Love Finds a Home by Kathryn Springer Page A

wears a life jacket, since you mentioned that he doesn’t know how to swim. I can though, by the way.” He handed her a piece of paper. “Here’s my cell phone number. Feel free to call. Just to say hello, if you want to.”
    Jake had read her mind.
    Emma didn’t know whether to be relieved or terrified. And she could see that he wasn’t poking fun at her concerns, he was trying to ease them. Emma wasn’t used to having someone who could read her thoughts so easily. Wasn’t used to letting someone close enough to read her thoughts.
    “Thank you.” She focused on the number written on the piece of paper, silently willing him to go, but it was clear Jake wasn’t finished with her yet.
    “Now it’s my turn to get some details from you. What time would you like me to bring Jeremy home?”
    “How about eight o’clock?” Two hours should be more than enough time to catch a few fish, Emma reasoned.
    “All right.” Jake tilted his head. Studied her. And then, “Would you like to come with us?”

    Emma didn’t think she’d heard him right. “With you?”
    “Sure. I don’t mind and I’m sure Jeremy wouldn’t, either.”
    Emma was tempted by the invitation. But the whole idea behind the mentoring program was to give Jeremy an opportunity to spend time with the mentor, not the mother.
    “No, you two go ahead. Male bonding and all that.” She ran damp palms down the front of her khaki skirt. “I have a project I’m working on for Abby.”
    “Are you sure?”
    “I’m sure.” She wasn’t. Not at all. “I’ll see you in a few hours.”
    “I’ll take good care of him, Emma.”
    “I know you will.”
    Surprise flared in Jake’s eyes but Emma couldn’t blame him.
    She’d surprised herself.
     
    “When can we go fishing again, Jake?”
    “I’m not sure.” It was the second time Jeremy had asked the question since they’d left Mirror Lake Lodge, and now that his house was in sight, he was eager for an answer.
    The porch light flickered a welcome as Jake parked the car in the driveway. Had Emma spent the entire evening staring out the window, counting the minutes until they returned?
    Jake had made a point to get Jeremy home early. He knew what it had cost Emma to turn down his invitation to go fishing with them. She could have gone along and kept an eye on her son, and yet she hadn’t wanted to get in the way of “male bonding.” The last thing Jakewanted to do was damage the fragile trust she’d placed in him.
    “I’ll have to check with your mom first.”
    “You can talk to her now.” Jeremy unbuckled his seat belt and bailed out of the car, leaving behind the faint but unmistakable scent of fish in the air.
    He may have brought Jeremy home early but not exactly in the same condition the boy had been in when they left.
    Not that he was, either.
    A ribbon of light unfurled across the yard as Emma opened the door and stepped onto the porch.
    “Hi, Mom! We’re back!”
    “I see that.” Emma’s smile bloomed in response to her son’s enthusiasm. “How was the fishing?”
    “Great.” Jeremy swaggered toward her, the fishing pole balanced on his shoulder. “We caught a lot, didn’t we, Jake?”
    “We did.” They’d lost a lot more, but that had been his fault!
    “Jake’s going to cook them up for us next time.”
    If, Jake thought, there was a next time. Maybe Emma had changed her mind and decided that two hours, not four weeks, was enough of a “trial period.”
    A breeze stirred the evening air and Emma’s nose wrinkled. “I think someone is going to need a shower before bed.”
    “Okay.” Jeremy grinned and turned to Jake. “I had a lot of fun. Thanks, Jake.” He ran into the house, leaving them alone with the awkward silence that fell between them.
    Emma backed against the door. Judging from the uncertain look in her eyes, Jake guessed she was tornover whether or not to invite him in. He made the decision for her.
    “I’ll get the rest of the things out of the trunk,