Her brother chuckled. “I did just roll out of bed, or off my office sofa to be exact.” He scrubbed a hand down over his jaw. “I was on my way to grab a shower and shave when I heard someone moving about in the kitchen. I figured you’d be sleeping in, too.”
“I couldn’t,” she admitted. “Too much on my mind I suppose.”
His expression sobered. “I hate that you’ve had to deal with everything on your own. Especially over the holidays.”
“It was my choice,” she reminded him, not wanting to think about Christmas being only a couple of weeks away.
The doorbell rang, thankfully taking her brother’s focus off her problems. “Be right back.”
Lainie watched him go and then turned back to the stove. Grabbing the shaker, she sprinkled some salt over the eggs and added a dash of pepper. Then, reaching for the spatula, she flipped them over in the pan.
“Morning,” a husky male voice, not her brother’s, said from the entryway behind her.
Her eyes widened, and her foolish heart immediately sped up. She cast an anxious glance back over her shoulder to find Jackson Wade standing there, cowboy hat held in one hand, looking every bit as uncomfortable as she felt.
“Morning,” she replied.
Justin stepped past him into the kitchen. “Come on in,” he told his friend. “We’re just getting ready to have some breakfast. You hungry?”
“No,” Jackson answered. “I ran into Deputy Vance when I stopped by Abby’s to grab a doughnut and a cup of coffee this morning. He said you’d gone home to catch up on some much-needed sleep.”
Lainie turned to look at the two men. “I could step out of the room if you need to talk to Justin.”
Jackson shook his head. “No need. I just came by to see what time I was supposed to pick you up and take you to your mom and dad’s today.”
“You could have called,” Justin noted. “Saved yourself a trip over here.”
Jackson’s brows drew together. “I don’t have Lainie’s number and I figured you were fast asleep. It wasn’t like I had to go out of my way to swing by here. We are neighbors, you know.”
Lainie was still trying to process Jackson’s reason for being there. “Justin asked you to take Lucas and me to Mom and Dad’s?”
“I did,” her brother said matter-of-factly as he removed the nylon spatula from her hand and then nudged her aside.
Only then did Lainie realize the eggs she’d been making them for breakfast had started to burn, all thanks to their unexpected visitor.
“When I knew I wouldn’t be free to take you to see them,” her brother explained, somewhat apologetically as he slid the crispy-edged eggs out onto the awaiting plates, “I called Jackson to see if he could run you over there.”
“He doesn’t need to do that,” Lainie insisted with a frown, her gaze fixed on Jackson’s handsome face.
“You can’t walk there,” her brother pointed out. “And you need to go see Mom and Dad before they catch wind of your being here ahead of schedule.”
“She could take your truck,” Jackson suggested.
Her brother shook his head. “Lainie doesn’t drive anymore or I would have offered it to her.”
Jackson’s gaze swung back her way, surprise registering on his face. But he didn’t press her with questions. Instead, he said, “It’s a short ride. I’ll drop you off at your parents’ place and then go home. You can give me a call when you’re ready for me to pick you and Lucas up.” He looked even less happy about the situation than she did.
Of course, that shouldn’t surprise her. Jackson had effectively rid himself of her all those years ago. She was quite certain he wasn’t the least bit eager to have her shoved back into his life again. But she wanted to see her parents, enough to go along with her brother’s alternative plan—Jackson included.
“Lainie!” her mother squealed in delight the second she opened the door and saw her daughter standing there. Her gaze dropped down to her grandson, her happiness at seeing him written all over her face. “Lucas! Look how big you’ve gotten since we saw you last!” She bent to capture him in a warm hug.
Lainie waited, fearing her son’s response, because he’d been avoiding any sort of affection where Lainie was concerned. But he reciprocated his grandmother’s warm embrace and then stood smiling while she planted several happy kisses on his cheeks. Lainie felt both relief and hurt.
Her mother leaned in to give Lainie a loving hug as well. “We didn’t expect you home until tomorrow.”
“We got an earlier start than we had planned.” She left out the part where her son had threatened to run away so he wouldn’t have to leave his dad. Lainie had tried to explain to Lucas that his father would be with him anywhere he went, that his soul was no longer with his body where it had been laid to rest, but with the Lord. When he hadn’t seemed accepting of her gentle explanation, she’d decided not to wait to go home to Bent Creek. It hadn’t been cheap to change their flights last minute, but the relief she’d felt when they’d landed in Rock Springs, Wyoming, so close to home and the help she so badly needed, was worth the cost.
“Well, come on in,” her mother said, stepping aside as she motioned them into the one-bedroom, ground floor condo her parents had moved into a little over four years earlier. Her father’s arthritic knees had pained him too much going up and down the stairs in the home Lainie and Justin had been raised in. So her parents had downsized into a much more manageable one-story condo a town over from Bent Creek, selling their house to Justin for far less than they could have gotten for it on the open housing market. But that’s how her parents had always been—striving to make her and Justin’s lives better any way they could.
“Baby girl!” her father said as he joined them in the entryway.
“Dad,” she said, stepping into his welcoming embrace.
Her father turned to Lucas. “And who’s this young man?” He pretended to search beyond her son. “Where’s my baby boy?”
Lucas groaned. “Grandpa.”
Her father’s eyes widened. “Lucas? Is that really you?”
Her mother gave her husband a nudge. “Stop your teasing. We both know we can’t keep him our little boy forever.”
If only that were possible, Lainie thought sadly. Lucas had always adored her. That’s why this change in him was so heartbreaking.
“Afternoon, Jackson,” her father said, glancing past Lainie and her son.
Jackson gave a nod in greeting. “Mr. Dawson.” Then he looked to her mother. “Mrs. Dawson.”
Her mother smiled. “It’s so good to see you.” Her gaze moved beyond him. “Where’s Justin?”
“Home, catching up on his sleep,” Lainie explained. “He worked the night shift last night and has to go back in later this afternoon.”
Disappointment registered on her mother’s face. “That son of mine is always burning the candle at both ends.” She looked to Jackson. “Well, come on in out of that cold.”
“I’m not staying,” he told her. “Just dropping Lainie and Lucas off.”
“Don’t be silly,” the older woman said with a wave of her hand. “There’s no sense in you making two trips out here. Stay and visit.”
He hesitated, looking uncomfortable.