Jack nodded, the tightness in his throat making it hard to speak. He thought about the first eleven years of his life, when it had been just him and his mom. When she had been his whole world. She was the one who held him when he was scared, who made sure he ate, who told him every single day that he was loved and worthy and enough. Those years had shaped him more than any military training ever could.
Even after Colt had entered their lives, even after the family had expanded and grown, that bond between Jack and his mother had never changed. It had just deepened, built on a foundation of trust and unconditional love that nothing could shake.
He stood from the table and pulled his mom into a hug, wrapping his arms around her and holding on. She hugged him back with the fierce, all-encompassing embrace perfected over decades of loving through everything.
“You still give the best hugs,” Jack murmured against her hair.
She laughed and squeezed him tighter. “And don't you forget it.”
When they finally pulled apart, Jack was smiling, really smiling for the first time since he’d stood in the parking lot and watched Rachel pull away.
“Tomorrow night,” he said. “Dinner with Rachel.”
“Sounds lovely.” His mom patted his cheek and turned back to clear the table, but Jack spied the smile on her face. The one that said she'd been hoping for this moment for years.
His dad caught Jack's eye from across the table and gave him a small chin lift. Not a word was spoken, but Jack understood the message clearly. Don't waste this chance, son.
Jack didn't intend to.
20
Rachel was glad that she and David met at the small, informal Italian restaurant on the edge of town. Nothing too intimate. Just a quiet place with good pasta where they could talk without the whole town watching.
She'd barely been seated five minutes when David slid into the booth across from her, shrugging off his jacket. He looked good, as always, with his dark hair neatly combed, button-down shirt rolled at the sleeves, and that easy smile he wore like a second skin.
Except tonight, his smile didn't quite reach his eyes.
“Hey,” Rachel said, offering him a warm greeting.
“Hey yourself.” David picked up his menu, glancing it over briefly before setting it down. His jaw was tight, and Rachel couldn't quite place something in his expression. Something that hadn't been there the last time they'd seen each other.
The server came by to take their wine and appetizer order. Rachel wrapped her hands around her water glass, trying to figure out what was different. He watched her with an expression she'd never seen on his face before… a mix of irritation and something sharper underneath.
“So,” David said, leaning back in the booth. “Heard you were out with your old boyfriend this morning.” His tone was casual, but the edge to it made Rachel's stomach tighten. “The one who hasn't been around since he won the baseball trophy years ago.”
The words landed like a slap. Rachel blinked, stunned. Not just by what he'd said but by the way he'd said it. His lip curled slightly on one side, so unlike the easygoing David she'd come to know.
She stared at him for a moment, her mind racing. He knew about Jack. She inwardly winced. Baytown was a small town, and word traveled fast. Someone had probably seen them at the diner that morning or at the gym and mentioned it to someone else, who then mentioned it to David.
Rachel sighed, recalling her earlier conversation with Cindy. They'd talked that afternoon, Rachel filling her best friend in on the morning's events. Cindy had listened with her usual enthusiasm, punctuating the story with gasps and excited questions.
“You have two men panting after you,” Cindy had declared, her voice practically vibrating with delight, as she pretended to fan herself with her hand.
“It's not like that,” Rachel had protested weakly.
“Oh honey, it absolutely is.” Cindy had paused, then added more gently, “Are you going to talk to David? Before this goes any further with Jack. Just so he knows he stands squarely in the friend zone.”
Rachel knew Cindy was right. She'd spent the rest of the afternoon turning the conversation over in her mind, rehearsing what she would say. She'd decided to talk to David that night, making sure he understood she wanted to just be friends. They’d never gone further than a few end-of-date kisses, and she hoped the timing was good before he thought they were going further.
Now, sitting across from David in the restaurant, guilt twisted in her chest, and she wondered if she'd handled things badly. Had she missed his intentions? She knew they were friends, but they were so new to each other. Had she completely overlooked what David had been hoping for between them?
“David,” Rachel began carefully, setting down her water glass. “I just had breakfast with Jack after running into him this morning.”
“Are you going to start seeing him now?”
“I didn't feel that you and I were more than friends enjoying each other’s company.”
Something flickered across David's face. A flash of irritation, quickly masked, but Rachel saw it. She'd been reading emotions in people's faces her entire life. It had been necessary when she was younger, and it was part of what made her a good teacher. And right now, David wasn’t happy.