Lib Novel Page 16
Cora longed to tell Ginny there was nothing between them. But a denial would only make her look more guilty, especially when the question hadn’t even been asked.
And if there really was nothing there, then why was she suddenly feeling nervous about meeting his family?
Cora decided that it was just the usual nerves that went along with making a good impression in a new town, and swore she wasn’t going to overthink it as she mentally reviewed her closet for the right outfit to wear.
7
JARED
The next day, Jared was up as early as always.
He ran out to see if there was anything that needed doing on the farm, but things were pretty well handled, as usual in the wintertime. He was finished with his outside tasks in time to help his mother with breakfast.
Derek was already there, washing dishes as fast as Mom could dirty them. He and Jared nodded to each other in greeting.
“You know you don’t have to cook,” Jared told Mom as he put a tray of biscuits in the oven. “There’s going to be so much food later today. We could all just have toast now.”
“I like keeping busy,” Mom said, smiling as she lightly stirred the sausage that was browning in the pan. “Besides, wouldn’t you rather have biscuits and gravy than toast?”
“Yes,” Dad crowed as he came up from downstairs. “I’d rather have biscuits and gravy than anything.”
He jogged over to Mom and kissed her cheek, and, like always, she giggled like a schoolgirl.
Jared smiled and looked away. He used to love it when Mom and Dad were cute like that, but lately it was feeling more and more like a reminder that he’d never have something like that of his own.
He’d never really cared before, but there was something eating at him lately.
It’s because you’re playing house every day with that pretty schoolteacher and her boy…
He didn’t like to admit to himself how much he enjoyed Cora’s company, or the way it felt when Sylvester asked him a string of wild questions and then listened carefully to his answers like he was the smartest man in Trinity Falls.
Maybe he wouldn’t mind being a family man. He never felt restless at Cora’s house. There was plenty to stay busy with, and not just fixing things. And he really liked talking with the two of them.
Plus, Cora was getting more comfortable with him. He could tell. She wasn’t as uptight as he had originally thought, even if she was a teacher. It was mostly just that she was protective over Sylvester because he had asthma.
The pot of poinsettias on the table suddenly caught his eye.
“Hey, Ma,” he said. “Would it be okay for me to put the flowers out on the porch, just for today? I don’t want Sylvester’s allergies acting up.”
“Oh, sure, honey,” Mom said, shrugging. “They’ll be just as pretty out there.”
“Thanks,” he said, grabbing them quickly and heading out of the kitchen, trying to ignore the look his brother was giving him.
It was cold outside, but the sun was bright. He placed the poinsettias on the porch table, and just as Mom had said, they looked gorgeous there.
On his way back in, he noticed a bowl of potpourri on the foyer table. He grabbed it too, and headed back outside.
“No potpourri either?” Derek asked quietly from behind him. He must have followed Jared out.
“Better not to risk it,” Jared said, nodding.
By the time the two of them got back in, their houseguests were awake.
“Smells amazing,” Jane said, leading her toddler, Jackie to the family room, where a few of his toys were waiting for him in a basket.
“How can I help?” Luis asked.
“The food is just about ready to go,” Mom said. “But you can set the table, if you’d like.”