“I know the coffee is bad, but is it really that bad?” he teases, tapping his Styrofoam cup against mine.
“It’s not the coffee, it’s … it’s all of this. It’s amazing.” I wave my hand around us.
He remains quiet, letting me take it all in.
After a few minutes, I begin to tell him about Jesse’s visit. “I wish I knew how to repay her.”
“All you have to do is love Jackson and Raffe. She did it for them. That’s all she wants. Jesse doesn’t do things with ulterior motives.”
I look at him, running my fingers over my forehead. “She told me the same thing when I asked.”
He shakes his head. “Then there you have it. Keep on loving those two guys and consider the debt paid. You’ll find we’re pretty real around here. You don’t have to look for anything hidden behind our words. We say what we mean. No bullshit.”
“I’m glad I bumped into you tonight. Talking with you has been nice,” I tell him.
His face turns red, and he smiles. “I’ve always wanted to meet you.”
“You know how sweet Lily is. She’s probably made me sound a lot better than I actually am.”
“She does talk very fondly of you, but that’s not where I learned what kind of person you were.”
My head jerks back in surprise. “Okay ...”
“I read your journals,” he says.
It takes me a few seconds to realize what he’s talking about.
“Lily never read them, but I did,” he admits with not one bit of regret on his face.
My mind scrambles to remember what I may have written in them.
“You’re a very brave woman, Jenny, and I’m thankful to know you.”
When I start to cry, he takes our cups and puts them in the cupholder. He pulls me close, letting me cry on his shoulder.
“I … I miss her so much, and she hasn’t come to see me,” I weep, letting my fears come to light.
He sighs. “Well, I’ll tell you, Lily is kind of having a bit of a mid-life crisis. I’d like to think that’s why you’re here now. You’re going to help her get through it.”
I sit up. “She’s not well?”
“She’s well. She’s just struggling.”
It makes me want to see her even more. “When do you think she’ll be ready to see me?”
He smiles wide. “I think she’s planning on seeing you tomorrow at the warehouse.” His head tips down, and he points a finger at me. “So that means you better show up. No hiding out at your son’s house. You hear me?”
I wipe my eyes with both hands. “That’s not fair.”
His laugh lifts my soul. “That’s another thing you’ll learn about us – we rarely play fair.”
It’s still dark when we pull up to the farm. Raffe comes running down the stairs the minute the truck rolls to a stop. He opens my door. “Oh my god,” he says, panting. He doubles over, resting his palms on his knees. “I’ve been looking everywhere for you.”
My heart shatters at the fear on his face.
Dan gets out and walks around behind him. “I’m sorry, brother, I should have sent you a text to let you know she was with me.”
Raffe stands, gripping his hair in his fists. “God, I can’t do this. I need to know that you’ll never leave me,” he rasps. He tries to back away from me, but Dan is blocking his exit.
