A Family Reunited Read Online Free

door. The waitress, a slim blonde girl who couldn’t have been more than sixteen, walked up to him. “Ya want something to drink?”
    Jack waved his hand. “In a minute. I’m waiting for someone.”
    The girl nodded. “’Kay. Let me know when you’re ready.”
    Fifteen minutes passed, and Jack pulled out his cell phone and looked at the call from Pamela the day before. If she hadn’t blocked her number, he could have called and found out what was going on. But he couldn’t. All he could do was wait and pray she’d walk through that door.
    The girl returned. “Let me get you something to drink.” She pulled a tablet out of the front of her apron and a note fell out. She scooped it off the table and bopped herself on the forehead. “Can’t believe I forgot this.”
    He frowned. “Forgot what?”
    She smacked her lips. “And you fit the description the woman gave.” She shook her head. “You wouldn’t happen to be Jack Isaacs, would ya?”
    Jack sat up straight. “Yes.”
    She exhaled an exaggerated breath. “I’m sorry, mister. I forgot a lady brought this by.” She handed him the folded-up note. “I’ll get ya whatever ya want. It’ll be on the house.”
    “Anything diet is fine.” Jack took the note from her hand. He opened it and immediately recognized Pamela’s handwriting.
    His heart ached as he read her angry and frustrated words. She had no intention of allowing him to see the girls. None.
    He crumpled up the letter in his hand and stared out the window. Bloom Hollow, Tennessee, was undoubtedly one of the most beautiful places in the world. Orange, salmon, yellow and red leaves covered trees that sat on rolling hills. On this October evening, nature looked especially gorgeous with the setting sun shedding light and warmth on everything in its path.
    But the warmth evaded Jack, and darkness threatened to surround him. He craved a drink.
    He yanked his wallet from his back pocket and pulled out the small card Jermaine had given him. He’d filled it up with verses of comfort and strength, words to see him through when his alcoholic demons lifted their heads.
    He rubbed the card between his thumb and forefinger, then read the words that were already imprinted on his heart. I will not give in to temptation. He’d known Pamela might not want anything to do with him at first. He had prepared for that.
    Closing his eyes, he lifted a silent prayer to God. How he needed Jermaine’s steadiness right now. God, I know You are with me always. I know that. But I sure would like to have a friend.
    “Well, Jack Isaacs, is that you?”
    Jack opened his eyes and spied one of his old drinking buddies, Owen Cundriff. Forcing a smile to his lips, he motioned for him to take a seat across from him. God, Owen is not who I meant.
    Owen extended his hand across the table, and Jack shook it. “I heard you were back in town. So, how have you been?”
    Jack scratched his jaw. “Doing okay. Took a while to get my life straightened out, but I’m sober now.”
    Owen took his other hand out of his jacket pocket. In it he held a small, well-worn Bible. Jack looked from the Bible to his friend. Owen smiled. “Guess that makes two of us.”
    * * *
    Pamela was the biggest heel on the planet. She shouldn’t have chickened out. She should have met Jack at the diner and told him face-to-face that she didn’t want him back in her or the girls’ lives.
    It wasn’t that he didn’t deserve to be stood up. He deserved plenty worse than that, but she prided herself on being up-front and honest with people, and ditching him was neither.
    “Mom! How long are you going to take checking my math paper?” whined Emmy.
    Pamela blinked and looked at the assignment she’d been holding in her hand for far too long. “Sorry ’bout that, sweetie.”
    She focused on the paper and marked the few answers that Emmy had gotten wrong so her younger daughter could redo them. Emmy rolled over on the bed and started fixing the errors. Emma