“That will change when he meets the right girl.”
“I told Mom the same thing, but she said she doesn’t think so.” Janie let out a short laugh. “She was joking, or at least I hope she was.”
“What are Jessie and Julie up to?”
“Driving Mom and Dad crazy. Their dorm was damaged when a pipe busted two weeks ago, so they’ve had to move back in with my parents for the time being. They’re pushing my parents to let them rent an apartment off campus.” She twisted her mouth. “I’m not sure that’s a great idea.”
“Why not? You were married and living on your own a thousand miles from home at their age.” Biting his cheek, he wished he hadn’t said that. Any reminders of Mike tended to send Janie into a state of sadness.
He breathed a sigh of relief when she continued unaffected.
“The twins are different. Mom and Dad babied them. Therefore, they don’t understand consequences. Last semester, for example, Jess failed international logistics, not because she couldn’t understand the material, but because she never attended the class. My parents paid for her summer semester without any questions.”
“That wouldn’t have flown with my parents. After I graduated high school, they gave me one semester to figure out what I wanted to do.” The memory brought a self-deprecating smile to his face. “I knew college wasn’t for me, at least not then. My sister Kate has always been the more studious of us. I just wanted to goof off.”
“They gave you the choice of college or military?”
“Or work full time. If I didn’t do something productive, they’d cut me off financially.” Hitting a straight stretch of road with no oncoming cars, he flicked on the high beams. “In hindsight, I realize how good I had it, and have to admit they spoiled me. The first year of my contract, they kept me on their auto insurance and cell plan. They offered to keep me on longer, but by then I realized I had to man up and support myself.”
“Mike’s parents tried to help us out on numerous occasions in the beginning, but he wouldn’t allow it.” Her voice took on an honored tone. “There were times I could have strangled him for not taking the help we desperately needed, but then I’d be so proud of him for his determination to make it on our own.”
“The pay is squat at first. I don’t know how y’all made it.”
“With a lot of love and prayers.” A bittersweet smile tugged at her lips. “We did all right, though. The first two years were tough, even with my income added to the budget, but we made it. We were finally doing well when…”
Remorse sank in when she trailed off. “I’m sorry for bringing it up. I should have thought before I spoke.”
“Don’t be sorry. I need to talk about him, even if it hurts.”
He leaned over the tan console and nudged her arm, offered her a tight-lipped smile. “Hey, that’s progress.”
“It is, isn’t it?” She pointed to a metal sign illuminated by the headlights. “Looks like we made it.”
“Made it where?” Jared asked in a sleepy voice from the back seat. “How long was I asleep?”
“We just hit Lilston city limits. Another few minutes and we’ll be at the hotel.” Evan handed Janie his phone. “Can you text Wyatt and let him know?”
“Sure.” Holding the phone, Janie started typing. A few seconds later, his phone beeped. “He wants to know if he should come meet you or wait until morning.”
“I plan on crashing once we get there. My leave started at zero-seven hundred this morning, and they kept me there until six thirty-three. Gotta love it.” Jared yawned. “No offense to Wyatt, but a pillow holds more appeal as company right now.”
Evan agreed. “Tomorrow morning is good.”
“I’ll let him know.” After sending a reply text, Janie returned his phone.
He squinted his eyes. “Is that the hotel up there?”
“Looks like the logo, at least from here.” Jared leaned forward, resting his elbows on the front seats. “Do you have the reservation information?”
“It’s on my phone.” Because he had more spare time due to his medical retirement, Evan had become the de facto organizer of the trip north.
“Wyatt wasn’t upset I didn’t stay with Meg, was he?” Janie clasped her hands in her lap.
Her question yanked on his heartstrings. She’d changed so much since Mike’s death. Before becoming a widow, she never would have questioned a decision she’d made. For that matter, she would have stayed with Meg, and welcomed the opportunity for developing a new friendship.
He didn’t hold it against her—not one bit—but for her sake, he wanted the old Janie to surface. The crash and Mike’s death had changed them all, but she’d suffered the worst loss. Like a scared turtle facing incoming traffic, she’d receded into a shell and only poked out her head occasionally. “He understood, and so did Meg.”
“I wanted to, and I tried to convince myself I could, but anxiety got the better of me.” Her voice echoed the indecision they knew she battled against. “Leaving Jacksonville was hard enough. I need familiar surroundings, and dumb as it sounds, having you two in the room next door is comforting.”
