Chapter 26

Jacob POV

I know the way to Ruth’s house. I could drive there with my eyes closed if need be. I pull up outside, and a sense of dread washes over me. The little two-bedroom cottage is at the end of a quiet cul-de-sac among a neat row of other cottages.

The home was a gift from my dad to say thank you to Ruth for raising me. Now, standing on her porch, I feel a mixture of emotions wash over me. But before I play devil’s advocate, I have to know Ruth’s side of the story.

She opens before I ring the bell.

“Jacob, how lovely of you to visit,” she says, genuinely excited to see me. She takes me in a warm embrace, and I smell the scent of potpourri and coffee, bringing back childhood memories.

I learnt how to ride my bike in this very lane. There’s a chestnut tree on the sidewalk. Ruth would take a ladder and instruct me to climb to the top so we could get the best nuts.

I’m not the passive aggressive type, so I would prefer if we could hash this out like grownups. Knowing Ruth, she wo