“Here,” she said. “Dry yourself off and have a seat in front of the fire. I’m eating in here. It’s much cozier than the kitchen.”
“I brought a loaf of Gail’s bread and some of her cookies,” Jess said, handing over the fresh baked goods.
“Wonderful. That bread of hers is just the thing to go with a bowl of soup. Are you sure you won’t eat a bite before you go to Will’s?”
“No, I’ll wait,” Jess said, then settled onto the sofa and pulled a handmade afghan over her legs. “This feels wonderful. It’s turning into a nasty night out there.”
“I hear we could have snow by morning,” Gram said. “Be sure you’re careful on the roads. Even if there’s no snow, you could be dealing with some of that dangerous black ice.”
“I will be,” Jess promised, studying her grandmother closely. Since leaving Mick’s house, after he and Megan had rewed, and returning to her own cottage, her color seemed better. Her social life had certainly picked up in terms of the commitments she’d made at the church. Now that she was free of the demands of looking after a huge house and her grandchildren, she seemed to have been reenergized.
“How’ve you been? You’re not overdoing it, are you?” Jess asked.
“I’m fit as a fiddle, now that I don’t have the five of you running me ragged anymore,” Nell said. “I’ve left all those worries to your father and Megan.”
Jess grinned. “You can’t break an old habit that quickly, Gram. You’ll always worry about us.”
Her eyes sparkled with merriment. “Oh, I suppose I might give a thought to each of you now and then,” she admitted. “Here’s my news, though. I won fifty dollars at bingo the other night. Should have had the big jackpot—I was only one number away—but Heather’s mother snatched it right out from under me.”
“I’d forgotten Bridget had come back from Ohio for another visit,” Jess said.
“She was missing that grandson of hers. She got real attached to him while she was staying with Heather. I have a feeling once her husband finally retires, they’ll move over here.”
Jess was surprised. “From everything Heather told me, I thought they were going to divorce.”
“Funny thing about weddings,” Gram said. “They make people take another look at what and who matters in their lives. I think when Heather and Connor got married, it did that for the Donovans. Bridget seems much happier now. Seems like she and her husband made some long-needed adjustments.” She met Heather’s gaze. “Now tell me about you and Will. I gather you’ve decided to test the waters finally.”
“There’s nothing much to tell,” Jess said with a shrug, not entirely comfortable with discussing this with her grandmother, even though she’d asked for her advice only a couple of weeks earlier. Then the topic had been more theoretical. Now she was about to throw herself into the man’s arms, if he’d have her.
“We’re spending more time together,” she told Gram. “But I think it’s going to take some time before we get our signals straight. I’m still a little too quick to jump to conclusions about things and misjudge him.”
“An old habit,” Gram said. “You learned to protect your feelings at a young age.”
“And I still have trouble believing in anyone, Will included.”
“And yet you’re running over there tonight with soup. That sounds to me like a woman who’s allowed herself to care,” Gram said perceptively.
“I do care,” Jess admitted. “I just don’t know how much. I mean, I think I’m starting to care a lot, but I don’t entirely trust myself, either. I’ve jumped into things with men before and then abandoned them the minute I lost interest. With most of them, it didn’t matter that much, but I don’t want to hurt Will like that.”
“He’s a grown man, who knows his own mind,” Gram reminded her. “More important, he’s a man who knows you.”
“I think I’m figuring out the advantages of that,” Jess said, then glanced at her watch.
“Run along,” Gram said, smiling at her impatience. “I’ve put the soup into a container for you. It’s in a tote bag on the kitchen table. You can return them whenever you have a chance. Give Will my love.”
“I wonder if I should call to see if he’s even home yet?” Jess wondered aloud. “I’d really wanted to surprise him, though.”
“A surprise would be a nice gesture. I’m sure he’d appreciate it. Take a chance. That’s what living is all about, taking a risk now and again.”
Jess grinned as she hugged her grandmother. “You’re an old romantic, aren’t you?”
“I’ve had a few moments in my time,” Gram said with a wink. “Who knows? One of these days, I may have a few more. I keep threatening to take up with a gentleman caller. Drives your father nuts when I mention it.”
“Oh, boy,” Jess said. “Poor Dad.”
Gram chuckled. “Just seeing how he handles me going out on dates will be worth it, don’t you think?”
“It will, indeed. Maybe if you do it soon, it would get him to focus on something besides me and Will.”
“You’re a dreamer, child.”
Jess chuckled. “More than likely. Love you. See you Sunday, if not before.”
“I love you, too, darling girl. Enjoy your evening.”
“I hope to,” Jess said. In fact, her hopes were higher than they’d been in quite a while.
Will wasn’t sure which was worse, the struggle to convince his patient to stay in the hospital for further evaluation and treatment or the drive back to Chesapeake Shores in the pouring rain. All he knew was how relieved he felt when he finally pulled into a parking space behind his building, opened the front door and stepped into the heat of the building’s small foyer, then got his mail and started up the stairs to his condo.
As he turned toward the top landing, he
