about everything over the internet these past six months.”
Jack thought he saw a blush color her cheeks. “So, it went well?”
“It went really well. And I should be exhausted, but I’m not. Today, we’re going to a farmer’s market and taking a winery tour. Then we’re going to drive into the city, have dinner there and see a movie. Dr. Zhivago. ”
“That’s one of your favorites.”
“Ben and I saw the movie the last summer my family spent at the cabin. I’ve never been able to watch that movie without thinking about him.”
She was so excited that her whole demeanor had changed. She wasn’t his sixty-three-year-old mother anymore, she was a silly, flustered young woman. And though he wanted to warn her about becoming too invested, too early, Jack just couldn’t bring himself to kill her happy mood.
“I’m glad. It’s too bad you have such a short time together.”
“It is,” Elyse said wistfully. “You know, I’m kind of hoping he’ll ask me to stay a little longer.”
Jack forced a smile. “He’d be a fool not to.”
She looked up at him. “You’re a good son.”
He felt a sliver of guilt. Was he really a good son? If he was, then maybe he might be more enthusiastic about her finding a new man. Maybe he ought to just allow her the chance to try again and stop worrying about a relationship failing.
“Yes, I am,” Jack said. He opened the cupboard and reached for a pair of mugs, then filled one for his mother. She gave him a grateful smile and took a sip.
Elyse nodded. “Now, why don’t you tell me where you were until just a few minutes ago?”
Jack paused. “I was with Mia.”
His mother studied him for a long moment. “I’m not sure I should be happy about that. Are you telling me you spent the night together?”
“In the technical sense. But not in the biblical sense. We took a drive, it got foggy, we waited for the fog to lift and ended up falling asleep.”
“And that’s it?” she asked as she smoothed her hands over her coffee mug.
“Yes,” he lied. Hell, there were some things that he had to keep private.
“She’s a lovely girl,” Elyse commented. “You could do a lot worse.”
“Mom, I—”
Elyse held out her hand and shook her head. “Just listen to me for a moment. You have spent your whole life watching out for our family. But now it’s time for you to put down that burden and start to think of a family of your own. I think that’s why things didn’t work out with Melanie. We were always more important to you.”
“You’ll always be—”
“No, we won’t. You’re going to meet someone and she’ll take your breath away. She’s the one who will mean the most to you.”
Jack swallowed hard. Mia took his breath away. But he’d known her for exactly one day, not long enough to make any lifelong decisions. “Don’t get ahead of yourself,” he warned.
“Just promise me that you’ll start to think more about yourself,” she murmured. “I can survive quite nicely on my own. And your sisters will be fine, too.”
Jack stared at her for a long moment. He wasn’t sure he understood what she was saying.
“I know about the job offer in Los Angeles,” she continued. “And I think you should consider it.”
“How did you find out?”
“I called your office a few weeks ago and Danny mentioned it. He thought it was a very good offer, Jack.”
“I’m a Chicago guy,” Jack said. “I’ll always be a Chicago guy. I’d hate L.A.”
In truth, the job was something he might have seriously considered if it hadn’t been for his ties to his family in Chicago. There was only so far he could go as a sports columnist. But this was a broadcast commentating gig along with the possibility of his own show on the nation’s top-rated sports network. He’d have guests and he’d be able to interview players live and on camera.
Instead, he’d put it out of his mind completely, knowing he couldn’t move away from his mother and sisters.
Jack thought he saw a blush color her cheeks. “So, it went well?”
“It went really well. And I should be exhausted, but I’m not. Today, we’re going to a farmer’s market and taking a winery tour. Then we’re going to drive into the city, have dinner there and see a movie. Dr. Zhivago. ”
“That’s one of your favorites.”
“Ben and I saw the movie the last summer my family spent at the cabin. I’ve never been able to watch that movie without thinking about him.”
She was so excited that her whole demeanor had changed. She wasn’t his sixty-three-year-old mother anymore, she was a silly, flustered young woman. And though he wanted to warn her about becoming too invested, too early, Jack just couldn’t bring himself to kill her happy mood.
“I’m glad. It’s too bad you have such a short time together.”
“It is,” Elyse said wistfully. “You know, I’m kind of hoping he’ll ask me to stay a little longer.”
Jack forced a smile. “He’d be a fool not to.”
She looked up at him. “You’re a good son.”
He felt a sliver of guilt. Was he really a good son? If he was, then maybe he might be more enthusiastic about her finding a new man. Maybe he ought to just allow her the chance to try again and stop worrying about a relationship failing.
“Yes, I am,” Jack said. He opened the cupboard and reached for a pair of mugs, then filled one for his mother. She gave him a grateful smile and took a sip.
Elyse nodded. “Now, why don’t you tell me where you were until just a few minutes ago?”
Jack paused. “I was with Mia.”
His mother studied him for a long moment. “I’m not sure I should be happy about that. Are you telling me you spent the night together?”
“In the technical sense. But not in the biblical sense. We took a drive, it got foggy, we waited for the fog to lift and ended up falling asleep.”
“And that’s it?” she asked as she smoothed her hands over her coffee mug.
“Yes,” he lied. Hell, there were some things that he had to keep private.
“She’s a lovely girl,” Elyse commented. “You could do a lot worse.”
“Mom, I—”
Elyse held out her hand and shook her head. “Just listen to me for a moment. You have spent your whole life watching out for our family. But now it’s time for you to put down that burden and start to think of a family of your own. I think that’s why things didn’t work out with Melanie. We were always more important to you.”
“You’ll always be—”
“No, we won’t. You’re going to meet someone and she’ll take your breath away. She’s the one who will mean the most to you.”
Jack swallowed hard. Mia took his breath away. But he’d known her for exactly one day, not long enough to make any lifelong decisions. “Don’t get ahead of yourself,” he warned.
“Just promise me that you’ll start to think more about yourself,” she murmured. “I can survive quite nicely on my own. And your sisters will be fine, too.”
Jack stared at her for a long moment. He wasn’t sure he understood what she was saying.
“I know about the job offer in Los Angeles,” she continued. “And I think you should consider it.”
“How did you find out?”
“I called your office a few weeks ago and Danny mentioned it. He thought it was a very good offer, Jack.”
“I’m a Chicago guy,” Jack said. “I’ll always be a Chicago guy. I’d hate L.A.”
In truth, the job was something he might have seriously considered if it hadn’t been for his ties to his family in Chicago. There was only so far he could go as a sports columnist. But this was a broadcast commentating gig along with the possibility of his own show on the nation’s top-rated sports network. He’d have guests and he’d be able to interview players live and on camera.
Instead, he’d put it out of his mind completely, knowing he couldn’t move away from his mother and sisters.
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