It wouldn't be easy. Rachel had every right to be cautious. But Jack knew one thing with absolute certainty… he wasn’t leaving again. He was home now. Really home. And this time, he was staying.
Whether that meant a future with Rachel or just a friendship, he'd have to wait and see. But either way, Jack Hudson was ready to prove he was worth a second chance.
Or maybe it was a third chance. He'd lost count.
But he knew it was his last one. This time, he had to get it right.
11
Rachel sat in front of her desk in her classroom at Baytown High School, watching Emma Bunswick, Laura Drummond, and Cindy Coates sprawled in student chairs, their lunch bags open between them. The familiar comfort of her three best friends sharing her lunch break made the classroom feel more like home than work. Cindy worked at the school as a teacher, Laura as a counselor, and Emma worked for Child Protective Services. Emma had been in a meeting with Laura and joined the two other women for an impromptu lunch in an empty classroom.
“So then Rob literally tried to convince me that his grading papers during our date was 'romantic quality time together,'” Emma said, rolling her eyes but smiling.
The three women had grown up on the Eastern Shore, left for college, but found their way back home.
Emma continued, “I mean, I love that he teaches middle school math, and our schedules are similar, but sometimes a girl just wants dinner and a movie, you know?” Her father, Terry Bunswick, was Captain of the North Heron Drug Task Force, and Emma had inherited his dry sense of humor along with his stubborn streak. Rachel found it interesting to watch Emma navigate dating while living in a small community where everyone knew her former high school boyfriend was still interested.
“That sounds exactly like something one of my dates would say, and it would be fine with my dad since he doesn’t like anyone I date.” Cindy laughed, tucking a strand of blond hair behind her ear. As Ryan Coates’s daughter, she'd grown up around the Marine Police station and had stories that could rival anyone's.
“Tell me about it,” Laura complained. “I’ve finally found an apartment that I love, and my stepdad wanted to run a background check on my neighbors. I think he settled for just checking to see no one was on the sex offender list.”
Rachel knew that Laura’s stepdad was a detective in the county, and like the rest of them, had overprotective father figures.
She smiled and took a bite of her sandwich, letting the easy banter wash over her. Several years of teaching English and Creative Writing at Baytown High had given her a sense of purpose she'd never expected. Every day, she helped students find their voices, craft their stories, and discover the power of words. It was exactly what she was meant to do.
Her phone buzzed on the desk beside her, and Rachel glanced at the screen. Her smile widened involuntarily.
“Oh, look at that face,” Emma said, pointing with her apple. “That text isn’t from ‘just a friend.’”
“What? No, it's nothing.” Rachel tried to school her expression, but the warmth in her chest betrayed her.
“Must be from David,” Cindy said knowingly, exchanging a glance with Laura.
Rachel felt her cheeks heat. “It’s just a funny meme. It's not a big deal.”
“From Shiloh?” Cindy pressed, her eyes narrowed with suspicion.
Huffing, Rachel rolled her eyes. “If you must know, Ms. Nosy, it’s from Carrie Hudson.”
“Jack’s mom!” Cindy’s eyes bugged out. “I know you’re friends with her… hell, we all know her. But isn’t it kind of weird sometimes?”
The question hit like a punch to the gut even though Rachel should have expected it. With best friend status, Cindy had had a front-row seat to the agony Rachel went through with the breakups, the distance, and trying and failing to make it work with Jack. “No, it’s really not weird. I don’t talk to Carrie often, but occasionally, she’ll send a text or message. Kind of like she’s just checking in on me.”
“Does she talk about Jack?” Emma asked, her lunch now abandoned.
“Occasionally… but mostly she’s just being nice.”
“Let’s face it, she really wanted you for a daughter-in-law!” Cindy announced before wadding up her potato chip bag and tossing it into the trash can.
Rachel set down her sandwich, appetite suddenly gone. “I haven't talked to Jack in a while, other than text messages.”
“But you still think about him,” Laura said gently. It wasn't a question.
Rachel looked out the window at the students milling around the courtyard. Her gaze fell on Carson Hudson, Jack’s younger brother. He was now in ninth grade and in her English class. It always struck her that he not only looked so much like Jack but was also the same age as when she first fell for him.
Turning back to the women, she nodded. “Of course I think about him. More than I should. But the years have passed, and we just message to keep up with each other. He's living his life, and I'm living mine, but we promised to stay friends.”
But he hadn't mentioned what he wanted to do next. Hadn't said if he was staying in Virginia or moving somewhere else. He hadn't indicated whether he was with someone or bringing anyone home to meet his parents.
