The Path to Sunshine Cove (Cape Sanctuary #2) - RaeAnne Thayne Page 0,44

a hotel with you. Maybe they even have a pool.”

“You get to have fun with your auntie Jess,” Jess said. “Maybe we can pack our own picnic and go to a park nearby.”

“Can we stay up past our bedtime?” Ava asked hopefully.

Rachel gave her sister a pointed look.

“Nope,” Jess said. “Sorry, kiddo. We’ll have a great time while of course following all your mom’s rules.”

Ava looked resigned but Rachel could tell she was already trying to figure out how to work around those rules as she headed back to watch her show.

“I am sorry I’m late.” Cody headed in the direction of their bedroom. “Give me five minutes to shower the work stink off and throw a few things into a bag then I’ll be ready to go.”

“I’ve already packed for you. I’ve left clothes on the bed for you to wear on the drive, as well.”

“Great. Then I should be ready in no time.”

He smiled but she could see the hint of annoyance in his eyes. If he didn’t like it when she micromanaged his life, maybe he shouldn’t cut things so close.

When he left, Jess gave her a careful look. “I know you’re going for a clinic appointment but I hope you guys can try to enjoy yourselves.”

So far, they weren’t getting off to the greatest start.

“Are you sure you’re up to this tonight? It’s not too late for me to ask Cody’s mom or one of his sisters. Or Kurt and Jan love having them, too.”

If she hadn’t been paying attention, she might have missed the way Jess’s features tightened slightly at the mention of Rachel’s foster parents, who had stayed close to her all these years.

“We’re going to have a great time.”

“There’s a three-ring binder on the counter that has all the info you should need about their bedtime routine and house rules. I also left several possible healthy meals in the fridge you can choose to give them for dinner.”

“Great. That should make things easy.”

“Grace will be home in about an hour. She has school tomorrow and Ava has preschool in the morning. The addresses and drop-off instructions are listed in the binder.”

“Efficient as always, Rach.”

Rachel knew that was another way of calling her a control freak. Okay. Maybe she was. How else was she supposed to manage the chaos without everything completely falling apart?

Jess could mock all she liked. She was a single, carefree woman who didn’t have to worry about one child’s peanut allergy or another one’s aversion to any food touching another food on her plate.

Jess didn’t know the first thing about having to cope with a child who could have a meltdown at the slightest provocation, usually at the most public, inopportune moment.

“I only want to make things as easy as possible for you.” Her voice sounded stiff, even to her.

“I know. And I appreciate that. You know I have no experience at this kind of thing. I have to admit, I was panicking earlier, afraid I couldn’t handle it. Nate managed to talk me down.”

Nate again. Was something going on between them? She wanted to ask but swallowed the question. She had enough to worry about right now without trying to micromanage her sister’s love life, too.

“You’ll be fine. The girls already love you. They have really been looking forward to having you stay.”

“There you go. We’ll all survive, right?”

“Sure,” she answered with a tight smile as Silas came into the kitchen.

“Eat,” he said. At four months shy of three years old, he could say six words now. Eat, Mama, Dada, drink, yes and no. Both of the girls had been early talkers. Ava, for one, hadn’t stopped talking since she first put sentences together at about eighteen months. Speech was one area Silas needed help. She knew that was a big source of his frustration, when he couldn’t communicate what he needed.

One of many areas.

She sighed and handed him a cheese stick, which he promptly devoured in about ten seconds, before returning to his toys just as Cody came back to the kitchen.

Rachel managed to avoid looking at her watch, just barely.

“That was fast,” Jess said.

“I wouldn’t want to mess up the schedule any more than I already have,” Cody said with a smile that stopped at his mouth.

When was the last time she had seen a genuine smile on his face, at least one aimed at her?

She so desperately missed her husband.

Right now, he seemed farther away than ever. Any hope that they could spend at least a