seat. “Sorry to make you sit in the back. I don’t want to wake Sleeping Beauty and her tiny beast over there.”
Sam grinned, revealing a mouthful of braces. He still had that awkward look that Jack remembered from the last time he’d seen his nephew. The one teens got when they were still growing into their bodies. “Is that the coffee shop lady?”
“Yeah. Emma.”
Sam climbed into the back seat and shut the door behind him. Jack got behind the wheel.
“I remember you flirting with her when I came to visit at Christmas. So she’s your girlfriend now?”
Jack looked at Sam in the rearview mirror. “Where would you get that idea?”
“Mom said you had your girlfriend in the truck and that I shouldn’t wake her.”
Jack focused his gaze forward. If he corrected his nephew, Sam would correct Amanda next time they were on the phone together. For some reason, Jack’s sister said it gave her hope to see him and Emma together. He couldn’t just snatch that hope away from someone who seemed to be in short supply, could he?
Sam stirred quietly in the back seat. “Mom has been seeing someone too, you know.”
“Yeah? Do you like him?” Jack asked.
Sam grunted. “I guess so. He’s the reason I can’t go home once her flu is gone. He wants my mom for himself and probably wants me out of the way.”
Jack wished he could set Sam straight. It wasn’t Jack’s story to tell though. If Amanda wanted Sam to have a carefree summer, then that’s what Jack would give him. “Your mom would never choose a boyfriend over you.”
“Well, she kind of did. Anyway, she’ll still be running my life even with two hours between us. She told me I had to check in with her every day and tell her every detail of what’s going on. So in a way, I guess she’ll be running your life too.”
Jack felt an uneasiness in his stomach. “I wouldn’t be surprised if your mom planted a nanny cam somewhere inside your bags.” He was only half joking. “She doesn’t need to worry. I plan to be on my best behavior.”
He remembered what Amanda had said about Sam trying to get away with things. “And I expect the same from you.”
* * *
Emma was wide awake, even though it was three a.m. That was partly because she’d taken a long nap all the way to pick up Sam and all the way back. She didn’t wake up until Jack nudged her.
“Are we there yet?” she’d asked.
“Been there, got Sam, and came back, Sleeping Beauty,” Jack whispered.
She’d had four hours of sleep, and now she was lying in her bed all out of sorts. She sat up and glanced over at Barnaby, who was sleeping in his dog bed below her window. The little dog was such a force to be reckoned with when he was awake, but once he fell asleep, he was practically in a coma. Must be nice. She draped her legs over the bed with a restless sigh and decided to get up, which was just crazy. This would make for an incredibly long day at the café.
She wandered around her house and thought about cleaning, but nah. She considered turning on the television or maybe reading a book. Then her gaze fell on the box that Jack had brought her yesterday. The one she still hadn’t opened. The one that read JENNY’S THINGS.
She stepped toward it and, without letting herself think, started peeling off the tape that held the lid in place. Inside she saw that there were only a few things that barely filled the box. She reached in and pulled out a bandana with huge, pink magnolia flowers printed all over it. A memory flashed of her mom wearing it. She’d worn a lot of bandanas when she was in treatment, but this was her favorite. Her mom had loved bright colors, and she’d also adored flowers. Emma reached for the next item, a blue and pink jersey tank with white letters that spelled out JENNY on the back.
Emma tried and failed to remember what this was for. Her mom had loved to run. She’d done dozens of 5K races, loving a good cause as much as she did an excuse to put on her running shoes.
Emma ran her fingers over the white letters of her mom’s name. It’d been a while since she’d remembered her mom as healthy, vibrant, and full of energy. Emma’s eyes burned as tears