Page 112 of Drive
In response to that, Jacques nuzzled her gorgeous hair and planted a kiss on herneck.
Rainey pursed her lips and tried not to smile. She picked up her crochet hook and worked it through one of the stitches in her band of yarn. Then she deftly wrapped the string of yarn around it and pulled it through, making one loop. She repeated the step until she had two loops, and then she drew more yarn throughthose.
Clearly, his kiss hadn’t been enough to disrupt her focus. And since no one could call Jacques a quitter, he tried again. Her crochet hook paused mid-loop thistime.
With the third kiss, she tossed her work over the side of the bed and fell into hisarms.
Chapter 26
By nine o’clockthe next morning, they still hadn’t heard from Gloria, and while Jacques continued to tell her not to give up hope, Rainey’s gut said otherwise. She’d made herself call Ash and brief him on their ill-fated visit, and he’d shared herdisappointment.
Otherwise, the morning had been close to perfect. Archie had woken them at seven for breakfast, and as soon as they’d taken care of him, Jacques had scooped Rainey up and tossed her —squealing mid-air— onto the bed. By the time they’d emerged from the Bluegrass Room and made their way down to breakfast, they wereravenous.
The delicious spread had momentarily distracted Rainey from the sense of dread she felt about the return trip home, but after the meal was over, she found it hard to pack, and she dragged her feet as they loaded up thecar.
Jacques’s eyes were on her as they’d left the B&B, but it wasn’t until they’d been on I-65 for thirty minutes that he spokeup.
“What’s wrong?” His hand closed over hers before he lifted it and settled both on his knee. The comfortable intimacy of the gesture touched her, and it soothed one of the two fears she tried to keep at bay. But, no matter what, heading home meant she’d have to face botheventually.
Going back meant her time with Jacques — both precious and unforgettable — would be coming to a close. He’d been sweet and surprisingly territorial when she’d shown him the pattern for her beach shorts, going so far as to suggest they take a vacation together, but would that really happen? Their time on this road trip had been an oasis from reality. Indeed, Jacques’s real life had continued to chase them if the number of missed calls from Kate were anyindication.
But Rainey tried her best not to feel melancholy about it. She told herself to enjoy the remaining hours she had with him. Make some memories. Stare at him until her eyes hurt. Kiss him and touch him and inhale hisscent.
She started by squeezing the hand that held hers. “I’m just dreading going home,” she said, honestly. “I don’t know what I’m going to say toHoli.”
His brown eyes softened on hers. “Just tell her the truth. You did yourbest.”
Rainey shook her head in frustration. “I just feel like there’s more going on with Ray’s mother than I know. Why would she hate my dad so much if he supported them all that time? I mean, Larry said it was three years, right? Until she told him tostop?”
A crease formed between Jacques’s brows, but he hid it from her when his eyes went back to the road. “There was a moment yesterday when I thought you got through toher.”
Rainey fast blinked. “Wh-what do youmean?”
“It was when you said… I think it was when you said you were glad Ray had another father.” Jacques shook his head. “I can’t be sure, but she looked… I don’t know…appreciative.”
Rainey thought about the little brother whom she’d met once and already loved. If he had a father in his life who was there for him, who protected him, and gave him all the love a boy could have, Rainey was grateful. Ray deserved that. Everyonedid.
And it wasn’t something Ray would have gotten from Dylan Reeves. Rainey found herself wondering what life would have been like if her parents had divorced sooner. If her mother and Kendall had found each other sooner. Would she have been able to call her stepfatherdad?Would she have grown up knowing that kind oflove?
Would it have made all the difference in theworld?
She hoped it would make all the difference for Ray. And judging by how curious and outgoing the boy was, how willing he was to speak his mind and make connections, Rainey could see that he was growing up with confidence and strength. Clearly, he hadn’t grown up waiting for the other shoe to drop. Wondering if his family was on the brink of dissolution every time his dad came homelate.
Rainey sent up a silent prayer that Ray would never have to suffer the kind of loss she’d endured with John Lee’s death, but she also suspected that if he did, he’d have the support he’d need to see himthrough.
She would have liked to explain to Gloria how lucky she was that Dylan Reeves wasn’t a part of Ray’s life. And at the same time, she wanted to punch her father in the teeth for letting himgo.
The whole mess was so confusing and overwhelming it made her head hurt. They were approaching Nashville, and she pulled on her sunglasses to dim the glare of the sun. Up ahead, she saw road signs for the I-40 W. Huntsville/Memphis exit. It was two milesaway.
The questions swirled around her head. Why was Gloria so angry with her father? Why had he given up Ray? Why had he — or Larry — left it up to her to reach out to Gloria forhelp?
All she had were questions. And only one man had all theanswers.
They passed under the sign announcing that the exit to Memphis was one mileaway.
“Jacques?”
“Yeah,babe?”
