Page 34 of Second Chance Saloon

“You’re very welcome. Though, I wouldn’t have been allowed to leave without taking these.” Jackie lifted the second tin. “I’m all stocked-up, too.”

“Mom sees it as her duty to sweeten everybody’s lives. Speaking of …” Rea’s voice dropped. “That new guest, Mr. Craigton. He isn’t bothering you, is he?”

Jackie blinked, wide-eyed.

“Only that the other day you seemed quite distressed when he interrupted us outside your room. I didn’t want to get in the middle of whatever it was, but it seemed like you two know each other.” Rea looked at her expectantly.

An ache prowled about Jackie’s ribs, her chest throbbing recklessly. She’d spent the past ten years keeping everyone at arm’s length. Friendships became redundant when all she wanted was to be anonymous. To appear and disappear from people’s lives, without anyone missing her once she was gone. After Mitch, she couldn’t handle being the source of such pain again. But hadn’t she already broken that rule since she got here? Meeting Rea’s parents, spending time with Estrella and Bruno, starting to care about them …

It might’ve been too late to lock her heart and ward it against human connections.

“We knew each other in college,” she said finally.

Well, that wasn’t a lie. Just a very trimmed-down truth.

Rea’s brows knitted. “I didn’t know you went to college.”

Jackie fought hard to keep her demeanor impassive. “I didn’t like it much so didn’t stick around for long.” She glanced at her watch. “I better go. I have plans.”

Rea smirked. “With Mr. Craigton? It sounded like you stayed in college long enough to grow quite familiar.”

Jackie gaped at her. “I think I might’ve liked you more when you called me Miss van Moetlier. I’m only kidding,” she added, seeing Rea’s smile flatten. “And yes, I’m having dinner with him. For old times’ sake. That’s all.”

Then, as if she needed to convince herself, she said: “Besides, what do you think could happen? He was literally left at the altar last week.”

Rea shrugged and let out a dreamy sigh. “Lots of things happen in the romance novels I read. This sounds like the beginning of one.”

Jackie glared at her.

A flush crept across Rea’s throat. “Beg your pardon, Miss van Moetlier … Jackie. This is what happens when I start using someone’s first name. I become overly familiar. It won’t happen again.”

“I don’t mind, Rea. But maybe don’t share these romantic speculations with anyone. Because there’s truly nothing to it.”

Rea’s lips twitched in a smile. Her face was an open book and what Jackie read was a simple statement that she didn’t believe a word of what she’d just said.

“Of course. It’ll stay between us.” Rea gave a gentle shake to her tin. “Thank you for these again. And enjoy your dinner.”

If someone had walked into Jackie’s room, they could’ve thought that either a tornado swept through it or a particularly careless burglar broke in. More than half the contents of her wardrobe were pulled off the hangers, strewn on every free surface. There was no rhyme or reason to it.

She’d been rummaging through every piece of clothing she owned, trying different outfits on, only to assess her reflection in a floor-length mirror, and decide it wasn’t the right fit. She shouldn’t have cared about something as trivial as what she wore to a dinner with an ex she hadn’t seen in ten years, should she?

Jackie worried her bottom lip between her teeth, her reflection mocking her. Smoothing down the material of her light-blue mid-calf linen dress, she spun around, glancing at her back. The dress had a halter top, leaving the sun-kissed skin on her shoulder blades fully exposed. She pulled up the fabric to cover the navy band of her strapless bra.

This would have to do. Not only she’d be late if she changed again, but she also had no more clothes left—or at least it felt that way.

With a heavy sigh, she slid her feet in brown leather flat sandals and fluffed up her hair. She was about to walk out of the door when her phone vibrated in her dress pocket.

She smiled at the screen and picked up. “Hi, Mom.”

“Jackie! I’m so glad you’ve answered. We were starting to worry something happened …” She paused, before shouting, away from the microphone: “Fred, she’s fine! Yes, I’m talking to her right now.”

Jackie chuckled. “Say hi to Dad from me.”

Crackles came through the line and Sharon’s voice came back. “I will do, honey. How are things with you? Everything’s good?”

Jackie glanced at the clock on the wall. She would be late if she stayed and talked to her mother, but she really needed to. Mitch could wait. And if he couldn’t, then, well … his loss. He’d understand—at least, the old Mitch would have.

Sinking into the armchair, she rolled a strand of her hair between her thumb and forefinger. “Mitch’s here.”