese.”

According to his debriefing email, it was better to keep his name as similar to his own as possible. Gilcreek was his first covert assignment, and it was better to stick to the truth as much as possible without actually giving anything away. There had been a novel’s worth of information in the debriefing file, and despite having spent a week in Gilcreek, he still hadn’t finished it.

“Well, welcome to Gilcreek, Jacob! Don’t know how long you’re planning on being here, but so long as you’re here, you just let me know if there’s anything you need. I run what you might call the general store over on Oak Street. We got everything you need, and once you’re done, you can hop on over to the diner across the street. It might not be what you’re used to, but the pie is absolutely to die for.”

“Well, I can only say thank you. Wasn’t expecting a welcome party,” Jacob admitted, jostling the basket for emphasis.

She waved him off. “Oh, it’s not much, just a few things to keep you while you’re settling in. Don’t be surprised if you find more people popping in to say hello or see how you’re doing. I know it can be a little intimidating, being surrounded by people who know each other, but we’re a friendly lot.”

“Well, if they’re anything like you, I’m sure I won’t have any problems.”

“Oh, you flatterer you. That sort of attitude will get you far in Gilcreek.”

“I’ll keep that in mind.”

Laura reached out and patted his elbow. “Well, I won’t take up any more of your time today. I’m sure you got plenty you want to get to before the night is out. Plus, if I’m not back soon, the whole store might burn to the ground. Got one of the local kids watching the place, and I’m not so sure he knows his head from his ass, let alone if he can run the register. God preserve me, but you gotta do right by people, and his mama was good friends with mine, so you do what you gotta do.”

“I might know a few things about that,” Jacob said, hoping he didn’t have to elaborate.

“Don’t we all? Well, you take care, and don’t forget about those pies at the diner, they’re divine. I should know, they’re my mama’s recipe,” Laura said with a chuckle.

Jacob waved her off, hoping his smile was genuine rather than the bemused one he felt coming. It wasn’t like he hadn’t heard that small towns could be as friendly as they could be xenophobic. Yet he hadn’t expected a woman with the lung capacity of a whale to show up on his temporary doorstep, talk his ear off, and shove a basket of goods into his arms before taking off.

He set it down on the bedside table and opened the top. Jacob let out a little laugh at the assortment of goods stuffed into it. There were small bottles of shampoo and body wash in a Ziploc bag, fruit snacks, beef jerky, various kinds of candy bars, and several assortments of chips. It looked like she had gone up and down the aisles of her store, grabbing anything she could think of before chucking it into the basket and bringing it over to him.

“It’s the thought that counts,” he said with a grin, grabbing a packet of beef jerky.

Jacob bit into the dried meat as he flopped down onto the bed. He gave a grunt of surprise at the taste, turning the packaging over to

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