Free Wanted: One Mommy by CATHY GILLEN THACKER

Sundance Square.
    The frown lines on either side of Jack’s lips deepened. He looked like most grooms overwhelmed by wedding details. Only problem was, he wasn’t the groom. Just the person getting stuck with all the decisions, by default.
    Jack shoved his hands in his pockets and strolled down the street of the historic shopping district in downtown Fort Worth. “She’s just doing this to get my goat,” he muttered.
    Caroline had the impression there might be a little payback, too. She fell into step beside him and they headed toward the bakery. “Well, it seems to be working,” she drawled, slanting her head at Jack. Jack was taking part in the planning of his mother’s wedding, whether he wanted to or not. And that had to make Patrice happy.
    Jack’s lips tightened in frustration. “She’s just annoyed because I brought up the need for a prenuptial agreement.”
    “You ought to feel happy about that since they’ve already agreed to get one and let you see it.”
    Jack looked even more disgruntled. “Not necessarily.”
    Caroline furrowed her brow in irritation. Would Jack never give it a rest? “What do you mean?” she asked.
    Jack stopped and leaned against the plate glass window in front of a golf equipment store with Spring Sale banners plastered across the front. He folded his arms across the hard muscles of his chest. “I had a prenup with Vanessa, too. It was her idea.” He paused and looked deep into Caroline’s eyes. “It didn’t guarantee us a happy marriage.”
    “Nothing can do that,” Caroline returned gently. When people got married, they had to hold on to their dreams and jump in with both feet and hope everything turned out all right. Making a lifetime commitment to someone carried with it an enormous risk. A lot of couples took the danger in stride. Others got nervous about failing and called the whole thing off at the last minute. Caroline did not think Dutch and Patrice were part of the latter group. Which meant nothing Jack could do or say would change their minds. Obviously, his inability to protect his mother from potential harm was very frustrating for him. Caroline couldn’t fault Jack for that. She didn’t want to see anyone she cared about hurt, either.
    “So you think Dutch is out to swindle your mother out of her fortune?”
    “He’s selling all his beachfront property. Property,” Jack emphasized, “that he’s held on to for thirty-some years, regardless of how many hurricanes and tropical storms rolled through the area.”
    Caroline admitted that might be worrisome had Dutch not been in the process of retiring from his life’s work. “Dutch intimated it’s become too much to manage at this point in his life.”
    Jack remained suspicious. “You can hire people to do that for you. Dutch knows that.” Jack paused and gave Caroline a steady assessing look that had her pulse jumping.“No, there’s more to it than what Dutch and my mom are saying. I’m not sure how much she knows of what is going on, but one way or another, I am going to find out why Dutch is so intent on rushing my mother into marriage.” Jack resumed walking.
    Caroline raced to catch up and fell in beside him. “They’ve told you. They’re not getting any younger and they want to enjoy whatever time they have left—however many years that turns out to be—together.”
    “There’s more to the story than that.” Undeterred, Jack stopped in front of the bakery and held the door for her.
    Acutely aware of him, Caroline swept inside.
    Jericho, the master baker, was waiting for them. He was dressed in his usual white chef’s coat, jeans and boots. A red bandana tied around his head covered all but the ends of his dreadlocks.
    “Hey, sweetie,” Jericho called out to Caroline in his lilting Jamaican-accented voice. “Good to see you.”
    Caroline went forward and gave the six-foot man a big hug. The two of them had started their businesses about the same time. Both operations were taking