There’d been other offers in the past and the answer had always been the same—no, not now.
But maybe the time was coming to make some changes. He’d been in a rut lately and now that he and Melanie had moved on, and his mother was newly independent, it was something he could consider.
He’d never really thought about life without any worries or responsibilities, a life where he was completely free to make his own choices. Everything had always been about the family, making sure everyone was healthy and happy and secure.
“Maybe you ought to talk to them first before you reject the possibilities,” Elyse suggested.
“Maybe I should.” Still, he’d feel a lot better if his mother wasn’t just scraping by on her teacher’s pension. But a new job would pay more, so he could hire someone to fix things around her house when needed. And he’d only be a plane ride away.
A knock sounded on the door and they both turned to see Ben standing on the other side of the screen. “Hello, there,” he said, nodding at Jack.
“Morning,” Jack said.
“Mia went out to the bakery this morning. We’re having breakfast next to the pool if you’d like to join us.”
“I’ll be out as soon as I dry my hair,” Elyse said, her smile wide and her eyes sparkling.
“I could eat,” Jack said. He walked to the door and stepped outside, then headed toward the pool, Ben following behind. Though he’d only been away from Mia for a short time, he found himself wondering how she was doing.
As he approached the pool, her father called out. “Look who I found,” Ben said. “Jack was up and about.”
Mia gave him a coy smile. “Morning. Did you sleep well?”
“Like a baby,” he said. Jack pulled out the chair beside her and sat down and Mia handed him the plate of pastries. He grabbed a cheese danish and bit into it. “Did you make these yourself?”
Mia laughed. “I was up all night baking.”
“Is that what you call it?” he murmured.
“Well,” Ben said. “I’m glad to see that you two are getting along so well. Elyse and I are driving up to Sonoma for the farmer’s market and then we’d planned to check out a friend’s winery. Would you two like to tag along? It will be fun, the four of us.”
“No.” They both answered at the same time, glancing at each other, then turning their attention back to Ben.
“Actually, I have some work to do,” Jack said. “I have to watch the Cubs game and work on my next column.”
“And I have work, as well,” Mia said brightly. “But you two go along and have fun.”
Ben got to his feet and held out his hand to Elyse as she approached. “I think we’ll do just that. Are you ready my dear?”
Elyse smiled. “Absolutely. Let’s go.”
Jack and Mia watched as their parents walked back toward the house. “They were awfully anxious to get rid of us,” she murmured.
“I know,” he replied. “And they look a little too happy for my tastes. Did your father tell you that they were up until four this morning? My mother said they were talking. I don’t know if I believe that.”
“Do you think he’s kissed her?” Mia asked.
“No,” he said. “She would have mentioned it.”
“Really?” Mia asked. “You and your mother talk about things like that? My father still thinks I’m a virgin.”
Jack raised his eyebrow. “Are you?”
“No!”
“Because, if you were, I could help you do something about that. Just say the word.”
Mia picked up a powdered sugar donut and threw it at him. The pastry hit him in the face, exploding in a shower of white powder. With a tiny scream, she leaped to her feet and ran away, but Jack was quicker. When he caught her, he grabbed her around the waist and pulled her body to his.
His lips found hers and he drew her into a long, deep kiss. She melted into his embrace and when they finally paused to take a breath, she looked up at him. “Your place or mine?”
“I don’t know,” he said. “What do you
But maybe the time was coming to make some changes. He’d been in a rut lately and now that he and Melanie had moved on, and his mother was newly independent, it was something he could consider.
He’d never really thought about life without any worries or responsibilities, a life where he was completely free to make his own choices. Everything had always been about the family, making sure everyone was healthy and happy and secure.
“Maybe you ought to talk to them first before you reject the possibilities,” Elyse suggested.
“Maybe I should.” Still, he’d feel a lot better if his mother wasn’t just scraping by on her teacher’s pension. But a new job would pay more, so he could hire someone to fix things around her house when needed. And he’d only be a plane ride away.
A knock sounded on the door and they both turned to see Ben standing on the other side of the screen. “Hello, there,” he said, nodding at Jack.
“Morning,” Jack said.
“Mia went out to the bakery this morning. We’re having breakfast next to the pool if you’d like to join us.”
“I’ll be out as soon as I dry my hair,” Elyse said, her smile wide and her eyes sparkling.
“I could eat,” Jack said. He walked to the door and stepped outside, then headed toward the pool, Ben following behind. Though he’d only been away from Mia for a short time, he found himself wondering how she was doing.
As he approached the pool, her father called out. “Look who I found,” Ben said. “Jack was up and about.”
Mia gave him a coy smile. “Morning. Did you sleep well?”
“Like a baby,” he said. Jack pulled out the chair beside her and sat down and Mia handed him the plate of pastries. He grabbed a cheese danish and bit into it. “Did you make these yourself?”
Mia laughed. “I was up all night baking.”
“Is that what you call it?” he murmured.
“Well,” Ben said. “I’m glad to see that you two are getting along so well. Elyse and I are driving up to Sonoma for the farmer’s market and then we’d planned to check out a friend’s winery. Would you two like to tag along? It will be fun, the four of us.”
“No.” They both answered at the same time, glancing at each other, then turning their attention back to Ben.
“Actually, I have some work to do,” Jack said. “I have to watch the Cubs game and work on my next column.”
“And I have work, as well,” Mia said brightly. “But you two go along and have fun.”
Ben got to his feet and held out his hand to Elyse as she approached. “I think we’ll do just that. Are you ready my dear?”
Elyse smiled. “Absolutely. Let’s go.”
Jack and Mia watched as their parents walked back toward the house. “They were awfully anxious to get rid of us,” she murmured.
“I know,” he replied. “And they look a little too happy for my tastes. Did your father tell you that they were up until four this morning? My mother said they were talking. I don’t know if I believe that.”
“Do you think he’s kissed her?” Mia asked.
“No,” he said. “She would have mentioned it.”
“Really?” Mia asked. “You and your mother talk about things like that? My father still thinks I’m a virgin.”
Jack raised his eyebrow. “Are you?”
“No!”
“Because, if you were, I could help you do something about that. Just say the word.”
Mia picked up a powdered sugar donut and threw it at him. The pastry hit him in the face, exploding in a shower of white powder. With a tiny scream, she leaped to her feet and ran away, but Jack was quicker. When he caught her, he grabbed her around the waist and pulled her body to his.
His lips found hers and he drew her into a long, deep kiss. She melted into his embrace and when they finally paused to take a breath, she looked up at him. “Your place or mine?”
“I don’t know,” he said. “What do you
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