Читать книгу Home for Christmas: Return to Promise / Can This Be Christmas? - Debbie Macomber - Страница 8

Cal had lived in this ranch house his entire life, and the place had never seemed as big or as empty as it did now. Jane hadn’t been gone a week and already the silence was driving him to wander aimlessly from room to room. Exhausted from a day that had started before dawn, he’d come home and once again experienced a sharp pang of loneliness.

Normally when Cal got back to the house, Paul rushed outside to greet him. The little boy always launched himself off the porch steps into his father’s waiting arms as if he’d waited for this moment the entire day. Later, after Cal had showered and Jane dealt with getting dinner on the table, he spent time with his daughter. As young as Mary Ann was, she already had a dynamic personality and persuasive powers to match. Cal knew she was going to be a beauty when she grew up—and he’d be warding off boys. Mary Ann was like her mother in her loveliness, energy…and her stubborn nature.

Cal’s life had changed forever the day he married Jane. Marriage was more than the smartest move of his life; it was the most comfortable. Being temporarily on his own made him appreciate what he had. He’d gotten used to a great many things, most of which he hadn’t stopped to consider for a long time: shared passion, the gentle companionship of the woman he loved, a family that gave him a sense of purpose and belonging. In addition, Jane ran their household with efficiency and competence, and he’d grown used to the work she did for her family—meals, laundry, cleaning. He sighed. To say he missed Jane and the kids was an understatement.

He showered, changed clothes and dragged himself into the kitchen. His lunch had been skimpy and his stomach felt hollow, but he wasn’t in the mood to cook. Had there been time before she left, Jane would have filled the freezer with precooked dinners he could pop into the microwave. When they heard he was a temporary bachelor, Frank and Dovie had dropped off a meal, but that was long gone. The cupboards were full, the refrigerator, too, but nothing seemed easy or appealing. Because he didn’t want to bother with anything more complicated, he reached for a bag of microwave popcorn. That would take the edge off his hunger, he decided. Maybe later he’d feel like putting together a proper meal.

The scent of popped corn enticed him, but just as he was about to start eating it, the phone rang. Cal grabbed the receiver instantly, thinking it might be Jane.

“Pattersons’,” he said eagerly.

“Cal, it’s Annie.”

Annie. Cal couldn’t squelch the letdown feeling that settled over him. Annie Porter was his wife’s best friend and a woman he liked very much. She’d moved to Promise a few years back and had quickly become part of the community. The town had needed a bookstore and Annie had needed Promise. It wasn’t long before she’d married the local vet. Cal vaguely recalled Jane asking him to phone Annie. He’d forgotten.

“I just heard about Jane’s dad. What happened? Dovie was in and mentioned that Jane went to stay with her parents—she assumed I knew. I wish someone had told me.”

“That’s my fault,” Cal said. “I’m sorry, Annie. On the way to the airport, Jane asked me to call…” He let his words drift off.

“What happened?” Annie asked again, clearly upset. Cal knew she was close to Jane’s parents and considered them a second family.

Cal told her everything he could and apologized a second time for not contacting her earlier. He hoped Annie would see that the slight hadn’t been intentional; the fact was, he hated to make phone calls. Always had.

“I can’t imagine why Jane hasn’t called me herself,” she said in a worried voice.

Cal had assumed she would, too, which only went to show how hectic Jane’s days must be with her parents and the children.

“Jane will be home in a week,” Cal said, trying to sound hopeful and reassuring—although a week seemed like an eternity. He pushed the thought from his mind and forced himself to focus on their reunion. “Why don’t you give her a call?” he suggested, knowing Annie was going to want more details. “She’d love to hear from you, I’m sure.”

“I’ll do that.”

“Great… Well, it’s been good talking to you,” he said, anxious to get off the phone.

“Before we hang up, I want to ask you about Nicole Nelson.”

“Who?” Cal had no idea who she was talking about.

“You don’t know Nicole? She came into the bookstore this afternoon and applied for a job. She put you and the bank down as references.”

“Nicole Nelson,” he repeated. The name sounded vaguely familiar.

“I saw you talking to her at the rodeo,” Annie said, obviously surprised that he didn’t remember the other woman.

“Oh, yeah—her,” he said, finally recalling the incident. Then he realized how he knew Nicole. She’d been a good friend of Jennifer’s. In fact, they’d been roommates at the time he and Jennifer were engaged. “She put my name down as a job reference?” He found that hard to believe.

“She said she’s known you for a number of years,” Annie added.

“Really?” To be fair, Cal’s problem hadn’t been with Nicole but with Jennifer, who’d played him for a fool. He’d been too blinded by his first encounter with love to notice the kind of woman she was.

“Nicole said if I had any questions I should ask you.”

“It’s been years since I saw her—other than at the rodeo last week.” He did remember talking to her briefly. She’d said something about how good it was to be back in Promise, how nice to see him, that sort of thing. At the time Cal had been distracted. He’d been more interested in watching the rodeo and cheering on his friends than in having a conversation with a woman he’d had trouble recognizing. Besides, Jane was upset with him and appeasing her had been paramount. He’d barely noticed Nicole.

“Did she list any other personal references?” he asked.

“No, I told her you and the bank were the only ones I needed,” Annie continued. “So you do remember her?”

“Sure. It’s just that it was a long time ago.”

“You went out with her?”

Leave it to Annie to ask a question like that. “No, with her best friend. We almost got married.” No need to go into details. Jennifer had taught him one of the most valuable lessons of his life. The worth of that experience could be measured in the pain and embarrassment that resulted when she’d callously canceled the wedding. He could’ve lived with her breaking their engagement—but why did she have to wait till they were practically at the altar?

“I talked with Janice over at Promise First National about her job history,” Annie said, interrupting his thoughts. “She doesn’t have anything negative to say about Nicole, but if you’re uncomfortable giving her a recommendation…”

“Oh, I’m sure Nicole will do a great job for you.”

The length of Annie’s hesitation told him he hadn’t been very convincing.

“Nicole’s fine, really,” he added. He didn’t actually remember that much about her. She always seemed to be there whenever he picked up Jennifer, but he couldn’t say he knew her. Years ago she’d been a sweet kid, but that was the extent of his recollection. He couldn’t dredge up anything that would prevent her from selling books. He’d never heard that she was dishonest or rude to customers, and those were things that would definitely have stuck in his mind. It was difficult enough to attract good employees; Cal didn’t want to be responsible for Annie’s not hiring someone simply because he had negative feelings about that person’s friends.

“I was thinking of hiring her for the bookstore.”

“Do,” Cal urged.

“She seems friendly and helpful.”

“I’m sure she is,” Cal said, and glanced longingly toward the popcorn.

“Thanks, Cal, I appreciate the input.”

“No problem.” He didn’t know what it was about women and the telephone. Even Jane, who had a sensible approach to everything and hated wasting time, could spend hours chatting with her friends. Just thinking about his wife produced a powerful yearning. Nothing seemed right without her.

“I’ll give Jane a call later,” Annie was saying.

“Good plan.” He checked his watch, wondering how much longer this would take.

“Thanks again.”

“Give Nicole my best,” he said, thinking this was how to signal that he was ready to get off the phone.

“I will,” Annie promised. “Bye, now.”

Ah, success. Cal replaced the receiver, then frowned as he attempted to picture Nicole Nelson. Brown hair—or blond? He hadn’t paid much attention to her at the rodeo. And he couldn’t imagine what would bring her back to Promise. Not that she needed to justify the move, at least to him. His one hope was that he didn’t give Annie reason to regret hiring her.

Mary Ann’s squeal of delight woke Jane from a deep sleep. She rolled over and looked bleary-eyed at the clock radio and gasped. Ten o’clock. She hadn’t slept that late since she was in high school. Tossing aside the covers, she reached for her robe and headed out of the bedroom, yawning as she went.

“Mom!” she called.

“In here, sweetheart,” her mother said from the kitchen.

Jane found the children and her mother busily playing on the tile floor. Mary Ann toddled gleefully, chasing a beach ball, intent on getting to it before her brother. Because he loved his little sister, Paul was letting her reach it first, then clapping and encouraging her to throw it to him.

“You should have woken me up,” Jane said.

“Why? The children are fine.”

“But, Mom, I’m supposed to be here to help you,” she protested. The last week had been hectic. Taking Paul and Mary Ann away from home and the comfort of their normal routine had made both children difficult and irritable. That first night, Mary Ann hadn’t slept more than a few hours, then whined all the next day. Paul had grown quiet and refused to talk to either grandparent. The children had required several days to adjust to the time change, and with the stress of her father’s condition, Jane was completely exhausted.

“You needed the sleep,” her mother said.

Jane couldn’t argue with that. “But I didn’t come all this way to spend the whole morning in bed.”

“Stop fussing. Paul, Mary Ann and I are having a wonderful time. If you intend to spoil it, then I suggest you go back to bed.”

“Mother!”

“I’m the only grandma they have. Now, why don’t you let us play and get yourself some breakfast?”

“But—”

“You heard me.” Stephanie crawled toward the lower cupboards, then held on to the counter, using that as leverage to get up off the floor. “I’m not as limber as I once was,” she joked.

“Oh, Mom…” Watching her, Jane felt guilty. She gathered Mary Ann into her arms, although the child immediately wanted down. Paul looked up at her, disgruntled by the interruption.

“Your father’s resting comfortably,” her mother informed her. “He wants us to take the day for ourselves.”

“Dad said that?” He’d been demanding and impatient ever since Jane had arrived.

“He did indeed, and I intend to take him up on his offer. I promised the kids lunch at McDonald’s.”

“Dad must be feeling better.”

“He is,” her mother said. “By the way, Annie phoned earlier.”

“Annie?” Jane echoed. “Is everything all right at home?”

“Everything’s just fine. She wanted to know how your father’s doing. Apparently no one told her—”

“I asked Cal to let her know. I meant to phone her myself, but…you know how crazy it’s been this last week.”

“I explained it all, so don’t you worry. She’d already talked to Cal, who apologized profusely. She sounds well and has some news herself.”

Jane paused, waiting, although she had her suspicions.

“Annie’s pregnant again. Apparently they’re all thrilled—Annie, Lucas and the children. She’s reducing her hours at work, hiring extra help. It was great to chat with her.”

“A baby. That’s wonderful.” Annie was such a good mother, patient and intuitive. And such a good friend. Her move to Texas had been a real blessing to Jane.

Just thinking about Promise made Jane’s heart hunger for home. A smile came as she recalled how out of place she’d once felt in the small Texas town. She’d accepted a job in the medical clinic soon after she’d qualified. It wasn’t where she’d hoped to settle, and she’d only taken the assignment as a means of paying off a portion of her huge college loans. The first few months had been dreadful—until she’d become friends with Dovie, who’d introduced her to Ellie.

This was networking at its finest. Soon afterward, Ellie and Glen had arranged Jane’s first date with Cal. What a disaster that had been! Cal wasn’t the least bit interested in a blind date. Things had quickly changed, however, when Cal and his brother and Ellie had started to teach her how to think and act like a real Texan. When she’d decided to take riding lessons, Cal had volunteered to be her teacher.

Jane had never meant to fall in love with him. But they were a good match, bringing out the best in each other, and they’d both recognized that. Because of Cal, she was a better person, even a better physician, and he reminded her often how her love had enriched his life. They were married within the year.

After the children arrived, Jane felt it necessary to make her career less of a priority, but she didn’t begrudge a moment of this new experience. In fact, she enjoyed being a full-time wife and mother—for a while—and managed to keep up her medical skills with part-time work.

Annie, too, had found love and happiness in their small town. The news of this pregnancy pleased Jane.

“Have you connected with Julie and Megan yet?” her mother asked.

Along with Annie, Julie and Megan had been Jane’s best friends all through high school. Julie was married and lived just ten minutes away. Megan was a divorced single mother. Jane hadn’t seen either woman in three years—make that four. How quickly time got away from her.

“Not yet,” Jane told her.

“I want you to have lunch with your friends while you’re home.”

“Mom, that isn’t necessary. I’m not here to be entertained.”

“I don’t want you to argue with me, either.”

Jane grinned, sorely tempted to follow her mother’s suggestion. Why not? she decided. She’d love to see her friends. “I’ll try to set something up with Julie this week.”

“Good.” Her mother gently stroked Jane’s cheek. “You’re pale and exhausted.”

The comment brought tears to her eyes. She wasn’t the one suffering pain and trauma, like her father, who’d broken his hip, or her mother who’d been left to deal with the paramedics, the hospital, the surgeon and all the stress.

“I came here to help you,” Jane reiterated.

“You have, don’t you see?” Her mother hugged Paul. “It’s time with my precious grandbabies that’s helping me deal with all this. I don’t see nearly enough of them. Having the grandkids with me is a rare treat, and I fully intend to take advantage of it.”

Jane headed for the shower, looking forward to visiting with her friends. She missed Cal and Promise, but it was good to be in California, too.

The metallic whine of the can opener made Cal grit his teeth. This was the third night in a row that he’d eaten soup and crackers for dinner. The one night he’d fried himself a steak, he’d overcooked it. A few years back he’d been a pretty decent cook, but his skills had gotten rusty since his marriage. He dumped the ready-to-heat soup into the pan and stared at it, finding it utterly unappetizing.

Naturally he could always invite himself to his brother’s house for dinner. Glen and Ellie would gladly set an extra plate at their table. He’d do that when he got desperate, but he wasn’t, at least not yet. For that matter, he could call his father. Phil would welcome the company, but by the time Cal was finished with his chores on the ranch and showered, dinner had already been served at the seniors’ center.

Actually, now that he thought about it, he was in the mood for Mexican food, and no place served it better than Promise’s own Mexican Lindo. Already his mouth was watering for his favorite enchiladas, dripping with melted cheese. He could almost taste them. Needing no other incentive, he set the soup, pan and all directly inside the refrigerator and grabbed his hat.

If he hurried, he decided, he’d be back in time for Jane’s phone call. Her spirits had seemed better these past few days. Her father was improving, and today she’d met a couple of high-school friends for lunch.

Soon Harry would be released from the hospital, and once his father-in-law was home, Jane and the children would return to Texas. Cal sincerely wished Jane’s father a speedy recovery—and his good wishes weren’t entirely selfish. He liked Harry Dickinson, despite their arguments and despite his father-in-law’s reservations about Jane’s choice in a husband. He’d never come right out and said anything, but Cal knew. It was impossible not to. Still, Harry’s attitude had gotten a bit friendlier, especially after the children were born.

Promise was bustling when Cal drove up Main Street. All the activity surprised him, although it shouldn’t have. It was a Thursday night, after all, and there’d been strong economic growth in the past few years. New businesses abounded, an area on the outskirts of town had been made into a golf course, and the city park had added a year-round swimming pool. Ellie’s feed store had been remodeled, but it remained the friendly place it’d always been. She’d kept the wooden rockers out front and his own father was among the retired men who met there to talk politics or play a game of chess. The tall white steeple of the church showed prominently in the distance. Cal reflected that it’d been a long time since he’d attended services. Life just seemed to get in the way. Too bad, because he genuinely enjoyed Wade McMillen’s sermons.

The familiar tantalizing aroma of Texas barbecue from the Chili Pepper teased his nostrils, and for a moment Cal hesitated. He could do with a thick barbecue sandwich just as easily as his favorite enchiladas, but in the end he stuck with his original decision.

When he walked into the stucco-walled restaurant, he was immediately led to a booth. He’d barely had time to remove his hat before the waitress brought him a bowl of corn chips and a dish of extra-hot salsa. His mouth was full when Nicole Nelson stepped into the room, eyed him boldly and smiled. After only the slightest pause, she approached his table.

“Hello, Cal.” Her voice was low and throaty.

Cal quickly swallowed the chip, almost choking as he did so. The attractive woman standing there wasn’t the kid he’d known all those years ago. Her jeans fit her like a second skin, and unless he missed his guess, her blouse was one of those designer numbers that cost more than he took to the bank in an average month. If her tastes ran to expensive clothes like that, Cal couldn’t imagine how she intended to live on the amount of money Annie Porter could afford to pay her.

“Nicole,” he managed. “Uh, hi. How’re you doing?”

“Great, thanks.” She peered over her shoulder as though expecting to meet someone. “Do you have a couple of minutes?”

“Uh…sure.” He glanced around, grateful no one was watching.

Before he realized what she intended, Nicole slid into the booth opposite him. Her smile was bright enough to make him blink.

“I can’t tell you how good it is to see you again,” she said, sounding genuine.

“You, too,” he muttered, although if he’d passed her in the street, he probably wouldn’t have recognized her.

“I imagine you’re surprised I’m back in Promise.”

“Yeah,” he said. “What brings you to town?” He already knew she’d made the move without having a job lined up.

She reached for a chip, then shrugged. “A number of reasons. The year I lived in Promise was one of the best of my life. I really did grow to love this town. Jennifer and I got transferred here around the same time, but she never felt about Promise the way I did.”

“Jennifer,” he said aloud. Cal couldn’t help wondering what had become of his ex-fiancée. “Are you still in touch with her?”

“Oh, sure. We were best friends for a lot of years.”

“How is she?”

“Good,” Nicole told him, offering no details.

“Did she ever marry?” He was a fool for asking, but he wanted to know.

Nicole dipped the chip in his salsa and laughed lightly. “She’s been married twice.”

“Twice?” Cal could believe it. “Last I heard she was living with a computer salesman in Houston.” He’d heard that from Glen, who’d heard it from Ellie, who’d heard it from Janice at the bank.

“She married him first, but they’ve been divorced longer than they were ever married.”

“I’m sorry to hear that.” He wasn’t really, but it seemed like something he should say.

“Then she met Mick. It wasn’t his real name, but she called him that because he was from Australia.”

“Why Mick?”

“Mick Dundee.”

“Oh,” he said, and remembered that was a character in a popular movie from the 1980s.

“Jennifer thought Mick was hot stuff,” Nicole continued. “They had a whirlwind courtship, married in Vegas and divorced a year later.”

“I imagine she was upset about that,” Cal said, mainly because he didn’t know how else to comment.

“With Jennifer it’s hard to tell,” Nicole said, leaning forward.

The waitress approached the table and Nicole declined a menu, but asked for a strawberry margarita. “Actually I’m meeting someone later, but I saw you and I thought this was a good opportunity to catch up on old times.”

“Sure.” Not that they’d had any “old times.” Then, because he wasn’t sure she realized he was married, he added, “I could use the company. My wife and kids are in California with her family for the next week or so.”

“Oh…”

He might have been wrong, but Cal thought he detected a note of disappointment in her voice. Surely she’d known he was married. Annie must have said something. But then again, perhaps not.

“My boy is three and my daughter’s eighteen months.”

“Congratulations.”

“Thanks,” Cal said, feeling a bit self-conscious about dragging Jane and his kids into the conversation. But it was the right thing to do—and it wouldn’t hurt his ego if the information got back to Jennifer, either.

Nicole helped herself to another chip. “The last time Jennifer and I spoke, she said something that might interest you.” Nicole loaded the chip with salsa and took a discreet nibble. Looking up, she widened her eyes. “Jen said she’s always wondered what would’ve happened if she’d stayed in Promise and you two had gotten married.”

Cal laughed. He knew the answer, even if Nicole and Jennifer didn’t. “I simply would’ve been husband number one. Eventually she would have moved on.” In retrospect, it was easy to see Jennifer’s faults and appreciate anew the fact that they weren’t married.

“I don’t agree,” Nicole said, surprising him. “I think it might have been a different story if she’d stayed with you.”

The waitress brought her drink and Nicole smiled her thanks. She took a sip, sliding her tongue along the salty edge of the glass. “Jennifer might be my best friend,” she went on, “but when it comes to men she’s not very smart. Take you, for example. I couldn’t believe it when she told me she was calling off the wedding. Time has proved me right, too.”

Cal enjoyed hearing it, but wanted to know her reasoning. “Why’s that?”

“Well, it’s obvious, don’t you think? You were the only man strong enough to deal with her personality. I’m very fond of Jennifer, don’t get me wrong, but she likes things her own way and that includes relationships. She was an idiot to break it off with you.”

“Actually it was fortunate for both of us that she did.”

“Fortunate for you, you mean,” Nicole said with a deep sigh. “Like I said, Jennifer was a fool, and if she doesn’t realize it, I do.” After another sip, she leaned toward him, her tone confiding. “I doubt she’d admit it, but ever since she left Promise, Jennifer’s been looking for a man just like you.”

“You think so?” Her remark was a boost to his ego and superficial though that was, Cal couldn’t restrain a smile.

The waitress returned with his order, and Nicole drank more of her margarita, then said, “I’ll leave you now and let you have your dinner.”

She started to slip out of the booth, but Cal stopped her. “There’s no need to rush off.” He wasn’t in any hurry, and he had to admit he liked hearing what she had to say about Jennifer. If he missed Jane’s call, he could always phone her back.

Nicole smiled. “I wanted to thank you, too,” she murmured.

“For what?” He cut into an enchilada with his fork and glanced up.

“For giving me a recommendation at Tumbleweed Books.”

“Hey,” he said, grinning at her. “No problem.”

“Annie called me this morning and said I have the job.”

“That’s great.”

“I’m thrilled. I’ve always loved books and I look forward to working with Annie.”

He should probably mention that the bookstore owner was Jane’s best friend, and would have, but he was too busy chewing and swallowing—and after that, it was too late.

Nicole checked her watch. “I’d better be going. Like I said, I’m meeting a…friend. If you don’t mind, I’d like to buy your dinner.”

Her words took him by surprise. He couldn’t imagine what had prompted the offer.

“As a thank-you for the job reference,” she explained.

He brushed aside her offer. “It was nothing—I was glad to do it. I’ll get my own meal. But let me pay for your drink.”

She agreed, they chatted a few more minutes, and then Nicole left. She hadn’t said whom she was meeting, and although he was mildly curious, Cal didn’t ask.

He sauntered out of the restaurant not long after Nicole. He’d been dragging when he arrived, but with his belly full and his spirits high, he felt almost cocky as he walked toward his parked truck. He supposed he was sorry to hear about Jennifer’s marital troubles—but not very sorry.

As it happened, Cal did miss Jane’s phone call, but was quick to reach her once he got home and had listened to her message. She sounded disappointed, anxious, emotionally drained.

“Where were you?” she asked curtly when he returned her call.

Cal cleared his throat. “I drove into town for dinner. Is everything okay?”

“Mexican Lindo, right?” she asked, answering one question and avoiding the other.

“Right.”

“Did you eat alone?”

“Of course.” There was Nicole Nelson, but she hadn’t joined him, not technically. Not for dinner, at any rate. He’d bought her drink, but he didn’t want to go into lengthy explanations that could only lead to misunderstanding. Perhaps it was wrong not to say something about her being there, but he didn’t want to waste these precious minutes answering irrelevant questions. Jane was sure to feel slighted or suspicious, and she had no reason. At any rate, Annie would probably mention that she’d hired Nicole on his recommendation. He could deal with that later. Right now, he wanted to know why she felt upset.

“You’d better tell me what’s wrong,” Cal urged softly, dismissing the thought of Nicole as easily as if he’d never seen her. Their twenty minutes together had been trivial, essentially meaningless. Not a man-woman thing at all but a pandering to his ego. Jane was his wife, the person who mattered to him.

“Dad didn’t have a good day,” Jane said after a moment. “He’s in a lot of pain and he’s cranky with me and Mom. A few tests came back and, well, it’s too early to say, but I didn’t like what I saw.”

“He’ll be home soon?”

“I don’t know—I’d thought, no, I’d hoped…” She let the rest fade.

“Don’t worry about it, sweetheart. Take as long as you need. I’ll manage.” It wasn’t easy to make the offer, but Cal could see that his wife needed his support. These weeks apart were as hard on her as they were on him. This was the only way he could think to help.

“You want me to stay longer?” Jane demanded.

“No,” he returned emphatically. “I thought I was being noble and wonderful.”

The tension eased with her laugh. “You seem to be getting along far too well without me.”

“That isn’t true! I miss you something fierce.”

“I miss you, too,” Jane said with a deep sigh.

“How did lunch go with your friends?” he asked, thinking it might be a good idea to change the subject.

“All right,” she said with no real enthusiasm.

“You didn’t enjoy yourself?”

Jane didn’t answer immediately. “Not really. We used to be close, but that seems so long ago now. We’ve grown apart. Julie’s into this beauty-pageant thing for her daughter, and it was all she talked about. Every weekend she travels from one state to another, following the pageants.”

“Does her daughter like it?”

“I don’t know. It’s certainly not something I’d ever impose on my daughter.” She sighed again. “I don’t mean to sound judgmental, but we have so little in common anymore.”

“What about Megan?”

“She came with her twelve-year-old daughter and is terribly bitter about her divorce. At every opportunity she dragged her husband’s name into the conversation with the preface, ‘that bum I was married to.’”

“In front of her kid?” Cal was shocked that any mother could be so insensitive to her child.

“Repeatedly,” Jane murmured. “I have to admit I felt depressed after seeing them.” She paused, took a deep breath. “I can only imagine what they thought of me.”

“That concerns you?” Cal asked, thinking she was being ridiculous if it did.

“Not in the least,” Jane was quick to tell him. “Today was a vivid reminder that my home’s not in California anymore. It’s in Promise with you.“