He took the sack, then took her by the hand and led her to one of the poker tables.
“Can I get you something to drink?”
“No, but thank you. I’m so full of Pearl’s chili beans and cornbread I feel like I’m waddling. You sit. Eat while you have a minute.”
“Will you stay and talk to me?” he asked.
She grinned. “I hoped you would ask. I’d love to.”
They sat, and she watched as Jacob took out a container of chili beans, crumbled some of the cornbread in it, and took his first bite. “Ummm, that Pearl sure can cook,” he said. “So, what brings you to Crossroads?”
“Dad passed away three weeks ago. I’m back to deal with the family home,” she said.
Immediately, Jacob reached for her hand. “Aw, honey. I’m so sorry to hear that. I knew you’d moved him, but I didn’t know where.”
“To a memory care unit near where I live in Fort Worth. It was weird coming home last night to that empty house, but I’m here for a while. Not sure what I’m going to do with it.”
Jacob nodded. “So, you work in Fort Worth?”
“I work from home, but yes, I live in Fort Worth. I work for an IT company that specializes in troubleshooting for big companies and corporations. That kind of thing. What are your sons doing? Are you a grandpa yet?”
Jacob’s eyes narrowed slightly. He knew what she was asking and why. Ash never mentioned her, and he never knew why or what happened.
“None of them are married and no grandchildren, but Dylan is engaged going on over a year. To my knowledge, he’s the only one with a girl. Gunner is a homicide detective in Dallas, and Asher is a policeman too, but moved up to being a special investigator for the state attorney general’s office in Austin.”
Nora’s eyes widened. “Wow. Good for him. He knew what he wanted to do from as far back as I can remember, but I never saw Gunner as a policeman. What does Dylan do?”
“He owns a general contracting company, building housing additions, that kind of thing. They’re all successful men, which is amazing to me, considering I raised them in the back of a bar.”
Nora frowned. “No sir. You raised them in a home. You own and run a bar. You were the best father ever for them. I know. I was in the middle of them and their antics during those years.”
He nodded. “I remember. Now I’m going to pry. Do you have a significant other? Or do they have another name for that now? I can’t keep up with the rules of polite society.”
“No sir, I do not. I used to date some, but my job is very demanding, and honestly… Ash was a hard act to follow. Nobody ever measured up.”
He frowned. “It’s not my business, and you don’t have to answer if you don’t want to, but what happened between you two?”
There were tears in her eyes, but she was smiling. “That’s the pitiful part. Nothing happened. We used to stay in contact…and then one day I looked up and realized it had been months since our last email, and for no apparent reason other than we didn’t put each other first. I haven’t spoken to him in years. I didn’t even know where he was living or what he was doing.”
“And now you do,” Jacob said. “They always come homefor Christmas. If you’re still here, maybe you can catch him under the mistletoe or something.”
She laughed. “I think that ship already sailed, but a nice thought. Anyway… I’ll let you finish your lunch before you get busy again.”
She stood, and when she did, Jacob stood with her and walked her to the door. “This has been an absolute delight. Don’t be a stranger. Women are welcome at the Tumbleweed, too, but you might have to fight off the lonesome cowboys who wander through. They’re terrible romantics and always looking for a pretty girl to dance with.”
She laughed. “Sounds a little risky, but I’ll definitely come see you again.” And then she threw her arms around his neck and hugged him.
Jacob watched until she drove out of sight, and then went back to his food, picked up his phone, and sent Asher a text.
You’ll never guess who brought me lunch from the Rose today. Nora. Her dad died. Her mother passed four years ago, and now she’s in Crossroads trying to figure out what to do with the family home. She is sweet as ever. Turned into a real beauty, but she looks lost…and tired. And she’s still single. Crying shame. That’s what it is. A crying shame. Anyway… It’s cold as blazes here and I’m eating some of Pearl’s chili and cornbread. I never could make good cornbread.
Love you, son.
Be safe wherever you are.
* * *
Asher was sitting at a red light in downtown Austin when he got the text. He smiled when he saw it was from his dad,but then he read it, and a wave of longing gut-punched the smile off his face.
