Hometown Love (Love on the North Shore #2)(4)

“Hi, Mack. Congratulations on the new house,” Jessie said once the knot in her tongue loosened.

Mack’s forehead creased and his eyes searched her face. “Jessie?”

Jessie let Mack’s surprise go over her head. After all, he hadn’t seen her in a while.

Sure, he visited his family frequently with his daughter, but he didn’t make a habit of stopping in at the hardware store. In fact, before today, the last time they’d seen each other had been six months ago when he’d come in for the security videos. Back then, she’d still had long hair and glasses. Not to mention, she’d been wearing her favorite oversized cranberry sweater and a long skirt, a fact she shouldn’t remember but did because, well, this was Mack so he wouldn’t have noticed the weight she lost.

“It’s nice to see you. Your parents must be happy you’re moving back.”

“Yeah. Grace, too. She already has plans to spend every weekend at my parents’ house. They haven’t agreed yet, but she’s well on her way to convincing them.”

“She does adore your mom,” Jessica answered, thinking of all the times she’d seen Mrs. Ellsbury with her granddaughter.

“You’ve met Grace?” Mack asked with surprise.

“This is North Salem remember? Your mom brings Grace to my grandmother’s every Sunday for quilting club if she has her. And your dad comes in the store with her.”

Another look of surprise passed over Mack’s features. “I didn’t know that, but it makes sense.”

“She even started her own quilt. Your niece did, too. Your mom brings her over on Sundays sometimes, too.”

Jessie waved at another of Mack’s friends as he came down the front steps. “Hi, Tony.”

“Hey, Jessie.” Tony Bates smiled as he walked toward them. “Unless you ladies want to finish alone, get your asses in gear. I’ve got things to do this afternoon.”

“I gotta go anyway.” Jessica took a step backward. “Will I see any of you at the block party tonight?” Once a month, starting in late spring, their community threw a block party on the Town Common, shutting the whole area down to traffic.

“Not me. Too much work at the house, but have fun,” Sean answered. “I’ll see you later.” With that, he went back to the moving truck.

“I might pop in. If I do, I expect you to save me a dance,” Tony said.

Jessie rolled her eyes. She never took anything Tony said seriously, especially not lately. Ever since she’d lost the weight and ditched the glasses, he’d been saying things like that, but she knew better than to get into any kind of relationship with Tony. While he was a good guy, he didn’t understand the concept of monogamy. He went from one woman to the next much like the way people changed their underwear.


“Bates, get your ass over here and help me with this,” Sean called from the truck.

Unable to contain her smile, Jessie glanced at the ground. Whenever Tony flirted with her, Sean went into his protective guardian role. Thanks to her close relationship with his sister, Charlie, Sean treated her a like a baby sister.

“I might take Grace if she’s not too tired. I think she’d like it.” Mack waved at a car that passed by the house.

“She loves it,” Jessie answered, looking back up.

“My parents?”

“And your sister.”

“I should’ve known.” Mack readjusted his baseball cap, a habit he’d had for as long as she could remember. And she could probably remember every time he’d done it. Yeah, she’d had a big-time unrequited crush. Apparently, that hadn’t faded too much because he was still the hottest guy she’d ever seen.

After saying goodbye, Jessie continued down union   much slower than she had been when she’d started her run. Yup, a run tomorrow was out of the question.

As she passed the senior center, she waved at the group doing Tai Chi, one of the many programs the center offered. She spotted Mack’s grandparents and a few of her former elementary school teachers there. She’d tried to convince her own grandmother several times to try some of the programs, but Gran insisted that eighty-three wasn’t old enough for the senior center.

By the time Jessie turned onto Pleasant Street, she’d stopped running and limped the final distance to her apartment.

“Morning, Jessie,” Morgan Lee said, coming out the door before Jessie could open it.

“Are you going to work?” Although she’d known Morgan for several years and considered her a good friend, Morgan had only recently moved into town.

“Someone called in sick. I doubt I’ll make it tonight, sorry.”

As a newcomer to North Salem, Morgan had never been to a block party, and Jessie had invited her to join her and her friends tonight. She figured helping Morgan settle into town was the least she could do because if it hadn’t been for Morgan, Jessie would never have found the strength to leave Jeremy.

“Next time.”

Morgan nodded and started toward the parking lot behind the building. “Have fun tonight.”

Upstairs in her apartment, Jessie kicked off her sneakers and tossed them in the bedroom closet next to the boxes she still hadn’t unpacked. She’d moved into the apartment the winter before but somehow still hadn’t finished unpacking. By now, she wasn’t even sure what was in some of the remaining boxes. One of these days she’d get around to them. Or not. At the beginning of the summer, she’d made a To Do list, which included emptying those boxes. So far, she’d only crossed off half the things on that list.