“I know.” Still, he relaxed his posture and rested in the truth they both knew—she loved him and his siblings equally, but he and his grandmother shared a special bond. “The reservations are for the first weekend in November, but I can change the date if needed.”
“Jasper Lake. I like the name.” She held the paper in front of her, her eyes discreetly shifting as she read. “The town sounds charming.”
“It is. You’ll love it.”
Her eyes widened when she flipped the page. “Is the bed and breakfast really pink?”
“Yes.” Glad he’d gone with his hunch of the bed and breakfast over a cabin, he met her gaze. “So you’ll go?”
Gran drew in a long breath. The look in her eyes made Landon squirm. What was she up to?
She slid an arm through his and patted his hand. “I’ll go on one condition.”
“Gifts shouldn’t be accepted with conditions.”
“You’re right. But this, in turn, will be a gift for you.” Her pale hand wrapped around his, not even covering half.
Bad vibes shot through him. He had a feeling he knew where this was going. “What is it?”
“You invite your parents to come along.”
His breath left him in a loud whoosh. “Gran …”
She held her palm out to him. “You have to make peace with them.”
“They have all of you fooled into thinking they’ve changed, but old habits die hard.”
“I believe they have, but whether it’s true or not doesn’t matter.” She cupped his shoulder, and her gaze bore into his. “This bitterness in your soul isn’t good, my child. Release it for your own sake, if not theirs.”
He suppressed the growl fighting to roar. Why wouldn’t everyone just let it be? “The bed and breakfast only had the two rooms left for that weekend. There wouldn’t be room for them.”
Gran didn’t bat an eye and stared at him with resolute conviction. “I’m sure we can find accommodations nearby or change weekends if needed.”
The back door opened, and the rest of his family poured onto the rear porch, including his mother and father who must have come home in the last few minutes. Smiles covered all their faces, and they appeared a normal, happy family.
Except they weren’t. His parents had given up any rights to that.
Set to tell Gran no, he turned back to her, but the hope etched into her time-worn wrinkles stopped him. “I’ll see what I can do.”
Chapter Three
Jessa’s temples pulsed. After two hours of debate, the city council members still hadn’t reached a consensus. She had a spot on the council by way of her position at the chamber of commerce, but it was the one responsibility she wouldn’t mind giving up—at least for today.
The condition of Jasper Lake’s roadways caused today’s argument. In her opinion, they were fine and didn’t need improvements yet. Others argued that the town should petition the state for funds to repair them, as the added traffic from the detour had caused substantial wear. Another segment argued that since the increased traffic brought increased income, the town should increase business taxes to augment the infrastructure fund.
—Which is when the debate rose to a hotter level.
She didn’t care for politics, they didn’t interest her at all, but she had an obligation to the businesses who were chamber members to look out for their best interests. Reluctantly, she’d had to enter the conversation to pose that higher taxes would be an undue burden on the town’s establishments.
When someone made a motion to table the debate until the next meeting and Gabe Delong seconded it, Jessa almost pumped a fist in the air with glee. When Maxine Tatrem, the city council president, rang the gavel and ended the meeting, Jessa shoved her notes into a folder and rushed out of the building.
Oxygen pumped into her blood, and the fresh, brisk air eased the tension in her head. She took her time walking the five hundred feet from city hall to the chamber office.Good, no one is outside waiting for me. Her head needed more time to clear before she entered into more human interaction. She pulled out her phone to check the time—close enough to her lunch break.
She’d check her messages then go to lunch. Raising her key to the lock, she noticed the lights on inside. The door opened without her unlocking it. It took her several seconds to remember that Rachel, her secretary, came in today. Her normal days were Tuesday and Thursdays, but she’d missed yesterday because her daughter had been home sick.
“Hi, Rach,” she called out from the front.
Rachel lifted her gaze from the computer. “How was the meeting?”
