Friends--And Then Some Read Free

don’t.” Her sharp words bounced back without penetrating his aloof composure. “He won’t be grateful if I can’t find that song.”
    Jake sat on the arm of the sofa and idly flipped through the stack she’d already sorted. He didn’t like the sound of this Texan. He wasn’t sure what he was feeling. Lily was determined to find herself a rich man and, knowing her persistence, Jake thought she probably would. When Lily wanted something, she went after it with unwavering resolve. In his life, there wasn’t anything he cared that much about. Sure, there were things he wanted, but nothing that was worth abandoning the easygoing existence he had now. Lily’s dark-brown eyes had sparkled with eager excitement when she’d told him about the Texan. He’d never seen anyone’s eyes light up that way.
    “Did you get a chance to do any writing today?”
    Jake straightened the tall stack of sheet music and sat upright. “I finished that short story I was telling you about and mailed it off.”
    Lily smiled up at him, her attention diverted for the moment. Jake had talent, but he wasted it on short stories that didn’t sell when he should be concentrating on a novel. That’s where the real money was. “Are you going to let me read this one?” He usually gave her his work to look over, mainly for grammar and spelling errors—Jake was a “creative” speller.
    “Later,” he hedged, not knowing why. He preferred it when Lily had a chance tocorrect his blatant errors, but there was something of himself in this story that he’d held in reserve, not wishing her to see. The interesting part of being a writer was that Jake didn’t always like the people inside him who appeared on paper. Some were light and witty, while others were dark and dangerous. None were like him and yet each one was a part of himself.
    “I know Gram’s got tons more sheet music than this,” Lily mumbled, thoughtfully chewing on her bottom lip. “Do you want to go to the attic with me?”
    “Sure.”
    He followed her up the creaky stairs to the second floor, then moved in front and opened the door that led to another staircase, this one narrower and steeper. Lily tucked her index finger into Jake’s belt loop as the light from the hallway dimmed. They were surrounded by the pitch-black dark, two steps into the attic.
    “Where’s the light?”
    An eerie sensation slowly crept up Lily’s arm and settled in her stomach. The air was still with a stagnant heaviness. “In the center someplace. Jake, I’ll do this tomorrow. It’s creepy up here.”
    “We’re here now,” he argued and half turned, bringing her to his side and loosely taking her by the hand. “Don’t worry, I’ll protect you.”
    “Yeah, that’s what I’m afraid of.” She tried to make light of her apprehensions, and managed to squelch the urge to turn back toward the dim hallway light. Involuntarily she shivered. “Gram’s got some weird stuff up here.”
    “It can’t be any worse than what’s downstairs,” he murmured, and chuckled softly as they edged their way into the black void. He took short steps as he swung his hand out in front of him to prevent a collision with some inanimate object.
    Gradually, Lily’s eyes adjusted to the lack of light. “I think I see the string—to your left there.” She pointed for his benefit and squeezed her eyes half closed for a better view. It didn’t look exactly right, but it could be the light.
    “That’s a hangman’s noose.”
    “Good grief, what’s Gram doing with that?” In some ways, she’d rather not know what treasures Gram had stored up here. The attic was Gram’s territory and Lily hadn’t paid it a visit in years. In truth, Lily didn’t really want to know what her sweetgrandmother was doing with a hangman’s noose.
    “She told me once that her great-grandfather is said to have ridden with Jesse James. The noose might have something to do with that.” As he spoke, Jake’s foot collided with a box