“The book that made everything click for you.” Kate’s words echoed what his father and grandfather had said. And how he’d been thinking of that book for years.
“Yes. How did you know?”
“Your grandfather wrote to me about it,” Kate said. “He and your parents were so thrilled that you finally developed the ability to comprehend the words on the page. Once you hit that milestone, you never looked back.”
Something in the way Kate spoke stirred something in his memory. But it was something that remained elusive. “I’ve forgotten something, haven’t I? Something important.”
Kate nodded. “In third grade you were diagnosed with a learning disability. Not a severe one, mind, but it was enough to impede your progress and frustrate the heck out of you. Your parents hired a special tutor, and you worked with her and your teachers. Previous teachers had proclaimed you were lazy, but you weren’t. You’d thought you were stupid, you see, but of course you weren’t that, either.”
Jason felt a shock wave travel through him. He hadn’t thought about those early grades in years, and yet the moment Grandma Kate began to speak about that time in his life, he knew she spoke the truth.
“You had that breakthrough with that book, and you finally made the connection between the words on the page and the thoughts they inspired.”
“My God. I remembered reading that book, must have been five or six times, about setting goals and achieving them. And it was as if I finally got it. That’s why I thought nothing made sense until then.”
“You did indeed finally ‘get it’! Who could blame you for holding that breakthrough dear?”
“I don’t know why I didn’t remember about having that disability. I think that was the only thing that mattered to me when I was a kid.” An image formed in his mind, one where he cried himself to sleep at night. “Why didn’t I remember?”
“Because you overcame it. And likely, because you were teased by some of your classmates. Children can be cruel.” Kate nodded. “The human subconscious has a tendency of helping us, especially when we’re young, by tucking the icky stuff away.”
“I don’t remember the teasing exactly, only that I hated going to school. I mean I really hated it. Until that book.” Jason sat back. He was glad to have spent this time with Kate. “That’s probably why I felt the way I did about Alice. From the moment she was born, a part of me must have remembered and been determined to protect her from all of that.”
“I have no doubt about that. You were a very good big brother to her, too.”
Jason smirked. “Yeah, I was. Until I wasn’t.”
“I’d say you’ve made some important discoveries since you’ve been here,” Kate said. “Now you have to decide what you’re going to do about them.”
“Yes.” He turned to Kate. “Is this why you wanted me to stay for a while?”
“First, let me ask you a question. When was the last time you took an antacid tablet?”
Jason received his second shock of the day. “I…I don’t think I’ve had any since we decided to stay for a while.”
“Good. And that is part of your answer, right there. As well, you were tired and needed a break. When Maggie told me you’d booked a room, I thought, if we gave you the chance, you might decide to stick around for awhile, so yes.” She grinned and then leaned in a bit closer. “So we had a house made ready for you and Phillip so you’d have a space of your own while you were here. But everything was always up to you. And so is whatever you choose to do, going forward. Including this—you don’t have to leave here, if you don’t want to. That house you and Phillip are in is yours for however long you want it.”
Kate’s words didn’t surprise him. He nodded slowly. “I still have a lot of thinking to do. And some of it, not alone.” He needed to talk to Phillip, and he needed to talk to Leesa.
He sat back and let his surroundings fill him. He did have a lot of thinking to do. And he had plenty of time in which to do it.
A vibration in his pocket announced a phone call. He hesitated, not wanting to let reality intrude on this moment. Wow, talk about a complete one-eighty.
Whoever was calling wouldn’t likely be a business contact. He pulled out his phone then pressed Accept when he saw Phillip’s name.
“Hey, Phil—”
“I’m at the sheriff’s office with Leesa. She’s okay, but we need you here.”
“On my way.” He ended the call and turned to Grandma Kate.
“Trouble?” Then she shrugged. “I’ve good hearing.”
“Phil didn’t sound stressed, but there’s something, because...”
“Because otherwise why be at Adam’s office. Go. Let me know if I can help.”
Jason leaned over and kissed Kate’s cheek. “You already have, Grandma Kate, more than you could possibly know. Thank you.”
Then he left the past behind and ran toward his present.
Chapter Fourteen
Leesa never would have believed the difference it made, having both Jason and Phillip there with her, sitting on either side of her, with a hand clasped by each of them—if she wasn’t living it right then.
Her experience of marriage, of a relationship, she knew now, was so far skewed as to be no experience at all.
Neither had she realized exactly how stressed out she’d been since that moment she’d heard the words that had come out of her so-called army buddy’s mouth. Was that barely an hour ago?
I don’t even care that I might be considered a traitor to my gender. She didn’t. Leesa Jordan was so damn glad she had these two wonderful men to rely upon she didn’t
