AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“My recruiter looked around, but there wasn’t anything that appealed to me. And frankly, Mom, I know you like it, but that hot and humid air is tough on me and the kid.” He smiled in Addie’s direction. “Texas is probably out because of that, too, even though it’s a drier heat. And Knoxville?” He made a face. “I wanted to stay close enough to you guys that we can visit regularly. And I’m still waiting to hear on a probable offer outside of Raleigh. I think we could both handle North Carolina, and maybe Addie would reclaim her drawl.”
His mother arched a brow in mock disapproval. “She sounds like a Yankee, Jacob. There’s precious little Southern in her now. I had to instruct her how to draw out her words, proper-like.”
Sheila spoke up so Addie would hear that last part. Addie laughed at her table. So did Jacob. “She picked up the Yankee twang real quick, that’s for certain. Either way, I’ll make a decision in the next week or so. And we’ll move on.”
“Except only one of us wants to move on.” Addie didn’t get up, but she aimed a look his way. “One of us really likes this town, Daddy. I don’t see why we don’t at least look for a job here. We’re both happy in this place and that should be the most important thing of all.”
“Have you looked, son?” Bob kept his voice soft so Addie wouldn’t hear.
“I did, and there’s not a lot up here right now. There’s expansion over in Victor. It’s a pretty town that’s become a shopping hub, and in some of the eastside towns surrounding Rochester, but nothing that needs a major player on board. Addie—” he stood and tapped his watch “—we’ve got to head home. There’s church in the morning.”
“Which one?”
“I thought we’d go to the Grace Haven Community tomorrow. We haven’t been to that one in a while.”
“I love those big, pretty windows!” Addie tucked the crayons into their sack and set them on top of the coloring books. “Do you guys want to come with us?” She crossed the room and grabbed her grandparents’ hands. “It would be really special if you do.”
Would his parents meet them at church for Addie? They’d fallen out of the church habit when Jacob was a boy and weekend life got crazy busy.
“Not this time, dear.” His mother patted Addie’s cheek but didn’t cave, even when Addie offered her best and brightest smile. “We’ll see you afterward and maybe we can go to breakfast together while Daddy works. You’d like that, wouldn’t you?”
Addie hugged his mother. “I always like to be with you, Memaw. Before church or after church or during church, I just always love to be near you guys.”
His mother’s eyes filled. She hugged Addie, then moved to the kitchen of the lake house, pretending there was something to do. “We’ll see you both in the morning, then?”
“Sounds good.” He got Addie back to the apartment and tucked into bed as the sun sank low on the western horizon.
He didn’t want to think about leaving. He’d realized that on Thursday, when he found Josie upset.
He didn’t want to walk away from her.
Was he being silly or shortsighted? He didn’t think so, but he couldn’t stay up north when the job offers were coming in down south.
Or could he? Could he trust in God enough to believe things would work out?
He winced because he knew the answer to that question. He didn’t do chancy things because he didn’t like risk, especially where Addie was concerned. A good job, a normal home, a solid life: he owed her that much.
As he was thinking that, his recruiter messaged him a bite—a good bite—a job offer with a large-scale local developer.
He drew up the offer on his laptop and studied it.
It was a substantial chance, and the opportunity to stay here in Central New York.
I’ll look this over, but I’m interested, he messaged back. Definitely interested.
He hit Send and went to bed reconsidering his choices.
It wasn’t close to his parents. That was a drawback. But the airport was only thirty minutes west, and they could get flights to Florida for key vacation weeks. It wasn’t perfect. He knew that. But to stay here, to have the opportunity to get to know Josie better, and maybe even make some serious changes in his life?
