Page 50 of Long Road Home

“I figured if we were staying…temporarily, I mean…I should get used to it.”

My gaze whipped to hers. Temporarily my ass. A muscle jumped in my cheek. “Where were you thinking?”

“Um. Down Home?”

“Jesus. Jumping right into the fire, aren’t you?”

She glanced at Toby and winked. He was watching both of us with a mixture of curiosity and boredom. Maybe a little fear. Basically, it was the expression he always regarded me with. Hesitant and hopeful.

“I guess I’m feeling a little brave tonight.” Her words barely reached my ears, but they still hit my chest with the force of a sledgehammer.

“Then Down Home it is. I’ll come get you at seven.” My brows jumped together, and I looked at Toby. “What are you going to do?”

“He’s old enough to stay home for a few hours, Jordan.”

Toby shrugged. “I’ll play some games. Drink too much pop and eat all the cookies Mom and I bought at the store today.”

Sounded like a heavenly Friday night, actually. Junk food and games. Boring though, and he hadn’t done much else since he’d been here. “What about the ranch? You could finally see those goats?”

“Oh, can I?” His head whipped toward his mom.

She bit her bottom lip. “Do you think Rebecca would mind? You could call her, but yeah, I’d be okay with that.”

I pulled my phone out of my pocket and held it out to her. “How about you call her? I bet she’d loved being asked.”

She stared at the phone like a rattlesnake was wrapped around it. It took her forever to decide. At her side, Toby bounced on his feet, almost begging her to do it. But a thousand thoughts raced through her mind before she finally straightened her back, like she had to pick herself up one vertebra at a time. “Um. Yeah. Okay. I can do that.”

Destiny fished her own phone out of her purse, smiled at me, and asked, “What’s her number? I’ll put it in my phone so if something happens, she has it.”

This was it. This was what I needed. Things weren’t easy between Rebecca and Destiny, but she wastrying. It was all I wanted to see. Some effort.

I rattled off the digits and after she typed them in, pointed to my office. “You can use my office for privacy. While you’re calling her, I’m going to show Toby around the place. When you’re done, can you meet us in the lobby?”

“I can do that.” She grinned, but it was wobbly.

Someday, she’d believed she didn’t have anything to fear. Had never had anything to fear when it came to me. “I think you can do anything you want, Destiny, anything you set your mind to. You just have to believe that for yourself.” I scrubbed a hand over the top of Jordan’s head, shoving him playfully. “Let’s go little man. I’ll show you all the cool stuff.”

I took off with Destiny’s shocked look softening to something more beautiful. Something that had always called to me. That vulnerable part of her she’d only ever let me see. Only now, I was realizing I’d barely scraped the surface of all her fears all those years ago.

But we were kids young and stupid and naive to all the real difficulties life faced.

Hopefully we had both grown and matured enough to handle everything that could still be thrown our way.

Seventeen

Destiny

“I haveextra rooms in my house,” Rebecca said. She was chattering—to me. I must have entered a bizarre world to hear Rebecca’s chirpy, happy voice in conversation with me. Of course, that probably had more to do with asking her to watch Toby tonight than me. “He can stay the night, if that’s okay. Then he can help me get ready for the party tomorrow. Or help Cooper if you think he’d like that.”

My gaze was on the bright green fairways outside Jordan’s office window. My mind racing. A sleepover? Giving Jordan and I the night alone?

I slammed that thought into a box and locked it.

“Yeah, I can ask him. But really, Rebecca. It’s dinner and a few hours, you don’t have to—”

“I want to.” Her voice went soft. Almost pleading. She continued before I could form a thought. “I want to get to know him. Plus Cooper installed the basketball hoop the other day. He’s excited too, and it’s not a problem, Destiny. It’s our honor. My duty as his Aunt.”

Her voice went shaky at the end. Mine would be if I tried to speak. My deep inhale as I tried to was shaky enough.

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