A Daddy for Jacoby(65)
“Taking a break for a nutritional refill,” Garrett said, then turned to Jacoby. “You ever play Space Blaster 9000?”
Jacoby shook his head.
“You’re in luck. I’m about ready to crack the galactic warrior level.” He headed for the stairs. “Come with me.”
The boy looked at Gina. “Can I?”
Racy nodded, so Gina said, “Sure, if you want.”
Jacoby raced after her brother, catching up with him at the first step. “What are they going to do?”
“Girl talk, probably.” Garrett handed off a soda can to Jacoby as they made their way to the second floor. “You know, makeup, nails, clothes, that kind of stuff.”
Gina tried not to laugh at the way Jacoby scrunched up his nose at her brother’s words. She looked at Racy and found her with a wide smile.
“Garrett is so like Gage,” Racy said. “But that was a sweet thing to do. So, I guess we can have that chat now, even though I’m still not happy about you quitting on me so suddenly last weekend.”
Gina’s smiled disappeared. “I’m sorry about that, but I just couldn’t—”
“Hey, it’s okay.” Racy gave her arm a quick squeeze. “I was just teasing. The other girls are happy to pick up your hours.”
“Why don’t we go up to my room and talk?” Gina said. “Maybe I can explain things a little better?”
Racy nodded and Gina headed up the stairs. Once they were inside her room, she kicked the door closed, then flopped down on her bed.
“Wow, is it that bad?” Racy dropped her purse to the floor and sat next to her. “What’s my brother done now?”
Gina stared at the ceiling, knowing if she even looked at her sister-in-law the tears would start. “What makes you think Justin has anything to do with this?”
“You’ve been attracted to him from the first day you met, you shocked the family, not to mention the entire town, by having a sleepover at his apartment—” Racy ticked off reasons with one hand “—you’ve been playing that ‘I like you, I hate you’ flirt game for months, something I am a pro at, by the way, just ask Gage. You’ve been helping him adjust to fatherhood, your first date including a knife fight and another sleepover—”
Gina turned to Racy.
“Yes, everyone knows, and believe me, your mother and I have had our hands full insisting Gage respect your privacy about that night. Then Justin drops the bomb about Jacoby’s other family and disappears for almost two weeks, he returns and twenty-four hours later you quit your job, having decided waitressing just isn’t for you.” Racy paused and blew out a deep breath. “Whew! How could Justin not be involved?”
Gina sighed and looked back at the ceiling again. “Okay, you win. I’m in love with your brother.”
“Boy, you get to the heart of a heart-to-heart pretty fast.” Racy reached out and grabbed her hand. “Does my brother love you, too?”
“No.”
“How do you know?”
Gina sat up and brushed at her face, getting rid of the tears. Then she told Racy everything—well, maybe not everything—that had happened between her and Justin over the last month, ending with her recent decision to make some changes in her life.
“Like quitting The Blue Creek?” Racy asked.
“Like leaving town,” Gina replied.
Chapter Fourteen
“What?”
Gina realized she could’ve put that more tactfully. “I’ve decided to go back to school. To get my teaching credentials,” she continued, sitting forward on the bed, a surge of excitement filling her as she spoke her plan aloud for the first time. “I love working with the kids at the library. It’s fueled my desire to teach at the elementary school level.”
“That’s great. I’ve seen you during those story hours and I can tell you love it, but why do you have to leave town?” Racy asked. “Can’t you take classes at the University of Wyoming?”
Gina stood and walked to her dresser, mindlessly playing with her combs and hair clips. When her fingers inched toward the dried-up corsage sitting atop her jewelry box, she clenched her hands together.
Jacoby had handed her a brown lunch bag after a story hour last week saying it belonged to her. Inside was the corsage. No note, nothing but the dried flowers.