Finding His Way Home

No one wanted to hear her life was chaotic and she was way behind on her deadlines, so she smiled and gave her usual chipper response. “Just fine. Diane stopped in this morning and asked me to drop by the teen center later this week to talk to one of the new girls about art.”

“Gretchen,” Olivia commented with a nod. “Such a heartbreaking story with her and her father struggling the way they are. You’re just the kind of role model she needs.”

“I don’t think I’d be anyone’s choice as a mentor,” Jenna protested with a laugh. “I’m pretty sure Diane just wants me to tell Gretchen how talented she is, encourage her to keep practicing, that kind of thing.”

“Like that munchkin art professor did for you,” Scott suggested.

“In slightly less colorful language,” she clarified with a nostalgic smile. “Miss Fontaine was—what’s the word?”

“Nutty?” he asked in a helpful tone.

“Eccentric. Most creative people are.”

“Oh, that’s true,” Olivia confirmed with a nod. “My old friend Annabelle, God rest her, sang like an angel and could play a dozen different instruments. She also talked to the coatrack in her foyer like it was a real person and couldn’t remember what she was doing from one minute to the next. She was a gifted musician but madder than a hatter.”

They all laughed at that, and Scott polished off the rest of his drink before standing. “I hate to leave, Gram, but I have to drop Jenna off at the cemetery so she can pick up her van. After that, I really should get back to the house. If I don’t finish covering the holes in the chapel roof, that storm they’re talking about is gonna wreck all the new wood I put up inside.”

“Don’t you dare apologize to me for being busy. I’ve got things to do, too,” she assured him as she stood and went up on tiptoe to kiss his cheek. All her grandsons towered over her, but Jenna thought it was adorable the way Olivia still gave them a quick peck whenever they were headed out. “If you’re interested, I’m making pot roast Friday night.”

Grinning, he cocked his head like a half-starved hound who’d just gotten wind of a free meal. “For me?”

“Well, it’s not for me,” she teased, then turned to Jenna with a critical look. “I noticed you’ve been losing weight again, dear. I think you’d better come, too, and have something that didn’t come out of a microwave. There will be plenty of food, so you two can split the leftovers.”

Scott eyed her warily. “You’re not trying to set us up, are you?”

“Don’t be ridiculous,” she chided him. “I’ve invited everyone who’s got the night free, so there will be lots of other folks here.”

“You’re having a family shindig now?” he asked. “How come?”

“Because I feel like having company, and no one ever turns down my cooking.” She looked from him to Jenna. “Should I plan on seeing you two or not?”

Jenna had been planning to work late to finish up the doggy painting for her clients. But since she didn’t have a domestic bone in her body, she never could resist the lure of a home-cooked meal. “Sounds good to me. Six o’clock?”

Olivia gave her grandson a questioning look, and after hesitating, he gave in with a grin. “Works for me. While I’m here, I’ll tighten up that loose railing on your front steps.”

She beamed at him as if he’d just offered to build her a whole new porch. “That would be wonderful, honey. Thank you.”

“I’d imagine there’s a lot more jobs like that around here,” he commented as she walked Jenna and him to the door. “I know Paul and Jason have their hands full with the mill, so you go ahead and make a list. It might take me a while, but I’ll make sure everything gets done.”

“I’ll do that.” Pausing on the porch, she hugged him again, grasping his arms as she gazed up at him. “Welcome home, Scott.”

His sheepish grin made him look about ten years old, and he stooped to kiss her cheek. “Thanks, Gram. See you Friday.”

Back in the truck, Jenna couldn’t help gloating a little. “So, that went well.”

“As blatant manipulation goes, it was a ten.” While he fiddled with the ignition, he sighed. “But I can’t blame you for taking a shot. I wasn’t getting anywhere on my own, but now I feel stupid for being so worried about seeing her.”

“Your grandmother is a very forgiving person,” Jenna reminded him gently. “Actually, your whole family’s like that. It’s one of the big reasons I enjoy spending time with them. They don’t expect anyone to be perfect, and that makes it easier for me to be myself.”

“Mostly, they don’t have patience for a lot of nonsense.” When the ancient truck finally let out a hacking cough and started, Scott pulled out of the driveway and headed out of town. “Mom sees right through that kinda thing, and she seems to think a lot of you. That’s good enough for me.”

“Good to know.”

“So, what’ve you got planned for Gretchen?”

“No plans,” she replied with a shrug. “I’ll let her run the show. If she wants to confide in me, I’ll listen. If not, that’ll be okay, too. She’s old enough to decide stuff like that for herself.”

Slanting her a look, Scott opened his mouth to speak, then shut it again. His reserve came across to her as more of a habit than part of his real personality, and she seized the opportunity to take another whack at this very stubborn nut. “You wanted to ask me something?”

“None of my business.”

“That never stops anyone else,” she informed him with a laugh. “What did you want to know?”

Another hesitation, then very quietly he asked, “What happened with you and your mom?”

Jenna’s heart thudded to a stop. Of all the things he could have questioned her about, her mother was the last one she’d anticipated. In the past year, the only person she’d confessed her sordid history to was Diane Barrett, and then only with a lot of patient—and persistent—encouragement.

Keeping secrets, that one especially, had become a bad tendency for her. Gradually, she’d come to recognize that it served no purpose other than to lead her in never-ending circles back to a time in her life she was trying desperately to leave behind her. But Scott had been forthright with her about his own past, she reminded herself. It was only fair for her to do the same.

“It’s not a nice story,” she cautioned him.

“I kinda figured that when I saw your reaction to what my mom said about Gretchen’s mother taking off.” Pulling onto the graveled shoulder of the road, he swiveled to face her squarely. “You looked upset, but you covered it up pretty fast. It’s been bugging me ever since.”

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