Free Time to Heal (Harlequin Heartwarming) by Karen Young Page A

she stared blindly at the array of breakfast food, telling herself that it didn’t matter that Jake and Michael had left without a word to her. This was the way she wanted it. She was reaching for a box of cereal when the back door opened with a clatter and Jake and Michael came in.
    They were laughing but sobered quickly when they spotted Rachel. Both of them. She plunked the cereal box on the counter and jerked a drawer open in search of a spoon. What was she, she thought with irritation, the Wicked Witch of the West? She stalked to the refrigerator.
    “Would anybody like some juice?” she asked,taking out the carton. So far, except for that one quick glance, she’d avoided looking at either of them.
    “Good morning,” Jake said quietly.
    “Morning,” she replied, focusing just beyond his shoulder. Against her will, her gaze settled on Michael, who gave her a quick, shy smile. He wore the same tattered jeans from yesterday and the same worn-out sneakers. Only his T-shirt was different. It had probably once been navy blue, but was now faded to a soft, almost gray hue, the shade of his eyes. The shade of Jake’s eyes. She slammed the refrigerator door.
    “We’ve been at the boathouse,” Jake told her, “checking the Pelican ’s battery and gas level. Mike and I might take her out today if I can manage to get away from work at a reasonable hour.”
    Rachel gave him a sharp look. For the past three months, Jake’s workdays had stretched to twelve and fourteen hours. On top of his regular responsibilities, he’d devoted a lot of time to the search for Scotty. In spite of his efforts, not a single substantial lead had surfaced. It was as though Scotty had just dropped off the face of the earth.
    “If something surfaces that I should know about, they can contact me,” Jake said, reading her thoughts.
    “Are you still planning to shop for clothes?” she asked.
    “Yeah. I thought I’d take Mike in to the office with me and then when the mall opens, we’ll run over and get what he needs.” The look he and Michael exchanged expressed the universal male reluctance for shopping. “After that, enrolling in a strange school will be a piece of cake, huh, Mike?”
    Michael just grinned.
    “What time does the mall open, Rachel?”
    “Nine,” she said curtly, resentful of the quick camaraderie that was developing between them without knowing quite why. As though removed from the scene and watching her own behavior, Rachel knew she was acting horrible, but she didn’t seem to be able to control herself. Spending the night apart from Jake had done nothing to cool her anger or to reduce her sense of betrayal. It had only given her time to recognize her hurt.
    She jerked open a lower cabinet door and pulled out a skillet. “Does anybody want breakfast?”
    When there was no answer from either Jake or Michael, she looked up. Jake glanced at his son.
    “How about breakfast, Mike?”
    Michael shrugged. “Well, sure. I guess so. If it’s not too much trouble.”
    “It’s no trouble,” Rachel said, struggling not to bite their heads off. “Does bacon and scrambled eggs and toast suit everyone?”
    “Fine.”
    “Yes, ma’am.”
    She put the cereal into the cabinet and went to the refrigerator for eggs and bacon. Without looking at Jake, she said, “It’ll be ready in a few minutes. You’ve got time to shower and shave if you want to.”
    Jake hesitated, looking at Michael before nodding. “Good idea. Mike, you can make your bed and neaten up your room while I’m gone. Then we’ll be all set to hit the road after we finish breakfast.”
    Rachel snapped open a carton of eggs. “He’s already cleaned his room,” she said quietly. After a moment of silence, she met Jake’s gaze. “He’ll be okay. He can help me here.”
    With Jake gone, she directed Michael to the bread to fix the toast, a task he accomplished quickly and with no awkwardness. With a sick grandmother, he had probably been forced often to