He stood still, debating for a minute, but once he saw her rub her hands for warmth, he made his decision. Walking slowly, he went to her. He enjoyed watching her when she didn’t know it—not in a creepy, stalker way, but one in which he was privileged to see the true Jessa.
And that Jessa was the same one who presented herself to him. No double faces, no acts, only a down-to-earth girl—one he had a growing attraction to.
As he reached her, a couple approximately his parents’ age also showed up at her side and eyed him with interest. He put a smile in place, curious whom he’d meet this time. Hadn’t he met everyone in town already? It sure seemed like it…except any of her family.
Wait a minute…
He glanced at the couple again and couldn’t deny the resemblance.
“Hi, sweetheart.” The lady leaned over and kissed Jessa’s cheek. “I’ve tried calling you all afternoon and couldn’t get through.”
“I’m sorry, Mom.” Jessa reached into her purse and withdrew her phone, made an oopsie face. “It got turned to silent somehow. I didn’t mean to worry you.”
“I knew you were safe.” The woman, now identified as Jessa’s mom, smiled. “Everywhere we’ve gone, I’ve been stopped and told you had a new friend.”
Jessa’s face turned dark crimson. For the umpteenth time that day, she introduced him, but this time was different. This time, he met her parents, something he usually saved for much later in the dating game. So late, that his relationships rarely reached that point.
Yet here he was, jumping leaps beyond where he’d normally care to be.
Her father, Ray, came across as a strong, but concerned man. He proceeded with several lines of questioning before offering the customary handshake and welcoming him to Jasper Lake. Once he finally did, however, he also issued an invitation to join them at their spot to watch the flotilla.
“Where’s Phoebe?” Jessa stepped forward with the line, and the others followed.
“She got called into work at five. Before that, she spent the day with us.” Bonnie, Jessa’s mom, frowned. “This year’s Lakeside Christmas hasn’t been the same.”
“Mom,” Jessa uttered in a low, hushed warning tone.
Whatever Jessa tried to communicate, didn’t seem to work. Bonnie’s lower lip trembled. “I’d give anything to go back to the last time we enjoyed this night as a family. Now your brother’s in jail, and no one knows where your sister is.”
Landon jerked his head to see Jessa’s reaction. Did her mom speak the truth? He could tell by Jessa’s mortified wide eyes and scarlet neck that she hadn’t intended for him to know any of that information.
His chest constricted, hurt that he’d confided in her, but she’d obviously left out some very big details of her life. He’d known she hid something, but he’d had no idea of the caliber.Did it change anything?Not really, though he hoped she’d trust him to tell him more now that the information was out there.
Ray slid an arm around his wife’s shoulders. “It’s okay, darling. One day soon we’ll all be reunited again, and life will return to normal.”
Jessa coughed, and her father shot her a warning glare.
She took a deep breath and held it. Slowly, she blew it out and pointed to the front of the line. “I’m next. Where are you watching from? If you go ahead, we’ll meet you over there when I’m done.”
“Our dock. I already paid the fee to reserve it.” Her dad looked at Landon. “We don’t own it, but it’s the one we’d always go to for casting a quick line when we didn’t have time to take the boat out.”
“We’ll see you there soon.” Jessa ran into the restroom that opened, and Landon suspected her urgency came more from a desire to escape him while she lamented her parents airing the family laundry.
Ray laid a hand on his arm. “Jessa needs a solid friend right now. If you can’t be that for her, please stay away.”
How on earth was he supposed to respond to that? “Jessa hasn’t told me much about your family, but I can gather it’s complicated. Strained family dynamics aren’t new to me, but that might be why our paths crossed—so we can help each other through them.”
“My gut tells me you’re a good man.” Ray tightened his fingers around Landon’s forearm. “Don’t prove me wrong.”
“I won’t.”
“Let’s go, Ray.” Bonnie gave her husband a pleading gaze. “I’d like to find a warm pretzel to eat.”
Landon watched them walk away. His mind spun, processing the last five minutes. Ray’s veiled threat didn’t intimidate him. He’d become adept at reading people and knew Ray was only being protective. More than that, Landon had no intentions of wronging Jessa. Even so, the peculiar situation rattled him.
Hopefully, he’d feel better once he and Jessa had an open conversation.
She came out of the bathroom avoiding eye contact. “Did my parents go ahead?”
