way she was with Jake, she had to love babies.
Jessie wiped the counter in front of her uncle.
“I’ll get right on that register. And Lou should be finishing up leading her Bible study about now,” Haroldsaid. “She’ll be here soon so you can leave like you planned, Jess.”
“Thank you,” she said.
It sounded like Jessie had already made time for him and Jake to be together. Peter took a bite of tasty bacon.
Harold stood and gave Peter’s shoulder a couple thumps. “Glad to meet you, Peter.”
“Same here,” Peter said absently. He was anxious to talk to Jessie about taking Jake to the park.
Harold walked away as a tall man in work overalls took the stool beside Peter.
Jessie set a glass of orange juice on the counter for Peter and topped off his coffee. “Anything else I can get you?”
Peter didn’t waste any time. “I was thinking we could take Jake to the playground this morning.”
“We can take him for a little while if you want, but I won’t be free until after one.”
“But your uncle just said you could leave soon.”
“Aunt Lou and Mom will take over here so I can go to the late church service.”
“Do you take Jake with you?”
“Sometimes. When he takes a shorter nap than today. But we can meet you at the park on Maple about one-thirty.”
“One-thirty? Church lasts that long?”
“After church, I need to finish things up here. I close the diner at noon on Sundays.”
Peter shut his eyes, trying to rein in his frustration. “I was hoping I could spend time with Jake this morning, then get on the road back to the lab.”
“I’m sorry, Peter. One-thirty is the best I can do.” With that, she hurried away again.
Peter stared at his breakfast, his appetite gone. Sure, Jessie had promised to teach him about Jake, but she controlled the entire situation. And it was pretty obvious she had no idea the limited time he had to spend with his son.
If he was going to be a real part of Jake’s life, he couldn’t just wait around for her to call all the shots. He needed to take control and find a way to make things happen.
Chapter Six
S un warm on her head, Jessie peered through the lens, waiting for the perfect picture. Bringing her camera to the park had been an afterthought. A thought that seemed to lift Peter out of the glum mood he’d left the diner with this morning. He’d seemed surprised she planned to snap a few pictures of him with Jake.
Truth was, sitting in church she’d had a conscience attack of sorts. God had helped her see that Peter hadn’t deliberately set out to ruin her life. He was, after all, only trying to deal with a difficult situation, wasn’t he? How many men would handle it as well as he was? Especially one with his heavy responsibilities?
So maybe she could cut him a break. Maybe try being a little nicer.
She snapped a picture of him pushing Jake in the child’s swing. A memory of Neil pushing his nephew in a swing flitted into Jessie’s mind. Her heart ached for the happy days they’d shared…for the life they’d planned…for the family they’d never have.
Don’t go there, Jessie.
She clicked the lens. “Good one.” The giant man;the tiny boy. The father and his miniature, lookalike son. Any mother would be hard pressed to find a more touching subject.
Lowering the camera, she watched them interact. They were already bonding, no question about that. A twinge of loss nudged her. Jake had belonged only to her and her family before Peter showed up. Would she have to give him up? Would she learn to share him?
What must it be like to completely share a child? To conceive a baby with the man you loved, to share the baby’s growth in your womb, to experience the birth together? Like her younger cousin Lisa would be doing. Again. I want to be happy for her, God. I do. But she already has her adorable little Denise. And now she gets to experience the whole miracle all over again. Throat closing, she concentrated on snapping another
Jessie wiped the counter in front of her uncle.
“I’ll get right on that register. And Lou should be finishing up leading her Bible study about now,” Haroldsaid. “She’ll be here soon so you can leave like you planned, Jess.”
“Thank you,” she said.
It sounded like Jessie had already made time for him and Jake to be together. Peter took a bite of tasty bacon.
Harold stood and gave Peter’s shoulder a couple thumps. “Glad to meet you, Peter.”
“Same here,” Peter said absently. He was anxious to talk to Jessie about taking Jake to the park.
Harold walked away as a tall man in work overalls took the stool beside Peter.
Jessie set a glass of orange juice on the counter for Peter and topped off his coffee. “Anything else I can get you?”
Peter didn’t waste any time. “I was thinking we could take Jake to the playground this morning.”
“We can take him for a little while if you want, but I won’t be free until after one.”
“But your uncle just said you could leave soon.”
“Aunt Lou and Mom will take over here so I can go to the late church service.”
“Do you take Jake with you?”
“Sometimes. When he takes a shorter nap than today. But we can meet you at the park on Maple about one-thirty.”
“One-thirty? Church lasts that long?”
“After church, I need to finish things up here. I close the diner at noon on Sundays.”
Peter shut his eyes, trying to rein in his frustration. “I was hoping I could spend time with Jake this morning, then get on the road back to the lab.”
“I’m sorry, Peter. One-thirty is the best I can do.” With that, she hurried away again.
Peter stared at his breakfast, his appetite gone. Sure, Jessie had promised to teach him about Jake, but she controlled the entire situation. And it was pretty obvious she had no idea the limited time he had to spend with his son.
If he was going to be a real part of Jake’s life, he couldn’t just wait around for her to call all the shots. He needed to take control and find a way to make things happen.
Chapter Six
S un warm on her head, Jessie peered through the lens, waiting for the perfect picture. Bringing her camera to the park had been an afterthought. A thought that seemed to lift Peter out of the glum mood he’d left the diner with this morning. He’d seemed surprised she planned to snap a few pictures of him with Jake.
Truth was, sitting in church she’d had a conscience attack of sorts. God had helped her see that Peter hadn’t deliberately set out to ruin her life. He was, after all, only trying to deal with a difficult situation, wasn’t he? How many men would handle it as well as he was? Especially one with his heavy responsibilities?
So maybe she could cut him a break. Maybe try being a little nicer.
She snapped a picture of him pushing Jake in the child’s swing. A memory of Neil pushing his nephew in a swing flitted into Jessie’s mind. Her heart ached for the happy days they’d shared…for the life they’d planned…for the family they’d never have.
Don’t go there, Jessie.
She clicked the lens. “Good one.” The giant man;the tiny boy. The father and his miniature, lookalike son. Any mother would be hard pressed to find a more touching subject.
Lowering the camera, she watched them interact. They were already bonding, no question about that. A twinge of loss nudged her. Jake had belonged only to her and her family before Peter showed up. Would she have to give him up? Would she learn to share him?
What must it be like to completely share a child? To conceive a baby with the man you loved, to share the baby’s growth in your womb, to experience the birth together? Like her younger cousin Lisa would be doing. Again. I want to be happy for her, God. I do. But she already has her adorable little Denise. And now she gets to experience the whole miracle all over again. Throat closing, she concentrated on snapping another
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