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“Thanks. It’s my mom’s recipe, so she’s the one who should get the credit,” he said.
I scooped up another bite and shrugged my shoulders. “Well, I appreciate you putting in the effort to make it. It’s wonderful.”
“I’m glad you like it.”
For the next few minutes, we both ate, and I started to worry that I wouldn’t know what to talk to him about. Fortunately, I didn’t have to be concerned for too long, because Jack quickly filled the silence.
“So, you’ve only been here in this cabin for a few months,” he started. “Have you always been in Cottonwood, or was this move your first time to the area?”
“I’m actually from a small town about three hours south of here, and that’s where I lived all my life,” I shared, desperately hoping he wouldn’t ask what pushed me to make the move, even if I believed that question was inevitable. “This was my first time in Cottonwood. What about you?”
I figured if I asked him a question, he might not think to ask what prompted my move in the first place.
“I’m originally from here, moved away for quite a few years, and came back about three years ago,” he revealed.
That surprised me. I didn’t know why, but there was something about Jack that made me think he’d lived in this very spot all of his adult life, taking care of his animals.
“May I ask where you moved to?”
He nodded. “I actually used to work on Wall Street.”
My eyes widened in shock. When Jack said he’d moved away for a few years, I had assumed he was still somewhere in Wyoming. I never imagined he was across the country, wearing a suit, working on Wall Street.
“Wow. And you decided to come back? Did you like the work?”
Something I couldn’t read moved through his expression, and it took him a minute to gather himself. When he did, he replied, “I enjoyed it at times, and I was able to make a lot of money doing it. But I needed to return to the solace here in Cottonwood, so this was a no-brainer.”
“And your family lives close?” I pressed.
Jack dipped his chin. “Yep. In fact, both of my brothers stopped by the day before I realized you were sick.”
“That’s wonderful.”
“Yeah, it’s nice having my family close. What about you?”
“What about me?” I asked, already knowing where this was heading.
“Is your family back in your hometown?” he clarified his question.
I reached for a piece of garlic bread and took a bite in hopes that it would give me enough time to come up with an answer that wouldn’t make me burst into tears.
“Waverly is my family.”
“Pardon?”
“My best friend,” I explained. “She’s pretty much all I have left.”
A sympathetic look washed over his face. “I assume your grandma has passed.”
I nodded. God, I missed that woman.
“What about your parents?”
I hadn’t wanted to become the bitter woman during this dinner, but I figured it was probably better that Jack saw this side of me now rather than later.
“My parents haven’t been in my life since I was seven,” I shared. “They were too busy fighting with one another, even after they got divorced, that they couldn’t see their daughter needed them. Neither one of them ever paid any attention to me when I was living in their house, so when I finally moved in with my grandma, I never saw them. She did her best to keep them informed of what was happening with me, but they never came through. Not once. Not the science fair that I’d gotten first place at, and not the chorus concert where I was selected to be part of a special group of singers to perform. At this point, I’m not sure I’d even recognize my parents if I fell over them. And there isn’t a doubt in my mind that they wouldn’t have a clue who I was.”
Jack sat back in his chair and studied me briefly before he lamented, “My God, Dakota. I’m so sorry.”
