AllFreeNovel
Share Us
It didn’t just sound nice.
It sounded amazing. But it wouldn’t happen because it couldn’t happen once he knew the truth. “It sounds marvelous, but right now I’ve got to get my head back in the game. With coffee.” She popped a pod into her brewing system and grabbed cream and sugar. “And please, don’t let this worry you.” She waved toward the smoker area, where he’d surprised her. “I’m fine and the restaurant will be fine.”
“I wasn’t worried about that. I know you’ve got it covered.” He touched her cheek with his right hand, a whisper of a touch, calming. Soothing. “I was just worried about you.”
His eyes, so blue, a shade that darkened when he worried and brightened in the sun. His hair, a fresh trim for opening day, crisp and sharp. Today he’d stand with other prominent figures, movers and shakers from Carrington Hotels and town officials, with all the pomp and circumstance of a multimillion-dollar endeavor being successfully launched on the Eastern shore…
He belonged there, among the more gilded.
She didn’t.
Oh, she didn’t hate herself for her earlier mistakes. God had forgiven her, and she’d forgiven herself, but she’d learned something about Josie Gallagher in the ensuing years.
She wasn’t a front-door person. She was a back-door gal, the kind of woman who did well out of the limelight. The kitchen suited her. So did the casual “dive” appeal they’d layered into the Bayou decor. It fit.
And when she saw Jacob in the grand lobby two hours later, surrounded by all kinds of designer suits, made for the occasion, and his parents right there, with Addie, dressed in a simple and quite expensive sailor girl outfit…
She saw how well they all fit together.
She was the outsider, first by choice, now by timing, but as long as Addie was beloved and happy, Josie could live with that.
* * *
Cruz leaned forward as Kate Gallagher set down a pitcher of sweet tea and several glasses the following evening. “Time’s running out, Josie.”
The ticking of Aunt Kate’s mantel clock added weight to his words. She looked at her mother, then Kimberly and Aunt Kate and sighed.
He tapped the folder in front of him. “If the agency is calling you, they’re likely to have their lawyer get a hold of Jacob soon, once they feel like they’ve got a solid argument on their side. Although he’s an innocent party, the agency’s legal team would be foolish not to bring him on board, and that could happen at any moment.”
That had been her worry from the moment she saw the agency name on her phone display. “I realized that when they first called me on Thursday, but I figured I’d have through the weekend. I’ll tell him on Monday, Cruz.”
Cruz grimaced instantly, but Josie raised a hand to halt his argument. “It’s crazy at the resort right now. His time is winding down, and he’ll be moving on to the next job. And once he knows I’m not going to try and regain custody—”
“Are you sure about that, Josie?” Cissy slipped an arm around Josie’s shoulders. “Because if you do, you know we’ll support you, one hundred percent.”
She shifted her attention to her mother. “I’d love the chance to be her mother, but I can’t do that to her. She’s happy and stable, and Jacob is, well—” She raised her shoulders in a shrug as Kimberly patted baby Elizabeth’s back for a burp. “He’s wonderful. He’s a good, kind man and he wants what’s best for Addie. I can’t disrupt the peaceful life she has. I know I set certain parameters for her adoption. I really wanted a two-parent family because it’s good for kids to have a mom and a dad. But Jacob is marvelous with her, even though it can’t be easy being a single parent. How could I live with myself if I were to selfishly wrench her away from the joy she’s already only known for such a short time?”
“You’ve got courage, kid. I’m not offering advice one way or another,” Kimberly told her, “but I can’t imagine how hard this has been. Still, I believe you’re doing the right thing, and maybe once the agency realizes that, they’ll back off.”
