could easily be left behind at a moment’s notice.
He could hear them talking down the hall, mother and son, their voices rising and falling in an easy cadence, but the words were indistinguishable.
Christopher ran back into the living room first, his hair slicked down, his cheeks glowing. Carly had him change into a clean, collared polo shirt tucked into his jeans, and he carried a hooded sweatshirt.
“We’re ready!” Chris announced.
When Carly stepped into the room, Jake sensed that she put a lot of time into trying to downplay her striking looks, perhaps attempting to make herself into a woman who wouldn’t turn a man’s head when she walked into a room, but she had failed miserably. It would be near impossible to disguise her natural, wholesome glow, the grace of her movements, the sparkle in her eyes.
Her long, pale hair gleamed around her shoulders. Glossy pink lipstick echoed the slight tint on her cheeks. She wore the same plain, silver shell earrings as last night. A black turtleneck sweater and jeans completed her outfit. He watched while she scooped up a fleece jacket from a chair near the dining table and the same backpack she’d carried at the ball diamond.
Chris bounded over to him. “How many tacos can you eat, Jake? One time I ate six of ’em.”
“Christopher . . .” Carly waited for them by the door. When she smiled over at him, Jake’s gut tightened.
She flicked the lock on the doorknob, stepped around him and flashed him an uncertain smile. When she brushed by, he inhaled the floral scent of her hair and the image of summer sunshine immediately came to him. He smiled back, and before he knew it, his hand was riding the small of her back as they walked out the door.
Carly paused and looked up over her shoulder. “Are you sure you want to do this?” she asked him softly.
By the time they had walked down the porch steps, Jake wasn’t sure of anything anymore.
13
CASA GRANDE RESTAURANT’S ENCHILADA COMBINATION plate had been Jake’s undoing. Thoroughly stuffed, he leaned back in the banquette and wished he’d had the good sense to order a salad and an à la carte entrée as Carly had, but he knew of no better way to ease his conscience than with carbos and plenty of cheese.
Carly sat opposite him, relaxed but quiet, while Christopher slept on the booth bench beside her. She had volunteered nothing about her life before or after she moved to Twilight Cove. Jake filled the silence by telling them about the walking tour of town he’d taken earlier. Both he and Carly had listened to Christopher’s tall tales of his adventures at school.
The boy seemed bright, happy, and a well-adjusted six-year-old—squirmy, boisterous at times, pleased whenever he held their attention. His self-esteem was definitely high.
Jake watched the busboy clear the table. “I didn’t think he’d be able to eat half that much,” Jake commented.
Carly’s attention had strayed to a place only she knew. When she turned to him again, Jake found himself staring at her lips.
“He was showing off, but he has a pretty healthy appetite. I can’t imagine how much he’ll eat when he’s a teenager.” She brushed Christopher’s blond hair off his forehead, watched it fall back into place again. “Thanks for asking him along. You’ve no idea how much this meant to him.”
Jake was afraid that he did, and the knowledge only added to his guilt. He’d been a kid without a dad twice. He’d lost not one, but two beloved fathers, his own and his step-dad.
“Ready?” Jake asked. At Carly’s nod, he paid the bill in cash, thanked the waiter and slid out of the booth. When he realized she meant to carry Christopher to the car, he stepped closer.
“Let me do that,” he offered.
She hesitated a moment, then allowed him to slip his arms around the boy, who easily drooped like a dead weight over his shoulder. What was nowhere near a burden in his arms only added to the growing weight upon Jake’s
He could hear them talking down the hall, mother and son, their voices rising and falling in an easy cadence, but the words were indistinguishable.
Christopher ran back into the living room first, his hair slicked down, his cheeks glowing. Carly had him change into a clean, collared polo shirt tucked into his jeans, and he carried a hooded sweatshirt.
“We’re ready!” Chris announced.
When Carly stepped into the room, Jake sensed that she put a lot of time into trying to downplay her striking looks, perhaps attempting to make herself into a woman who wouldn’t turn a man’s head when she walked into a room, but she had failed miserably. It would be near impossible to disguise her natural, wholesome glow, the grace of her movements, the sparkle in her eyes.
Her long, pale hair gleamed around her shoulders. Glossy pink lipstick echoed the slight tint on her cheeks. She wore the same plain, silver shell earrings as last night. A black turtleneck sweater and jeans completed her outfit. He watched while she scooped up a fleece jacket from a chair near the dining table and the same backpack she’d carried at the ball diamond.
Chris bounded over to him. “How many tacos can you eat, Jake? One time I ate six of ’em.”
“Christopher . . .” Carly waited for them by the door. When she smiled over at him, Jake’s gut tightened.
She flicked the lock on the doorknob, stepped around him and flashed him an uncertain smile. When she brushed by, he inhaled the floral scent of her hair and the image of summer sunshine immediately came to him. He smiled back, and before he knew it, his hand was riding the small of her back as they walked out the door.
Carly paused and looked up over her shoulder. “Are you sure you want to do this?” she asked him softly.
By the time they had walked down the porch steps, Jake wasn’t sure of anything anymore.
13
CASA GRANDE RESTAURANT’S ENCHILADA COMBINATION plate had been Jake’s undoing. Thoroughly stuffed, he leaned back in the banquette and wished he’d had the good sense to order a salad and an à la carte entrée as Carly had, but he knew of no better way to ease his conscience than with carbos and plenty of cheese.
Carly sat opposite him, relaxed but quiet, while Christopher slept on the booth bench beside her. She had volunteered nothing about her life before or after she moved to Twilight Cove. Jake filled the silence by telling them about the walking tour of town he’d taken earlier. Both he and Carly had listened to Christopher’s tall tales of his adventures at school.
The boy seemed bright, happy, and a well-adjusted six-year-old—squirmy, boisterous at times, pleased whenever he held their attention. His self-esteem was definitely high.
Jake watched the busboy clear the table. “I didn’t think he’d be able to eat half that much,” Jake commented.
Carly’s attention had strayed to a place only she knew. When she turned to him again, Jake found himself staring at her lips.
“He was showing off, but he has a pretty healthy appetite. I can’t imagine how much he’ll eat when he’s a teenager.” She brushed Christopher’s blond hair off his forehead, watched it fall back into place again. “Thanks for asking him along. You’ve no idea how much this meant to him.”
Jake was afraid that he did, and the knowledge only added to his guilt. He’d been a kid without a dad twice. He’d lost not one, but two beloved fathers, his own and his step-dad.
“Ready?” Jake asked. At Carly’s nod, he paid the bill in cash, thanked the waiter and slid out of the booth. When he realized she meant to carry Christopher to the car, he stepped closer.
“Let me do that,” he offered.
She hesitated a moment, then allowed him to slip his arms around the boy, who easily drooped like a dead weight over his shoulder. What was nowhere near a burden in his arms only added to the growing weight upon Jake’s
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