The Road Not Taken. Jackie Braun
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at the opened door before entering. “I come bearing clothes. Sorry to say, all I have for you is a robe and a pair of wool socks. I didn’t bring a second pair of pajamas.”
“There’s no need to apologize. I really appreciate this.”
Caro took the berry-colored terry-cloth robe from Bonnie’s hands. It was soft and looked warm, as did the gray socks. That was all that mattered.
“Aren’t you going to light the fireplace, Jake?” Bonnie asked.
Caro could have hugged her.
“I guess I could,” he said slowly.
“It would help take the chill off,” Bonnie said, sending Caro a grin.
“The inn’s furnace needs to be replaced. It’s on my to-do list.” He sighed then. “Along with a lot of other things.”
“Dean’s told me stories about this place. He said it was something else when you were kids. He remembers the two of you playing hide-and-seek in the common rooms and sliding down the banister.”
Jake grunted. “The banister couldn’t take Riley’s weight now without splintering into pieces.”
“He’s getting big.” Unless Caro missed her guess, Bonnie was purposely misunderstanding his meaning. “Doreen says he’s the spitting image of Dean at that age. He’s all McCabe. Same with Jillian.”
A muscle ticked in Jake’s jaw and something akin to pain flashed in his eyes.
The silence stretched. Before it could become too awkward, though, Bonnie dusted her hands together.
“Well, just to let you know, Mom’s reheating the pot of five-alarm chili she made earlier. She told me to tell you it would be ready whenever you and Caro are hungry.”
Caro’s stomach growled as if on command, making her realize she was all but starving. The piece of toast and cup of tea she’d had several hours earlier had barely been enough to sustain her through the morning. Adrenaline, however, had staved off the worst of her hunger.
Apparently, until just now.
Caro wanted to be appalled. She found herself laughing out loud instead. Bonnie joined in. Jake, however, gaped as if she’d gone mad.
In her head, Caro heard her mother-in-law say sternly: “Only a woman of ill breeding would comport herself in such a manner.”
Caro sobered.
“What about you guys?” Jake was asking Bonnie.
“Oh, we ate a little over an hour ago.”
“Jillian said you were worried about me,” he reminded her wryly.
“I was, which is why I indulged in two bowls.” Bonnie’s smile vanished and she poked his chest with her index finger. “Don’t do that again. I don’t care how much Dean ticks you off. Don’t do that again. Do you hear me?”
Jake grabbed hold of the finger before she could jab him a second time and gave it a squeeze. “I hear you. Next time, I’ll pick Dean up and dump him outside in the snow.”
“One stipulation,” she said.
“Anything.”
“Wait until I have the camera handy.” Bonnie left the room chuckling.
“That’s nice.”
Jake turned to face Caro. “What?”
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