Page 68 of The Long Way Found

Luke took a step back. "Okay."

"Luke, I just don't want it to become a thing. You know what I mean."

"No, actually. I don't. What are you afraid of?"

"I'm not afraid." Jack shook his head. "I have to get back to campus."

Jack was out the door before Luke could say anything else.

Luke stood there in his office, staring at the closed door. The room was vibrating with tension, but quiet.

Let's just be cool about Friday.

Translation: Stop asking me about it. Stop making me promise. Stop needing things from me that I'm not sure I can give.

What the hell did that mean?

His phone buzzed twenty minutes later.

Jack: “I'm sorry about before. I'm coming. I want to be there.”

Luke exhaled slowly and typed back: “It's OK. I understand.”

He understood that Jack was stressed. That the university thing was important. That Jack was trying to manage competing demands.

He still didn't understand why "I love you" had been met with "thank you," and "Will you be at my birthday party?" had been met with "let's be cool."

He didn’t understand why it was asking too much simply to want Jack to show up for him.

Luke woke at five on Thursday morning, his internal clock back to normal. He did his routine: coffee, gratitude list, walk with Marley. And was about to head to The Ridge when his phone lit up.

Mara: “Mom is here at the cafe. We need you. Party planning emergency—STAT!”

Luke's heart jumped. “What's wrong?”

Mara: “Get your ass here!”

Luke drove faster than he should have, mind racing through possibilities. Had the venue fallen through? Was there a problem with the food?

He burst through the café door to find Mara grinning at him over a cup of coffee.

"What? No! You're gonna give me a heart attack BEFORE I turn 40!"

She gestured to a chair. "Come on, sit. Have coffee. No drama."

Luke stared at her. "You're the worst."

"I know." She poured him a cup. "But you're here now, so let's talk."

Patty emerged from the kitchen with a notepad. "Okay, so we're all set for tomorrow. The great room at the inn is ready. Kitchen staff is handling the cake and hors d'oeuvres. I'm covering beer and wine. If anyone wants liquor, they can get it themselves at the bar."

"That's perfect," Luke said. "Thank you."

"Guest count is around thirty," Mara said. "Give or take."

"Sounds right."

Mara glanced at her mom, then back at Luke. "Is Jack coming?"