Page 25 (1/2)

"Hey, darlin’, how did you sleep?" He’d tossed and turned all night, but he wasn’t about to tell her that and give her aood, fine" Her voice wavered,him wonder if she spoke the truth

"I should have your car up and running in the hour Are you going to be ho Danny to the park around the corner so he can play with so it to you there What’s the name of the park?"

She told hiet Monica to drive me over to the hotel to pick it up"

Only the car wasn’t at the hotel It ith aa new starter and a new battery, an oil change, air filter…"Not a probleht not be able to help with ue, but he blurted it out all the same

"What was the probleht I, ah, just had to find the part"

"Was it a hassle?"

"No," he said too quickly After a breath he added, "There’s a place around the corner froonna take a little longer to get it in and clean up You’ll still be at the park in an hour?"

Jessie laughed "Danny would make me stay there until dark if he could We’ll be there"

"I’ll see you in an hour" Jack said good-bye and hung up

A late November bite in the air hat Jessie referred to as a sweater-without-a-coat day The sun arm, but the air held a tiny nip The kids filled the park while their parents sat on the benches next to the playground equipame of follow the leader with three other boys The kids led one another up and down the slides, hopped over the swings, and spun in circles in the sand Within ten , dirty, and ju around Days like this raveyard She didn’tas she worked during his sleeping hours

It didn’t alork that way Soht there to care for him, but Monica handled those times like a pro If ever Danny really needed her, Jessie called in sick or would coe a day job, Danny would be spending his days in school, and Jessie could hile he was there That was the plan, anyway

"Hey, darlin’" Jack’s voice purred behind her ear She turned around and caught his grinning face only a few inches fro to greet her with a kiss

"Hey"

She was sitting on the edge of a picnic table and decided to slide between the seat and the table to further the distance froled her keys froertips "All fixed"

"So…it was the starter" She gathered the keys in her pal his hand in the process That innocent touch reht before Even holding hands with the cowboy held appeal

His hat sat firmly in place His button-up shirt covered his ht before, and she reh when she dropped her inhibitions and allowed the kiss to continue His lips were just as pluht before The sweater she wore suddenly felt hot Jessie shook her head and looked behind her to see where Danny was

"Your starter was fried"