Page 208 of A Matter of Time

“I feel so good in my skin right now.” He sighed deeply before he grabbed me and threw me over his shoulder.

“You know how old this is getting?” I groused at him, swatting his ass.

“I like it,” he said, and of that I had no doubt.

When we hit the porch, Sam set me down just as the door opened and Regina Kage appeared, framed against the light from behind her. Instead of reaching for Sam, she reached for me, taking my hand and drawing me inside the house.

“Jory, it’s so good to see you.”

I smiled at her as she opened her arms. It was so much better than I remembered. I grabbed her so tight she squeaked and then hugged me back, smoothing her hands down the back of my hair, rubbing circles between my shoulder blades.

“Thank you for coming. Jen really needs the support.”

She let me go and went to Sam, wrapping her arms around him as I limped toward the living room.

Jen was sitting on the couch with Rachel beside her. Michael was in the opposite chair, watching football with his dad. There were sandwiches on a tray on the coffee table, along with chips and dip and paper plates. All eyes were on me as I stepped into the room.

“Come here by me,” Jen said quickly, patting the space beside her.

I shed my jacket and was almost around the coffee table when Thomas stood to face me.

“Jory.”

“Sir.”

“Listen,” he began slowly, his voice low. “You understand this is not the choice I would make for my son, but that’s only because I want him to have children.”

I nodded.

“But that’s not for me to say. What is important is that I have never seen him the way he is when you’re with him. I want to be his friend, Jory, as well as his father. I can’t have what I want and not give to him in return.”

I couldn’t stop staring at him. Sam’s parents were amazing. I understood what unconditional love looked like at that moment.

“The fact that you came when Jen called you…that says a lot too. Family’s important, Jory. They have to love you no matter what.”

I was all choked up; it was hard to speak.

“Yes?”

“Yessir.”

He patted my shoulder. “Good boy. Go ahead.” He gestured to the couch. I glanced over at Michael, and he gave me the head tip.

“Jory.”

“Michael.”

“Good to see you. We missed you for the holidays.” He sighed, eyes back on the TV. “Boy, did we.”

“Yes, we did.” Rachel smiled up at me, then reached for my hand as she stood to give me a hug. “Sammy was such an ass… I felt so sorry for that poor girl, Maggie.”

“Yeah.” Jen snorted, smiling through her tears. “He was so obviously not into her.”

“She was clingy and needy.” Rachel shivered, giving me a final squeeze before she let me go. “I offered her a Valium.”

Jen laughed before burying her face in her hands. When I sat down beside her, she turned into me, and I wrapped her in my arms, holding her tight as she sobbed.

“What happened?”