Free Trust Again by Christy Newton Page B

and snuggle?”
    Ellie giggled. “Yes and that is exactly why we should leave.”
    He sighed. “Okay, let’s go.”
    Jacob locked his door and walked with her to his truck.
    She climbed inside and smiled. “Where do you want to go?”
    Jacob shrugged. “I guess where everyone in this town goes when they don’t want to be alone.”
    “The diner?”
    “Yep.”
    ***
    The next day, Jacob looked at the blueprint and then at the pile of lumber, shingles and nails next to him. She was going to love this. It had been a busy morning for him. First thing he’d done was paid for the lot he was standing on. He was going to build a home here. No more daydreaming about what it would be like. He was making it happen. And he intended to share this home with Ellie. They were meant for each other. Now he just had to convince her of that. First step of his plan was to build a playhouse in the exact replica of the house he wanted to build for them.
    As he lifted his hammer, his cell rang. “Hello?”
    “Mr. Jacob Jones?” An unfamiliar woman’s voice asked in a serious tone.
    He narrowed his eyes. “That’s me.”
    “This is child services. We have your nephew.”
    Jacob dropped the phone in the dirt and then picked it back up. “My what?”
    “Your nephew, s ir. Regretfully, your sister has passed away, so we have Milo in our custody until the proper paperwork is filled out. How soon can you come to Chicago?”
    His forehead crinkled. “I don’t have a sister.”
    “Is this Jacob Jones the son of Claire Jones?”
    “Yes.” His head pounded like a hammer.
    “Then you do, indeed, have a sister.”
    He stumbled on a brick. “You’re going to have to better explain what is going on, because before this phone call, I had no idea I even had a sister, let alone a nephew.”
    The lady cleared her throat. “I wasn’t aware. Mr. Jones, maybe it is better if we talk about this is person.”
    Jacob leaned on the stack of wood. “No, I need to know now.”
    “Very well. Your sister, Jolie, committed suicide two days ago. She had postpartum depression. She left a letter and listed your mother Claire Jones as the next of kin, whom we found to be deceased. That would make you, Jacob Jones, son of Claire Jones, Milo’s guardian, unless you want to give up your rights to the state.”
    Sweat beaded up on Jacob’s head. “Can this be proven?”
    “Yes. We would perform a DNA test before the boy is handed over to you. Also, the proper paperwork would need to be filed.”
    He swallowed the lump in his throat. No way was this happening. “How old is he?”
    “Nine months.”
    Jacob couldn’t speak. He couldn’t even think. The words sister, suicide, nephew and adoption were echoing and spinning around in his head. “Yeah, I’m going to need some time to process this.”
    “I understand, Mr. Jones.”
    Jacob didn’t hear the number or address the lady spoke, nor did he remember her hanging up when he looked at the phone in his hand five minutes later.
    ***
    “Hey, Ellie, can I leave about ten minutes early today?” Payton asked after she’d stocked the last of the boxes.
    Ellie shut the register. “Sure. No problem.”
    Payton grabbed her purse from behind the counter. “Thanks, I need to stop by the post office before they close.”
    She nodded. “Okay, see you tomorrow.” Ellie watched her employee walk out the door. After a few minutes of staring into an empty store, she opened up the jelly bean bin and took a few. She chewed the fruity candy, looking around at her place. Business had been even better than expected. In fact, she may even need to hire another person if it kept being this steady. As she was closing up, the ringing phone grabbed her attention.
    She picked up the receiver. “Oliver’s Toys and Treats.”
    Silence.
    “Hello?”
    Heavy breathing.
    Ellie’s heart raced and she slammed the phone down. She tried to swallow, but couldn’t. Fear crept into her mind. What if it was Bryce? Could he have