hundred-fifty-pound guard dog running alongside you,” Nina said on a laugh. “And when my new puppy gets bigger, I’ll have two. Wanna coffee?”
“No, actually, I was looking for Emma. Is she here?” he asked.
“Nope, haven’t seen her. I’m not sure where she is,” Nina said as she stood on the other side of the counter from him. She shifted back and forth on her feet, no longer making eye contact. Instead, she was looking past him at the tables in the café, all of which were occupied. It was a busy afternoon here.
“I see. Well, she’s not answering her phone either,” Jack said. “I’m starting to get a little worried about her.”
“She’s probably wiped out after the event. I’m sure she’s fine. Her phone’s probably just turned off. She’s probably resting somewhere.” Nina spoke quickly, her sentences jumbling together as if she’d drank one too many caffeinated beverages. She also wore an exaggerated smile, which made Jack wonder if she was hiding something.
“Uncle Jack, can I catch a ride with you?”
Jack looked at Sam. “I don’t know, bud. It’s pretty busy in here.”
“It’s okay. I can spare him,” Nina said. “Our newest employee, Diana, has offered to stay tonight.”
“Diana? That’s great to hear,” Jack said.
“It is.” Nina looked at Sam. “So you are free to go be a teenager.”
Jack turned to his nephew. “All right then. I’ll drive you back to the house.”
Sam grabbed his skateboard from under the counter and hurried to catch up to Jack as he headed to the door.
“Did you talk to Mom?” Sam wanted to know as soon as they were on the sidewalk.
“I did.” Jack clicked his key fob as they reached the parking lot, and his truck honked in response.
They climbed in, and Jack pulled onto Main Street.
“And?” Sam asked, his voice a little shaky on the end.
“And she said staying in Sweetwater Springs awhile sounded like a good idea. If you still want to stay, that is.”
“Yeah. Yeah, I really do.”
“Anything to do with that girl I saw you watching at the event?” Jack asked, teasing him.
Sam flushed a little. “I just like it here, that’s all. And the girls are prettier in Sweetwater Springs.”
“Yeah?” Jack asked on a chuckle. “I always thought so too. It’s a good place to grow up.”
“I’m practically grown already,” Sam claimed.
“Yeah, but you’re still a kid too. Enjoy it while you can. Being a grown-up isn’t easy,” Jack warned.
“Neither is being a teenager,” Sam said.
Jack looked over and laughed. “Well, everything is easier when you have your family around. I’m glad you and your mom are going to stay. Whatever comes, we can tackle it together.”
Sam frowned a touch. “Are you and Emma fighting?”
Jack looked over at him. “No, why?”
“Well, she was in the back room when we were just there. I overheard her talking to Nina. She didn’t want to see you for some reason.”
“She was there?” Jack asked.
Sam nodded. “I’m not sure why, but she didn’t seem happy to see you.” Sam frowned. “What’d you do, Uncle Jack?”
Jack focused on the road. “I don’t know,” he told his nephew, even though he had a sneaking suspicion. Last time he’d seen Emma, he’d accidentally told her he loved her. And now she was avoiding him. That spoke volumes. When you told a woman you loved her and she suddenly disappeared, that could only mean one thing: She didn’t love him back.
Chapter Twenty-Four
Emma stared at the text on her phone later that night.
Can we talk?
She didn’t know what to say. It was time to break up with him. What choice did she have? If she told him the truth, he’d just minimize her fears, but they were big and they were real. She had a dead grandmother and mother to prove it.
I’m tired, she texted back. Let’s talk tomorrow.
And maybe by then she’d have figured out what to say to him to end things.
I’m not leaving until we speak face to face and I know you’re okay. I guess I’ll just sleep in my truck tonight.
Emma sat up in bed. Was he in her driveway? She hurried to the window, careful not to wake her sleeping dog, and peeked out. Jack must have seen her because he flashed the truck lights at her.
Emma stepped back from the window, her heart suddenly racing. She wasn’t ready to face him tonight. All she wanted to do was step into his arms and beg him to tell her again that he loved her. She wanted to say those words