One Day in Apple Grove(65)
“I heard over at the diner this morning that he’s got a lot of students lined up to learn how to ride.”
“Some have had riding lessons before, but most are newcomers to riding.”
“That could be a good thing, right?” he asked.
“Absolutely,” she agreed. “I think he’s doing a great thing for Apple Grove and Licking County. He’s been dedicated to this cause since his son was paralyzed after he took a hard hit playing football.”
“My dad was at that game.” He couldn’t keep the emotion from his voice. “Scotty was an amazingly gifted quarterback.”
“I remember everyone talking about it. It was the first time we’d ever had a serious injury on the football field,” Cait added.
“Scotty went through years of therapy and never gave up. He was the one to approach his dad about setting up the riding school.”
“I’m so proud to be a part of this,” she said. “Even if it’s just a small part.”
“Don’t diminish what Mulcahys is doing to make it happen.”
“Thanks, Jack.” After a few moments of silence, she asked, “So, how are you doing today?”
“I just had a complication fall into my lap.”
“Oh?”
He wasn’t sure he liked the sound of that one word. “Yeah,” he said quickly before she could say anything else. “I just talked to my mom.”
“How is she?”
“She sounds great. She’s looking forward to visiting.”
“When will they arrive?”
He cleared his throat. “Two weeks.”
“Don’t you want to see them?”
“I do…it’s just that I’d gotten used to being on my own.”
“Ah. I’ve never had the pleasure of living on my own. It’s on my list of things to do.”
“I’ve always wanted to have brothers or sisters,” Jack told her, not even stopping to wonder why he’d shared that with her. “But while I’m used to being alone, now that I have Jamie, things are different.”
Her laugh was light and airy, a happy sound that trilled across the phone line. “There were times when I’d have gladly traded Gracie for a puppy.”
“Did you tell her that?”
“Oh yeah, she didn’t like the idea,” Cait confided. “Didn’t speak to me for three whole days that time.”
“Did you guys argue often?”
“Nah,” she told him. “Every other day or so.”
He laughed before asking, “You’re kidding right?”
She snickered. “Nope. We had these off-white quilted vinyl chests that mom got for us secondhand. We used to keep our important stuff in there, and every time we argued, one of us would move our chest out into the hallway and holler at the top of our lungs that we were through and we wanted a new roommate.”
“Then what happened?”
She sighed. “Meg would come in and mediate, and by the time she was through, one of us would end up apologizing to the other. I was never really sure how she managed that feat.”
“I think you and Grace probably owe Meg more than you imagine.”
She fell silent, leaving him to wonder if he should have kept that thought to himself, but so many years listening while Meg confided that worry wouldn’t let him. Finally, she sighed and said, “You’re right, and I know it. I’m trying to make things up to her now. I just finished the first set of shelves for their nursery and am working on a rocking chair for Meg. It’s going to be a surprise, so don’t say anything, OK?”
“Your secret’s safe with me, Cait.”
“Thanks, Jack. I’m really excited about the design—it’s my first rocking chair.”
“You’re an amazing woman, Caitlin Mulcahy.”
“Thanks for saying that,” she said.
“I’m not just saying it,” he told her. “I mean it.”
“You can come see it if you want.”
“You’ve started building it already?”
“It’s in our shed—in my wood shop.”
“I’d love to. You mentioned the design. Is there something different about this chair?”
“Meg’s shorter than the average woman. If you’ve ever tried out different rocking chairs, you’d notice that they’re designed for someone with longer legs.”
“I can’t say that I have. It sounds like a wonderful gift…a thoughtful one from your heart. Will I see you later?”
“I wasn’t sure you wanted to,” Cait said.
“I do,” he reassured her. “I’ll call you in between patients.”