Page 25 of Valentine's in Bayberry

He shrugged. “Because I miss having my mom around.”

She arched a brow, the way she’d done when he was a kid and hadn’t told her the whole truth. “If this is out of guilt, you need to stop.”

Sure, he supposed that guilt played a part in his decision. But there were so many other reasons, including the fact that she was getting older, and he didn’t want to have regrets about not spending more time with her.

There was a knock on the door. A staff member stuck her head inside to remind his mother of her group session.

His mother turned to him. She leaned over and placed her hand on his arm and gave a squeeze. “Thank you for the offer, but I’m not leaving Bayberry. It’s my home. And stop blaming yourself for the mess I’ve made of my life. It had nothing to do with you. And now it’s up to me to fix it. You need to go back to London before you don’t have a job to go back to.”

“They’re fine without me.” He chose to ignore the memories of the countless phone calls he’d received since he’d been in Bayberry. “I’m needed here right now.”

His mother stood. She stepped over to him and leaned over to place a kiss on his cheek. “I definitely did something right when I had you. I love you.”

“I love you too, Mom. Please give moving to London some thought.”

She moved to the door that stood ajar. She paused and turned back to him. “I can’t move. I hope you’ll understand.”

There was a firmness to her voice. It was a tone he hadn’t heard in a long time. But on the occasions where he’d heard it in the past, it meant his mother had made up her mind, and nothing was going to change it. So, now what was he going to do?

Chapter Nine

What had he wanted?

Carrie wondered what Jackson had wanted when he’d stopped by the chocolate shop just after their lunch. She felt like there was more Jackson had wanted to say to her. She wished they hadn’t been interrupted.

After the mayor had praised not just the chocolate she’d sampled but the whole shop. Carrie had gone next door to see Jackson. He hadn’t been there. Mark said he’d left for the day, and he didn’t expect him back. She’d tried calling, but it went directly to voicemail.

Now that the shop was closed, she was headed home to her parents’ house. When she slowed to turn into the driveway, she noticed lights on next door. It looked like Jackson was home.

She kept going and instead turned into the Wrights’ driveaway. She parked next to Jackson’s rental car. As she made her way to the front door, she heard music. She paused on the porch and listened. It was guitar music.

And there was singing. She would know that baritone voice anywhere. Jackson was playing the guitar and singing. The moment took her back in time.

She hadn’t heard him sing since before he went away to college. She remembered a time when they’d spent a sunny afternoon sitting by the pond. She’d just been dumped by her latest boyfriend. She hadn’t wanted to leave her bedroom, but Jackson had coaxed her into going to the pond with him.

She’d pouted on the ride there. She’d been all caught up in her teenage drama, but once they got there, Jackson had distracted her with his guitar and his singing. He temporarily made her forget about the pain and humiliation of being dumped. That afternoon was one of her favorite memories.

She approached the door and rang the doorbell. Immediately, the music and singing ceased. She thought about asking him to play more. She never tired of hearing his voice. If he hadn’t gone to college and pursued a business career, he could have been a country singer heartthrob. The thought brought a smile to her face.

It was at precisely that moment, the door swung open. Jackson’s eyes momentarily widened when he saw her big smile. And then the corners of his mouth lifted, making her stomach dip.

“Hey, Carrie.” He stepped back, pulling the door wide open. “Come on in.”

It had been years since she was in this house. As she stepped inside and took her coat off, she searched her thoughts for the last time she was there, and then she recalled it. The last time had been after Jackson’s father’s funeral. The smile slipped from her face. His death had been unexpected and sudden. There hadn’t been any time for the family to say goodbye. Jackson and his mother were blindsided with grief. Carrie tried to be there forJackson as much as he would let her. It was then that she really felt the distance that had grown between them.

“So, what brings you by?” He led her into the living room.

“I felt bad that I wasn’t available when you stopped by earlier at the shop. After the mayor left, I went next door to find you, but Mark told me that you’d left for the day.”

Jackson nodded. “I, uh, had some things to do.” He gestured to the couch. “Sit down.”

She took a seat. When he sat down in the armchair, she said, “I’m sorry I couldn’t talk earlier.”

“How did it go with the mayor?”

She got the feeling he was avoiding whatever it was that he had on his mind. “She loved the chocolate. She said she would help promote Totally Chocolate every chance she got.”

While she sat there, she glanced around the living room. As a kid, she’d spent so much of her childhood in this house. They were such good memories. It amazed her how quickly time had passed since those days.

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