I hadn’t been easy.
I’d probably never be easy.
But she put up with me unconditionally.
Leaning forward, I kissed her temple for the second time today.
Her cheeks warmed with happiness. “What was that for?”
“For being the best mom in the world.”
She smiled wide. “It’s easy when I have the best son in the world.”
“I’m not even close—”
“Hey, we’ve got to push off. Nina has her gymnastic tournament in the morning.” Aunt Cassie stood, brushing burger crumbs off her black dress. “It’s getting late.”
Chip stood too, helping Nina upright and looping his arm around his daughter’s waist as if it was so easy and natural. I found it unnerving to be so close to another. I found it…distressing.
“Okay, no worries. Thanks so much for coming tonight.” Mom caught Aunt Cassie’s hand and kissed her forearm. A random place to kiss someone but Aunt Cassie just smiled, bent over, and kissed Mom on the head.
So much affection.
So much love.
So much to lose.
I shifted uncomfortably in the booth.
I felt eyes on me.
Grandpa John watched me; his forehead furrowed and gaze worried.
What was his deal?
Keeping his stare, I sat taller, daring him to say tonight had been anything but great.
For a second, he challenged me. He stared as deep as he could, ripping at my secrets, tearing at my fears, but then Aunt Cassie ruffled his hair, dragging his attention to her. “I’ll drive you home, Dad. Jacob and Della can get their own way back.” Aunt Cassie threw Mom a knowing look.
I narrowed my eyes, sensing this departure to leave Mom and me alone was choreographed for some reason.
Ah well, suited me.
I could finally give her the gifts.
Grandpa John cleared his throat as he lugged his old bulk from the booth. “Alrighty.” Inching slowly into gear, he placed his huge, hot hand over mine on the table top.
I stiffened instantly.
My skin revoked the sensation of another’s heat. My heart scrambled to hide from love. But I stayed sitting and plastered a smile on my face. “Night, Grandpa.”
He squeezed my hand for a tad—a lot—too long. “It doesn’t hurt, Jakey.”
I knew he meant touching.
And he had it totally wrong.
Yeah, it does. It’s excruciating.
I nodded, keeping my truth buried.
He was the only one allowed to call me Jakey. But tonight, he was pushing his luck. All I wanted to do was wriggle my hand out from his and blow on it to remove the lingering knowledge that he was getting older. He wasn’t immortal. He’d be leaving soon, and there was nothing I could do to stop it.
There would be no hand touches. No hair ruffles. No gruff kisses. Not when he was dead.
Why couldn’t Mom and Aunt Cassie see that?
Somewhere behind me, another diner coughed, slicing through the strains of conversation, injecting me with ice-cold panic. I sucked in a breath, hunching over as the stranger’s cough morphed into my dad’s cough, echoing over and over in my ears.
Grandpa John squeezed my hand again, trapping me between two evils.
I struggled to keep my unravelling mess a secret. I smiled weakly. “Thanks for coming. I’ll keep Cherry River running. You’ll see.”
He smiled sadly. “I have no doubt about your ability to run the farm, my boy. I only doubt your ability to allow others to help if you need it.”
Before I could reply, another cough ripped through the restaurant, and Aunt Cassie ushered the last remaining Wilson and Collins through the exit.
For a long minute after they’d gone, Mom and I just sat in silence, waiting for whoever was coughing to shut the hell up.
It took a while, but finally, the god-awful noise stopped, and the jukebox filled my ears again. A squeak of the orange booth cut through the music as Mom reached for her handbag under the table.
Giving me a quick smile, she pulled out an envelope and a small box wrapped in green paper. Caressing the green box with eyes suspiciously damp, she pushed both toward me, not caring that salt dusting the table or a dollop of tomato sauce might smear. “For you.”
“This is why Aunt Cassie removed everyone, isn’t it? So you could give me this?”
Mom half-smiled. “Can’t hide anything from you, can I?”
I shrugged, reaching down for my hoodie and pulling the two packages free. “I have my own things to hide.” I placed them in front of her.
Her eyes widened. “What are those for?”
I swallowed, unable to look away from the box Dad had bought her before he died. “Um, well, one is from me. To say thank you for letting me quit school. And the other…” I shrugged again. “The other is a surprise.”
Good surprise or bad surprise?
She wasn’t with anyone, so I hadn’t broken any rules by giving it to her. I had made her life difficult when Graham Murphy sniffed around, so I hadn’t upheld that part of Dad’s letter, but I believed Aunt Cassie.