Page 43 of Family Bonds- Jarrett & Andi

“No,” she said. “I couldn’t eat the whole thing. I made pumpkin chocolate chip bread. I think I like it better.”

“Don’t tease me like that,” Jack said. “Don’t suppose you can ship me some?”

“Bythe timeit left this island and got to you, it wouldn’t be any good. Sorry.”

“True. How else have you been? We haven’t talked much. I almost flew in to surprise you, but you’d said you were working a lot and booked up tomorrow.”

They texted a few times a week. Not about much but more likecheck-ins.

“I’ve been fine,” she said. “Good. Busy. Trying to catch up on the appointments I had to reschedule. I lost one client, but I know that happens.”

“How did you lose her?” Jack asked.

“She made an appointment with someone else at the salon. She couldn’t wait for me to come back and I understand. Or she didn’t want to wait. That is her choice. I don’t have any ill feelings about it.”

It’s not like her coworker didn’t ask her first if she’d be upset. She wasn’t going to say anything negative about it because in the future that could happen again and she could be on the receiving end of a new client.

Everyone knew how it worked.

“You never have any ill feelings toward much,” Jack said.

“I’m not so sure about that,” she said.

She had a lot of ill feelings about how her life turned out. The path she’d chosen and the stupid mistakes she’d made.

Looking back, she wondered if she’d never met Leo if she’d be here on Amore Island.

Yeah, she wouldn’t be. There might have been no reason for it. She would have fought Jack more on the life change. She hoped she would have won, but who knows?

It’s not like she could go back in time and change a thing.

“Are you struggling with being alone today?” Jack asked. “I worried it’d be hard. Last year was the first of the holidays alone, but you had me.”

“I’m okay,” she said. No reason to lie and say she was fine. Okay was the best she could do.

“It’s hard,” Jack said. “I know that. I should have flown in.”

“No,” she said. “That’s silly. It’s too long for a day and you know it. Another time. Maybe when the weather is nicer in the spring. I’m keeping busy.”

“Doing what on a day off when you’re alone?” Jack asked. “It’s not like you could go out and do anything.”

“I went to the beach. It’s pretty nice out for the end of November. And no worries about me tripping and falling anywhere. Unless it’s into the water and it didn’t happen.”

She’d been surprised how many people were out on the beach. She’d brought a chair and sat in the sun with a book for two hours while she listened to nature.

Jarrett was going to his parents’ house today. She couldn’t remember the last time she had a big family dinner or holiday.

For most of herlifeit was only her and her father. They went out to eat a lot on Thanksgiving until she got older and offered to cook for her father.

The same meal she’d made for Jack last year and for herself today.

“Nice to know you can move around without me worrying too much.”

“Nothing to worry about,” she said. She wasn’t going to bring up anything about Jarrett just yet. A few dates meant nothing and Jack would get all bent out of shape on top of it.

She wasn’t sure if he felt threatened by Jarrett finding out her past or looking into it more or if Jack just didn’t trust her at all with anyone.

No reason to put it to the test either.

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