“You missed her?”
“Of course.”
Lydia shifted on the couch. “That was a hard time, yes?”
She was getting to the meat of things, and Jo had to quickly assess how much she should share. The woman wanted to know her on a more personal level than Kline had pried into. She needed to make a connection with Lydia, but there were things Jo kept close to her heart.
“My mother was diagnosed with cancer while I was overseas,” Jo said. “It was a tough time, not being there when she grew sicker.”
When her mother had gotten sick, Jo hadn’t come home, hadn’t seen her suffer. Will and Avery had only recently forgiven her for that decision.
“She died,” Lydia said softly.
“I came back for the funeral. It was a difficult time.”
“I’m sure it must’ve been,” Lydia murmured. Her mouth wrinkled. “My mother died of cancer. She was a smoker, and she got emphysema. She just . . . withered away, and there was nothing anybody could do.”
“I’m sorry,” Jo said.
Lydia smiled. “Thank you. She’s been gone for several years, but I still miss her. She was kind to people, and I could talk to her. My father misses her, too. He’s a good man and provided well for his family. After Mom died, he sold the house they lived in, and he’s in a wonderful retirement community. He loves it, loves the interaction with people. It’s nice to see him happy.” She paused, and Jo waited. “Your sister helped with your mother?”
“Yes.”
“I helped with my mother too. It was so difficult at times, but worth it.”
“I missed a lot,” Jo said, allowing some of her true regret to show but masking her other emotions.
“But you’ve tried to make up for your mistakes?”
“Yes.”
“And your father?”
Jo was glad for the change of subject, but there was still plenty of emotion surrounding this. How much to share? she thought. Will was a strong man, not one to show his emotions. He’d always loved her, but he’d rarely showed it, not the way one might expect a father to. After her recent visit to Colorado, things between them were much better—although in a new way, and due to new dangers, much more fraught than ever.
“My father’s a mechanic. He knows everything about cars,” Jo said. That was the truth. He could be stubborn and standoffish, but she left that unsaid.
“And your sister?”
“She’s a nurse.”
“Did she choose that profession after what happened to your mother?”
“Possibly,” Jo said. “She did help a lot when my mother was sick, like I mentioned.”
“Where are your father and sister now?”
“In California,” Jo lied.
Lydia took a moment before continuing. “Family is everything to me. We have two sons, Bryce and Carlton. They’re twenty-five and twenty-three, respectively. They can be a handful, but I’m proud of both.”
“What are they doing now?” Jo was glad the focus had moved away from Will and Avery.
“Bryce is working at my husband’s company, and Carlton is at a law firm in Dallas,” she said. “My husband and I could provide well for our kids, but I didn’t want them to feel spoiled by riches. They worked in the oil fields during summer breaks, and they got a feel for what hard work is like. They have good heads on their shoulders. I can’t imagine what it would be like to lose them, or my husband.” Her eyes took on an edge, but the look vanished as quickly as it had come. She switched topics again. “Why did you leave the Army?”
“Some things happened on the last mission I was on, and I decided I wanted to come home.” Again, there was enough truth in that to help her deliver the lines with sincerity.
“But you didn’t settle down?”
Jo shook her head. “I wasn’t ready for that, so I’ve taken some odd jobs.”
“Where was your favorite place?”
“Germany,” Jo said without hesitation. She’d spent a lot of time in the Middle East, and although some places there had their charm, she’d usually been on missions, her focus far from any thoughts of sightseeing. She’d been to Germany on leave, and she loved the smaller towns there, the scenery and the culture and the rich history.
“Germany is lovely,” Lydia said. “I enjoy Italy as well.”
They chatted for a few minutes about traveling, a pleasant conversation all in all. Jo kept thinking Kline might interrupt, but he stayed quiet, a statue near the door. Then Lydia grew serious again.
“Why do you want to be a driver?”
There was more to the position than being a driver, as Kline had made clear, but Jo didn’t point that out. Lydia knew what was expected.
“I want something simple,” Jo said.
“There are risks with this.”
“I’ve done risky work before, and it doesn’t bother me.”
