CHAPTER TWO 

Nora needed some time alone to clear her head and reevaluate a life suddenly full of unanswered questions, so she packed her bags, bought an airplane ticket and went home to Tennessee. There, she knew, her mother would be waiting to comfort her with her famous chocolate chip cookies, and the tranquility and familiarity of Hope Hull would settle her troubled mind. She took comfort in the knowledge that her childhood home would remain unchanged despite the fact that everything in her life felt different now. Before she left North Carolina, Nora ironed clothes for the kids to wear to school while she was gone; she went to the grocery store and bought things for their lunches; she left little reminders of their schedules on Post-it notes stuck all around the house and a list of contact numbers hanging on refrigerator. These were things they could have done or found for themselves, but Nora didn’t want them to have to. It was just the sort of mother she had always been. Before she left, she kissed Grant and Emily goodbye, wished Grant good luck at basketball tryouts and Emily good luck at her first student council meeting. She asked Joanna to drive her to the airport and left Randy a note saying that she’d be gone a week, and they would work things out when she got back.

Nora spent her first day in Hope Hull balled up in sweats on her mother’s sofa, eating cookies, drinking coffee and watching soaps where she discovered there were countless creative ways to deal with a husband who had cheated on you.

Granny Miller was once a spry and bubbly, albeit adorably neurotic and ruthlessly nosy, woman who was devout in her Southern Baptist beliefs. She had always been a devoted wife and mother who was married to the same man for fifty years before his faulty heart finally gave out. Her only daughter had been her whole world, and she had missed Nora Jean terribly ever since her then teenaged daughter had left town.

Nora couldn’t help but notice how badly her mother had aged. She was haggard, wrinkled and hunchbacked as she hobbled about on an old, wooden cane. Her frame was frail and her bones brittle. She moved slowly, plagued by the crippling pain of arthritis. She had traded in her customary housedresses, that had always looked as though they came straight off the set of a 1950’s sitcom, for a tattered pink duster and matching slippers. But, her mind was still sharp, her staunch beliefs unwavering. She was very much set in her ways, and she was as unapologeticly meddlesome as she had always been.

“Jack still lives in town,” Granny said one night as she refilled Nora’s glass of sweet tea.

“Yes, you’ve mentioned that occasionally over the past couple days,” Nora smiled, humored by her mother’s persistence.

“Maybe you should call him?” her mama shrugged, her tone more insistent than suggestive.

Nora stuffed a piece of cornbread in her mouth to avoid responding.

“Oh, for cryin’ out loud, Nora Jean,” Granny scoffed, “that is no way for a lady to eat.”

“Mama,” Nora grumbled, “I have not seen or spoken to Jack Nelson since I was eighteen years old, so, if it’s not too much to ask, let’s try living in the present.”

“Bless your heart, you’ve done nothing for days but stew over Randy,” Granny said, near tears.

“He’s my husband, Mama,” Nora frowned. “I have to think of him and how we’re gonna save our marriage.”

“Your daddy would roll over in his grave if he knew you planned on going back to that man,” Granny lamented.

Nora stood, angry, despite her best efforts to forgive her mother’s critique. “No, Mama,” she shook her head. “Daddy would understand now just like he understood when I left to be with Randy. It’s you that has always wished I had chosen Jack instead.”

“You wouldn’t have had to travel around,” Granny shook her head. “You could have stayed here and been close to me.”

“And I wouldn’t have my beautiful children,” Nora countered. “I wouldn’t know how amazing and unexpected love can be.”

“And you wouldn’t have a broken heart right now,” Granny frowned.

Over the next day or two, Granny spoke vaguely of Jack, never offering any concrete information. Nora steadfastly refused to fall into her trap, but, truth be told, she was a little curious. She made herself a promise that she would not ask one single question about her former flame; she would not give her mama the satisfaction of knowing that being back in her hometown had caused her to give her first love so much as a second thought.

Being back in her old bedroom didn’t help; it was strangely like she had left it. On her first day in town when she opened her closet door to sit her suitcase inside, she had found an old shoebox, covered in dust. She sat Indian style on the creaky, wooden floor and slowly removed the lid. The memories contained in that box came back so easily she couldn’t believe she had ever blocked them out. She felt silly, sitting on the floor in her childhood bedroom, crying over memories of her high school prom. She was a grandmother for Heaven’s sake! She had been married to the same man for almost forty years! Surely, what she remembered about Jack Nelson added up to nothing more than the idealized dreams of a teenage girl. But, in truth, she knew there was more to it than that. Jack might not have been the man she was meant to spend her life with, but he had been her friend, her very best friend, and the day she packed her bags and ran off with a man she hardly knew, she had not only broken Jack’s heart, but she had lost the only real friend she had in the world.

Nora found Jack’s phone number in her mama’s book; it was the only number written in red, obviously planted there for Nora to find. On more than one occasion, she had even dialed the first couple digits, but, each time, she chickened out and quickly hung up the phone. The way gossip spread through Hope Hull, Nora figured Jack had to know she was in town. He hadn’t tried to contact her, and she was not about to contact him! She didn’t want to talk to Jack Nelson…certainly not now…not now that her life was falling apart! She was in no mood to meet Jack’s wife and hear about the perfect marriage she was somehow sure he had. She was certainly in no mood to tell him that the man she had abruptly left him for was now cheating on her with a woman young enough to be her daughter. No, she never wanted to see Jack Nelson ever again!

Life had been so simple when Nora had known Jack. He had taken her to the prom; he was the first boy she had ever kissed…the only boy other than her husband whom she had ever kissed. Back in high school, Jack played on the basketball team, and Nora went to all his games. She wore his letterman’s jacket; he wrote her sweet letters, detailing their future together, and, junior year, he placed a promise ring on her finger one night in his parents’ barn.

At eighteen, Nora planned of nothing but going off to the University of Tennessee with Jack, graduating, moving back to Hope Hull, getting married and raising a family on the farm. Then, the summer after her high school graduation, as Jack and Nora prepared to head off to school together, Nora’s mama drove her to Memphis to purchase a couple things she would need for her dorm room. It was an innocent, Saturday morning trip to the big city. The most exciting part of the day promised to be picking out a suitable, yet affordable, set of luggage. What Nora couldn’t have known was that the simple trip would alter the entire course of her life.

A flat tire left Nora and her mama stranded on the side of the highway. Nora’s mother had managed to maneuver the car to the side of the road, but neither one of them had the slightest clue how to put on the spare. Just as Nora had resigned herself to the idea that she would spend the majority of her Saturday sitting on the side of the road, a car pulled off behind them, and two young men stepped out. As they approached the car, Nora’s mama quickly locked her door and wagged her finger, ordering Nora to do the same. Preferring anything to the alternative of sitting there any longer, Nora rolled her eyes and stepped out of the car, her hair and her dress blowing in the breeze. Pressing her dress down with an embarrassed giggle and squinting her eyes, Nora thanked the men for stopping to help. The first boy, best described as the less polished of the two, spoke with a familiar accent, and he wasted no time getting to work changing the tire. His friend was incredibly tall and strapping, but, perhaps most notable, was the fact that he couldn’t seem to take his eyes off Nora. Polite chit-chit revealed that the two roommates each had one more year of college at West Point, which sounded impressive even if Nora had no idea why. They were home on leave for the summer, and they were spending their vacation at the Memphis home of the boy whose accent and personality had done more to calm Nora’s mama’s fears than the air of mystery surrounding his friend. The other man, the strikingly handsome one with the commanding brown eyes that conveyed a certain attractive confidence, was from Boston. Nora knew nothing about her new friend, the town he came from, or the school he attended, but, when the charming cadet asked her to join him for dinner that night, she accepted before she even remembered she had a boyfriend who was her whole world.

Despite her mama’s guilt trip, Nora kept that evening’s date a secret from Jack, but when Randy Cohen asked her out the next night and the night after that, she knew she had a tough decision to make. And though her life felt like it was spinning out of control, her decision seemed surprisingly simple. She had no doubt about what she had to do, and the day she went to Jack and tearfully explained that she had unexpectedly fallen in love with someone else in only a matter of a few short days, she shattered all their future plans and any semblance of the life she had always imagined.

One week after Randy’s West Point graduation, the girl who had never dreamed of leaving Tennessee married the military man who would take her far away from Hope Hull. Nora had never once wondered how her life would have been different if she and her mother had never had that flat tire, if two gentlemen had not stopped to help, if she had gone away to college with Jack and moved back to Tennessee to raise a family. None of these things had crossed her mind in all the years she had been married to Randy, not even on the nights when she dreamed of nothing but returning to her county home. She had always known that she and Randy were meant to be, and she never desired to give a minute’s worth of thought to what could have been. Until now.

“You just bring that little, disrespectful thing here to stay with his Granny for a day or two, and I’ll have him whipped into proper shape,” Granny Miller declared when the subject of Grant came up.

“I’m sure you would, Mama,” Nora said disinterestedly.

“You don’t believe me?” Granny protested. “I’ll tell you one thing, no child of mine would ever act like he acts.”

Nora massaged her temples, wishing her mama would be content to let the conversation fall by the wayside.

“Did you never spank that child? Is that the problem?” Granny probed.

Nora took a deep, deliberate breath. “No disrespect intended, Mama, but you have spent a grand total of about four days with my youngest son over the course of his seventeen years, so…”

“Well, that certainly was not my choice, Nora Jean!” Granny interrupted. “Not all of us feel comfortable traipsing all over the world, and you’ve never brought the baby to Tennessee to see his Granny.”

“No. I know that,” Nora conceded. “I was only saying that perhaps you could reserve judgment of your grandson until you’ve at least gotten to know him better.”

“You know, back when your daddy was still alive, and he drove us all the way to North Carolina to visit, I always bragged to everyone back here about how well-behaved your children were. David and Eisenhower were just gems.”

“Well,” Nora nodded, “I am certainly not denying that Grant has been a unique challenge, and I’ve done my share of complaining, but I don’t think we should give up on the possibility that this one is just a diamond in the rough.”

Granny slid her daughter a slice of pie. “You can use all the fancy words you want I reckon, Nora Jean. It all boils down to the same thing. Bad! He’s just bad! And I reckon he gets it honest from that rotten daddy of his.”

Nora smiled as the aroma of blueberries wafted toward her nose. “Now, Mama, keep in mind that David and Joanna and Ike and Rachel all have the same rotten daddy.”

“They took after their mama,” Granny scoffed. “That was easy enough to see.”

“Oh please,” Nora shook her head. “Eisenhower was his daddy made over.”

“He was a darling boy,” Granny said defensively.

Nora nodded as she took a bite of pie. “A darling boy who looked and acted just like his father…”

“Have you seen Jack Nelson around?” Granny inquired, in what was an awkward, yet not uncharacteristic, segue.

Nora rolled her eyes. “Well, I certainly didn’t run into him on the walk between the kitchen and the living room, where I was sitting the last time you chose to drop his name into our conversation.”

“I just think it might be nice for you to see him after all this time,” Granny shrugged.

Nora could hide her irritation no longer. “Mama, I came here because I needed to get away and deal with what my husband has done, not because I wanted to subject myself to you shoving my high school sweetheart down my throat.”

“And what a sweetheart he is,” Granny nodded.

“Enough, Mama,” Nora rolled her eyes.

The phone rang, and Granny moved slowly to answer it. Nora clinched her fists under the table, praying that her mother had not crossed the line and secretly invited Jack over for dessert. If she could get out of town without having to explain the current state of her life to anyone from her past, she would consider it a successful trip.

On her last night in town, Nora slept in the bedroom where as a teenager she used to lie awake at night thinking about Jack Nelson, and, much to her dismay, she found herself in the same spot, a woman in her fifties, doing the exact same thing.

On the day she was to leave Hope Hull, Nora thought about writing down Jack’s number but decided against it. As she piloted her rental car toward Memphis, she tried to shake old memories from the cobwebs of her mind. It had been so many years since she had thought about Jack that she was surprised by the vividness of the memories.

At the airport she found herself ready to go back to North Carolina, ready to face her husband and decide the future of their marriage. She walked through the airport, digging through her purse and looking for her cell phone, eager to hear her children’s voices. She rounded the corner, and, as if she had suddenly been transported from real life into a scene from a movie, a man rounded the corner from the opposite direction at the very same time, bumping into her and knocking her purse out of her hand. He immediately knelt down to pick it up, and, as he stood to apologize, he found himself powerless to do anything other than stare. “Nora Jean Miller?” he gulped after a moment.

“Jack?” Nora exclaimed.

Jack Nelson embraced Nora instantly. “It isn’t Miller anymore is it?” he smiled.

“No,” Nora smiled as she pulled away to stare at Jack. “It’s Cohen…Nora Cohen.”

“Nora Jean Cohen,” he nodded, not ready to admit he had already known that.

Hearing Jack say her name made Nora think of how many times she had doodled Nora Jean Nelson and how perfectly it seemed to roll of the tongue, as though it was meant to be.

They stared at each other for a moment, too much to say to know where to begin.

“Well, what in the world are you doing here?” Jack finally asked.

“I was visiting Mama,” Nora replied.

“Was,” Jack gulped.

“Yes,” Nora nodded. “It was a quick trip, or I would have called you.” Nora bit the side of her mouth as she heard the lie pour out.

“It’s been…well, forever, frankly,” Jack said after a moment. “I see your mama at church, and I try to check in on her every now and then, but…” Jack laughed nervously, “I don’t think she likes me very much.”

Nora laughed so naturally she snorted.

Jack smiled back at her. He would have recognized that laugh anywhere, and it put him totally at ease.

“Bless her heart,” Nora said, with a dismissive wave of her hand. “Almost forty years later, Mama still blames you. After all this time she holds on to the notion that if you had fought harder, protested more, I wouldn’t have run off with Randy.”

Jack hung his head. He would have been lying if he said that the questions of why he had not put up more of a fight for the woman he loved had not crossed his mind in the years after Nora left town. Instead, he had set her free, given her his blessing to chase after whatever it took to make her happy. He looked at her now, and he saw that same sweet girl who had walked away from him so many years earlier.

“We both know that in that moment, there was no changing my mind,” Nora smiled, seeming to read his thoughts. Her smile faded into a frown. “I mean, Randy Cohen was everything any woman could want, right?” she rolled her eyes.

Jack stared at her curiously, unable to take his eyes off of her. “Listen, I have to pick up my youngest daughter when her flight gets in from Nashville,” he said after a moment. “Do you have time for a cup of coffee? I’d love to catch up.”

His youngest daughter, Nora thought. He looked like a million dollars…age had been kind to him. Yes, Nora knew, he had to be happily married, and he had a youngest daughter, which meant there were other children. She had been right, his life was perfect. His life was perfect; hers wasn’t, and he wanted to discuss it over coffee. As Nora was about to politely refuse, saying she had to catch her flight home, she caught a glimpse of his left hand and noticed he wasn’t wearing a wedding band. “I’d love to,” she smiled.

“So, I guess I’ll start with the obvious, how have you been?” Jack asked as he and Nora sat down with their coffee.

“My husband had an affair,” Nora gulped before she could stop herself. She hung her head, both shocked and horrified by the words that had just escaped her lips.

“Oh, Nora, I’m sorry…I had no idea,” Jack sighed, silently cursing the man who could hurt the vision of beauty and grace sitting before him.

Nora was even more surprised to hear herself continue to discuss such a personal matter with a man she had not seen in what seemed like a lifetime. “I should have seen it coming. He’s been having some sort of mid-life crisis. First it was a Corvette, which my son wrecked, and then a younger woman whose presence in our lives seems to have sent the aforementioned son into a downward spiral of sorts.”

“So how many children do you have?” Jack asked, interested.

“Five,” Nora nodded.

Jack didn’t seem surprised. “You always wanted babies; I know you’re a wonderful mother.”

“I wish that was true,” Nora laughed nervously.

“I know you too well to believe that it isn’t,” Jack replied.

Nora took a long sip of her coffee. “Well, it isn’t for lack of trying, but I feel like I’ve failed in a lot of areas.”

Jack nodded. “You should try being me and raising two girls as a single father. It’s a miracle that I haven’t permanently screwed those girls up, but they are my world, and I don’t know what I would do without them.”

“Two girls, huh?” Nora smiled.

“Yes,” Jack said proudly. His smile faded into a sort of grimace. “Their mother passed away right after my youngest was born.”

“How awful,” Nora said empathetically. “I’m so sorry, Jack. Anyone I know?”

“No, a woman I first met in college,” Jack shook his head, “but it was a long time ago.”

Nora looked down at the table. “Well, that might work on some people, but I know good and well that the pain of losing someone you love never goes away. I lost my son sixteen years ago, and Randy and I still struggle with that. If I’m being honest, I think our marriage started falling apart the day we lost him.”

“I can’t imagine losing a child,” Jack said, shaking his head.

“No parent should have to bury their child,” Nora said softly.

Jack slid his hand across the table and took Nora’s hand in his. “Remember when we were eighteen and the biggest problem we faced was whether we wanted to eat dinner at your house or mine?” Nora smiled back at him, reminiscing about those days. “Or who we wanted to marry?” Jack added as a pointed side note.

“Sometimes I wish I could go back,” Nora sighed. Then, realizing how wrong that had come out, she slipped her hand away from Jack’s. “I didn’t mean that how it sounded,” she clarified, a little too defensively.

“I know what you meant,” Jack smiled.

“Life hasn’t been easy,” Nora confided. “Before my son died, we were forced to deal with another crisis when my daughter was raped. It’s certainly not the way I envisioned my first grandchild coming into this world. I was devastated when I found out that Rachel was pregnant. I didn’t know the answers; I questioned everything I believed in. I have never supported abortion, but I found myself telling my daughter that I thought it could be okay in some cases. Thankfully she was stronger than I was. I wasn’t ready to become a grandmother, but the day I held Emily, I knew she was a blessing in my life.”

“You’re a grandmother, huh?” Jack nodded. “That is hard to believe.”

“I’m a grandmother of two actually,” Nora said proudly. “My oldest son and his wife have a daughter named Leah. She has Autism, and she is my heart.”

“It sounds like you have been dealt more than your fair share of hard knocks,” Jack said, and Nora appreciated the sincerity and sympathy she heard in his voice.

“I know it sounds that way, but I have actually had a pretty great life.” Nora laughed as she stared at Jack. “And … why am I telling you all of this?”

Jack smiled. “A better question is…why doesn’t it feel awkward?”

Nora took Jack’s hand again. “It’s been a long time, Jack. We haven’t spoken since…”

“Since you ran off to marry Mr. West Point,” Jack shrugged.

“You sound so bitter,” Nora quipped.

“I am,” Jack smiled, “and sitting here looking at you, I remember exactly why.”

“I never had the chance to properly apologize for how badly I hurt you,” Nora sighed.

“That was a long time ago,” Jack shook his head.

There was a long silence, during which Nora realized that her statement had been less of an apology and more of a promise of an impeding one that she couldn’t seem to muster.

“How old are your children?” Jack asked, easing the tension.

“My oldest is thirty-seven and my baby will be eighteen soon,” Nora replied quickly.

Jack smiled. “My oldest daughter just turned eighteen; obviously, it took me awhile to get over losing you.”

“Grant, my youngest, plays basketball just like you used to,” Nora added.

“Is he as good as I was?” Jack joked.

“Better,” Nora countered.

“Is that so?” Jack laughed.

“He’s a very talented young man,” Nora said seriously.

“He sounds like a great kid,” Jack smiled.

Nora paused. “He is a great kid, but he’s going through a lot right now, and I worry about him.” Nora closed her eyes for a long moment as she wondered what Grant was up to back home. “I haven’t been a good mother to Grant because I guess I just don’t know how to be,” she said, distressed. “It’s hard to parent a child that is smarter than you are. It’s hard not to know what he needs and desires. I don’t know what boundaries to set for him because I don’t want to hold him back.”

Jack seemed at a loss for words. “I’m sure he knows you love him.”

Nora frowned. “I don’t know that he will feel that way when I tell him I’m divorcing his father.”

Jack shrugged. “He cheated on you; you have a right to divorce him.”

“I know,” Nora said confidently, “but Randy and I have been together since I was eighteen. In a lot of ways, life with Randy is the only life I know.”

“You feel comfortable here, don’t you?” Jack asked. “In Hope Hull, I mean.”

“You can’t imagine how much I have missed Hope Hull,” Nora confessed. “Being back as an adult only reminded me of my roots. I’ve gotten away from those roots in a lot of ways, and I miss them.”

“It was a wonderful place to grow up,” Jack concurred, “and it has proven a wonderful place to raise my girls.”

“Well, you know what they say…you can’t go home again,” Nora shrugged. “It’s been too long, Jack. My life doesn’t even resemble the life of the girl who used to live here.”

“Well, you can’t go home again because your mother’s house is much too small,” Jack quipped.

Nora laughed. “Are you kidding? My kids wouldn’t know how to act in that town.”

“I’m the basketball coach at the high school these days,” Jack said with a persuasive smile.

Nora shook her head. “Well, that sounds tempting, but I can’t take Grant and Emily out of school, and I miss them so much already.”

“Sometimes it’s okay to think about yourself,” Jack nodded.

“Until you become a parent,” Nora replied.

“Even then,” Jack shook his head. “You aren’t doing your kids any favors by not taking care of yourself.”

Nora thought for a moment. “It would be nice to spend a little more time here, but it’s not really practical.”

“Practical is overrated,” Jack winked.

“Jack Nelson, are you flirting with me?” Nora gasped.

“Is it working?” Jack grinned.

“It always has,” Nora sighed.

“I don’t understand how a man could have a treasure like you and not realize just what he had,” Jack gulped.

“I know Randy loves me,” Nora lowered her head. “But…”

“But…” Jack repeated when her statement fell off.

Nora lifted her gaze to meet Jack’s. “I think it’s time for me to live my own life for awhile. I have spent so many years being Randy’s wife, and being here has reminded me of the entire life I left behind. I don’t think I realized just how much I missed this place…especially you.”

Jack looked down at his watch. “What time is your flight?”

Nora checked the time on the clock on the wall. With a gasp, she brought her hand to her mouth. “I missed my plane.”

“Well, that’s too bad,” Jack grinned. “When Jessica’s plane arrives, we’ll give you a lift back to Hope Hull.”

Nora laughed, imagining what in the world her mother would say when she learned that fate had practically propelled her into Jack’s arms as she tried to escape town. “Only if we stop at the grocery store on the way back,” she smiled. “I’ll cook dinner for you and your girls tonight.”

“Well, I’m certainly not going to argue with that,” Jack said, standing. “It sounds like dinner at my place tonight.”

Emily was sitting alone on the front steps when Melissa pulled into the driveway at Randy and Nora’s house. “How are you doing?” Melissa asked, sitting down next to Emily.

Emily tucked her cell phone into the pocket of her jeans. “I was just texting a few friends to let them know I won’t be at school tomorrow.”

“I’m sorry, Em,” Melissa sighed. “I think this caught us all a little off-guard.”

Emily nodded. “Rachel came by this morning and helped me pack. I asked her if I could stay with her, but she and I both know she really doesn’t have the money to take care of me right now. I suggested that I get an after-school job to help out, but we decided it’s best if I just go with Mom… somebody needs to be there for Grant.”

“I can’t believe y’all are moving to Tennessee,” Melissa shook her head.

“Mom should be here within the hour,” Emily said softly. “Rachel went to pick her up at the airport.”

Three days earlier, Nora had called Randy, informed him that she had missed her flight back to North Carolina and added, almost as a side note, that she planned to file for divorce. The following day, she stunned him by calling back and declaring that she was moving back home to Hope Hull, and she would be coming home just long enough to pack a few things and pick up the kids.”

“How is Grant taking all of this?” Melissa asked as she draped her arm over Emily’s shoulders.

“He hasn’t busted any windows or burned any buildings down if that’s what you’re getting at,” Emily sighed. She shook her head as her eyes glazed over with tears. “It’s his senior year…it’s basketball season…this isn’t fair.”

“I know,” Melissa nodded. “As soon as we found out what was going on, David called your mom and asked if you guys could stay with us until the end of the school year, but that’s not what she wants. She said Grant will be leaving for college at the end of the school year, and she wants to spend these last few months with him.”

Emily stood. “I have to go inside and make sure I’m all ready to go. Joanna is in Grant’s room, helping him pack. I’m sure they’d appreciate some help.”

Grant crammed his clothes into a suitcase on the floor.

“Grant, if you will try folding those, you could fit more,” Joanna insisted.

“I’ve got this under control,” Grant grumbled as he crawled on top of his suitcase in an effort to close it.

As Joanna watched him, she found herself becoming increasingly angry with her mother and then, remembering which domino had been the first to fall, at her father. She picked up Grant’s basketball and hugged it close to her.

“Joey?” Grant frowned as he looked up from his suitcase.

“Yeah?” Joanna replied.

“Can I live with you for a couple months?” Grant begged. “You won’t have any trouble out of me. I swear. I’ll sleep on the couch; I’ll mind my own business.”

“Oh, Grant,” Joanna sighed. “I would love for you to stay with me, Baby, but Mom wants you with her.”

Grant rolled his eyes. “Don’t be surprised if one day I just disappear and none of you ever see or hear from me again.”

Joanna chose not to respond to her brother’s rather ominous declaration, but, in the back of her mind, she feared he was capable of just that. Joanna began taking books from Grant’s shelf. “Why don’t you pick a few of these to take with you?” she suggested. “I doubt you’ll have room for very many.”

Grant started to fill his backpack with books, but he quickly used up all the space he had, and he abruptly slung a book toward the wall. “I can’t do this,” he yelled. “Not again!”

“Hey!” Joanna said as she grabbed her little brother’s hands. “It’s going to be okay.” Over the years, she had forgotten the pain involved in moving, but this was different, worse somehow. Her parents were getting a divorce; her mother had been off in Tennessee catching up with a man that none of them knew; Grant was expected to leave home and move to a little town in the middle of nowhere to live with a his mother and a man who wasn’t his father.

“I love you, Joey,” Grant said, staring at his big sister, begging for the help she knew she couldn’t give him.

“Come here, you,” Joanna smiled as she helped Grant to his feet. She wrapped her arms around her little brother. “I love you too,” she said with a kiss on the cheek. “I wish I could tell you that you can stay with me, but I can’t, Grant. I have too much respect for Mom’s wishes, even if I don’t necessarily agree with them. That doesn’t mean I don’t love you or that it doesn’t hurt me to see you hurting. I wish I could change this situation, but I can’t. I can’t tell you what you want to hear right now, but I will always be here for you.”

“Yeah,” Grant sighed, “except you’ll be here at home, and I’ll be in Hell Hole, Tennessee.”

Joanna laughed. “I’m pretty sure it’s called Hope Hull.”

“Something like that,” Grant smiled.

“Tennessee won’t be so bad,” Joanna said, zipping Grant’s backpack.

Grant picked up his basketball. “It’s not home,” he sighed as he flopped back onto his bed. He shrugged. “Then again, I’m not really sure that this has ever felt like home either.”

There was a knock at Grant’s bedroom door, and Melissa poked her head inside. “Hey, Sweetie,” she sighed as she surveyed the mess on the floor.

“Don’t you mean, goodbye,” Grant gulped as he motioned her in.

Joanna opened Grant’s desk drawer, and she was greeted by a single, neat stack of papers. “I’ll take care of those,” Grant said, and, as he snatched the pile from his sister, a single photograph floated to the ground.

“Oh, this must have been stuck between the pages,” Joanna said as she reached down to pick it up. She eyed the picture for a long moment, smiling at the sight of her brother, his lips puckered and planted on the cheek of a girl whose grin radiated both surprise and excitement.

“She’s a cutie,” Joanna said, turning the picture toward Melissa.

“Who is she?” Melissa inquired. “I haven’t seen her around.”

“She’s not from around here,” Grant replied.

“What’s her name?” Joanna asked.

“It escapes me,” Grant lied. He took the picture and slid it into the front pocket of his backpack.

“Do you like her?” Melissa inquired.

“I barely know her,” Grant scoffed.

“I think he’s avoiding the question,” Melissa smiled at Joanna.

“Do you like what you know?” Joanna asked tactfully.

Grant laughed. “You guys can team up on me all you want; I’m not telling you anything.”

“Where’s she from?” Joanna asked.

Grant rolled his eyes. “Coincidently enough…she’s from Tennessee…which will make she, Mom, Emily and Granny Miller, who is not particularly fond of me if you recall, the only four people I know there.”

“What part of Tennessee?” Joanna asked.

“I don’t know,” Grant shrugged. “Memphis, maybe. I’m sure that like everyone else she has never so much as heard of Hope Hull.”

There was a startling rap of knuckles on Grant’s door as Randy walked inside. “I’ll go check on Emily and make sure she’s all ready to go,” Joanna said as she squeezed past her father.

“I will go call David and make sure he’s on his way, so Leah can say goodbye,” Melissa said, following Joanna out the door.

“What’s going on, Grant?” Randy asked.

“Not too much,” Grant replied coldly. “You popped a little blue pill, no doubt, and got your groove on with Little Miss Cindy Sunshine. Your firstborn, who apparently you dropped on his head one too many times, told Mom about it. She flipped out and wants a divorce. And, now I’m headed to Hickville to meet my future step-father. What’s up with you?”

“I’m sorry about this, Grant,” Randy said quietly. “It was a stupid question, it’s a tough situation, but I only came in here to find some way to segue into an apology.”

“Well, do more than just be sorry about the situation,” Grant snapped. “Do something about it! I am ten freakin’ minutes away from being hauled down to Tennessee to meet my mother’s new fling…old fling…whatever. It’s not enough that my parents are getting divorced, but Mom is off living in the past, and she insists upon dragging Emily and me right into the middle of it. Tell her I’m staying here with you! Please, Dad! Tell her you won’t let me go!”

“I’ve said everything to your mother that I can possibly say,” Randy shook his head. “I screwed up, Son. I love your mother with all my heart, and, if I thought for a second that I could keep her from moving, I’d do whatever it took. I’ve done everything in my power to keep our marriage and our family together after I made the mistake that tore it apart. Your mother and I talked all night. I begged her to come back, but your mom is leaving, and I love her too much to fight with her over you guys.”

“So that’s it,” Grant shrugged. “You’re just going to let me go? You know, I’ll never understand you, Dad. You wouldn’t dream of leaving a man behind in battle, but you’re willing to let me go without so much as a fight, and, worse, you’re trying to spin it as honorable.” Grant laughed. “I guess you couldn’t sabotage my basketball career from here, but there won’t be any college scouts in Hope Hull, will there, Dad?”

“Grant,” Randy protested with a wave of his hand.

“Are you that desperate?” Grant exhaled. “Are you making phone calls to all your friends at West Point? Is this the golden opportunity you’ve been looking for? You ruin my senior basketball season, and, without that pipe dream to hold on to, I change my mind and decide to become a war hero before running for the presidency?”

“Nothing could be further from the truth, Grant,” Randy insisted. “This is all your mother’s idea; I’ve disrespected her enough, and I won’t hurt her even more by keeping her kids from her.” He paused. “I know you want to play basketball, Son, and, if that’s what you want to do, I won’t be able to stop you.”

“Basketball season starts in four days, Dad,” Grant protested. “I’m the point guard for the best high school basketball team in this state; I am as much as guaranteed a scholarship to the school of my choice, but I opened my eyes yesterday morning, and, all of a sudden, I’m living some other guy’s life.”

“Some things simply take precedence over basketball,” Randy argued.

“Dad, I know you hate basketball,” Grant pled. “You think it’s just a game, but it’s more than that to me. I know you must think it’s lame; I mean, it isn’t leading the troops out of Saigon, huh? But that was your life, Dad… that was your adrenaline rush. When I have that basketball in my hand, and there are five men between me and the basket…”

“You won’t compare war and basketball in my house,” Randy demanded.

“That’s not what I was doing,” Grant rolled his eyes. “But you, on the other hand, feel free to bring your whore back into your sacred domicile for a midday rendezvous.”

“Is it really necessary to bring that up just to hurt me?” Randy barked.

“I thought I would take the heat off myself and get back to the root of this conversation,” Grant shrugged, almost disinterestedly.

“Well,” Randy shot back, “if you had been in school that day, like you were supposed to be, we wouldn’t be having this conversation, and your mother wouldn’t be running back to Tennessee.”

“Are you serious?” Grant protested. “Are you really going to try and shift the blame to me? Thou shalt not get bored at school or Thou shalt not commit adultery? Remind me again which one made it into the Ten Commandments?”

Randy crossed his arms. “All the nights when I was living with the guilt of the secret that I was carrying around, I knew that if it came out, all the people I care about would be hurt. In my mind, I had you pegged as the kid who would care the least, but I think I was wrong. I think you’re the one who has been hurt most by what I did, and I…”

“Don’t apologize to me again,” Grant said as he grabbed his suitcase and brushed by his dad. In the hallway, he turned around slowly. “I have been begging you to keep me here with you, but, right now, I can’t say that I care if I ever see you again.”

Randy grabbed Grant’s shoulder. “Grant, wait…”

“Let go of me,” Grant insisted. “I’ll get my money from Pops soon enough, and, as soon as I do, I’ll bail on life on the farm.”

Randy’s brow wrinkled. “If you’ll just listen, we could talk the way that Ike and I used to; we could learn to understand each other.”

Grant’s reply came in the form of a mocking laugh. “You’ll never understand me, and I don’t want to try and understand you. I hate you.”

“That is a very strong word, Son,” Randy swallowed.

“That is precisely why I chose it,” Grant nodded. “I hate you for what you did to my mom! I hate you for bringing up Ike’s name in a conversation that is about me! I hate you for not supporting my dreams because they don’t align with yours. I hate you for never building forts with me with way you did with David and Ike…” Grant’s voice trailed off. There was more, but he didn’t feel like getting into it.

“Well, if my own son hates me, then what have I spent my entire life fighting for?” Randy said, defeated.

“I guess that is something you will have plenty of time to ponder in this big, empty, quiet house while I am condemned to prison for a crime you committed,” Grant replied instantly.

“I don’t expect you to be your brother,” Randy insisted. “It has never been about you wanting what Ike and I wanted.”

“Just shut-up!” Grant hollered. “Spare me the speech…and just shut-up for once!”

Randy’s face boiled red with rage. “I don’t take that kind of disrespect from anyone and certainly not from one of my children!”

“Well, Dad,” Grant shrugged as he continued down the hall with his suitcase. “Everybody’s always saying I never tell the truth, so here’s the truth for you. I don’t respect you, not anymore.”

Randy stormed down the hall, grabbed Grant from behind and pinned him up against the living room wall with so much force that Grant was surprised he didn’t go right through it. Randy’s voice boomed, startling everyone in the room. “Go ahead, Grant!” he cried. “It’s not enough that your mother is leaving me for another man! You let me have it too! It’ll make you feel better! Tell me what a failure I am as a husband and as a father!”

“Whoa!” David gasped, jumping up from his seat on the sofa. “Dad, what are you doing?”

“I think I’ve already covered that,” Grant said in a tone much too cocky to be used by someone whose face was plastered against a wall. “But, if you need a recap…”

“Would you shut-up?” David demanded of his brother.

“Please don’t hurt him, Dad!” Joanna begged.

Melissa stood next to her husband, her nails pressing into his skin just deep enough to remind him what she was capable of. “Stand up to him,” she whispered. “Tell him that he can’t get away with this; tell him you’ll arrest him.”

David’s eyes flashed over at his wife, but, before he could formulate a response that would express just how suicidal he thought her suggestion was, Leah stepped in instead. Leaning from her mother’s arms, she reached out her tiny hand toward Grant, stretching toward him with all her might as the most heart-wrenching whimper escaped her lips and echoed in a room silenced by shock.

Randy slowly moved away from Grant, his gaze never leaving his granddaughter as he saw the magnitude of his actions through her eyes. He had spent a small fortune on toys that he thought might arouse Leah’s interest, but none of them had ever been played with. He had spent more time on the computer than at any other time in his life, researching the diagnosis and searching the internet for stories of miracles like the one he prayed for. He had read storybooks with no clear sign that Leah was even listening, hoping that one day she would surprise them all with the extent of her vocabulary. He had never been anything but a big, ole teddy bear in the presence of his granddaughter, and to know that her most decisive communicative act to date was a terrified reaction to his inexcusable actions did not settle well with him.

Grant smiled as he moved toward Leah. He took her in his arms, and she wrapped her arms around his neck. “It’s okay,” he said soothingly. “Uncle Grant is fine.” He cooed as he stole kisses from her cheek. “Who loves you?”

Leah raised her head and moved her hand to her heart. As she made the letter G with her fingers, tears filled Grant’s eyes. He caught a glimpse of Melissa and saw the tears rolling down her cheeks.

“Grant,” Randy gulped. “I’m sorry; I’m sorry for all of it.” He faced Melissa as he rested his hand on David’s shoulder. “I wouldn’t frighten Leah for anything in this world,” he uttered.

“It’s okay, Dad,” David shook his head.

“I mean it,” Randy reiterated. “I’m sorry.”

“Grant’s having a rough time with this move,” Melissa sighed. “He said things out of frustration that he probably shouldn’t have said, but…”

“I’m not having the easiest time with this move myself,” Randy wanted to say, but, instead, he silently rebuked himself for ever being weak enough to get himself into such a mess to begin with.

Grant nodded. “I know I said I wouldn’t, but I will miss you, Dad.”

“You won’t have time,” Randy shook his head. “Send me a schedule. I’ll make plans to come to some games.” Randy motioned to Emily. He took her and Grant and Leah into his arms all at once. “I love you guys so much.”

Nora walked in the door unnoticed. She stared at her husband huddled with the kids, and she could feel tears hot against her cheeks, but there was something inside of her that refused to give in to the moment. Rachel handed her a tissue. “Thank you,” she smiled, as she cleared her throat. “Kids, it’s time to go!” she called.

“Mom!” Emily exclaimed as she hurried across the living room and flung her arms around Nora. “I’ve missed you.”

“David, Sweetie, will you help me get their things in the car,” Nora instructed, knowing that she had to get in and get out before she changed her mind. The very sight of her granddaughter, her red hair covering her face as she rested against Grant’s shoulder, gave her pause. The very idea of being away from Leah sent her emotions into a downward spiral, that, if she let them, would get the best of her. There were so many reasons to stay, but, for once in her life, she had to do what she felt was right for her. She had to go.

“Nora,” Randy called as his wife began ushering the kids outside. “Aren’t you tired from your flight? Don’t you want to rest awhile? You could leave tonight or tomorrow.”

“No,” Nora shook her head, “I’m just going to grab a few things, and we’re going to head on out. Between the three of us, it shouldn’t be a bad drive.” She walked purposefully down the hall, and fifteen minutes later she was back, holding a suitcase in each hand.

While she put the last of her things in the car, Nora watched as Grant and David played basketball in the driveway. Grant was laughing, and that sound had always melted her heart. Emily was watching, smiling as she rocked back and forth in Rachel’s arms. Leah was in her mother’s arms, actually staring at her daddy and her Uncle Grant as they played, and Nora was sure she detected a hint of a smile on the child’s face.

“Can I help you with those?” Randy offered as he reached for her bags.

“I’ve got it,” Nora shook her head as she shoved the last bag inside. “I’m just going to go inside and get a bottle of water, and we’re going to head out.”

Randy followed Nora back up the driveway. “Nora…”

“Grant!” Nora called, cutting Randy off. “Crank up the car; it’s time to go.”

As Grant and Emily waited in the car, Nora and Randy stood alone on the porch, staring at one another, only to look away before either could speak. “Goodbye, Randy,” Nora nodded finally.

“Are you really leaving?” Randy sighed.

“Yeah,” Nora cried. “I am…hard to believe isn’t it?”

“What is his name again?” Randy gulped.

“He’s not the reason I’m leaving,” Nora shook her head. “You are.”

Randy took a deep breath. “Yeah, but the guy…the guy from high school…what’s his name?”

“Jack Nelson,” Nora replied with a smile.

“That’s right; I remember,” Randy nodded. “Does he have kids?” he inquired.

“Two,” Nora nodded. “Both girls. One seventeen and one eighteen.”

“Do Grant and Emily know about them?” Randy shrugged.

“No,” Nora shook her head, “I don’t think his girls know about our kids yet either. I figured I would save that news for the road.”

“What does he do?” Randy asked with a grimace.

“He’s a high school basketball coach,” Nora replied hesitantly.

“What?” Randy exclaimed.

“Grant doesn’t know that yet either,” Nora added.

Randy nodded solemnly, his face taunt with disappointment.

“Randy,” Nora sighed, “he will never take your place in Grant’s life. That’s a promise.”

“Don’t take my kids from me, Nora,” Randy begged.

“I’m sorry,” Nora gulped. “I mean that Randy, and I hope you’ll come visit us.” She shook her head. “Them,” she corrected.

“I’ll get there when I can,” Randy said as he closed his eyes.

Nora wrapped her arms around him. “We have to go,” she sighed as she kissed his cheek.

“You won’t change your mind?” Randy sighed.

“No,” Nora shook her head after a moment of staring at the man she had devoted her life to. “I told you last night, Randy, I have had a lot of time to think. This is right for me. You obviously needed a change; now, so do I.”

“Do you love him?” Randy forced himself to ask, not wanting to hear Nora’s answer.

Nora turned away again. “Goodbye, Randy.”

“Goodbye, Nora,” Randy mouthed as he watched his wife walk away.

Nora stared into her rearview mirror as she drove through Memphis. She had already called Jack to let him know she was only a couple hours away. Grant had on his headphones and, though she knew he could hear her, he had pretended the music had drowned out her voice every time she had attempted to start up a conversation about Jack Nelson. “Grant, we are almost there,” Nora said calmly, her eyes meeting Grant’s in the rearview mirror. “I need to talk to you. Please turn off the music.”

Reluctantly, Grant did. “Don’t even get me started on how far out of the way you have managed to take us. Not that I am in any rush to get there, but there is no way we should be passing through Memphis on our way from North Carolina to Hopeless Hollow.”

“Thank you for taking the headphones off,” Nora nodded. She glanced at Emily and lovingly reached over and squeezed her hand. “We are only about two hour away from Jack’s house, and, maybe I have waited too long to tell you guys this,” Nora began, “but there is something you both need to know about Jack.”

“You’re not really planning on moving in with him; it’s all a big joke?” Grant interjected.

Nora had learned over time that if you stopped to respond every time Grant made a comment, not much ever got said, so she ignored his cynicism and continued on in the same concerned and compassionate tone in which she had started the conversation. “Jack has two daughters,” she said slowly, letting it register with the kids. “But the good news is…”

“He has kids?” Emily sighed.

“How is any of that good news?” Grant scoffed.

Nora continued, talking mostly to Emily now, knowing that Grant would tune her out and hear only what he wanted to hear anyway. “Jessica is seventeen; she is an absolutely precious young lady. I got a chance to meet her when Jack and I bumped into each other, and I really enjoyed my time with her. Her dream is to be a country music singer. She has long, dark, silky hair and a gorgeous figure. I mean, she is beautiful and sweet as pie, I tell you.”

Emily turned to the backseat, sure that Grant was taking in everything Nora was saying about Jessica and her drop dead gorgeous looks, but, surprisingly, he didn’t seem interested.

“Grant, Baby, please just give this a chance,” Nora sighed as she pulled into a service station to fill up with gas. But, Grant was in no mood to hear any more; nothing she could say could change the way he felt. He would rather be home with his father, being criticized about his career choice, than off playing Brady Bunch with his mother.

“It’s all okay,” Grant declared, “because my birthday is only a couple weeks away, and, as soon as I have the money, I’m moving to Boston for good.”

Nora pulled the car to a stop at the pump.

“I don’t know how you can do this to us again,” Grant started in on Nora all of a sudden. “I don’t know how you can disrupt our lives like this and sit there and talk about Jack and his daughters as if you didn’t see the tears Emily tried to hide for the six hours we spent on the road yesterday.”

“I couldn’t help it,” Emily sighed.

“You should cry,” Grant shrugged. “Everything you have known back home is gone! The friendships you were building, those are over. Sure, your friends promised to stay in touch, but they won’t. They might for a while, but they’ll get busy, and so will you. Their lives will go on without you, and you’ll never hear from them again.”

“Grant, this is really uncalled for,” Nora broke in, as she searched for a tissue to give to Emily.

“It’s called reality,” Grant sighed. “I didn’t make her cry; you did.”

“Don’t you think I’ve cried too, Grant?” Nora yelled. “Don’t you think I’ve cried my heart out more than anyone else. I didn’t want my marriage to fall apart. I didn’t ask your daddy to do this to our family. Daddy did this to us, not me. So, if you want someone to blame, blame him.”

“I do blame him,” Grant nodded. “He caused the problem, but he’s not the one running away from it. Pardon me if I’m not exactly thrilled about the idea of your past taking precedence over my future.”

“Mom, can’t you forgive Dad?” Emily sighed.

“I have forgiven him,” Nora nodded. “I have forgiven him, and he’ll always have a special place in my heart. He is the father of my children; we had a wonderful life together, and he and I will always share a special relationship. I love your dad, just not in the same way I used to. I can’t.”

“So, your life is falling apart, and misery loves company,” Grant grumbled.

“Why are you trying to make me feel more guilty about this than I already do?” Nora begged.

“Grant, I’m sure Hope Hull won’t be so bad,” Emily suggested.

“It’s not on the map, Emily,” Grant protested. “The basketball team will suck; I can promise you that the academic standards will leave a great deal to be desired; unless your dream job includes a tractor or a herd of cattle, I think you’ll find that you’re out of luck in Hope Hull. So, you’ll both have to excuse me if I’m not satisfied with a life destined for obscurity.”

“Grant, why do you have to be so negative?” Nora cried. “This was not an easy decision for me to make, and your attitude is not helping.”

Grant exhaled. “At least you got to make a decision,” he shrugged. “I didn’t get that courtesy; I never have. It’s not easy to be the general’s kid, going from place to place. When Dad finally decided to retire, do you have any idea how grateful I was that I was going to get to spend my junior and senior years of high school playing for the same basketball team?”

Nora wiped her tears with her hand.

“Don’t cry, Mom,” Grant shook his head. “I didn’t say any of those things to make you cry. I hate when you cry.”

“I love you, Grant,” Nora cried. “I love you more than you could possibly know, and all I want is for you to be happy.”

“Then why didn’t you let me stay at home instead of dragging me off to play house with some man I don’t even know,” Grant sighed.

Nora frowned. “I want you to give Jack a chance. I really think you’ll like him. Back when we were in school, he was the star point guard of our high school’s team. He played a little college ball at the University of Tennessee, and now he’s coaching.”

“He’s the coach at the high school?” Grant replied with a spark of interest.

Nora smiled. “I’ve told him all about you, and he can’t wait to meet you.”

Grant smiled. “I guess I’ll let you know what I think.”

“Deal,” Nora smiled back. “How about filling us up?” she said as she reached for her credit card and handed it to Grant.

“I wish I had gotten a chance to meet Jack’s older daughter,” Nora said to Emily as Grant got out of the car.

“You never told us her name,” Emily replied.

“Hailey,” Nora smiled. “I didn’t get a chance to meet her; I think she is probably as excited about me as Grant is about Jack.”

“Oh great; there’re two of them!” Emily laughed.

“She sounds a little stubborn,” Nora shook her head, “but I’m pretty sure she is a really good girl. She plays basketball, and, to hear her dad tell it, she is every bit as obsessed as Grant.”

“Does Jessica play basketball too?” Emily inquired.

“No,” Nora smiled. “She says she’s the black sheep of the family!”

“Wait until we tell Grant about Hailey!” Emily said eagerly.

Grant knocked on Nora’s window, and she rolled it down. “I’m gonna run in and get a drink; do you want anything?”

“Yeah, grab us some water,” Nora nodded, “but no snacks because we’re about to have lunch with Jack and the girls.”

As Grant walked toward the store, Nora began to reminisce. “You know,” she smiled as she pointed to a small, old diner across the street, “when I was your age, Emily, it was a big treat for Jack and I to get to hang out at that diner. It was always where we came when we made the road trip to the big city.”

“How long did you and Jack date?” Emily exclaimed.

“Our whole lives,” Nora laughed. “I mean we were close all our lives, but high school was really when things got serious between us.”

“Mom!” Emily exclaimed. “Why haven’t I ever heard about this?”

“Well, I met Randy,” Nora shrugged at Emily, who was, at this point, engrossed in the story of her mother’s past. “I met your dad, and I can’t say that I ever thought of Jack after that, not until recently. I couldn’t believe we even recognized each other after all those years. He brought me here to this old diner; I haven’t been back in so many years; I had no idea it was even still in business. I’ll tell you, Emily, I felt like I was seventeen all over again. Back then, Jack was the only boy I thought I would ever marry.”

“That is so romantic,” Emily smiled.

“You’re going to love, Jack,” Nora promised. “He’s a class act… a really special man.”

“You have stars in your eyes,” Emily accused.

“Oh, don’t be silly,” Nora laughed.

In truth, Nora couldn’t believe she had forgotten how right she and Jack had always been together, how comfortable they were with each other. Most surprisingly, she couldn’t believe how they had fallen so easily back into each others lives, like they never left.

Grant ran to the car, startling the girls when he flung the door open. “Em, look!” he said excitedly. “They had this CD in there for a dollar!”

“No way!” Emily exclaimed as she stared at the cover.

“Look at the picture on the back,” Grant laughed.

“What is it?” Nora asked curiously.

“Here, stick it in,” Grant said as he tore into the CD.

“Grant, wait, please, I want to talk to you,” Nora called.

Emily grabbed the CD and popped it into the car’s CD player.

Grant began to head bang playfully.

“What is this?” Nora asked, curling her lip as a screeching ruckus blared from the speakers. “Grant, please don’t give yourself whiplash, Son!”

“It’s Wally’s illusive first album,” Emily laughed.

“You paid money for something Wally recorded?” Nora snickered.

“It’s his old stuff from his hard rock days,” Emily gushed. “Obviously, this is pretty bad, but I do kind of like his new stuff.”

“No you don’t,” Grant laughed. “You just tell him that you do because you’re too nice to tell him the truth like I do, remember?”

“Yeah, you might be right,” Emily nodded.

Grant began cackling in the backseat, and the contagious sound of his laughter filled Nora with a relieved sense of hope. Emily crawled into the back seat, and the two kids began head banging in their personal mosh pit, occasionally falling all over each other in fits of giggles.

“Well, I certainly can’t talk over this racket,” Nora sighed. She stared into her rearview mirror as she pulled back onto the highway, and the sight of the children made her smile. “Hope Hull, here we come,” she whispered.

Grant stared out the back window of the car at a white, wooden sign, staked in the ground and hospitably welcoming lost travelers with capital, kelly green letters that read: WELCOME TO HOPE HULL Y’ALL. Under the greeting, in a smaller print, was the shocking reality: Population 87.

“Wow,” Grant scoffed as they passed, “the three of us knock it up to an even 90; you’d think they’d be a little more grateful… where is our tickertape parade, y’all?”

“Technically 91,” Emily quipped, “if we count both of your personalities.”

“Ouch,” Grant winked.

“You’re the lucky one,” Emily sighed. “I had to leave all my friends behind, but you obviously brought your two best friends, Sarcasm and Cynicism, along for the ride.”

The dirt road seemed to stretch on for miles with nothing in sight except for cows kept behind rusted, barbed wire fences. There were white cows and black cows and brown cows and one white cow with black spots. Some of the cows stood at the fence staring down the car as it passed. Others moseyed about unhindered by their visitors. Some fed on large bales of hay, refusing to allow the traffic to interfere with lunch. All were partly responsible for the unbearable stench that seeped into the car. Grant ducked his nose under the collar of his shirt as he stared out the window, mesmerized to silence by his disbelief. Occasionally, the monotony of the cows was disrupted by the sight of a red barn, a small, white, wooden house surrounded by acres of pasture, or by horses, goats, pigs, and other animals.

Surrounding the creek, fall leaves of yellow, brown, orange and red decorated the trees, as the Spanish Moss hung down, framing the water.

“That’s beautiful,” Emily pointed. She glanced over at Grant. “It’s safe to breathe now,” she laughed.

“That used to be our swimming hole during the summer,” Nora announced.

“Have you ever been cow tipping?” Emily asked curiously.

“Maybe,” Nora offered, and she and Emily both laughed. Nora slanted her eyes to look at Grant. “Are you okay, Grant? You’re mighty quiet back there!”

Grant nodded. “The questions, comments and rude remarks are just coming so fast and furious that if I stop to utter one, my brain may actually short circuit.”

“Yep, he’s fine,” Emily grinned.

The car briefly passed by Hope Hull’s Town Square. There was only one stoplight in town, but it didn’t work, and, from the looks of it, it hadn’t worked in years.

Hope Hull Baptist Church was on the right, across from the livestock auction and the feed store.

Another small cluster of rundown buildings housed a tiny doctor’s office, town hall, and a greasy spoon called MAUDE’S, where at least twenty of the eighty-seven locals were gathered for lunch. A heavy, white-haired man stood outside wearing overalls with no undershirt. A woman, presumably his wife, with curlers in her hair and bare feet motioned for him to hurry inside. Apparently, she didn’t want to chance missing out on today’s special of meatloaf and mashed potatoes and gravy, as announced by a handwritten sign taped in the front window.

The Country Stop was a small market and gas station in one, with only two, semi-operational pumps. In the small parking lot there was a boy standing next to his pickup truck, and, much to Grant’s horror, his mother honked the horn and waved. The tall, strapping boy tipped his black, cowboy hat to say hello.

“Did you know him?” Emily asked.

“That was Joe John Jordan,” Nora nodded. “I had not seen his parents in years, but I ran into them last week. They were friends of mine and Jack’s back in the day. Jackie, Mrs. Jordan, will be one of your teachers…English I believe.”

“No surprise, given her obvious affinity for alliteration,” Grant grumbled. “I didn’t know if you were telling us his name or couldn’t remember it. Joe? John? Jordan, maybe?”

“John is his daddy’s name,” Nora said. “He is the pastor at church and the principal at all three schools. A real sweetheart from what I remember; he was just elected sheriff, if I’m not mistaken.”

“Let’s hope you are, lest this town is dealing with a gross lack of separation of power,” Grant rolled his eyes.

“Why do you have to be so negative about everything?” Nora scolded.

“I’m not being negative,” Grant grinned. “Indeed, a clergyman packing heat inside an elementary school is something I must see.”

“Oh, good heavens,” Nora scoffed. “He doesn’t carry a gun. What in the world would he need that for?”

“Is that the school?” Emily asked, rolling down the window, praying there was more to it than she saw.

“That small brick house is the elementary school. Those three portable buildings behind it are the middle school,” Nora explained.

The high school sat right next door. It was small, though considerably larger than the lower schools, and it appeared to be better maintained than any other building in town.

Behind the schools was an asphalt basketball court and a playground with one slightly rusted slide, a swing set with two swings, one of which was tangled and broken, a set of pale yellow, monkey bars and three big tractor tires painted green, blue and red.

Grant slouched down in his seat. “Hope Hull, Tennessee…everything I thought it would be and so much more.”

“Guys, this is it,” Nora announced as she pulled into the driveway of a modest, wooden house.

“Jessica! Hailey! Nora and the kids are here!” Jack called simultaneously as he watched from the living room window.

Jack hustled to the door, eager to see Nora and meet her kids. He had missed her so much in the little time she had been gone that he had no idea how he had managed to drift through the previous thirty-some-odd years.

“Jack!” Nora exclaimed as he hurried outside to help her with her bags.

“How was your trip?” Jack inquired as they embraced.

“It was great,” Nora smiled. “We had lots of time to talk.”

“Well,” Jack whispered, “I’m afraid Hailey has refused to hear anything I wanted to tell her. I can only hope she will be on her best behavior.” He smiled slyly. “I can’t guarantee it, however! She’s a good kid, but she doesn’t lack attitude. I would say it’s just a phase, but it’s lasted eighteen years!”

Grant pulled his hat on and, as he stepped out of the backseat, he eyed Jack, sizing him up and determining that he looked the part of a well-conditioned, former, standout athlete and an all-around nice guy.

Emily walked up beside Nora, eager for an introduction to her mom’s high school sweetheart. “Jack, this is Emily,” Nora beamed.

“Hi, Emily,” Jack smiled, revealing a genuineness that put Emily at ease. “It is good to finally meet you. Your mother has told me so much about you.”

Emily grinned, a hopeless romantic imagining Nora and Jack as teenagers. “I hope she didn’t bore you,” she laughed.

“I enjoyed every word of it,” Jack shook his head. “Let me know if there is anything I can do to make you feel more at home. I’ve already stocked the freezer with ice cream. I hear that chocolate chip is your favorite.”

Emily smiled, obviously impressed by Jack’s effort.

Grant stuck his hand out to Jack, and Nora nearly pinched herself to make sure she wasn’t dreaming.

“Well, you must be the answer to my prayers,” Jack said as he shook Grant’s hand. “Your mother tells me you’re one heck of a basketball player, Grant.” When Grant smiled, Nora fell in love with Jack Nelson all over again.

Jack hadn’t dated anyone seriously in college, and, though Nora hoped that had nothing to do with the broken heart she left him with, she now found herself secretly pretending that it was his lingering love for her that kept him from falling in love for years. What she didn’t know was that she was exactly right. Every woman Jack met in the years following their split was compared to Nora, and, in his mind, none of them matched up. She was kind, caring, and compassionate. She was everything he had wanted in a wife and the mother of his children. She longed to be a mother; she was nurturing and beautiful in a way that was plain and effortless; she went out of her way to make others happy. She was the sort of woman who would help a complete stranger even if it meant putting herself out; she was the kind of woman who would butt into a conversation she overheard at the grocery store if she knew the answer to the question some unsuspecting soul was asking. She did this because she simply couldn’t stand to see someone miss a bargain, or she couldn’t stand idly by and watch a mother, who was diligently shopping for a diabetic child, leave the store without spotting the new line of sugar free items a certain brand had come out with. A little neurotic at times, Nora always had the best of intentions. Jack loved everything about her, and it was his love for her that kept him uninterested in and unimpressed by other women for a very long time.

Eventually, he had fallen in love again with a woman he befriended in college. They dated on and off for many years before tying the knot and settling down. Laura had willingly moved to Hope Hull and helped Jack create a small farm full of love, where she could raise her animals and eventually the children she dreamed of having. Laura and Jack were so thrilled by the birth of their daughter that they immediately started trying to add to their family. Laura’s second pregnancy was plagued with life threatening issues, but she carried the baby to term and gave birth to another beautiful baby girl. Not long after giving birth to her second daughter, Laura Nelson died, leaving Jack to raise their two daughters on his own. Jack had been both mother and father to his girls, and he was proud of the job he had done.

“Hailey!” Jessica screamed as she peered out the living room window. “You have got to come see what I’m seeing…Nora’s son is super hot!”

“Who cares?” Hailey called from down the hall. Jessica thought every guy was hot after all. She was boy crazy, and Hailey was busy and disinterested.

“I’m serious; he looks like a movie star; he’s tall, built and blond, and Dad says he’s like this big basketball stud,” Jessica yelled back, trying to entice her sister.

“According to who? His mother?” Hailey scoffed as she sauntered down the hallway.

Jessica, who was wearing a pair of perfectly-fitting jeans and a flattering blue shirt in anticipation of Nora’s arrival, turned to look at her sister who wore black, basketball shorts that covered her knees and an old t-shirt with NELSON written across the back in red, plastic lettering. Her hair was pulled up into some sort of messy knot on the back of her head, and she was barefoot.

Jessica opened the front door. “Suit yourself,” she rolled her eyes, “but I’m going to meet them.”

“Knock yourself out,” Hailey shrugged as she walked into the kitchen for a glass of orange juice. “Good luck with the movie star,” she laughed as she rolled her eyes. For a brief second, her mind was filled with flashbacks of a boy whose dreamy, brown eyes were more captivating than those belonging to any Hollywood actor. She shivered audibly as she willed the memories away. “Get a grip, Hails,” she groaned as she opened the refrigerator.

Jessica greeted Nora with a hug, and, just as Nora had suspected, Jessica and Emily hit it off right away.

“Let’s head on in, gang,” Jack suggested. “We’ll show y’all around the house.”

“There’s not that much to see,” Jessica shrugged.

“Well, it’s definitely more likely to be featured on Extreme Makeover: Home Edition than an episode of MTV’s Cribs,” Jack nodded, “but it’s home, and it’s home for y’all as long as you want to stay.”

“Thank you,” Nora mouthed, and Jack tucked her under his arm as they walked.

“Jessica, I love your nails; they’re so pretty,” Emily exclaimed as she and Jessica walked into the living room.

“Thank you,” Jessica smiled sincerely. “I can do yours if you want me to!”

Hailey walked back into the living room to find everyone gathered inside. Instantly, she and Grant locked eyes and stared at each other in open-mouthed amazement. The room went silent as everyone watched the two of them; each looked as though they had seen a ghost.

“No way,” Grant rubbed his eyes in utter disbelief, sure they were playing a cruel trick on him.

“Grant?” Hailey exclaimed, fighting the urge to run up and fling her arms around him.

“Hailey…” Grant exhaled.

Jack and Nora glanced at each other in amusement. “How do the two of you know each other?” Jack pondered.

“I never thought I would see you again,” Grant said, his eyes focused on Hailey.

His words seemed to strike a nerve that jolted Hailey back to reality. “How did this happen?” she asked insistently. “How did you of all people come to be standing in my living room?”

“So, how do the two of you know each other?” Jack repeated curiously, hoping that one of the two would stop staring at the other long enough to comprehend his question.

“We met during the summer,” Grant replied after a long moment.

“Yeah,” Hailey gulped as she stared at the rug.

“I’m still confused,” Nora admitted.

“We met at the University of Tennessee…at basketball camp,” Grant explained.

“Dad, how could you not tell me that he was coming here?” Hailey sighed.

“Well, I didn’t realize you knew him,” Jack replied quickly. “I tried to tell you that Nora has a son who’s going to be on the basketball team…”

“And I tried to tell you about Jack’s daughter,” Nora nodded at Grant.

Grant and Hailey stared at each other until Grant blinked first.

“How have you been?” Hailey asked softly, infuriated by the longing she heard in her own voice.

“Hailey, listen,” Grant gulped, “I know you probably think I’m a jerk…”

“Yeah,” Hailey said confidently. “I’m sure of it.”

Jack’s forehead wrinkled as he glanced over at Jessica, only to find her wide-eyed and interested, as though she was watching a romantic comedy, staring someone on Hollywood’s A-List.

“One of us has to go,” Hailey said boldly. She took a sip of her drink before adding, “and since this is my house, I think it has to be you.”

“Hold on a second,” Jack tried to break in.

Grant turned and walked toward the door.

“Where are you going?” Nora exclaimed.

“I’m going back to North Carolina if I have to steal a cow to get me there! I can’t stay here with her,” Grant shook her head. “Do you have any idea what she did?”

“Oh, what I did?” Hailey laughed.

“Yes, what you did,” Grant snapped. “I was the best player at that camp,” he huffed. “And you threw me off my game.”

“Excuse me,” Hailey shook her head. “You might have been the most talented guy at camp, but you weren’t the best player there. Besides, I’ve dreamed of playing at the University of Tennessee since I was a little girl, and, thanks to you, I could have blown my opportunity,” she snapped back. “You almost ruined my career.”

“Nobody’s career is ruined here, guys,” Jack intervened again. “Now would someone please clue the rest of us in?”

“Go ahead, Hailey,” Grant smiled with a cruel wink. “Tell Daddy what you did.”

“Shut up, Grant,” Hailey insisted.

“Should I tell him?” Grant harassed her.

“You wouldn’t,” Hailey glared.

“Oh, I would,” Grant nodded.

“You would, wouldn’t you?” Hailey gulped. “You’re just that heartless.”

“Precisely,” Gant nodded.

“Go ahead,” Hailey shrugged.

Grant smiled. “It all started when Hailey decided to sneak…”

With one quick motion, the remaining contents of Hailey’s glass of orange juice splashed onto Grant’s face.

“Hailey Nelson!” Jack said exasperatedly, and Nora could hear the embarrassment in his voice.

Grant wiped his face with his hand. “You little…”

“Grant!” Nora shouted, waving her hands, before covering her mouth and praying that Grant would bite his loose tongue, which, to her dismay and embarrassment, he didn’t.

Jessica and Emily glanced at each other, both feeling a little uncomfortable but exchanging giggles none the less.

“Hailey, what do you have to say for yourself?” Jack asked angrily.

Hailey mumbled something as she handed her father her empty glass. She made a beeline out the front door, reaching down and scooping up her basketball as she went.

“Oh no,” Nora sighed, very sympathetic to the fact that this move would be as difficult on Jack’s girls as it was on her kids. “Go, Jack,” she insisted, “you should go after her. I’ll clean up this mess!”

“She’ll be back,” Jack shook his head. “Her bark is worse than her bite!”

Grant bolted out the door after Hailey. “Did you have enough ice in that glass?” the others heard him scream. “That hurt!”

“Oh, boohoo!” Hailey hollered back.

Nora seemed uncertain about the prospect of the two of them being alone after the display she had just witnessed.

“It’s okay,” Jack smiled, and he rubbed Nora’s shoulder as he snuck a peek out the window.

Nora nodded. “Jack, he can be mean and relentless…but he would never…you know… hit a girl or anything,” she gulped.

Jack smiled. “It’s alright,” he chuckled, “that one hits back!”

Jessica and Emily grinned at each other. “That was interesting to say the least,” Jessica laughed.

“Jessica, did your sister say anything to you this summer when she got back from camp?” Jack inquired.

“Dad, you know I tend to tune out the basketball babble,” Jessica admitted, “but if she had mentioned him…I would certainly remember!”

“Emily?” Nora asked curiously.

“No,” Emily shrugged, “but wasn’t it after camp that Grant went MIA?”

Nora covered her face with her hand. “Long story,” she shook her head at Jack.

Jack raised an eyebrow. “I think it might be a longer story than we know,” he laughed as he stared out the window.

Jessica put her arm around Emily. “Now that we have established that I am the normal one in the family, what do you say I show you our room?”

“Cool,” Emily nodded.

“Here, I’ll grab a suitcase,” Jessica offered before the girls scampered down the hall with luggage in tow.

Jack smiled as he watched them go. “They seem to have become fast friends,” he said with a pleased nod.

Nora hardly noticed as she stared out the window. “Do you think we should intervene?” she sighed.

“What, like referee?” Jack smiled.

Nora watched as Hailey shoved Grant away from her, and her insides churned as she said a quick, silent prayer. When Grant crossed his arms and glared back at Hailey, Nora breathed a sigh of relief. “She’s a little firecracker, huh?” she smiled nervously at Jack.

“I fear that might be my fault,” Jack nodded. “Without her mother around, I did the best I could, but I think I must have raised her like a boy. Frankly, I’m praying she doesn’t haul off and punch him.” Jack put his arm around Nora. He could see the kids in the front yard, both appearing to be trying to out yell the other. “Apparently, he or she who says it louder wins,” he mused. Grant’s arms were crossed tightly across his chest as Hailey gestured with large, elaborate hand motions. “You remember what it was like to be eighteen,” he smiled at Nora. “I think Hailey and Grant probably have some things to work out that they don’t necessarily want to talk about in front of their parents. All I really want to do right now is go fix some lunch for the six of us. Hailey may not look the part of a human garbage disposal, but I assure you that girl has never missed a meal. She’ll be inside as soon as she smells the barbeque sauce, and, a sneaking little suspicion tells me, he’ll be with her.”

“Look who I brought to see you,” Nora said when her mother came to the door.

“Hi, Granny,” Emily said shyly.

“Look at you!” Granny shook her head in disbelief. “What a beautiful little lady you turned out to be.”

“Thanks,” Emily grinned.

Granny took Emily’s hand and pulled her into the kitchen. “You’re just in time,” she declared as she hobbled toward the counter. “I just took a fresh batch of cookies out of the oven.”

“Oh, Mama, we’re so full from lunch at Jack’s,” Nora sighed.

“Nonsense,” Granny shook her head as she sat a plate of cookies on the kitchen table. “Eat up.”

Nora turned around, her eyes begging Grant to come inside.

When he did, Granny took a step toward him and eyed him up and down. “Well, aren’t you a handsome devil,” she said after a moment. “But you know…pretty is as pretty does.”

“Well, nothing like greeting your long-lost grandson with a backward compliment,” Grant grinned.

“Long-lost, my foot,” Granny said as she pointed Grant toward the table. “You’re right here on my mind everyday as I pray over the heartache you’re puttin’ your poor mama through.”

“That’s enough, Mama,” Nora sighed, lifting the plate and offering Grant a cookie.

Grant shook his head.

“Don’t be silly,” Granny protested. “Sit down and have yourself a cookie.”

Grant sank down in a kitchen chair and crossed his arms.

“What is wrong with you? You don’t like chocolate chip cookies?” Granny interrogated.

Emily took a cookie from the plate and extended it to Grant. “They’re really good. You should try one,” she urged. “They’re still warm and everything.”

When Grant refused to take the cookie, Emily took a bite of it herself and nodded her approval.

“Mom, the kids met Jack’s girls today,” Nora said, trying to ease the tension that filled the room.

“That Jessica is a mighty pretty thing,” Granny replied without hesitation. “She looks just like her daddy. Don’t you think, Nora Jean?”

Nora offered a little nod.

“That other one is a mess,” Granny added. “You’d think a little girl would want to act like one. I don’t think Jack has ever gotten that girl in a dress…not even for Sunday morning services. Hailey Nelson’s just not like the other girls around here.”

“Grant and Hailey know each other,” Emily blurted.

Granny stared questioningly at Grant. “How in the world do you know Hailey Nelson?”

“I met her at basketball camp last summer,” Grant shrugged. “She told me she was from Memphis; I guess she didn’t think I would know where Hope Hull is.”

“Well, you stay away from that girl, do you hear me?” Granny said with a point of her boney finger. “She may not always act like a proper lady, but Jack has done a fine job raisin’ his two girls without their mama. The last thing he needs is to have you comin’ around and leadin’ his daughter astray.”

“Oh, well in that case I guess I won’t call and invite her to the séance I was planning tonight,” Grant scoffed sarcastically. “Speaking of which…the woods behind your house look like the perfect spot for me and my fellow practicing Luciferians to partake in our weekly demon worshiping ways…we’ll keep it pretty basic…vandalism, Ouija boards, sacrificial children held against their will…you know, generally all things occult. You wouldn’t mind if we set up back there, would you?”

“Grant, please,” Nora said softly. “Mother, if you push, he’s gonna push back harder. Trust me, he can play this game better than you can.”

“I didn’t mean it ugly, Nora,” Granny said defensively. She turned to Grant and raised her finger again. “Have you ever had your mouth washed out with soap?”

“Apologize, Grant,” Nora sighed.

“Not happening,” Grant rolled his eyes.

“Is that how you always talk to your mother when she tells you to do something?” Granny scolded.

Grant shrugged. “Is this how you treat all your grandchildren, or is this warm reception something special you cooked up just for me?”

Emily squirmed uncomfortably in her chair. “Grant, just eat a cookie and shut-up,” she muttered under her breath.

“Let’s just try to start over,” Nora insisted. “Grant, your grandmother means well.”

“Don’t you dare go puttin’ this off on me, Nora,” Granny gasped. “That little heathen could stand to spend more time with his Granny, learning how a proper young man is supposed to behave.”

Nora frowned. “Mama, if you had just greeted him with a hug and a smile tonight, we wouldn’t be having this conversation right now.”

Emily glanced down at her watch. “Mom, shouldn’t we be getting back to Jack’s?” she asked.

“You aren’t really planning on staying over there, are you, Nora Jean?” Granny scoffed.

Nora nodded. “Yes, Jack and I talked about it, and we decided it would be the best solution; I mean you don’t really have enough room here for all three of us.”

“Nora Jean, you’ll be the talk of this town if you move in with Jack,” Granny said, her tone fraught with disapproval. “What will all my friends think; what will the preacher say? You are still a married woman for Heaven’s sake! I raised you right, and you won’t be living with one man while you’re married to another.”

“Mama, I’m a grown woman,” Nora sighed. “I have made my decision. Besides, I’m just staying with an old friend for awhile; there is nothing more to it than that, no matter what tongues get to waggin’.”

“I could have told you this would happen, Nora Jean,” Granny said, mustering up tears for dramatic emphasis. “I had a feeling in my gut the day you ran off after Randy Cohen.”

“Kids, go get in the car,” Nora grumbled.

“What kind of an example are you setting for those kids by moving in with Jack?” Granny argued as Grant and Emily closed the door behind them. “It’s not right, Nora. It’s just not right. I taught you the difference between right and wrong; don’t act like I didn’t.”

“I don’t really have another option,” Nora shook her head. “I mean, you and Grant mix about as well as oil and water.”

“He has quite a mouth on him,” Granny sighed. “I have never been spoken to that way in my life.”

Nora pushed a strand of hair behind her ear. “Give him a chance, Mama, that’s all I’m asking,” Nora begged.

Granny took a cookie from the plate and savored a bite. “He doesn’t know what he’s missing not trying one of Granny’s famous chocolate chip cookies. I sell these to Maude by the dozen, you know.”

“I know,” Nora smiled.

“They’re made from scratch, not from some package,” Granny added pointedly.

“No one is doubting your skills in the kitchen,” Nora laughed. “Your homemade cookies and your homemade pies have always been my favorite.”

“Which pie would you say is your favorite?” Granny asked. “I’ll make you one and bring it over to Jack’s.”

“I love them all,” Nora smiled. “Blueberry, Apple, Pumpkin, Pecan, Lemon Meringue, Cherry, Strawberry. They are each unique and special in their own way, and you fill them each with so much love. Some must be harder to make than others, more complicated, more time consuming, but you’re committed.”

Granny wrinkled her nose. “None of them talk back.”

Nora gently pulled her mother into a hug. “I love you, Mama,” she nodded.

Granny pulled away and reached for a paper towel. She wrapped a stack of cookies inside and handed it to Nora. “In case Grant changes his mind later,” she acquiesced.

“Am I being totally selfish, Jack?” Nora asked, sitting at the kitchen table long after the kids had called it a night. “Would any respectable mother rip her kids away from their family and move them here of all places? To me this feels like home, but Grant and Emily must feel like fish out of water here.”

“They’re kids; they’ll adapt,” Jack smiled.

Nora shook her head, unconvinced. “Grant nor Hailey said a single word over dinner tonight, and I don’t want to do anything to upset your kids. If we need to go and stay over at my mama’s house…”

Jack put his arm around Nora. “I wouldn’t worry about Grant and Hailey if I was you. Why don’t we give this a couple days and see how things go? I have a feeling…well, I have a feeling that things are going to be just fine.”