His shoulders dropped. His wife was probably right. “Grant mentioned something when we met with Chance earlier. He threw Jocelyn’s name out to see if Chance reacted to it.”
“Did he?” Gabe asked.
“Enough of that talk,” Stacy said. “I want to know Jocelyn’s reaction that day.”
“She was surprised to see Chance. Recognized him right away. There might have been more smiles or laughter than she normally does, not sure. But Garrett and Grant were like missiles latching onto their targets. Royce and I noticed that more than anything.”
“They are always looking for their next project,” Stacy said. “Do you really think it’s Jocelyn?”
“Oh, it’s definitely Jocelyn. Just don’t know if it’s Chance or not,” Gabe said.
“Thanks,” Jim said.
“Wait,” Stacy said before he could disconnect the call. “What do you think of those two if that is their plan?”
“Not much to think,” Gabe said. “I like him. He’s a hard worker. Food is great at his pub. Jocelyn made some comment about seeing him again, so my guess is when she went to pick up food there a few weeks ago she saw him.”
“Got it,” his wife said. “Thanks, Gabe.”
He hung up with his son. “Well?”
“I’m going to want to meet this guy at some point. Jocelyn has had a rough go of it with men lately.”
“And she’s putting a crazy amount of stress on herself because she feels as if she should be married with kids,” Jim said. “Maybe if she opens up to this, she’ll find someone. They are never wrong.”
“I’ll work on her, but she’s a tough nut to crack.”
“If anyone can do it, it’s you.”
“If we don’t butt heads over it,” Stacy said.
14
SLIM PROBABILITY
“Why can’t I just pick up lunch for us today?” Jocelyn asked the next day.
“Because you and I never get to go to lunch together anymore,” her mother said. “It’d be nice. It won’t hurt for you to take a break. You get mad at me for working so hard, but you do the same.”
What was her mother up to? It wasn’t like her mother to push. There had to be more going on.
When her mother suggested ordering lunch today and then mentioned she’d like to try Rhea’s Chance again, she was all over it.
Running in there to pick it up might give her a shot to see Chance.
She hadn’t talked to him since Sunday. Which was forty-eight hours ago. It’s not like they were going to be in each other’s hair all the time.
He was working two full-time jobs and at the firehouse a lot this week.
She was busy herself.
“It’s not the same,” she said. “I’m trying to learn more.”
“And your father mentioned it was nice you went to the site. It’d be great if you did it some more.”
She sighed. “I planned on it when the time came. Right now there isn’t much call for it.”
There were always projects they were working on, but no reason for her to show up on a random day to watch the cranes and beams being put into place.
