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“Thanks, Mom.”
Kayla sighed as she left the room. Alex usually wasn’t this uncertain, but he’d also never dealt with something so momentous. Besides, his sense of security had been shaken by finding out he was adopted. Being adopted wasn’t a bad thing—it meant someone had chosen him—but having it dropped on him like a ton of bricks was hard.
A ghost of old frustration shivered down her spine. It wasn’t fair to lay all the blame on her ex-husband; she’d messed up, too. But when they’d gotten married it had been easy to believe that everything would work out just fine. How could she have guessed Curtis was a perpetual adolescent when it came to romance, with a short attention span for everything else, as well? Sometimes it seemed she’d spent half her time trying to shield her children from knowing exactly how flaky their father really was.
Shaking off the memories, she went to borrow a notebook from Granddad to jot down Alex’s questions and concerns about the Yellowstone trip. She wanted to be sure everything would be addressed. Then she called Jackson and made arrangements to meet the following afternoon.
* * *
JACKSON GLANCED INTO Morgan’s room before leaving for his appointment with Kayla. She was busy on Facebook.
“I’m heading out,” he told her.
She hit the minimize button to hide what she’d been doing before swiveling around.
“Yeah?”
Concerned, Jackson took a step into the room. “Morgan, you’re careful on the internet, aren’t you? You wouldn’t go meet with someone you don’t know, or give strangers personal information?”
She rolled her eyes. “You’ve only told me that, like, a gazillion times. And the school gave us a booklet about it, too.”
“Okay. Don’t forget to stay cautious.”
“Whatever.”
Jackson clenched his jaw. “I’ll see you later.”
“Yeah, later.”
* * *
KAYLA WALKED INTO the Schuyler Coffee Shack and was surprised to see Cora from Ryan’s working behind the counter.
“Two jobs?” she asked.
“Yup, I’m saving for a trip to Tahiti.”
“That’s nice.” Kayla ordered a decaf iced latte and dropped a dollar in the tip jar. “The patio is open, right? I’m meeting someone.”
“Sure.” Cora grinned as she made the latte. “Let me guess...you’re meeting Jackson. Schuyler is going to buzz tonight—he never sees the same gal two days in a row.”
“We’re simply working out some family matters,” Kayla answered drily.
“Yeah, I heard the two of you committed parenthood back in high school.”
“That’s one way of putting it.”
Cora chuckled and Kayla realized there was no point in being offended. The McGregors were a prominent family in Schuyler, and her grandfather had served five terms as mayor before retiring. It was inevitable that the gossips were having a field day.
“Good luck,” Cora said, handing a tall cup across the counter. “Jackson is a hot dish that lots of local gals would love to sample. Of course, since his divorce, he’s kind of developed a he-man attitude, but I bet he’s a real take-charge guy in the bedroom.”
“Really?” Jackson’s voice said behind Kayla.
“Yep, call my number anytime you want,” Cora informed him, unabashed. “I don’t mind sampling the caveman for a night or two. Black coffee, right?”
* * *
“UH, RIGHT.” JACKSON TOOK the cup Cora handed him. He and Kayla walked outside to a table in the deserted patio.
“Gossiping?” he asked as they sat down.
“Cora was gossiping. I was waiting for my latte. But maybe you should take her up on the offer. She seems nice and very astute.”
He frowned. “No, thanks. So when do we leave for Yellowstone?”
Kayla’s eyes widened. Straight to business. That seemed different. “Assuming everything is a done deal might work for a car salesman, but Alex is very careful. He has a few more questions. And possibly more to come.” She took out a notebook and pen.
Tamping down his impatience wasn’t easy, but Jackson kept his expression neutral, wary of any reports Kayla was bringing back to Alex.
“I’m anxious to move things forward,” he said. “And not just for my sake—my parents and the rest of the family are eager to meet him, as well. What does he want to know?”
“I’ve already dealt with some of his concerns, such as how we’d get there. My grandparents have an RV and I explained we’d ride with them, while you and Morgan drive separately.”
“An RV?” he questioned. “But it’s a camping trip.”
