Chapter Six
JACK CHUCKLED AS Casey raced away from him. Could he help that he loved to get her all flustered and see her blush? Yeah, he’d probably dialed it up too much, but he was having fun. A lot more fun than he’d expected coming back to Oak Grove.
He lowered himself into the chair that had once been Dad’s and was now apparently Casey’s and studied the office. Everything was neat and in its place—a cup of pencils sat on the corner of the desk beside a big stack of sticky notes. She had tucked the group schedule neatly back into a file after Miranda had left. Dad hadn’t been kidding when he said she did a good job.
Granted, she hadn’t changed or personalized the office. The people he worked with often had a plant or picture frames on their desk, but Casey didn’t have anything. No hint about her life now.
He’d been serious when he said he just wanted to take her out as friends. He wasn’t about to start up something with her when he wasn’t staying. She’d made it clear she wouldn’t move to Boston with Jack, and he couldn’t stay. He couldn’t bear the constant reminder of their loss.
Jack preferred not to dwell on things he couldn’t change—to keep his emotions tucked away. He couldn’t let them overwhelm him like they had Casey. He’d tried to be there for her, but she’d been inconsolable for so long. When he’d announced he was moving to Boston, his declaration set off a barrage of Casey’s begging and pleading for him to stay. If she had really loved him, she would have gone with him, right? But he wasn’t important enough for her to make the change he so desperately needed.
While he was talking to Miranda, she’d tucked her business card in his pocket. It would be easy enough to call her, to take her out to a nice dinner in Cedar Hill and back to her place for a few hours between the sheets. It wouldn’t be the first time an attractive woman had propositioned him. But when he imagined himself making love, Casey was the one he pictured beneath him, clinging to him as he drove her to release over and over. Their lovemaking before was filled with the awkward fumblings of two kids who didn’t know much—Jack could show her a thing or two now.
He shook his head. He would not go there. Casey’d turned him down for dinner, and that was that. He’d focus on what he’d come to town to do—check on Dad and help out with the business.
A couple hours later, he helped close the lot for the night and headed home. He stepped into the kitchen just as his mother was slinging her purse onto her shoulder.
“Oh, Jack. Perfect timing. I was heading to visit your father.” She grabbed a poinsettia off the counter wrapped in clear cellophane and decorated with a gold foil bow. “We can go together. I need to stop by a shop in town on the way. Emma has been so good since Sid’s attack. I want to thank her.”
“Sure.” Jack’s stomach rumbled. “I haven’t eaten all day. Maybe we can grab a quick bite.”
“I just finished dinner, but you can get a sandwich at Emma’s.”
“Sounds good.” Of course, this meant even longer ignoring the Boston work piling up. But spending time with Mom and Dad was why he’d come to town. Work could wait.
A few minutes later, Mom was settled beside him on the way into town.
“Your father moved to a room on the medical floor today. His recovery is moving along nicely. I’m hoping he can come home in a day or two.”
“That would be great.” Sounded like Dad was doing better than anyone had expected him to. Maybe Jack didn’t have to stay as long as he’d originally planned.
Jack parked along the street in front of the town green and helped Mom out of the truck. Bright garland and deep red ribbons hung from the streetlights that lined the sidewalk in front of the shops, and white lights wrapped around each pole. Christmas had certainly come to Oak Grove. It had been easy enough for him to ignore the season while buried in work in Boston. Not here.
A door in front of them opened and three giggling teens burst out of a shop, coffee cups in hand. He stepped up to the spray-snow covered window with a painting of the North Pole and Santa Claus across the bottom. Mug ’n Muffin.
“In here.” Mom motioned to the brightly-colored window. The coffee shop hadn’t been around when he left. They probably did a great business. Jack ushered Mom in and then stepped inside. The warmth of the shop surrounded him, and the fresh, rich aroma of coffee soothed his frazzled nerves. Most of the tables were occupied, but there was no line to block his view of the holiday-themed pastries displayed in the brightly-lit case. And it could have been Mrs. Claus herself behind the counter, with her white hair and round cheeks.
“Hey, Jackie. So good to see you, and who is this young man at your side?”
Jack chuckled. He hadn’t been called young in a long time, but being back home certainly made him feel young again. Like the weight of his responsibilities in Boston lifted as soon as he crossed the Oak Grove town limits. He hadn’t thought about the work piling up one single time while he’d spent the day at the lot. As soon as he got back to the house tonight, he was sure he had several hours ahead of him.
“Emma, this is my son, Jack. Jack, this is Emma McKenzie.”
The other woman’s eyes sparkled. “Nice to meet you, Jack. Welcome home.”
Home. He opened his mouth, but his typical response just wouldn’t fall off his tongue. For so many years, Oak Grove had not been home to him. He hadn’t expected his hometown to dig its claws into him so easily. He’d have to fight like hell to break free when it was time to leave. “Thanks. This is a great shop. I thought maybe I’d grab a quick ham and cheese sandwich.”
Emma motioned to the woman behind her before she and Mom stepped off to the side and put their heads together.
A minute later, the employee rounded the counter with a plate in her hand and an empty mug. “Here’s your sandwich. Coffee’s over on the station behind you. I hope you enjoy it.”
Mom and Emma were still chatting, so Jack found a table and settled in. He’d barely wiped his mouth from the first delicious bite when a man stepped to the table, a woman and young girl behind him.
“Sorry to bother you, but are you by any chance Jack Murphy?”
Jack stood. The man looked remotely familiar, but it had been a long time. He extended his hand. “I am. And you are?”
The man shook his hand. “I’m Lucas Bennett. I was a couple years behind you in school.”
“Yeah, of course. It’s just been a while.”
Lucas motioned behind him. “This is my wife Sarah and my daughter Lily. This is Jack Murphy. He’s Sid’s son.”
“Nice to meet you, Jack,” Sarah said. Their blonde-haired daughter tucked herself behind Sarah’s leg. “How’s your Dad doing?”
While Dad’s business had been an Oak Grove staple for Jack’s entire life, he hadn’t really considered how many people knew and cared about his father. “Dad’s doing good. Hopes to come home in a couple of days.”
“Glad to hear that. Was a close call. We barely got to him in time.”
We? “You’re a paramedic? Thanks for saving his life.” Jack found himself getting choked up again at the thought of losing Dad. He wasn’t ready.
“Casey was the one who saved his life—doing CPR until we got there.”
Casey again. She’d certainly made a name for herself in Oak Grove.
“Listen, I’ll leave you to your sandwich. If you’re gonna be in town for a while, you should stop by J.J.’s for a beer or bite to eat. My brother Joey runs it.”
If he was remembering correctly, Joey Bennett had been a wild teenager, always the life of the party, when Jack left town. Now he was running a restaurant. Jack had really missed out on a lot the past ten years.
Why had he refused to come home all this time?
Oh yeah, Casey.
Jack extended his hand. “Nice to see you again, Lucas. And nice to meet you, Sarah and Lily. I’ll make sure to stop by J.J.’s. Thanks again for taking care of my dad.”
“You’re welcome…and welcome home.”
Lucas escorted his family out the door and Jack stared after them. Boys he’d known growing up were now men, running businesses and starting families. What did Jack have to show for his time away? A successful business, dammit. He’d worked hard to grow his firm and had the fat bank account to attest to his success.
So why then did Casey’s face flash in his mind?
It was because he was home. As soon as he got back to Boston, his life would return to normal and he could leave his memories behind. Thing was, life so far from Oak Grove wasn’t nearly as appealing as it had been.
He collected Mom and they were soon on their way to the hospital, but the vibrating phone in his pocket reminded him of what he’d neglected while he spent the day as a lumberjack and taking a walk down memory lane. He’d best maintain some sort of focus on Boston or he wouldn’t have anything to go home to once Dad was better.