looked alarmed. “Your car’s still in the school parking lot? We shouldn’t leave it there over the weekend—I’ll drive over and get it.” He turned for the door and Jenna cleared her throat.
“Dad, wait.” He stopped and turned, his expression expectant. Jenna had hoped not to have to tell them that her car— Adam’s car—had been towed. Adam had restored the old 1960 Jag XK 150 as an undergraduate. It had been his pride and joy, even when he’d become way too sick to drive it. Adam had left her the car in his will and although none of Adam’s family had disputed it, the well-being of the car was well monitored by the entire Llewellyn clan.
“The car’s fine, Dad.” He breathed a sigh of relief. “But the tires were slashed today.”
His whole body tensed. “How?”
Jenna shrugged. “I flunked one of the kids on the football team. It was childish retaliation.” She would keep the threatening note to herself. “Don’t worry, I asked the guys that towed the car to replace the tires with the same kind Adam used.” It would cost her a fortune, but ...Well, it was Adam’s car. And hopefully the insurance would cover most of the cost.
Seth sat next to her on the couch. “I’m not worried about the car.”
Jenna raised a brow. “You are so full of it.”
“Okay,” he amended. “I was a little worried about the car.” Jenna nodded. “Just so we’re square.”
Seth smiled and shook his head. “Such a mouth on you, girl.” His smile faltered. “Such grandchildren the two of you would have made.”
Jenna’s stomach turned upside down. She closed her eyes for a brief moment and reminded herself she was over this. “I’m missing him tonight, Dad,” she whispered.
Seth swallowed. “Me, too, Jenna. That’s why I came to see you. I always feel a little closer to Adam when I’m with you.”
She patted his arm and for the second time that day tried to remember Adam as he’d been when he was healthy. For the second time that day she failed. She pushed herself to her feet, suddenly feeling guilty for having sexual thoughts about Steven Thatcher when she couldn’t even remember Adam’s face clearly. The guilt was irrational. She knew it in her head. But that made no difference to her heart. There was, of course, one primary solution for guilt. “I was going to have ice cream for dinner. Want some?”
“You really need to have better nutrition, Jenna.” Seth stood up. “Butter pecan is my favorite.”
“It’s Rocky Road.”
Seth pushed her hair behind her ear and smiled. Looking into his kind face, so like Adam’s, Jenna finally conjured a mental snapshot of a healthy Adam. Somehow that made her feel better, being able to remember the face of the only man she’d ever loved. Seth cleared his throat. “Like I said, Rocky Road is my favorite.”
Jenna swallowed hard and leaned her forehead against Seth’s shoulder. “I love you, Dad.”
Seth’s arms came around her, hard and strong. “Love you, too, Jenna.” He let go and tilted up her chin. “So tell me about the not-so-young man who’s almost as handsome as me. And please don’t make me go to Mrs. Kasselbaum for all the details.” He leaned forward and whispered, “Don’t tell anyone, but that woman is a terrible gossip.”
Jenna hiccuped a laugh. “Last one to the kitchen has to eat the top layer with all the ice.”
S EVEN
Friday, September 30, 8:30 P.M.
“S TEVEN , YOU NEED TO EAT ,” H ELEN SAID FROM the kitchen doorway.
Steven set his briefcase by the front door and followed his aunt to the kitchen where a single hot plate of food waited. Helen poured herself a cup of coffee and sat in the chair across from him.
“Eat.”
A ghost of a smile pulled at his mouth at the barked command. “Yes’m.” Dutifully he ate while she watched, her eagle eye trained on every bite he put in his mouth.
“You were late tonight,” she observed, her voice gone softer.
He nodded, swallowing. “I had an
“Dad, wait.” He stopped and turned, his expression expectant. Jenna had hoped not to have to tell them that her car— Adam’s car—had been towed. Adam had restored the old 1960 Jag XK 150 as an undergraduate. It had been his pride and joy, even when he’d become way too sick to drive it. Adam had left her the car in his will and although none of Adam’s family had disputed it, the well-being of the car was well monitored by the entire Llewellyn clan.
“The car’s fine, Dad.” He breathed a sigh of relief. “But the tires were slashed today.”
His whole body tensed. “How?”
Jenna shrugged. “I flunked one of the kids on the football team. It was childish retaliation.” She would keep the threatening note to herself. “Don’t worry, I asked the guys that towed the car to replace the tires with the same kind Adam used.” It would cost her a fortune, but ...Well, it was Adam’s car. And hopefully the insurance would cover most of the cost.
Seth sat next to her on the couch. “I’m not worried about the car.”
Jenna raised a brow. “You are so full of it.”
“Okay,” he amended. “I was a little worried about the car.” Jenna nodded. “Just so we’re square.”
Seth smiled and shook his head. “Such a mouth on you, girl.” His smile faltered. “Such grandchildren the two of you would have made.”
Jenna’s stomach turned upside down. She closed her eyes for a brief moment and reminded herself she was over this. “I’m missing him tonight, Dad,” she whispered.
Seth swallowed. “Me, too, Jenna. That’s why I came to see you. I always feel a little closer to Adam when I’m with you.”
She patted his arm and for the second time that day tried to remember Adam as he’d been when he was healthy. For the second time that day she failed. She pushed herself to her feet, suddenly feeling guilty for having sexual thoughts about Steven Thatcher when she couldn’t even remember Adam’s face clearly. The guilt was irrational. She knew it in her head. But that made no difference to her heart. There was, of course, one primary solution for guilt. “I was going to have ice cream for dinner. Want some?”
“You really need to have better nutrition, Jenna.” Seth stood up. “Butter pecan is my favorite.”
“It’s Rocky Road.”
Seth pushed her hair behind her ear and smiled. Looking into his kind face, so like Adam’s, Jenna finally conjured a mental snapshot of a healthy Adam. Somehow that made her feel better, being able to remember the face of the only man she’d ever loved. Seth cleared his throat. “Like I said, Rocky Road is my favorite.”
Jenna swallowed hard and leaned her forehead against Seth’s shoulder. “I love you, Dad.”
Seth’s arms came around her, hard and strong. “Love you, too, Jenna.” He let go and tilted up her chin. “So tell me about the not-so-young man who’s almost as handsome as me. And please don’t make me go to Mrs. Kasselbaum for all the details.” He leaned forward and whispered, “Don’t tell anyone, but that woman is a terrible gossip.”
Jenna hiccuped a laugh. “Last one to the kitchen has to eat the top layer with all the ice.”
S EVEN
Friday, September 30, 8:30 P.M.
“S TEVEN , YOU NEED TO EAT ,” H ELEN SAID FROM the kitchen doorway.
Steven set his briefcase by the front door and followed his aunt to the kitchen where a single hot plate of food waited. Helen poured herself a cup of coffee and sat in the chair across from him.
“Eat.”
A ghost of a smile pulled at his mouth at the barked command. “Yes’m.” Dutifully he ate while she watched, her eagle eye trained on every bite he put in his mouth.
“You were late tonight,” she observed, her voice gone softer.
He nodded, swallowing. “I had an
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