“I suppose God chose this life for you?” Harriett asked.
Jo saw Chase’s spine straighten, but the kid didn’t get it. He hadn’t caught sight of Harriett’s smirk.
“Yes, ma’am,” he replied with flawless manners and zero irony. “My name is Archie. I’m one of Jackson Dunn’s sons.”
Chase instantly shot forward and leaned over the seat that separated them. “I thought I recognized you! I’m Chase Osborne. I do all the advertising for Little Pigs BBQ.”
“I remember, Mr. Osborne,” Archie said. “I’m a big fan of your work. My father says I owe my trust fund to you. I’ve got first dibs on marketing when my brothers and I join the company. Maybe someday I’ll end up working with you.”
“Call me Chase. If you’re ever interested in seeing how the sausage gets made, just ring me up.”
Harriett snorted with amusement to hear Chase shamelessly sucking up to his future boss.
“I’d love to,” the boy told him, “but I probably have a few more years of school left. I guess you could say I’m taking my time.”
“We offer amazing summer internships.” Chase may have been a mediocre copywriter, but he was a first-class snake oil salesman. “College students from all over the country apply.”
The kid’s big blue eyes appeared in the rearview mirror. “I’m not sure I’d be any competition for them. I don’t have much of a CV yet.”
“No worries,” Chase assured him. “I’m good at spotting raw talent. There’s a place for you if you want it. You can even work your own hours.”
“Thank you, Chase,” Archie said. “I appreciate the opportunity.”
“You totally deserve it,” Harriett added, aiming a wink at Jo.
Chase elbowed her angrily, but the kid hadn’t been listening. He’d pulled the cart up in front of an elegant house made mostly of glass. The structure’s walls framed the ocean like a piece of art. Jo could see all the way through to the beach. They said their goodbyes to Archie and got out of the cart.
“Howdy there!” A red-faced man in a cowboy hat clapped a hand on Chase’s shoulder. The man’s Hawaiian shirt was decorated with red hibiscus flowers and little pink pigs. Only a single button was fastened, as though he’d grown bored while getting dressed. “Did y’all meet my boy Archie?”
Jo would never have made the connection between father and son. In a single generation, the family appeared to have skipped several rungs on the evolutionary ladder.
“I certainly did,” Chase confirmed. “Sounds like he’s interested in the ad world.”
“That right? Must have dropped the poor fucker on his head once too often when he was little.” A pause followed before Jackson howled at his own joke. “Chase, my friend, I’m so glad you could make it. Lemme tell you, son, I just can’t get over that new campaign of yours. Goddamned brilliant. Really pulled a rabbit out of the hat with that one. And Harriett, I sure am happy you’re back again this year. Couldn’t let a genius like this one slip away, could you?”
Chase grimaced nervously as he awaited her answer.
“Yes, well, as you know, he grovels so sweetly,” Harriett said, and the man hooted with glee. “Have you heard I left the advertising business?”
Jo glanced over at her friend. It seemed out of character for Harriett to share personal details with a Neanderthal like Jackson Dunn.
“I believe I did hear something about that.” Jackson’s interest was waning. “What are you doing with yourself these days?”
“I’m a horticulturalist. I specialize in invasive plant species.” Just as Harriett seemed prepared to go on, she stopped abruptly and smacked her forehead. “And apparently I’ve been spending so much time with weeds that I’ve forgotten how to deal with humans. Jackson, I’d like you to meet my friend Jo.”