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Maddy flushed. “Oh my God, I’m so sorry.”
Jacks shrugged. “It’s okay, I was young. I never really knew him at all.”
“Yeah, but that doesn’t make it any easier,” Maddy said, her defenses collapsing with startling quickness. “I mean, I know just how it is. Both my parents died when I was just a baby. I never knew them either.”
“Wow, I’m sorry. I thought I had it rough.”
“It’s okay,” Maddy said, looking away. Jacks watched her. He felt a sudden urge to share something with her that he’d never told anyone.
“You know what? This might sound crazy, but I have no memories of him, right?” Jacks said. “So one day I just started making them up. Making up things we did together, places we went.” He laughed in embarrassment, shaking his head. “Pretty stupid, right?”
Maddy was quiet for a long moment, but her eyes had returned to Jacks and studied him.
“At the park,” she said finally.
“What?”
“My mother, father, and me at the park. Perfect day, you know, a carousel, swans floating on the pond, like one of those old postcards. That’s my favorite. My favorite pretend memory.”
Jacks smiled softly. “That’s a nice pretend memory. The park. I hadn’t thought of that one.”
“All this time I thought I was the only one,” she said. “I mean, you know the memories aren’t real, you tell yourself that, but somehow, in some crazy way—”
“They help.”
They said it together. Jacks and Maddy stared at each other as the seconds drew out, and she only now was aware that she had leaned closer to him. She couldn’t be sure, but she thought he had come closer too. Now they were only inches apart. She leaned in, willing the moment to sweep them into a kiss, the most delicious kiss of her life . . .
Jacks spoke.
“I don’t even know your name.”
“Maddy,” she said, holding out her hand. Jacks reached for it and, ever so gently, took it. His hand was hot to the touch, and Maddy thought she could feel a crackle of electricity, as if a current of energy was passing through Jacks and into her. From the look on Jacks’s face, he had felt something too.
A loud knock boomed at the door.
“Maddy? What are you doing in there?” It was Kevin.
“That’s my uncle,” Maddy whispered to Jacks. “He owns the place.” Jacks’s eyes focused, brought back to the present.
“Listen, Maddy, I need to get out of here. Is there a back door?”
“Yes, in the kitchen. What’s going on?”
“I’m not sure yet,” Jacks said in a low whisper. “But I need your help. Will you help me?”
“Okay,” she said, a little cautiously. “Stay here.” She went to the door and opened it just a crack.
“Hey Kevin, I was just interviewing someone for the part-time position.”
Kevin eyed her. “I do the interviews.”
“I know, I just thought I would help out.”
“Okay, well, I need you both to come out. There are two police officers here asking to see everyone.”
“Okay, be right out,” Maddy said a little too brightly. Kevin walked back to the dining room and said something to one of the officers.
“This way,” Maddy whispered as she led Jacks out of the office and toward the back door. They were halfway across the kitchen when a voice shouted from the dining room.
