Chapter 75

Mom woke me up about 6:30 in the morning. She had her coffee cup in her hand and was just about ready to take off for work. My alarm clock was still over at Jill's, so I was glad Mom had to be in at 7:00 today.

I let Jill sleep while I used the bathroom, then came outside. She was sitting up, leaning back against the couch, rubbing the sleep out of her eyes. Her hair was disheveled, her eyes were a little red and she looked beautiful to me.

I leaned over to kiss her and she turned her head so that I got her cheek. She has a thing about brushing her teeth in the morning.

She went out to the garage to get some clothes out of the wardrobe. I heard a couple of guys whistle, then Alex yelled for them to knock it off. That's right, they were starting the new room on the garage today. That's the reason we were over at her house last night instead of staying here.

I heard a car pull up to the curb out front. Actually, I didn't hear the car so much as the tire squeaking when it rubbed against the curb. I looked out the window in the front door. Jill had just turned down the hallway from the kitchen.

"Your father just pulled up."

"I thought Mom said she was going to talk to him this morning."

"Jill, you should know how impatient your father is by now. I'm sure he's been up all night chewing on his fingernails, wondering it you'll ever talk to him again."

"Well, it serves him right."

"Jill, he deserves a chance."

She got that flash of fire in her eyes, then relaxed. "I know."

"Go use the bathroom. I'm going to invite him in for a cup of coffee."

She took a deep breath and squared her shoulders. "OK. I'll be out in a few minutes."

I opened the front door and motioned for John to come in. He was out of the car and on his way up the path almost immediately.

"Good morning, John."

"Well, at least you're talking to me."

"I think Jill will talk to you, too. Or at least she'll let you say your piece."

"How is she?"

I guided him into the kitchen and poured us both some coffee and moved him over to the table.

"She's better than she was last night. She's still upset and I don't think she knows how to take this. I know it won't take much to set her off. A big part of her world fell apart last night. She found out that she couldn't count on you and Wanda the way she thought she could."

John cringed a little when I said that.

"Jack, you know I'd never do anything to hurt Jill."

"John, I'm sure you didn't mean to but what the two of you did last night did hurt her. And if you try to prove how right you were to her, I guarantee it will set her off again. And I don't want to have her crying in my arms like she was last night."

He was all set to answer when Jill walked in the kitchen.

"Hello, Daddy."

"Jillian."

He got up and went over to her, his arms held out to hug her. She avoided him and sat down next to me.

I could see the disappointment come over over his face. He had the presence of mind not to comment.

"OK. I'm here. What have you got to say?"

I said a silent prayer of thanks that I wasn't John.

He looked up, a tentative smile on his face and cleared his throat.

"It's just something that happened, Jill."