Kat Brookes - Hometown Christmas Gift

“Two, please.”

“Over easy with a dash of pepper?”

“I can’t believe you remember that.”

She remembered a lot of things. Some she wished she didn’t. Like the kiss she had given her brother’s best friend at the Old West Festival Dance, one that had every bit of her heart behind it, and then the rejection that had followed. She remembered her determination to forget him, and then her rush to find the kind of love Jackson had denied her.

Will had been the one to give her that love. While he hadn’t taken Jackson’s place completely, it had been enough for her to find happiness with her husband, even have a son with him. She also remembered arguing with him before driving home from the cocktail party his company had given in his honor for landing one of the biggest contracts their firm had ever closed on. She’d been upset with him for partaking in far too many celebratory toasts. And to think she’d appointed herself his designated driver, to make certain they both got home safely, only to be hit by another driver who hadn’t let someone else take him home. She would never forget the jarring impact of the other car slamming into them, followed by pain and fear as the darkness had engulfed her.

“Lainie?” Her brother’s worried voice brought her back to the present. She shoved the painful memories away and forced a smile as she carried the egg carton over to the counter by the stove. “Toast?” she asked as she cracked an egg over the nonstick frying pan she had set out on the burner next to the cast-iron skillet.

“Sounds good,” Justin said. “But I’m fixing it for us.”

She nodded and watched as her brother crossed the kitchen to the pantry. “When do you have to go back to work?”

“This afternoon,” he replied as he returned with a half-eaten loaf of bread. “After I get a few more hours of sleep.”

“Oh,” she replied, her shoulders sagging. She thought they’d have at least a little time to spend together before his next shift. It looked as if her parents were going to have to come to her and Lucas instead.

Her brother stepped over and wrapped a supportive arm around her shoulders. “I really am sorry, sis. I know this isn’t working out the way we planned, but everything’s going to be all right. I promise.”

He had always been a man of his word. But it was a promise she wasn’t sure he’d be able to keep. Her life felt like it had unraveled at its seams to the point no amount of sewing would ever be able to repair it. No matter how many prayers she sent heavenward. All she could do was nod her reply.

“You look great by the way,” he said, his tone more uplifting.

Lainie snorted as her gaze met his. Then she poked a finger into his shirt, nudging him away. “I’d appreciate it if you would take a step or two back, so your nose doesn’t poke my eye out when it starts to grow.”

“I’m not lying,” he said with a chuckle. “Considering all you’ve been dealing with, you look good.”

“Well, you don’t,” she countered.

Justin’s dark brows lifted.

“It’s the truth,” she said, managing a small grin. “You look like you just rolled out of bed fully dressed.” Her gaze moved down to his wrinkled uniform and then back up to his face. “And you need a shave.”

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.