Page 92 of Forbidden Kisses
Sam looked between them. “I’m not thrilled that you canceled my fishing today, but I think this is actually a good idea. You’re a good man,” Sam said, scooting back from the table. “I’m in.”
They both turned to Noah, who was still frowning. “So I can’t be a good man unless I agree, too? Because I don’t like this idea.”
“You don’t have to like it. Just do it,” Sam said, taking the role of older brother. “Let’s go.”
Jack followed them into the parking lot. “Thanks. This means a lot to me.”
Sam glanced over his shoulder. “Look, I can believe that people change. You’ve changed a lot just over the last month.”
And all the credit for any good changes went to Grace. She’d changed him.
“All right. Let’s get this done. If we finish by noon, we can be in the boat by one or two,” Noah told Sam.
“And then some people will never change,” Jack teased, walking them out into the parking lot.
They didn’t knock on the door of Mrs. Smith’s and Tammy’s home. Instead, they just started building. Jack wouldn’t care if they did the work and left the two women to wonder how it’d gotten done. He wasn’t in this for gratitude. He was in it because it was the right thing to do for Tammy, who’d been his family once. And after all Grace had done for him, he owed this much to her, even if she never wanted to see him again.
That was a real possibility. He’d acted like a jerk lately—a big one.
The three men worked in unison without a single bicker, which might’ve been a record for them. Smooth, sanded wooden planks went down over the brick steps. Next, they added handrails. This was child’s play compared to the piers and docks, kayak launches, and boat shelters that Jack was building now. As they were building the last railing, the front door opened and Tammy peeked out. Opening the door wider, she stepped onto the porch and looked at their work. “What are you…? Jack, Sam, Noah? What are you all doing here?”
Pride surged up through Jack. It sure beat the hate that he’d felt when he’d seen this woman before. Unable to help himself, he walked right up to her and placed a sweaty arm around her.
“What does it look like we’re doing, Tammy?”
She brought two shaky hands to her mouth. “I don’t know what to say. This is so nice of you. I don’t deserve this kindness, but I’ll take it.” She shuffled forward, unable to pick up her feet and clear the ground. She didn’t have to bend her knees like she had when there’d been a set of steps. Now, she walked one foot in front of the other down the ramp, clutching the handrail, until she was standing in front of Sam first. She hesitated and then pulled him into a hug. Sam’s arms tightened around her, and Jack thought he couldn’t be prouder. Surprising them all, Noah didn’t wait for Tammy to come to him. He joined the brothers’ hug.
After a long moment, Tammy pulled away. “Mrs. Smith is gone, but she’ll be thrilled as well. She’s tired of dragging me up those blasted steps. You boys come inside. I’ll make sandwiches for you.”
They all started to argue, but Tammy wouldn’t hear of it. “You won’t work for free here. I can at least feed you. I’m not completely out of commission, you know.”
Jack smiled. He could see where Grace’s toughness had come from. “All right. We can have a few sandwiches before you guys head out on the boat, can’t we?”
Noah and Sam agreed.
“We did this with you, so the least you can do is help us catch some fish this afternoon, bro,” Noah said, climbing the ramp and heading into the air-conditioned home. “What do you say?”
Jack didn’t hesitate. “I say okay.”
Chapter 22
Grace stared at the invitation on her desk. She was invited to the Watson and Sawyer Coastal Builder’s grand opening on Friday. She’d been avoiding Jack, just like she’d done since their parents’ divorce, but maybe they could be friends.
Grace’s chest caved at the thought of just being friends with the man she loved. But the man she loved hated her mother, and that would never change.
Grace closed up her computer and collected her purse. It was time to go home, but first she wanted to swing by and make sure her mother was behaving. Grace couldn’t help herself. She was working on “getting a life”—even without Jack—but that didn’t mean that she had to stop caring for or loving her mom.
Grace drove over to Mrs. Smith’s old house and walked up to the porch. She admired a new ramp that had been built where there had been a set of steps before. It was professionally done and much safer for her mom to navigate.Well, good.That was one less thing she needed to worry about for her mother.
Grace stepped up on the porch and rang the doorbell.
Her mom opened the door a minute later and clucked her tongue. “I’m fine. I took my medicine. I haven’t fallen, and I’m not lying on the floor unable to get up.”
“Glad to see you still have your humor.” Grace went to walk past her into the house and her mom blocked her with one shaky arm.
“I have company,” her mom said.
Grace blinked. “Okay.”
