The Other Side - J. D. Robb [119]
“I should think it would be very satisfying.” Bonnie sat beside Tyler and noted the way he kept watching the man.
When Jake drank his milk, Tyler did the same. When Jake ate a forkful of mashed potatoes, the boy did the same.
There was definitely a fascination here, a connection, no matter how fragile.
Bonnie glanced over Tyler’s head. “Do you live alone, Jake?”
He blinked and, across the table, Christina caught a glimpse of sudden pain. For some unexplained reason, she wished she could erase Bonnie’s question.
“Yes.”
“I used to, also, until I was fortunate enough to be employed here.” If Bonnie felt his discomfort, she covered it quickly. “I can barely recall my life before moving into this lovely place. From the first day, it has never felt like a job as much as a homecoming.”
Jake had felt it, too. Each time he set foot inside this house, there was a very strong feeling of family, though he couldn’t explain it.
He took a bite of Mrs. Mellon’s fabulous meat loaf, enjoying the way it almost melted in his mouth. “Tyler, you’re one lucky boy to have such food every day of your life. I believe, Mrs. Mellon, this is the best meat loaf I’ve ever tasted.”
The boy’s eyes widened, and he took a bite of meat loaf, causing Bonnie to watch with approval. Tyler rarely ate meat unless he was prodded. Another of his idiosyncrasies.
Mrs. Mellon blushed. “I hope you’ll be just as pleased with the dessert.”
“As long as it’s chocolate, I’ll love it.”
His words had her smiling brightly. “Home-baked brownies with ice cream and fudge sauce.”
He returned her smile. “Be still, my heart.”
Across the table, Christina marveled at the way he’d managed to put them all at ease, despite Bonnie’s careless question. She found herself wondering what had caused him such pain. Whatever the reason, Jake Ridgeway, it would seem, had an innate kindness that had him putting aside his own discomfort for the sake of others.
As the housekeeper began clearing the table and passing around the desserts, the mood lightened even more. By the time they’d finished eating and were sipping coffee, they were laughing comfortably together, as Bonnie regaled them with stories of her first job as a camp counselor, fresh from graduate school.
“I had a boy in my group who was absolutely terrified of anything in the lake that might touch his skin.” She glanced around the table. “As you can imagine, there are thousands of things floating in a Wisconsin lake. Bugs, fish, algae to mention just a few. And every time something brushed against him, he would let out a screech that had the entire camp scrambling out of the water, thinking they were being attacked by monsters. By the end of the week, we were all exhausted.”
Christina leaned closer. “Did he ever lose his fear?”
“No. He lost his voice. And for the next two days, until he got it back, peace reigned in the camp.”
That had them all laughing out loud.
At that precise moment, Mark stuck his head around the corner. “Sounds like you’re having a party in here.” He stopped in midstride when he caught sight of Jake seated at the table.
Christina smoothly handled the introductions. “Mark, this is Jake Ridgeway, who’s making the beautiful cabinets in my expanded office. Jake, this is Mark Deering.”
“Christina’s fiancé.” Mark dropped a proprietary arm around her shoulders and drew her close. “Ridgeway.” He gave Jake a long look as he shook his hand before turning to Christina, pointedly ignoring the others at the table. “I thought, since I was running late, you’d be ready to go.”
“Go?”
Seeing the confusion in her eyes, his tone sharpened. “The club. I invited some of our friends.”
She was already shaking her head. “Mark, you know how I feel about going back there. I’m not ready.”
“It’s been weeks. Sooner or later you have to get back on that horse and ride.” He took both her hands in his. “Look, sweetheart. I know it brings up memories you’d rather forget. But the sooner you face it, the sooner you can move past all this. Now, go upstairs and get into something elegant, and we’ll dance the night away.”
“Mark,