Chapter 73

“Gideon, maybe you should explain everything to her while I talk to Jonah.”

Explaining things to Michelle looked like the last thing Gideon wanted to do, but he caught her eye and jerked his head toward the living room. “Come on. Think of this as Christmas. I’m about to give you even more reason to despise me.”

They left, but the slightly panicked look in Jonah’s eye meant Jesse hadn’t actually made him feel any better. David wasn’t moving from where he stood behind Jonah, either.

“Look,” Jonah said. “I meant what I said. You’ve got more important things to worry about than me. I promise I’m only going to do what you say from now on.”

“I know you meant what you said,” Jesse said softly. “Why don’t we go into the library for a few minutes?”

Jonah still seemed unsure. “What about David?”

“I’d like to speak with you alone.” He looked over Jonah’s shoulder. “You don’t mind waiting out here, do you?”