hand, and they headed off for the dining room.
The second night’s Seder was no less elaborate than the first. Ava and Dan had invited many of their friends and neighbors in addition to the family, and there wasn’t an inch to spare at any of the tables. Josie watched her parents fondly as they led the group in the prayers and rituals that had been practiced for so many years. It was good to be a part of a family, especially one that loved and respected each other the way hers did. She knew many families who had constant strife. She was lucky.
She looked over at Jack’s parents, already so much a part of her family. Francine nodded thoughtfully at something Jack was saying, and Ben amused the children with a magic trick. Jack favored his parents’ easy manner and sense of humor. He was as much their son as he could have been had he been born to them instead of adopted. Francine had often remarked Josie was like the daughter she’d never been able to have. What would Jack’s mother say about Jack and Josie being in love?
“Psst.” Seth got Josie’s attention. “Can you be Elijah tonight?”
Josie smiled at her brother. “Pressure too much for you?”
He returned the grin. “No, but I think Sam’s on to me. He won’t suspect you.”
“Sure.” While the rest of the horde was engaged in eating and talking, Josie excused herself quietly and went to the garage where the Elijah costume was kept.
As she pulled on the long brown robe, the garage door opened. Expecting to see one of the children, Josie turned, but it was Jack. “You scared me!”
“Sorry.” He didn’t sound sorry. “I saw you sneak away. I thought I’d come see what you were up to.”
“Seth asked me to be Elijah. Help me get this wig on.”
“You’d better hurry,” Jack said. “They’re going to open the door in about three minutes.”
“Oops!” Giggling, Josie scrambled into the wig and beard, then ducked out through the door to the outside. She ran around the front walk toward the door they’d be opening as part of the Seder ritual.
She peeked in through the dining room windows and waited for her father to get up to open the door. Dan was still talking. She had a few minutes to spare.
“Josie, wait a minute. I want to talk to you.”
She turned, not certain what to expect, but stunned to see the look on Jack’s face. “What’s wrong?”
He looked like he’d just seen a ghost. In the small golden squares of light spilling from the dining room windows, Jack’s skin had a decidedly paler cast to it than normal. Josie stepped toward him.
“Jack?”
His eyes cut to the windows, where her dad was still talking. “I love you.”
“I love you, too.” Unease settled in the pit of her stomach. “Why do I feel a ‘but’ coming on?”
“No but.” Now he gave her the grin she was used to, though it shone at half-wattage. He ran a hand over his head and bit at his lower lip. “Josie…”
She’d never seen him at such a loss for words. Josie pulled off the wig and beard and clutched them in her hand. She waited for him to speak.
“This isn’t the right time.” He looked back toward the house. “I’m an idiot, Josie. I’m sorry.”
Nervousness made her snappish. “What the hell is going on, Jack? What’s the matter? Oh, God.” She swallowed. “You came out here to tell me you don’t want to be with me any more, didn’t you?”
“No!” Jack’s voice was loud enough to be heard inside, if anyone was listening. “Of course not!”
“Then what?” Belligerently, Josie put her hands on her hips. “I hate when you do this to me, Jack!”
She’d put him on the defensive. “Do what?”
She waved her hands. “This! How you always manage to sneak in some heavy-duty news at the wrong time, so you don’t have to tell me the truth right away! Like when you crashed my car, and you tried to tell me just before I was going in for that important job interview.”
“That was one time.”
She narrowed her eyes at him. “If you’ve got something to say to me, Jacob Gold, you’d better say it now, before that door opens and I become Elijah.”
Jack took a deep breath. “I didn’t want it to be like this.”
“Jack,” she began warningly.
He stunned her into utter silence when he went to one knee in front of her and took her hand. The dark velvet