moment, he held his breath, waiting for her to push him away. Instead, she leaned closer. Her arms remained planted at her sides, but she allowed his embrace. “Thank you for calling me, Pamela.”
She pulled away, and he felt the emptiness in his arms all the way to his toes. “You better go home.”
“Let me vacuum the furniture and the floors first. You still have to put mayonnaise in Emma’s hair.”
She shook her head, but Jack continued. “And wash the gunk out of their hair and put the sheets back on the beds. The least I can do is vacuum.”
She worried the inside of her mouth, then finally consented. “Okay.”
Jack vacuumed the furniture and the floor then cleaned the vacuum filter. He took out the trash. While Pamela put the sheets back on the beds, he cleaned the dishes. By the time he’d finished, he heard the three of them in the girls’ room saying prayers. He smiled when Emmy thanked God for bringing him back into their lives.
When Pamela walked out of the bedroom, Jack picked up his keys from the counter. “I’ll come over and vacuum for you tomorrow, if you’d like.”
“We’ll see.” She shifted her weight from one foot to the other. “If you’d like to come to the festival, we’ll be at the school at six.”
Jack couldn’t stop his grin. “You mean it?”
Pamela didn’t look at him, only nodded.
“I’ll be there.” Before she could protest, he leaned over and placed a quick kiss on the top of her head. He walked to the front door then stopped. “I love you, Pammer.”
* * *
Pammer. The nickname Jack had given her when they were high school sweethearts rolled around in her mind for two days. His declaration of love, the sincerity in his gaze before he’d walked out the door, the kiss on her forehead, the warmth and strength of his embrace. They all haunted her.
Emma grabbed Pamela’s hand and pulled her toward the door. “Come on, Mom. Kirk and Callie are already at Grandma and Grandpa’s.”
Peeking out the window, Pamela saw her brother and sister-in-law cross the yard and walk in the back door of the B and B. She couldn’t deny that living a yard length behind her parents and a few yard lengths away from her brother and sister-in-law did have its advantages. Gathering together for family dinner nights was literally a hop, skip and a jump away from the cabin.
Pamela shooed her girls toward the front door. “Well, go on over there.” She snapped her fingers. “Emma, grab the dinner rolls off the kitchen table first.”
The girls raced out the door, and Pamela opened the oven door and lifted out the apple crisps. Part of her wanted to place one on a dish to save for Jack, maybe take it to him as a thank-you for helping with the girls and the house. She shook her head. She didn’t want to encourage him and didn’t have the strength to give him the opportunity to break her heart again.
Besides, now she had the girls to think about. They would feel the pain of his addiction and the hurt of his abandonment as deeply as she, and she simply would not put them at risk.
Gently, she placed each hot apple crisp on a plate. She made the dessert every October, and yet today as she’d cut apples, she’d thought of Jack and how much he loved them. While she combined sugar, flour and cinnamon, she envisioned him closing his eyes, rubbing his belly and oohing and aahing over the dessert. When she dropped the oat mixture on top of the apples and then put the pan in the oven, she remembered him taking her in his arms and sweeping kisses on her mouth, cheeks, nose and forehead in thanks for making his favorite.
As she placed the last of the crisps on the plate, her cheeks burned with the memory of those kisses and his touch. She couldn’t deny she missed him. For years, she’d squelched passion, a need for touch, a desire for warmth, but seeing him again had brought all those needs and feelings back. They made her light-headed and vulnerable.
Leaning forward, she placed
She pulled away, and he felt the emptiness in his arms all the way to his toes. “You better go home.”
“Let me vacuum the furniture and the floors first. You still have to put mayonnaise in Emma’s hair.”
She shook her head, but Jack continued. “And wash the gunk out of their hair and put the sheets back on the beds. The least I can do is vacuum.”
She worried the inside of her mouth, then finally consented. “Okay.”
Jack vacuumed the furniture and the floor then cleaned the vacuum filter. He took out the trash. While Pamela put the sheets back on the beds, he cleaned the dishes. By the time he’d finished, he heard the three of them in the girls’ room saying prayers. He smiled when Emmy thanked God for bringing him back into their lives.
When Pamela walked out of the bedroom, Jack picked up his keys from the counter. “I’ll come over and vacuum for you tomorrow, if you’d like.”
“We’ll see.” She shifted her weight from one foot to the other. “If you’d like to come to the festival, we’ll be at the school at six.”
Jack couldn’t stop his grin. “You mean it?”
Pamela didn’t look at him, only nodded.
“I’ll be there.” Before she could protest, he leaned over and placed a quick kiss on the top of her head. He walked to the front door then stopped. “I love you, Pammer.”
* * *
Pammer. The nickname Jack had given her when they were high school sweethearts rolled around in her mind for two days. His declaration of love, the sincerity in his gaze before he’d walked out the door, the kiss on her forehead, the warmth and strength of his embrace. They all haunted her.
Emma grabbed Pamela’s hand and pulled her toward the door. “Come on, Mom. Kirk and Callie are already at Grandma and Grandpa’s.”
Peeking out the window, Pamela saw her brother and sister-in-law cross the yard and walk in the back door of the B and B. She couldn’t deny that living a yard length behind her parents and a few yard lengths away from her brother and sister-in-law did have its advantages. Gathering together for family dinner nights was literally a hop, skip and a jump away from the cabin.
Pamela shooed her girls toward the front door. “Well, go on over there.” She snapped her fingers. “Emma, grab the dinner rolls off the kitchen table first.”
The girls raced out the door, and Pamela opened the oven door and lifted out the apple crisps. Part of her wanted to place one on a dish to save for Jack, maybe take it to him as a thank-you for helping with the girls and the house. She shook her head. She didn’t want to encourage him and didn’t have the strength to give him the opportunity to break her heart again.
Besides, now she had the girls to think about. They would feel the pain of his addiction and the hurt of his abandonment as deeply as she, and she simply would not put them at risk.
Gently, she placed each hot apple crisp on a plate. She made the dessert every October, and yet today as she’d cut apples, she’d thought of Jack and how much he loved them. While she combined sugar, flour and cinnamon, she envisioned him closing his eyes, rubbing his belly and oohing and aahing over the dessert. When she dropped the oat mixture on top of the apples and then put the pan in the oven, she remembered him taking her in his arms and sweeping kisses on her mouth, cheeks, nose and forehead in thanks for making his favorite.
As she placed the last of the crisps on the plate, her cheeks burned with the memory of those kisses and his touch. She couldn’t deny she missed him. For years, she’d squelched passion, a need for touch, a desire for warmth, but seeing him again had brought all those needs and feelings back. They made her light-headed and vulnerable.
Leaning forward, she placed
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