shadows throwing his high cheekbones and strong jaw into sharp relief. The pain of losing his sister showed in the grim lines of his mouth.
“You must miss her terribly. I’m so sorry about your loss.”
“It’s Max who has the greatest burden. A child’s mother is the center of his universe, and losing both her and his dad was devastating. He was hysterical at first, then he simply withdrew—as if his emotions were just…gone. The counselor said it happened because he couldn’t deal with the pain.”
“That sure doesn’t seem surprising when you say it like that.”
His expression darkened. “Things might have been a little easier, but then my fiancée walked out—she said she just couldn’t cope with all the drama orwith the prospect of being an instant mom for a five-year-old.”
Erin snorted indignantly. “How shallow was that? She didn’t deserve either one of you.”
“Maybe, but the breakup happened at a very bad time—when Max could’ve used her love and attention.” He gave a short laugh. “I already knew that if something was an inconvenience, she didn’t bother, but until Janie’s death everything else had been minor.”
He drove in silence, taking several tight turns with his full attention on the snowpacked highway, then settled back and relaxed behind the wheel when the terrain opened up into a small meadow on the edge of Lost Falls. “After that fiasco, it’ll be a long time before I’m ready to try anything serious again. How about you?”
“I was close a couple times, but it just never seemed right. The first time, we were awfully young, too young for that kind of commitment. A person can change so much in their early twenties.” She smiled and gave a little shrug. “And sometimes not enough. And later, another boyfriend and I realized that we were settling for ‘available’ and not ‘soul mate,’ and that has definitely dimmed my enthusiasm for trying again. I’d rather just have my independence.”
He cut a glance at her, the laugh lines at the corners of his eyes deepening. “Dimmed enthusiasm. That makes your future prospects sound sort of grim.”
“Think about it. You date someone for what—six months, a year, maybe two? And you think you know them. Or worse, some people even live together, thinking it’s a true test. But it isn’t, because everyone is still on their best behavior, knowing they could lose out if they aren’t careful.” She took a deep breath. “But then you get married and the masks come off. And what then?”
“Happily-ever-after wedded bliss?” Jack winked at her. “My mother assures me that it’s so.”
“She sounds like a sweet lady.”
“And one who wants to see me married off so Max will have a stable home…and she’ll have the prospect of more grandkids. But I’m afraid she’s out of luck.”
Erin laughed. “We are quite the jaded pair.”
“Realistic.”
“And that, too.” They were approaching the turnoff for Millie’s, and Erin motioned him to turn in right in front of the store. “You can just drop me off here. I’ll walk around back and let Charlie out for a while, and then I’ll come over.”
He frowned. “It’s awfully dark back there. I’ll go with you.”
“And leave Max alone in the car? No need.” She opened up the door and hopped out. “See you in an hour or so.”
Still, he backed up a few yards and made a three-point turn so his headlights flooded the front of thecottage out back, and waited until she got inside. Only when she’d flipped on a number of interior lights did she see his headlights swing away.
Charlie whined anxiously from his wire kennel in the laundry room, so she took him out first and let him loose in the fenced yard. He raced around the perimeter, barking furiously, as if determined to chase any interlopers away, then he disappeared and fell silent—probably after finding one of his giant rawhide chew toys.
She waited for a minute, then shrugged and went
“You must miss her terribly. I’m so sorry about your loss.”
“It’s Max who has the greatest burden. A child’s mother is the center of his universe, and losing both her and his dad was devastating. He was hysterical at first, then he simply withdrew—as if his emotions were just…gone. The counselor said it happened because he couldn’t deal with the pain.”
“That sure doesn’t seem surprising when you say it like that.”
His expression darkened. “Things might have been a little easier, but then my fiancée walked out—she said she just couldn’t cope with all the drama orwith the prospect of being an instant mom for a five-year-old.”
Erin snorted indignantly. “How shallow was that? She didn’t deserve either one of you.”
“Maybe, but the breakup happened at a very bad time—when Max could’ve used her love and attention.” He gave a short laugh. “I already knew that if something was an inconvenience, she didn’t bother, but until Janie’s death everything else had been minor.”
He drove in silence, taking several tight turns with his full attention on the snowpacked highway, then settled back and relaxed behind the wheel when the terrain opened up into a small meadow on the edge of Lost Falls. “After that fiasco, it’ll be a long time before I’m ready to try anything serious again. How about you?”
“I was close a couple times, but it just never seemed right. The first time, we were awfully young, too young for that kind of commitment. A person can change so much in their early twenties.” She smiled and gave a little shrug. “And sometimes not enough. And later, another boyfriend and I realized that we were settling for ‘available’ and not ‘soul mate,’ and that has definitely dimmed my enthusiasm for trying again. I’d rather just have my independence.”
He cut a glance at her, the laugh lines at the corners of his eyes deepening. “Dimmed enthusiasm. That makes your future prospects sound sort of grim.”
“Think about it. You date someone for what—six months, a year, maybe two? And you think you know them. Or worse, some people even live together, thinking it’s a true test. But it isn’t, because everyone is still on their best behavior, knowing they could lose out if they aren’t careful.” She took a deep breath. “But then you get married and the masks come off. And what then?”
“Happily-ever-after wedded bliss?” Jack winked at her. “My mother assures me that it’s so.”
“She sounds like a sweet lady.”
“And one who wants to see me married off so Max will have a stable home…and she’ll have the prospect of more grandkids. But I’m afraid she’s out of luck.”
Erin laughed. “We are quite the jaded pair.”
“Realistic.”
“And that, too.” They were approaching the turnoff for Millie’s, and Erin motioned him to turn in right in front of the store. “You can just drop me off here. I’ll walk around back and let Charlie out for a while, and then I’ll come over.”
He frowned. “It’s awfully dark back there. I’ll go with you.”
“And leave Max alone in the car? No need.” She opened up the door and hopped out. “See you in an hour or so.”
Still, he backed up a few yards and made a three-point turn so his headlights flooded the front of thecottage out back, and waited until she got inside. Only when she’d flipped on a number of interior lights did she see his headlights swing away.
Charlie whined anxiously from his wire kennel in the laundry room, so she took him out first and let him loose in the fenced yard. He raced around the perimeter, barking furiously, as if determined to chase any interlopers away, then he disappeared and fell silent—probably after finding one of his giant rawhide chew toys.
She waited for a minute, then shrugged and went
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