A Daddy for Jacoby(27)

“N-no, he’s too big. You should see his bed. It’s huge.”

Gina caught Jacoby’s hesitation. Was it because she called Justin his dad? She looked up and found Justin still in the doorway, again with one shoulder braced and arms crossed over his chest. He returned her stare, his face devoid of any emotion.

She turned her focus back to Jacoby. “Well, he’s a big guy.”

Jacoby nodded, moving closer to the bed. He rubbed at the soft material of the faded quilt, but his gaze darted around the room, not looking at her or Justin.

“Hey, I bet that hot chocolate is ready.” Gina looked at Justin again, but he’d already turned and walked away.

Silence filled the air, and she wondered what to say next. The room was a bit bare, but otherwise it seemed fine. She saw Jacoby’s pillowcase sticking out from beneath the bed. “Would you like to read a story while we drink our hot chocolate?”

Jacoby shook his head, his eyes focused on the invisible pattern he traced on the quilt.

“It might help make you sleepy.”

Her words triggered a yawn the boy couldn’t hide.

“And this bed feels like a perfect place to have sweet dreams.” She smoothed her hand over the pillow. “Don’t you even want to try it out?”

Jacoby hesitated and then shook his head.

“I’ll stay right here with you.”

He looked unconvinced. “You will?”

“Sure.” She rose and pulled back the blankets. “Why don’t you and your bear climb up here and see how it feels?”

Justin returned with the tray full of mugs as Gina tucked the quilt around Jacoby, who leaned on the pillow now propped against the simple wooden headboard.

“Three hot chocolates,” Justin said, stopping at the side of the bed. He looked from Jacoby to her, one corner of his mouth tilted into a small grin. “I hope you guys like marshmallows.”

“Marshmallows are perfect.” She ignored the fluttering in her stomach and handed the smallest of the three mugs to Jacoby. “Here you go. Careful, it’s going to be warm.”

She took one of the remaining mugs and sipped. “Hmm, good. Almost as good as having a bed to sleep in again, huh, Jacoby?”

“I wouldn’t know,” the boy mumbled, his gaze on the cup in his hands. “I’ve never had one before.”

Gina’s heart lurched. “Never had one what?”

Jacoby took a long swallow from the mug before he spoke. “My own bed. Or even my own room.”

She blinked hard to fight back the sudden stinging in her eyes. The surprise on Justin’s face told her this was the first time he’d heard this. “Aren’t you lucky, then?” Gina kept her voice light. “You get both in one night.”

Jacoby leaned in close, his small brown eyes locked with hers. “I always wanted my own bed. Usually I’d have to share one with my mamma or sleep on the floor in a smelly, old sleeping bag,” he whispered. “But I didn’t know…”

His voice faded, and when he didn’t continue, she asked, “Didn’t know what, sweetie?”

“How scary it would be.”





Chapter Six





Justin couldn’t believe it. That’s the reason Jacoby wouldn’t go to sleep?

He thought the kid would be excited about finally having his own bed and his own room. Growing up, Justin had often craved a room of his own. Then again, there had been times when he’d been like Jacoby, when he’d been glad to know his brother Billy Joe was there in the dark with him.

But what in the heck were he and Gina going to do now? The night-light wasn’t going to solve this kind of issue.

He took a sip from his mug, meeting Gina’s eyes over the rim. The lukewarm chocolaty sweetness pooled on his tongue. Powerless to look away from the compassion he saw in those blue depths, he knew calling her had been the right thing to do.

For Jacoby.

Gina looked at the boy again. “So, what can we do to make it less scary?”

“You could spend the night, too.”

The kid’s words caused the mouthful of chocolate to rush down Justin’s throat. It took a couple of fist thumps to his chest before he could breathe again. He dared a glance at Gina, but her gaze was glued to the marshmallows in her mug.

“Ah, no, I don’t think that’s possible,” she said.