Read Online Falling For You - January Cove Book 3 by Rachel Hanna - Free Book Online
Authors: Rachel Hanna
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where Leo was standing, throwing seashells into the surf. He turned around and cut his eyes at Rebecca and Jackson before continuing this task. "Why don't we sit down right here for a little while? We know he's safe, but it looks like he might want some time alone."
Rebecca slid down into the sand next to Jackson. Nervously, she started making mounds with her hands, so he nudged her with his shoulder.
"Well?" Jackson said.
"You're a very persistent man, aren't you?" she asked with a sad smile.
"I've been told that before, but it usually works well for me. I just want to help, Rebecca. I'm honestly not just being nosy. That's my brother Brad," he said with a laugh.
She chuckled, and then sighed before looking out into the ocean as if it was going to provide her with the answer she needed.
"Okay, here goes. Our lives changed forever on September 11, 2001." She looked at Jackson, and his eyes widened as he put his hand over his mouth.
"On my God," he said.
"See? That's why I had to leave New York. Everything was a reminder. But not only that; people around me kept saying they were sorry. It's been twelve years, and people are still telling me they're sorry. I know they mean well, but I don't need an extra reminder of the tragedy every single day of my life."
"Understandable. I just wasn't expecting that answer. Was your husband in one of the buildings?" Rebecca nodded.
"Yes. He was an investment banker. We had this amazing life going with our two-year-old son, living right there in the heart of Manhattan. And it all fell to pieces because of the terrible acts of a few people on one day."
"I can't even imagine what it was like to go through that." Jackson didn't really know what to say, and he was afraid to express sorrow after what she just said.
"It's funny the things you remember when you go through a tragedy like that. That morning, I didn't get to tell my husband goodbye. He got up earlier because he had a meeting and he needed to prepare for it. He didn't want to wake me apparently, so he just left me a note. It was just a simple note that said I love you and see you at dinner. I've looked at that note a million times since that day, and every time I try to read through the lines. I try to see if there was another message in that note so I can hang onto it, but there never is. He had no idea that he wouldn't come home for dinner. None of us did. And then I was left with a toddler who was asking for his daddy every day for months. How do you explain that to a two-year-old?" She was staring out into the ocean, her eyes full of tears as Jackson watched Leo sit down just outside of the surf and stare into the ocean too.
"I have no idea how you would explain that to a child so young."
"I don't know if I did it right. He never seemed to totally understand it. And now he's become such an angry kid because he's growing up without a father. And apparently I failed him too."
"Rebecca, you can't say that about yourself. No parent is perfect. He's just a teenage boy who needs some direction now."
"And how do you know so much about kids? I mean you don't even have any of your own."
"Because I helped to raise all of my siblings. My father died when I was very young, and I became the stand in father for all of them. That's why stayed in January Cove until I was almost thirty years old. I had to help my mother finish raising them."
"Wow. That explains it then. They all look at you like some authority figure, and I couldn't figure it out," she said with a wry smile.
"Thanks for telling me what happened to your husband. I'm honored that you shared that with me." Their eyes met briefly, and the silence was deafening even with the waves crashing to shore.
"I know it seems silly that I kept it a secret, but I was trying to start over. Give us both a fresh start. I'm not sure why he overreacted that way back there. He's never said anything much
Rebecca slid down into the sand next to Jackson. Nervously, she started making mounds with her hands, so he nudged her with his shoulder.
"Well?" Jackson said.
"You're a very persistent man, aren't you?" she asked with a sad smile.
"I've been told that before, but it usually works well for me. I just want to help, Rebecca. I'm honestly not just being nosy. That's my brother Brad," he said with a laugh.
She chuckled, and then sighed before looking out into the ocean as if it was going to provide her with the answer she needed.
"Okay, here goes. Our lives changed forever on September 11, 2001." She looked at Jackson, and his eyes widened as he put his hand over his mouth.
"On my God," he said.
"See? That's why I had to leave New York. Everything was a reminder. But not only that; people around me kept saying they were sorry. It's been twelve years, and people are still telling me they're sorry. I know they mean well, but I don't need an extra reminder of the tragedy every single day of my life."
"Understandable. I just wasn't expecting that answer. Was your husband in one of the buildings?" Rebecca nodded.
"Yes. He was an investment banker. We had this amazing life going with our two-year-old son, living right there in the heart of Manhattan. And it all fell to pieces because of the terrible acts of a few people on one day."
"I can't even imagine what it was like to go through that." Jackson didn't really know what to say, and he was afraid to express sorrow after what she just said.
"It's funny the things you remember when you go through a tragedy like that. That morning, I didn't get to tell my husband goodbye. He got up earlier because he had a meeting and he needed to prepare for it. He didn't want to wake me apparently, so he just left me a note. It was just a simple note that said I love you and see you at dinner. I've looked at that note a million times since that day, and every time I try to read through the lines. I try to see if there was another message in that note so I can hang onto it, but there never is. He had no idea that he wouldn't come home for dinner. None of us did. And then I was left with a toddler who was asking for his daddy every day for months. How do you explain that to a two-year-old?" She was staring out into the ocean, her eyes full of tears as Jackson watched Leo sit down just outside of the surf and stare into the ocean too.
"I have no idea how you would explain that to a child so young."
"I don't know if I did it right. He never seemed to totally understand it. And now he's become such an angry kid because he's growing up without a father. And apparently I failed him too."
"Rebecca, you can't say that about yourself. No parent is perfect. He's just a teenage boy who needs some direction now."
"And how do you know so much about kids? I mean you don't even have any of your own."
"Because I helped to raise all of my siblings. My father died when I was very young, and I became the stand in father for all of them. That's why stayed in January Cove until I was almost thirty years old. I had to help my mother finish raising them."
"Wow. That explains it then. They all look at you like some authority figure, and I couldn't figure it out," she said with a wry smile.
"Thanks for telling me what happened to your husband. I'm honored that you shared that with me." Their eyes met briefly, and the silence was deafening even with the waves crashing to shore.
"I know it seems silly that I kept it a secret, but I was trying to start over. Give us both a fresh start. I'm not sure why he overreacted that way back there. He's never said anything much
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