“She has always been good at keeping things to herself,” Mom agrees, and I turn the phone back around.
“Well, now you’ve met. Can I call you when I have a few minutes this afternoon?”
“You better.”
“I will. I love you.”
“Love you too, and nice meeting you, Jace,” she calls out.
“You too, Mrs. Beaver.” Dropping my phone to the ground at my hip, I cover my face with my hands.
“You never told me that your mom was sick,” Jace says softly, pulling my hands from my face, forcing me to look at him. The expression on his face almost has me climbing into his arms. It’s soft and filled with a warmth that I wouldn’t expect from him. Then again, there’s a lot of things about him that I wouldn’t expect.
“She’s not.”
“Baby, I know what someone who’s gone through chemo looks like. Grandma was sick a few years back.”
“She was?” I ask, and he nods.
“My mom finished her last treatment a few weeks ago, and she’s cancer-free now. I mean, she has to go for some monthly treatments when she gets back from visiting my aunt just to make sure the cancer doesn’t come back, but no more chemo.”
“That’s good.”
“Yeah,” I agree, and he reaches out, touching the bridge of my nose. “No bruise.”
“Thank goodness.” I touch where he had and find it’s still a little sore.
“How about some coffee?” he asks, and as I start to nod, a horn blasts, making me jump.
“What was that?” I glance back at the window behind me.
“It’s Monday.” He stands and holds out his hand. “Today, the competitions begin.”
“Did I just enter The Hunger Games?” I watch him laugh, then he holds up two fingers and brings them to his lips. “You’ve seen that movie?”
“Of course I have.” He leads me out of the room and into the kitchen, where everyone is up and about.
“Oh good, you guys are awake.” Janelle walks over and takes hold of my face, then she smiles at me after finding me bruise-free. “Are you ready for the fun to begin?” She leans up and kisses Jace’s cheek.
“I’ve got some work to catch up on, so it’s gonna be you guys and Penny until this evening.”
Darn, that news shouldn’t upset me as much as it does.
“All right, honey,” Janelle says, not even attempting to hide the disappointment in her voice.
“Here, cupcake.”
I turn my attention to Jace, and he passes me a cup of coffee that’s made just the way I like it. “Thank you.”
“You’re welcome, cupcake.” He dips his chin and kisses the side of my head, just like he did this morning when he didn’t think I was awake. And just like this morning, my heart does an extra-happy little thump.
Darn but I’m so screwed.
Chapter 18
Let The Games Begin
There have been more than a couple of times in my life when I’ve asked myself what I’m doing and how I got where I am. But these last few days, that question to myself has come up more times than I can count.
After breakfast this morning, I found out that one of the first competitions each family would participate in was called Save the Kids. Of course, I asked questions, like why do the kids need to be saved, and what are we saving them from, but Janelle just laughed and assured me that all would be answered once the game began. All I needed to know was whoever won would get a trophy. And no, not a hypothetical trophy, a real one… in the shape of a canoe.
Which brings me to now, standing waist-deep in water behind Janelle, Daniel, Brice, and Haylee with a rope in my grasp. Our goal is to pull a canoe filled with kids toward us and past the finish line faster than the team next to us, and whoever does it first wins. Then we do it over and over until one of the extended families that are here walks away with the trophy.
And on the last day, the family who wins the most events gets to take home a giant trophy that’s been around for years and years and is more valued than the Stanley Cup amongst this group of people.
“Are you ready?” Janet asks, dragging me from my thoughts, and I find her looking at me over her shoulder.
“Totally ready.”
“We got this.” Haylee laughs, sending me a smile from her place behind Brice before turning back to face the boat when someone shouts, “Ready!”
With my eyes glued to the dock I watch Janet walk out to the middle of it and hold up what looks like a can with a red cup on the end of it in the air. “Let the games begin!” she hollers, pressing the button, and a horn sounds.
As the person in the back of our group of five, I tighten my hold on the rope and begin to tug with all my might. The kids on the boats laugh and cheer as we pull them toward us, and with two guys in front on each side, the boats fly through the water. The whole thing is such a blur that I don’t even have time to think about what I’m doing before the horn sounds again and we are proclaimed the winners of the event. Or the winners of this round—whatever. I jump up and down and hug Janelle, who giggles and bounces right along with me.
“Good job.” Haylee gives me a high-five. “I told you it’s fun.”
“It is,” I agree as we wade through the water so another group of people can take our spot.
“Jace is missing out,” Janelle says quietly, and I let out a breath. I wish I could force him to participate, but I doubt I could make that man do anything he didn’t want to.
“His loss.” I bump my hip into hers. “And maybe he’ll hear all the fun we’re having and come join us.”
“He hasn’t participated since he was in high school.”
“Really?” I take a seat on a bench next to her.
“When he started up his video channel, he didn’t have time. Then he went to college and had less time, and you know what it’s like now.” She gives me a sympathetic look. “That’s why I’ve been so happy to see he’s made time to take you out on the jet ski and to spend time with you.” She leans into me.
“He loves it here and has told me that he’s glad he came.” Okay, he didn’t actually say that, but he also kind of did. And honestly, I’d say just about anything, because I hate the look on her face right now.
“I just hope now that he has you he’ll slow down. Money is important, but it’s not the most important thing in this world.”
“You’re right; it’s not.”
“I’ve seen him act like his old self more this trip than I have in years, so you must be doing something right.” She wraps her arm around my shoulders and squeezes me into her side and I dig my nails into the palms of my hands.
“Janelle, can I get some help?” Eva calls, and she sighs before getting up and looking down at me.
“Be right back.”
“I’ll be here.” I watch her walk away, then focus on the new group that is out in the water and laugh as some of the kids bend over the side of the boat to help move them faster.
“Hey, Penny.” I hold my hand up to block the sun and smile at Troy as he walks toward me.