“You know what? I think if you told your dad that it makes you feel better to come here, he wouldn’t have such a hard time with it.”
“But he gets this kind of weird look on his face whenever he hears my mom’s name. I hate to bring it up.”
Jessica put her hand on his shoulder. “You’ve come a long way over the last several months, and I think your dad has too. You might give it a try when he gets back. For right now, though, your grandma is sick with worry, and I think we need to let her know you’re all right.”
“Yeah, you’re right. I didn’t mean to upset her.”
“I know you didn’t mean to, but she could use an apology.”
He nodded, and they walked together back to the car. She handed him the granola bars, which he ate while they drove.
When they reached Jean’s house, the front room lights were ablaze, and the door flew open as soon as Jessica cut the engine. Jean stood in the doorway in her housecoat, and she held out her arms as Jake walked up the porch steps.
“I’m sorry I scared you, Granny,” he said, his voice muffled by her hug. “I went to the cemetery to see Mom.”
“You did? In the middle of the night?”
“I didn’t know if you’d let me go there.”
She searched his eyes. “Of course I’d let you go there. Any time you want. But please, don’t run off again—you’re all I have left of your mother, Jake. I worry about you like . . . like I don’t think you could even understand.”
“I’m sorry, Granny. I really am.”
Jessica stood in the shadows on the sidewalk, thinking that she’d just leave and let them talk things through in private, but Jean caught sight of her. “Jessica! Thank you so much for finding him. This means everything to me. Just everything.”
“I’m glad I was able to help.” She paused, a sudden thought coming to her. “Do you have any old pictures of Amy, things Jake might not have seen before? I think he needs to feel a little more connected to her.”
“Oh, I’ve got boxes,” Jean said. “That’s one good thing about being a packrat. Yes, it takes up a ton of room in my attic, but I have memories to last lifetimes. You can help me find those boxes in the morning, Jake. For right now, how about some hot cocoa and then going back to bed?”
He nodded. “Sounds good.”
“Can I make you some cocoa, Jessica?”
She loved chocolate, but at that point, she loved her bed more. “I’ll take a rain check. Get some sleep, both of you.”
When she reached her house, she didn’t bother to change back into her pajamas. She just kicked off her shoes and flopped into bed, sleep overtaking her almost as soon as she closed her eyes. Intense dreaming followed by a jolting wake-up call followed by playing search and rescue . . . a very exhausting combination.
***
“Wait, Jean. Slow down.” Kent strained to hear his mother-in-law over the bad phone connection. “Jake ran off? Did you find him?”
“Jessica found him, and he’s fine. But you need to have a long talk with your son, Kent. He needs to hear more from you about his mother.”
Kent pulled in a deep breath. “I thought I was doing better about that.”
“You have been, but he needs just a little bit more. We’ll talk later—I know these long-distance calls are expensive. I just didn’t want you getting caught off guard when you got back.”
“Thanks. And that gives me time to think about what I want to say, too.”
Kent hung up the payphone and walked outside to climb back aboard the tour bus. He and Billy had polished up two songs, but the third one just wasn’t coming together. He only had one more day before he went back to Texas, and he was feeling the pressure to be brilliant. With this news about Jake, though, he didn’t know if he’d be able to pull it off.
“Everything okay?” Billy asked, looking up from his newspaper.
Kent had been pleasantly surprised to find that Billy was just as human as the next guy, even though he had multiple platinum albums. When Billy asked how he was, he knew the question was genuine. “My son’s been having a hard time missing his mom lately. She died a year and a half ago, and apparently, I’ve been a little too closed-mouthed about it.” He sat down on one of the bench seats across from Billy. “I’ve been protecting my heart, but at the same time, I’ve been walling off his. No one gives lessons in this, you know. They don’t teach you how to help your child grieve.”
Billy nodded. “And there it is.”
Kent blinked. “What?”
“There’s the third song. Take that emotion and run with it. Tell your son everything you want him to know. And when you’re done, I’d be honored to sing it.”
“You would?”
“There’s nothing more important than family connections, and when you can get something like that put into a song, it’s magic. Why don’t you work on that for a while and see where it leads? We’ve got some hours yet before we stop for the night.”
Kent nodded and reached for his notebook. He could do that.
Chapter Nine
Jessica had just walked into her house, her arms full of grocery bags, when her phone rang. She set everything down on the kitchen table and grabbed it before whoever it was hung up.
“Hello?”
“Hey there.” Kent’s voice filled the earpiece, and she smiled.
“Hey. How are you?”
“I’m great because I’m home now. I picked Jake up on my way from the airport, and he’s been talking my ear off about the time he spent out at the McClains’. Says he can’t wait to go back next week. Thanks again for taking him.”
“It was my pleasure, honestly. So, how was the trip?”
Kent exhaled. “It felt longer than it really was, but I’m really pleased with everything we accomplished. We wrote three songs—I’ve never written three songs so fast in my life, but Billy was great and really helped move things along. He’s a talented guy.”
“I’m glad it went so well.”
“Yeah. So . . .” The line went silent for a moment. “I told you that I’d want to ask you out when I got home.”
“Yep, you sure did.”
“And I’m home now.”
“Yep, you sure are.”
“So . . . do you want to go out?”
“You’ve been home what . . . five minutes? Have you even set your suitcases down yet?”
“Nope. I’m holding them while we talk.” He chuckled. “Yes, calling you is the first thing I did when I walked through the door. I didn’t realize how much I was going to miss you.”
Aww. That was beyond sweet. “I missed you too,” she said softly. “And yes, I’d love to go out, but you need to spend tonight with Jake. We can wait until tomorrow.”
“You’re right. Tomorrow would be a lot better.” He paused again. “Jake’s out of earshot right now. Tell me what happened when he ran off the other night.”
“I’m not sure what Jean’s already told you.”
“Just tell me everything. Doesn’t matter if it’s a repeat.”
She gave him an abbreviated version, hoping he wouldn’t ask too many questions about how she knew to look at the cemetery. “He said you don’t like to go to the cemetery because it hurts.”
He exhaled, which sounded like a puff through the phone. “It does hurt, but I didn’t realize it was hurting him not to go.”
“Everyone deals with grief differently.”
“Yeah, I’m seeing that. I thought he’d react the way I do, but turns out, I haven’t been paying enough attention to know what his reactions actually are. Thanks, Jessica. I’ll talk to him tonight and we’ll get some things figured out. And then tomorrow, dinner.”
“Sounds great. I can’t wait to see you.” She wondered if that was a little too eager.
“Me neither,” he responded immediately, so she guessed she wasn’t the only eager one.
***
Kent stood in the doorway of a darkened bedroom. The light from the hall behind
him illuminated the floor just enough so he could see where to step as he crossed the floor. He bent down and kissed his sleeping son’s forehead, then pulled the covers up to the boy’s chin and left the room.
He went into the living room and sat down in the chair by the fireplace, then reached into his pocket and pulled out a wedding band. He turned it over in his hands several times, studying it, and then he stood and placed it in a small wooden chest on the mantel. Then he picked his guitar, sat down again, and started to play.
***
Kent wiped his hands on the legs of his jeans as he waited for Jessica to answer her door. He couldn’t remember the last time he’d been this nervous . . . okay, he could. It had been his first date with Amy. Apparently, he and first dates didn’t get along very well.
Jessica answered the door and grinned. “Hey there. I was starting to think you weren’t coming.”
“What do you mean? I’m only about two minutes late.”
“Exactly. Do you know how long two minutes is when I’m hungry?” She reached out, took him by the wrist, and tugged him inside. “I just need to grab my shoes.”
He looked around her living room while she disappeared down the hall. It was a lot like he’d envisioned her house would look—practical, but with a homey touch here and there. It was almost meticulously clean. He supposed it would be easy to keep things this clean when there was only one person living here.
She came back wearing shoes and carrying a purse. “Okay! I’m ready!” She walked past him as if to open the door, but he put out a hand and touched her elbow. She turned to him, a curious look on her face.
“Come here,” he said softly, and she grinned, taking a step his direction.
He wrapped his arms around her waist, and she rested her head on his shoulder. It felt so good to hold her in his arms—he hadn’t realized how empty his arms had felt until she was there to fill them up. He could have stayed that way forever, but then he remembered that she was hungry. “Shall we go?” he said into her hair.
“I don’t know. I’m kind of comfortable.”
“Me too, but if you pass out, I can’t have that on my conscience.”
She leaned back and smiled up into his face. “All right, I suppose I could let you feed me. I mean, if you must.”
“Yes, I must. How’s Italian?”
“Perfect.”
Kent couldn’t help himself—as he drove, he reached over to take her hand. It was like he suddenly couldn’t stop touching her. He hoped he wasn’t coming across as creepy—it just felt so good to have that contact.
“How did your talk with Jake go last night?”
“It was hard, but it was good,” he replied. “We talked for probably two hours, more than we ever have before, and he told me about some stuff Jean has in her attic that she showed him. Amy’s yearbooks, some of her favorite toys from when she was little, stuff like that. So I pulled down a box of things that I’ve held on to, and we looked at them together. By the time he went to bed, we were both worn out and had cried a million tears, but it was exactly what we needed.”
She squeezed his hand. “I’m sorry it was so rough on you.”
“Sometimes things have to be rough in order to get better. I think Jake and I are finally to the point where we’re both ready to move on at the same time. In fact, he told me that he thought I should start dating again.”
“Wow. That’s a pretty brave thing for a kid to say.”
“It really is. I didn’t tell him you and I had already set this up—I let him think it was his idea.”
“And what did he say when you told him you were going out?”
“He was pretty happy about it. He said I chose the right woman to ask.”
Jessica grinned. “I have to agree. Is he with Jean tonight?”
“Yeah. She’s pretty glad we’re going out too. I think she took a shine to you this last week.”
“And I did to her. She’s quite the woman—she had a ton of great things to say about you.”
Kent pulled the car into the parking lot of the restaurant. “I’m sure I didn’t deserve them.”
“Oh, I’m sure you did.”
It was hard for Kent to concentrate during the meal. He was becoming aware of thoughts and feelings he hadn’t experienced for a long time—things like being aware of Jessica’s every movement, how she flicked her hair over her shoulder when it fell forward, how she held her fork, how little lines around her eyes crinkled when she laughed. All his senses were on high alert for some reason, and it was both enjoyable and uncomfortable. It might have been easier to relax if he wasn’t so very attuned to her every breath.
When they were finished eating, he asked if she’d like to take a walk, and she agreed. He took her hand as they strolled along, feeling the way her fingers curled into his as though they belonged there.
“Are you all right?” she asked. “You seem a little on edge.”
“I think I am, but it’s not you—it’s me,” he replied. “I made a decision last night that seems to have turned everything on its head.”
“Oh? What was it?”
“I took off my wedding ring six months after Amy passed, but I’ve been carrying it in my pocket. Last night, I put it up for safe keeping, and now . . .”
She tilted her head. “Now?”
“It’s like I’ve given myself permission to start having feelings again.” They paused under a streetlight. “You’re an amazing woman, Jessica, and I want to get to know you better. I want to take you on more walks and eat more meals together and hold your hand . . . and maybe even kiss you.”
“Maybe even kiss me? My goodness. You certainly are getting gutsy, aren’t you?” She grinned, then took a step closer. “I think kissing could definitely happen.”
He didn’t hesitate. He bent down and kissed her, feeling the softness of her lips against his. He’d never imagined that he’d ever kiss anyone but Amy for the rest of his life, and when Amy died, he thought that meant he’d be alone—no one could replace her. But that kiss . . . that kiss seemed to open up a whole slew of new possibilities.
When he pulled back, he smiled as he looked down into Jessica’s eyes. “Not bad.”
“Not bad? I’ll have you know, that was downright fantastic.” She took his hand again. “Now, tell me all about your trip while I try to get my heartbeat back under control.”
They started walking again, just strolling, not going anywhere in particular. “It was crazy. When I landed in Kentucky, a car was waiting for me, and it took me out to the concert venue where Billy was performing that night. I hung out backstage until the concert was over, and then I got to ride with him on his bus to the next venue. During that time, we tossed around ideas and came up with some rough drafts, and then we smoothed them out. Every night was a different concert in a different place, and I got a better feel for his style and what he was looking for. It was a great learning opportunity for me, as well as a career launcher.”
“That sounds like so much fun—but hard work, too.”
“Yeah, a lot of brain power went into it, and not a lot of sleep. My boss at the accounting firm was good to give me the week off, but I’m due back in tomorrow, and I hope I’m not too worn out to do a good job.”
“Are you going to stay with accounting, then?”
“For a while, at least. It takes time for things to kick into gear with songwriting—the money staggers in rather than showing up regularly.”
“That must be a frustrating way to live.”
“Yes, but it’s exhilarating like nothing else. When I heard Billy singing one of my songs, I got goose bumps. One of the greatest country artists in the world was singing something I wrote. I can’t even explain what that was like.”
She squeezed his hand. “I’m so proud of you. Should we turn back? Sounds like you need to get some sleep.”
“I’d rather keep walking with you, but you’re right. I do need some sleep.”
They headed back to the car, and Ke
nt held on to her hand the whole way. He didn’t want to let go, not even for a moment, but it was hard to climb into his seat that way, so he did let her go long enough for them to get settled and buckled.
“Jake’s supposed to go back out to the ranch tomorrow,” Jessica said. “Would you like me to give him a ride, since you’ll be at work?”
“Sure you don’t mind?”
“Not at all.”
“Then yes, please. I’d appreciate that.” He glanced over at her as the car waited at a red light, unable to believe just how blessed he was to have her in his life.
Chapter Ten
“Hey, Jessica. How are you tonight?”
Jessica grinned and leaned on the counter, tucking the phone between her shoulder and her ear. “I’m fine. How are you?”
“Tired of being an accountant. Waiting to get rich and famous so I can write full time.”
“You’ve had a taste of the high life, and now you want more of it?”
“Something like that. So, I wondered if you’d be free for lunch tomorrow. They’re having the carpets cleaned at the office, so they’ve given us the afternoon off.”
“I’d love to go to lunch, but I have a doctor’s appointment.”
“You do? Are you all right?”
Jessica was touched by the concern in his voice. “I’m fine. I’ve just been having some headaches, and it’s taken me a little while to get in to be seen.”
“Do you want me to drive you?”
That was a sweet offer, but if he drove her, he might find out a little more about her condition than she really wanted him to know. She planned to tell him about the dreams eventually, but that wasn’t something you just sprang on a person at the start of your relationship. “I don’t think they’re going to do anything to me that would make it unsafe for me to drive, but if I’m wrong and I end up stranded, I’ll let you know.” With six sisters, the chances of her not being able to find a ride were pretty slim, but she’d leave the door open for it just in case.
“All right. Let me know if there’s anything I can do.”
Jessica (Seven Sisters Book 2) Page 6
