“I think I was meant to take your case for more reasons than just doing what was right,” I said. “I think I was meant for you. To make you happy however I could, and I would like more than anything to keep doing it.”
Incredulity shone from her eyes as they searched mine. I watched the graceful column of her throat move with several hard swallows before she crawled over to me and pulled me in for another breathless kiss.
“I love you too,” she whispered, resting her forehead against mine while her fingers played with the hair at the nape of my neck. “I think you were meant for me too, but I also think I was meant for you. It might be early days yet, but you’re it for me, Jacob. I know you are.”
Chapter 39
Laurie
On Sunday morning, Jacob, Katie, Allie, and I all went for a drive. When we’d gone to pick the girls up from their sleepover on Saturday, we’d parted ways for the day.
I hadn’t been able to stop thinking about Jacob and what we’d said to one another on Friday night, and I was still feeling all giddy about it. He’d texted me throughout the day, and when I’d told them I wanted to take them somewhere today, he’d readily agreed.
We chatted in the car, Jacob and I sneaking smiles at each other whenever we thought we could get away with it. I’d had a long talk with Katie after I collected her from Sue’s, and I knew he’d done the same with Allie. It was one of the reasons why we’d decided to go our own ways for the rest of the day.
Both girls had seemingly had the same reaction. There had been lots of giggles, squealing, hand clapping, and bouncing. They were overjoyed, and as soon as we’d picked Jacob and Allie up from their house, they’d insisted that we kiss again and had started cheering for us.
It was time to tell someone else. I wanted Katherine to be the first person to know—other than the girls, of course—even though I was slightly nervous that they’d be freaked out about going to the cemetery.
Katie and I came there all the time, but obviously, Jacob and Allie weren’t frequent flyers. Not yet anyway.
A slight frown tugged at his brow when I pulled into the parking lot, but then he glanced at me and understanding dawned in his eyes. We were trying to keep the displays of affection to a minimum in front of the kids, but he reached for my hand when we climbed out of the car and held it firmly.
“We’re visiting Katherine?” he guessed.
I nodded and brought him with me when I walked around the car to get the blanket out of the trunk. “I know you might think it’s really weird, but we wanted to introduce you to her.”
The flask of hot chocolate we’d made before leaving home sat in a basket next to the blanket, and the red leaves of the poinsettia we’d picked up peeked out between the wicker weave. Katie appeared next to me, taking the blanket while I lifted the basket out.
She linked arms with Allie and led her to Katherine’s grave, but Jacob held me back for a beat. After taking the basket and setting it down on the ground, he wound his fingers around my hand, came to stand in front of me, and looked right into my eyes.
“I don’t think it’s weird. I’m honored that you’ve brought us here. I just wish we could hear what she has to say about us after we leave.”
I smiled, closing my fingers tighter around his. “I don’t think you have to worry about that. She’d have given you one look before telling me she approved. Her judgment about people was always impeccable.”
“Good to know.” He leaned forward to kiss my forehead, and the girls must’ve been watching because they suddenly broke out into more squeals.
Jacob laughed and tucked me under his arm after picking up the basket. We moved to catch up to them, and Katie giggled as she wrapped an arm around my waist. “I’m glad we’re here. It’s going to mean a lot to her to know you’ve got a boyfriend now.”
I held her with my arm around her shoulders and gave her a squeeze. “I’m glad we’re here too, but maybe you should let me tell her that part.”
She giggled some more, making a noncommittal sound at the back of her throat. “We’ll see.”
Her voice was light and teasing. She really was a different little girl these days. It was easy to see that she was also healing. Neither of us would ever forget her mother, but both of us were learning how to live without her.
Thanks in no small part to the people we’d brought for her to meet.
I’d heard the phrase “no man is an island” countless times before, but I was really starting to understand why it was used so often. Relying on other people didn’t make a person weak or dependent. It simply meant that person was lucky enough to have reliable, dependable people in their lives who were willing to stand by them no matter what.
I counted myself among those lucky people while still feeling strong and independent. It’d just taken me a while to get back to feeling that way.
Katie’s eyes filled with tears when we reached Kat’s grave, but she was still smiling. She went to stand next to the headstone and put the poinsettia she’d fetched from me down on top of it.
“Merry Christmas, Mommy,” she said before turning to motion to Jacob and Allie. “We’ve brought some of our new friends to meet you. Jacob kisses Laurie a lot.”
A laugh tore out of me while I went to stand on the one side of her and Jacob took the other. He rubbed the back of his neck and grinned sheepishly. “Don’t throw me under the bus like that. I thought you liked me.”
“He’s a good kisser, Kat, for what it’s worth,” I said through laughter of my own while Katie continued cracking up next to me. “I really think you would’ve liked them.”
“I really hope she’s right,” Jacob said. “You should know that they’ve come to mean a lot to us, even if we haven’t known each other for years and years.”
Allie was standing on Jacob’s other side, but she left him to stand behind Katie and put her forearms on her shoulders, seeming to relax a bit now that she’d seen how everyone else was handling it. I reached out to rub her back, smiling when she looked up at me.
“That isn’t as scary as I thought it would be,” she said. “Thank you for bringing us. Hi, Katherine. I’m Allie. I’m Katie’s friend and I think I’m going to be her sister one day.”
Heat instantly flooded my cheeks, but Jacob just met my eyes above the girls’ heads and shrugged with the hint of a smile at the corners of his lips. He winked at me, and my eyes flew wide open.
“Are you serious?” I mouthed.
Amusement lit up his light brown eyes, but there was a healthy dose of sincerity there too. “Yes. You mind?”
I shook my head and averted my eyes while I tried to get my racing heart under control. The kids hadn’t noticed our exchange, chatting away to Katherine and to each other.
“We were in the school play together,” Katie was saying when I tuned back in. “It was so good, Mom. I know you loved being on stage. I think I do too.”
“She was brilliant,” Jacob said as easily as if he’d been part of that whole conversation all the time and that really shocking yet amazing moment had never happened. “She’s a pretty decent skater too. Although none of them beat my title as King of the Rink.”