When Jules only stared at Emily, slack-jawed, Cal’s mother patted her knee again and chuckled. “Don’t look so surprised. I’m a mother. Worrying about loved ones is what mothers do best.”
Jules dropped her gaze to her lap and mumbled, “I wouldn’t know about that.”
Moving her arm to circle Jules’s shoulders, Emily scooted closer, so that her hip bumped Jules’s. “Well, get used to it. Because my son clearly cares about you, and so, by extension, you are now included in the circle of my maternal concern.”
A cocktail of strange sensations washed through Jules. Warm and soft, while also foreign and scary. And while it might be nice to confess all the things troubling her to Emily, to take advantage of this apparent motherly comfort, her experience with her ownmother said that parental security and affection were just as fleeting and unreliable as that of a cold and overworked legal system.
Emily’s arm tightened around Jules’s shoulders, drawing her into a half hug. “Don’t panic. He didn’t spill anything overly personal. Cal’s not the kiss-and-tell type. He just said you were upset because Abby didn’t respond to your news the way you’d hoped.”
She took another gulp of her drink and shook her head. “No. She didn’t.”
Emily nodded. “You know what’s ironic?”
Jules angled her head toward Cal’s mother.
“Unexpected twists are gold for my plots. Catching my characters—and my readers—off guard is what I strive for. But when real life catches you unaware or your heart’s expectations aren’t met…well, that’s less fun. It rather stinks.”
“Hmm,” Jules grunted, the best reply she could manage due to the sudden lump in her throat.
“For someone who plans, who craves order and needs some measure of control in their life, the unexpected can be especially hard to grapple with. Cal’s dad, for example.” She laughed lightly and gave her head a subtle shake. “Jonathon needs life to follow rules. As a doctor, he relies on the world adhering to the laws of science. He has a hard time knowing what to do when life doesn’t unfold the way he predicts. He has a plan, a road map to life he finds practical. His modus operandi makes sense to him, and any deviation from that path gives him hives. Good grief, the man can’t even change his home security password. And change brands of coffee or underwear?” Emily laughed and raised her hands, spreading her fingers to gesture his mind would be blown. “Ask me how I know.”
Jules exhaled slowly and muttered, “I get that. I’m…kinda that way, too.”
Emily gave Jules another consoling squeeze. “I kinda figured as much. You being a chemist and all.” Emily paused, then added, “I’m guessing falling in love with my son wasn’t part of your plan.”
Jules snapped her head toward Emily. “What? I’m not— Why do you think…?”
Emily smiled and shifted to face Jules. “Well, for one thing…” She carefully lifted Jules’s drink from her hand and dabbed at wet spots on the bedspread. “You’re trying so hard to deny it, you sloshed your drink.”
“Sorry. Sorry, I’m…so sorry.”
“It’s fine. The bedspread will wash.” Emily rose to set both drinks aside and returned to the mattress, angling her body to face Jules. “Let me guess. Your sister’s reaction to whatever news you gave her isn’t the only thing that didn’t go the way you expected today. You’re trying to figure out what happens next and how to get your train back on the right track. Am I right?”
Jules laced her fingers together to stop her hands from trembling. Having Cal’s mother read her so well was unnerving, as much as the truths she was forcing Jules to examine. “I think I might love him.” Her chest throbbed as she let the reality settle. “But loving him only makes it harder to leave Red Grove.”
“So don’t leave,” Emily said as if it was the obvious answer. “Stay here and explore this love relationship.”
“Well, I will for a while, until Abby can be discharged and move with me. But I interrupted my schooling when I moved here. I’m not a gift shop manager. I’m a chemist, and I belong in Winnipeg, finishing my PhD.”
Emily nodded slowly, as if considering what she’d said carefully. She dabbed at the damp spots on the bedspread and her slacks. “You know, I’ve always believed that the best scientists are the ones who find a way to think outside the box. Inlife, and many times in science, there is more than one solution to a problem.”
Jules wrinkled her nose and chewed her bottom lip. “You think there’s an outside-the-box solution I’ve missed?”
Emily raised her eyebrows and gave her a gentle smile that reminded Jules of Cal’s.
“I’ll give you a hint. The University of North Dakota in Red Grove has a very good science department from what I hear.” She handed Jules back her drink and patted her on the knee before she stood. “Just something to think about. I’d hate for you and Cal to throw away love without considering all the options. Hmm?”
Jules couldn’t speak. The muscles in her throat had contracted so hard she could barely breathe, much less answer the older woman. She nodded, though, and blinked as she felt tears slide through her eyelashes.
She walked to stare out the window at the greens and browns of the vast tundra beyond the Colton property.Stay in Red Grove?
She shifted her attention to the manicured flower bed and landscaped lawn where the family had gathered for the Fourth of July.
I’m guessing falling in love with my son wasn’t part of your plan.
Oh, heaven help her. She loved Cal. But love had never been an emotion she could count on. She’d tried to love her parents, but they’d let her down in so many ways. Emotions were too unreliable, too unpredictable…especially love. So how could she love Cal? Loving Cal was…risky. Scary.
A squeak-like mew pulled her from her deliberations, and she looked down to find Joy rubbing against her leg. The kitten looked up at her with innocent green eyes, and she marveled at how the wild kitten had made a turnaround in just a few days.Because she felt safe now. She wasn’t frightened anymore. She trusted Jules…
