Not Quite Dating (Not Quite #1)(46)
Author: Catherine Bybee

“Yeah, well, I’m more scared of what it’s going to look like if they don’t make it. Jack was a mess.”

“Same with Jessie.”

Katie smiled. “So you and I will work together and make this work. Well, as much as we can, anyway.”

“Sounds like a plan to me,” Monica said before hanging up the phone.

Katie held the phone in her hand. “Now all I have to do is make Jack realize she loves him.”

Even with Christmas music playing and Danny tapping on the outside of packages, Jessie’s mood circled the drain of life. Even the weather gave its ugly opinion as rain ran down the window of the apartment. It had only been a handful of days since Jack walked out of her life, but it felt like she hadn’t smiled in months.

Damn, she missed him.

Danny missed him, too. In fact, when she’d shown Danny the car for the first time, his first reaction was to call Jack.

Even now, Danny talked about Jack and the car. “We should go get Jack and take him for a ride,” Danny said from across the room.

“Jack is kind of busy right now.” Telling her son they might not ever see him again made her sick to her stomach. She couldn’t take any more hits. Danny would mourn the loss of Jack as much as she did. More, probably, because he couldn’t understand what had driven him away.

“Is he coming over on Christmas? We should invite him. His family is all the way in Texas, you know.”

“He’ll probably go home for Christmas, Danny.”

“But he can come here. He doesn’t even have to buy any presents or anything. He can play with me and my new toys. He said he likes to play with trucks.”

Jessie bit her tongue and tried a smile. “I’ll play trucks with you.”

“I know, but Jack says he used to play with trucks for hours when he was a kid.”

Danny reached under the tree and shook another box.

There was underwear in it. Not exactly a toy or a truck, but something to unwrap. She needed to do some more shopping, but Santa…or in her case, Mrs. Claus…was really broke. Jessie had made Monica promise not to buy her a thing and to spend anything she wanted on her son.

“I’m sure he did.”

“Did you play with trucks when you were a kid, Mommy?”

Jessie pushed away from the window and moved to her son’s side. “Aunt Monica and I played with dolls.”

“Dolls?” Danny squished his face into a look of disgust. “Why?”

She sat on the sofa and pulled a pillow into her lap. “Probably because we didn’t have a brother to show us how cool trucks were.”

Danny liked that answer. “Well, when I get a little sister, I’m going to show her how epic trucks are.” Epic was the new adjective of choice in his kindergarten class. The first time she’d heard him use it, she doubled over laughing. Not that the word was funny, but such a strong word coming from her small son was strange.

Epic wasn’t the word she was stuck on now. “Do you want a little sister?”

Danny returned the underwear gift and started over from gift one to shake and guess. “Yeah…sure. Or a brother. Grown-ups don’t like to play as much as kids. And sometimes you’re tired. So, yeah…it would be fun having a sister or a brother. That way we can move in together when we’re older like you and Auntie Monica.”

He’d never told her he wanted a brother or sister. Hearing him talk about a sibling drove home how much she’d messed up with Jack.

“I thought you were going to live with me forever,” she teased her son.

He stopped shaking gifts and pondered her words. “But then who is going to live with my brother or sister?”

Oh, the mind of a five-year-old. “Good point,” she told him.

Danny switched back to his original topic. “Jack is going to love the car. He can watch SpongeBob with me in the backseat. Jack likes cartoons.”

“I’m sure he’d love it.”

What had she done? Maybe she should call him and see if he would talk to her. Then again, maybe he’d already left, went home to Texas. Regrets, remorse, and what-ifs plagued her every day, every night.

Christmas officially sucked this year.

Jack slid from the saddle and began the process of removing Dancer’s tack. The damp smell of hay and horseflesh permeated the walls of the massive barn. Smelled like home. Danny would love it here. The outdoors, the freedom to roam, ride, and explore.

The ranch house had been a great place growing up.

And Jessie…She’d light up like the red and green Christmas lights that twinkled around the edges of the house. The tired eyes she had following a long graveyard shift would drift away in a matter of days if she didn’t have to work so hard.

Damn, he wasn’t any further along in what he was supposed to do now than he was three hours ago. Jessie had turned him down. Maybe he should walk away. Give her what she wanted.

After brushing Dancer down, he turned him into his paddock and gave him a bucket of oats for his workout. The horse nudged his shoulder as if to say thanks.

As he was walking from the barn, Jack’s phone rang. Reception was spotty, so he stood still and took the call.

“This is Jack,” he answered, not recognizing the number.

“Mr. Morrison, this is Phil Gravis from Toyota.”

The car…He’d nearly forgotten about it.

“Hello, Mr. Gravis.”

“I wanted to tell you that everything went smoothly. Ms. Mann picked out a nice crossover that should serve her well for many years.”

“Good.” At least she wouldn’t be walking home from her dates. The thought of her with another man shot fire to his eyes. “No questions from her?”

“No, she seemed a little preoccupied through the entire process. Her sister seemed to be more suspicious.”

“Monica is sharp.”

“No argument there. She had to talk Ms. Mann out of taking a truck, which I thought was strange for a lady.”

Jack lifted his head, suddenly felt a chill race up his spine. “A truck?”

“Yeah, she kept peeking inside the bigger ones we have on the lot.”

“The bigger ones?” Why would Jessie want a truck?

“What does a woman like her need with a truck? She lives in an apartment.”

“An apartment.” Jack’s mind went fuzzy. Jessie wouldn’t need a truck. But broke Jack had an old, beat-up pickup.

“Are you there, Mr. Morrison?” Mr. Gravis asked.