Page 8 of Letters From Home

Jessica frowned, unsure what to make of Nick’s thoughtfulness. Her old classmate was surprising her at every turn. It was a small gesture—ordering enough food for everyone. How many contractors would do that, though? Nick was rapidly blurring the lines between work and friendship.

Did that have to be a bad thing? Jessica still wasn’t sure. She was glad Grant had interrupted them, though. What Jessica needed was time to think—to make a plan, and to weigh her choices. She couldn’t jump head-first into love. Not without considering Jack.

They moved out of the work zone and into the living room, which was filled with the sparse furniture from the kitchen. Grant quickly unboxed enough food for ten hungry men, filling her tiny table with pizza, hoagies, fries, and even two types of salad.

Nick grinned sheepishly. “I didn’t know what you liked, so I asked Joey’s Pizza to give us some variety. Does Jack like pizza?”

“I like pizza! With pepperoni.” A sleepy voice drifted down the hallway and into the living room. Jack soon followed, rubbing his eyes and grinning as he looked over the table filled with food. “And fries. Are we having a party?”

Jessica chuckled and pulled Jack in for a hug. “No parties today. Nick thought we’d be hungry, so he ordered lunch. Wasn’t that nice of him?”

Jack nodded, eagerly reaching for a plate. “I’m so hungry, I could eat a rhinoceros.”

“They were out of rhinos, but they had pepperoni pizza,” Nick said, holding the box while Jessica grabbed a slice for Jack. “Let your mom help you. I’ll get napkins and a drink.”

Jessica’s heart leaped into her throat as she watched Jack scramble to claim a chair next to Nick. Her friend set down a pile of napkins and twisted open a bottle of water for Jack.

Nick looked up, a hesitant smile on his face. She could see the uncertainty written on his face—was this too much? Should he not encourage the boy?

Jessica gave him a reassuring smile as she scooped salad onto her plate, then took the other seat next to Jack. She wasn’t ready to commit her whole heart to Nick—but for today, she would enjoy the company. It was nice that Jack had found so many positive role models already.

She just prayed that Jack’s newest friend would stick around once their house was done.

Chapter five

Jessica

The days passed quickly.Nick and Grant made rapid progress on the house. They’d all gotten lucky—the home had needed less work than they’d feared.

Today had been another good day for Jessica. She had gone back to story time at Breeze Into Books. This time, she’d talked to a few other moms. It would be great to have friends with kids Jack's age. She was the youngest mom at the bookstore, but so far, everyone had accepted her.

Jessica tucked Jack into bed for his nap, then gave him a kiss on the forehead. “We’ll have more fun after you sleep,” she promised. “It might be warm enough for the playground. But you need to rest first.”

He nodded, snuggling closer to his stuffed teddy bear. “Can we stay home? I want to help Nick and Grant fix our house.”

“Not today, buddy.” Jessica smiled. Jack was eager to join the construction team—even if the hammers and supplies were tooheavy for him. “They aren’t working, remember? Grant’s taking his mom to the doctor, and Nick’s got the day off.”

“I’ll take care of you when I get big,” he promised. “Like Grant does.”

“That’s my sweet boy. Get some rest first.” Jessica pulled the blanket up around Jack’s chin, then hesitated at the door. Naptime was her favorite time of day. Sure, she needed the break. She also loved watching Jack sleep. Already, the little boy’s shoulders moved more slowly as he fell into slumber.

How had she gotten so lucky? Jessica had thought her life was over when she became a teen mom. She’d been overwhelmed and exhausted. But the hard work and sleepless night were worth it. Jack was a great kid.

She spent the next hour moving quietly around the house, putting laundry into the washer and cleaning the dishes from lunch. She was grateful to have a functional cooking space again. Jack loved having “picnics” in the living room, but Jessica was tired of takeout.

Fortunately, there hadn’t been as much water damage as they’d feared. Grant and Nick had replaced the rest of the main floor’s windows and cracked plaster in a few short days. Next week they’d move upstairs to replace the last windows in the aging farmhouse.

Their renovations would be complete soon. Jessica was grateful the men had worked so quickly—but she’d miss seeing Nick every day. Jack would miss him, too.

Jessica glanced at the book sitting on her kitchen table. It would be fun to escape into a story for a few minutes, but did she have time for reading?I should wait until Jack is asleep tonight, Jessica thought. He could wake up soon.

Instead of relaxing until Jack was awake, she decided to check for mail. She tiptoed to Jack’s door to check on him. He wasstill sound asleep, snoring softly. The sight made her smile. Jack seemed so innocent in sleep.

Jessica stepped outside, laughing as she walked over to the mailbox. She wasn’t the only person in her driveway—she’d had caught Nick red-handed this time. Jessica’s mailbox was open, and he was sneaking another note inside.

“You don’t have to hide the cards,” she called, jogging out to meet him. “I know they’re from you.”

Nick gave her a lopsided grin and shrugged. “It’s more fun this way. I had some spare time since we’re not working today. Besides, you still haven’t accepted my invitation for ice cream.”

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