mean it. Just ask, Ashley.” This time his voice held a note of annoyance.
“Jackie’s therapist just called and wanted to switch his appointment to this afternoon. He goes on Wednesdays. Anyway, I’m in the middle of baking a red velvet cake. The ladies are coming and—”
“You need me to drive him to his appointment?”
“I would be so grateful. I would normally ask Sandra or Karen, but both of them are off in Charleston this week for the South Carolina quilters’ guild meeting. And I’m peeved at the minister right at the moment.”
“Peeved?” She sounded just like Aunt Mary, using that old-fashioned word when pissed-off would have worked just as well.
“Yes. And since Jackie likes you so much, I’m willing to overlook your lapses.”
“Gee, thanks,” he said, but he managed a smile.
* * *
By the time Jessica went home, showered, and dressed for work, it was after noon. She grabbed some lunch and headed into the office.
Exhausted from her fitful night aboard Bachelor’s Delight, she almost wished she hadn’t moved her office downtown. It would have been nice to spend the day lounging around a home office in her pj’s.
Of course, if she moved to Florida, her commute would be much worse. The traffic in Magnolia Harbor could be bad on a summer weekend but not like Miami.
Chalk another point up in the old hometown’s favor.
She settled at her desk and started transcribing notes from the conversation she’d had with Topher during the storm. His house was definitely taking shape, and this time it would be a place filled with light and comfort—a place she’d love to visit.
That stopped her. Was it the house or its owner? She stared down at her first sketch of the house, done in pencil. It didn’t look like a place where a broken man would go to brood.
But Topher wasn’t nearly as broken as he seemed. In fact, it might even be the case that Topher was more whole and complete than she’d ever be.
She focused on the work and was about to transfer her rough sketch into her CAD system when the door to the street opened.
This time more than one set of footsteps came up the stairs, and they didn’t take them two at a time.
“Jessica, are you here?” Granny’s unmistakable voice floated up from the stairwell.
Goodness, the mountain had come to Mohammad, hadn’t it? Jessica had never expected Granny to set foot in her office. Ever.
She pushed up from her desk and met her grandmother at the top of the stairs. Behind Granny, Aunt Donna followed, her face a little red as she climbed.
“I declare,” Donna said. “The next time you lease an office, find one with an elevator.”
Granny strode past Jessica, into the unfinished room. “Well,” she said with an unmistakable sniff, “you haven’t really done much with this place, have you?”
“No, Granny,” Jessica said as she swallowed back her annoyance and moved toward the conference table. “Come on in and make yourself comfortable. I’ve got Cokes and water in the fridge. Can I get y’all something?”
“No,” Granny said in a grumpy tone as she plopped herself down in a chair. “Sit down, Jessica. We need to talk.”
Jessica was tempted to tell Granny to stop issuing orders. It struck her right then that the rebellious girl that had once gotten Colton into trouble hadn’t really disappeared. She hadn’t been reformed. She hadn’t been forgiven. And she hadn’t really forgiven anyone for what had happened to her.
No. That wounded child had only been on vacation. She’d returned, and she was angry.
But Jessica was still in charge of that rebellious spirit. So she didn’t make a scene. She sat down. But not because Granny had ordered her to do so.
Aunt Donna huffed across the room and sat down too, taking out a Kleenex and mopping her slightly damp forehead and upper lip.
“I suppose you are aware that the whole town is talking about you,” Granny said.
Wow, that hadn’t taken any time at all. But Jessica pretended innocence. “I have no idea what you mean. I’ve been busy with—”
“Yes, you obviously have been busy. And I’m sure you know what I’m talking about, so don’t pretend you don’t. You went out to that island with Christopher Martin, and you didn’t come back until the next morning.”
Jessica leveled a defiant gaze at her grandmother. “We went out there to take some measurements and to talk about his project. We were caught in a storm. We decided to anchor overnight. What did you want us to