He made his way to her front door and rung the bell. He didn’t have to wait long for her to answer it.
“Hi, Aidan. Come on in.”
Her warm smile made him feel better about asking her to help with the Christmas gala. He’d known she was busy, but of all the people he’d met in Sapphire Bay, he couldn’t think of anyone who would do a better job or appreciate the extra money.
Stepping inside, he followed her into her living room. “I hope it’s okay coming here this afternoon.”
“Of course, it is. The sooner you show me what you’ve already organized, the faster I’ll be able to get everything else in place.”
Her living room was warm and inviting. Painted in a soft pastel yellow, with comfortable, well-worn furniture spaced around an open fire, it was the kind of room you could spend a lot of time in.
“Can I get you something to drink?” Jackie asked, gesturing toward the kitchen.
Aidan nodded. “A coffee would be great.”
“Make yourself at home. I won’t be long.”
He took a seat on the couch. As she disappeared into the kitchen, he looked around the room. Two baskets of knitting were sitting on top of a cabinet, and more skeins of wool were beside them. The shelves were filled with books, and photos adorned the walls. He spotted a picture of her at the beach, laughing with a group of people. She looked carefree and happy, and so much of everything that was missing in his life.
When Jackie reappeared with two mugs of coffee, he pointed to the photo. “It looks like you were having fun.”
“We had an amazing time,” Jackie said as she handed him a mug. “I never had a lot of school friends, but Sasha was special. She invited me to St. Augustine last summer to stay with her family. That photo was taken on my last day there.”
“Did you go to school in Florida?”
Jackie’s smile slipped. “Only for a year. Mom and I moved around a lot.”
“That’s the complete opposite of me. My parents have lived in the same house for over thirty-five years. I don’t think they’ll ever leave their house or Denver.”
“It must be nice to have that kind of stability. Sapphire Bay is the closest I’ve come to feeling as though I belong somewhere.” She sent him a forced smile. “I’m ready to look at the project plan whenever you are.”
Aidan frowned. The happy person who’d greeted him at the door had retreated into someone with sad eyes. “I didn’t mean to upset you.”
Jackie hesitated, as if carefully weighing what she’d say next. “You didn’t upset me, not in the way you mean. I had a complicated childhood. Mom was sixteen when I was born. Her parents were horrified she was pregnant and told her to leave home. She had no savings, no job and, within a few months, no boyfriend. Having somewhere to call home has always been important to me.”
“That makes sense. How did your mom cope with having a baby?” Aidan asked softly.
“She stayed with friends for a few months after I was born and they helped. After that, she said it became harder to find somewhere to live. For a while, we lived in different shelters, but Mom wasn’t happy in them. After that, we mostly lived in trailer parks. Sometimes, when it was really tough, we slept in our car.”
Aidan placed his mug of coffee on the table. After that kind of childhood, it was a miracle she’d achieved so much with her life. “I’m sorry it was so hard for you and your mom.”
Jackie shrugged, as if it didn’t matter what her life had been like. “It was okay. Mom found jobs where she could. When I was eleven, we moved into our first apartment. Mrs. Green lived next door. I used to stay with her when Mom was working.”
Aidan tried to imagine a younger version of Jackie learning how to live in a world that must have seemed to have abandoned her. “Is that the lady who taught you how to knit?”
A smile returned to her eyes. “It was. Mrs. Green’s son had moved, and she didn’t see him very often. She used to call me her adopted granddaughter and bake me cookies and help me with my homework. When we had to leave our apartment, it was hard. Mrs. Green wanted me to stay with her, but Mom didn’t. I’ve never forgotten her or her kindness.”
“Have you seen her since then?”
“A couple of times. She lives in a retirement village in Florida, which was another reason I was happy to meet my friend in St. Augustine. Mrs. Green doesn’t like using the Internet, so I write her letters and send her photos of what I’m doing.”
Aidan studied Jackie’s face. The stubborn tilt to her jaw that told him she wouldn’t have chosen the life she’d had, but she was proud of who she was. “Mrs. Green must be impressed with what you’ve achieved.”
“She is, and she’ll be even happier when she hears about the Christmas gala we’re organizing.” Her gaze dropped to the folder he’d brought with him.
He held back a smile. She was finished talking about her past and it was time to get back to business. “Thanks for telling me about your life.”
Jackie’s eyes widened. His comment had surprised her. “I wasn’t going to tell you, but it seemed important now that I’m helping with the gala. If I’d needed a prosthetic, Mom couldn’t have afforded it. I’d like to think that, in some small way, I could be helping someone else who’s in the same situation I was in.”
