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I turn and give her a sad smile. “I’m okay, Sam. I promise. I just need more time, that’s all. I think being with Wes was just too much of a reminder, you know? But I think that now that we’re separated, I can start healing. I’ve never put much distance between me and the Krafts because I love them so much, but I think in order to really heal, I’m going to have to cut my ties with all of them.”
She gives my hand a little squeeze. “I’m here for you—whatever you need—always.”
Her sweet words fill my heart with so much warmth, because I know without a doubt she means them. I never had any siblings growing up, but if I had to guess what it felt like to have a sister, this would be it.
THEN
LONDON
I grab a fresh-baked cookie off the plate and bite into pure chocolaty heaven. Jared’s mom is an amazing baker. She even owns her own shop, making delicious treats. Over the last few years, I’ve done my best to learn everything I could from her about cooking since it’s always been me and Dad at my place. I never really got the chance to learn much of that kind of stuff from my own mother, since she passed from breast cancer.
“You done real good with this batch, sweetie,” Julie praises as she sits down next to me at the kitchen table. “Did you ever try making that meat loaf recipe I gave you?”
I swallow the delectable food in my mouth and then shake my head. “Not yet. Dad’s been pulling double shifts on the weekends lately, and if he’s not been doing that, he’s been out on dates. I think getting back out there has taken his mind off the stress he always seems to be under at the station. He seems happier.”
Julie raises her slender eyebrows. It’s uncanny just how much Jared looks like his mother. They both have the same dark hair and bright blue eyes with smiles that could light up an entire room. Thin lines sprout out from the corners of her eyes, revealing that she has some age on her, but you would never know it, considering how active she is. The woman is always on the go and could probably run circles around me.
“Being a police officer has to be stressful, so I’m glad he’s finding happiness. It’s been a long time coming for him. He’s been alone far too long.” Julie takes a cookie off the plate for herself. “How do you feel about your father dating?”
I shrug. “It doesn’t bother me. I mean, he’s been single since Mom passed ten years ago. I think it’s good that he’s out there looking to find someone to spend his time with. The weekends are the only time that I’m around, and even then, Jared and I are always together.”
She smiles. “You two have been attached at the hip for a while now, haven’t you?”
“Nearly eight years,” I confirm.
“Are the two of you thinking about the future?”
I furrow my brow. That’s not the typical type of question she asks me. We rarely, if ever, discuss my and Jared’s relationship, so it’s odd that she would ask that out of the blue.
“No?” My own reply comes off sounding more like a question. “Why do you ask?”
“I don’t mean to pry, dear. It’s just that I couldn’t help but notice that you’re wearing a shiny new piece of jewelry on your left hand.”
My heart instantly leaps into my throat.
Shit. Jared is going to be upset with me. He specifically asked me to not tell his mother anything because he wanted to be the one to break the news to her.
I quickly shove my hands onto my lap underneath the table. “Oh, um . . . that . . . we . . .”
She smiles. “It’s okay, London. I already knew that he was going to ask you before you came in here wearing that ring.”
I furrow my brow. “Did he tell you?”
She shakes her head. “Not exactly. When he came home last weekend, he left his dirty laundry sitting by his bed, and I found the receipt for the ring when I gathered up his clothes to wash them as a favor. He never intended on me finding the little slip of paper, so I laid it on the nightstand with his truck keys. I didn’t want to let on that I knew until he was ready to tell me about his plans. It’s no secret he’s loved you since you two were kids. When did he ask you?”
A blush rushes to my cheeks, leaving them bright red, I’m sure. “Last night. It was a complete surprise. I meant to take the ring off before I came over. Jared wants to be the one to tell you and Henry. I think he’s planning to tell the two of you today when his dad calls.”
“It will make Henry and me both so happy to have you as a daughter-in-law. We always knew the two of you would get married someday. Henry told me a few weeks ago that he was glad that our son found you. You’re a good girl, London, and we know that you’ll do right by our son.”
I bite my bottom lip as the tears begin to well up in my eyes. “Thank you. Being a part of your family means a lot to me. I think the world of you and Henry—Wes too—and I appreciate how much you’ve been there for me since Mom died. You’ve always been like a mother to me, so your approval means a lot.”
She tilts her head and pats my cheek. “I already consider you a daughter.”
The outpouring of love I feel from Julie overwhelms me. Unable to contain my emotions, I throw my arms around her and hug her tight. “You don’t know how happy that makes me.”
She rubs my back in such a caring way that it makes me miss my own mother, and suddenly I imagine what it would’ve been like had she still been here with me—how she would’ve reacted to the news of Jared and me getting married. Would she be just as ecstatic? I hope that she would’ve been. I’m sure she would have loved Jared just as much as I do.
“What’s all this about?” Jared’s voice catches me off guard, and I quickly pull away from his mom just in time to watch him stroll into the kitchen, wiping the grease off his hands with one of the shop towels from the garage.
