THE PERFECT TEN (Boxed Set)

her friends—Riley, Scott, Von, Cody and Lou. “All of you. Thank you for believing in me when everyone else thought I was crazy. I don’t know what I’d have done without your help. I never would have found Jake without each and every one of you.”
    She felt a raw but healing ache in her chest.
    “Never doubt a mother’s love,” Scott said.
    Cody nodded and the two men exchanged a knowing glance.
     

 
    Chapter Forty
     
    “You’ve grown,” Kasey said as she carried Jake to Von’s SUV. He was really too big to be carried, but she couldn’t bear to let go of him.
    “I’m big,” he said.
    They rode with Von and Riley back to her house. Scott followed in his police car, and Lou and Cody followed behind him in Lou’s car.
    Jake was asleep before they pulled into the driveway.
    Von carried him in. “Where do you want me to put him?”
    Kasey pressed her lips together. “I don’t want him to wake up in a strange place. He can sleep through anything. Just put him on the couch. He’ll be fine.”
    Von laid him on the couch, then joined the others in the kitchen.
    A rush of adrenaline coursed through her as they rehashed the chain of events. Everyone else seemed hyped up, too.
    Cody got up from the table and walked behind Kasey’s chair. He put his arms around her and gave her a squeeze. “Girl, I know you’ve got to be emotionally beat. When you come down off this rush, you’ll crash for a week.”
    “I’m sure you’re tired too. Want me to show you the guest room?”
    “No, no. We aren’t staying here.”
    “I don’t mind.”
    “I know, but I’ve made arrangements up the road for us to stay at the B&B tonight. We’ll stop by tomorrow to say goodbye. You need to be with Jake, not entertaining us.”
    She jumped from her chair and put her arms around him. “Cody, this never would've happened if you hadn’t made that announcement in Raleigh.”
    He hugged her and put his cheek to her hair. He pulled back slightly. “I told you there was value in a country music network.”
    “You were right.”
    “People helping people, it’s what country folks do,” Cody said.
    Scott nodded. “Couldn’t be more true.”
    “You’ve done so much for me,” Kasey said to Cody.
    “It didn’t work out so bad for me either. You know that song went gold.”
    “‘ A Mother’s Love ’? I didn’t know. Congratulations.”
    “I was thinking I owed you a big thank you.” He gave her a wink. “Two, really. If it hadn’t been for you and our talks on tour, I never would have looked up Lou again.”
    “I’ll never be able to thank you enough,” Kasey said.
    “I guess we’ll be friends forever then, won’t we?”
    “I sure hope so. And Lou, you have a great guy here. I wish you both so much happiness.”
    Lou hugged Kasey. “I feel like I already know you. We’ll come back. I promise.”
    Kasey walked them out to their car. After they drove away, she stood there staring at the sky. Among the stars, in the heavens, she knew Nick was with her. “Nick, our baby is home. Thank you for watching over us.”
    She went inside. Riley, Von and Scott had all moved into the living room. She sat on the couch with her arm across Jake’s ankles. He looked so sweet sleeping there, without a worry in the world. He seemed to have no understanding of the drama that had been going on for all these months, and she was thankful for that.
    A tear ran down her cheek. “I still can’t believe he’s home.”
    Riley snuggled against Von in the loveseat. “I don’t think I’ve felt this happy in a long time. We are so blessed.”
    Scott leaned forward in the oversized leather chair. “Kasey, I need to tell you something.”
    “What?”
    “When I got called away from the airport, it was about Jeremy?” Scott let out a long breath, then leaned in closer to her. “While he was being treated at the hospital, he...he took his own life.”
    Kasey opened her mouth, then shut it. She froze. “I’m not even sure how I feel about that.” She blinked. “He was like family. None of it makes sense. Part of me wants to say he deserved to die, but that’s wrong and I know that. I wouldn’t wish that on him, or on his family.” She shook her head. “I guess we won’t be getting a lot of answers then.”
    “I know.” Scott leaned toward her and rested his cheek on the top of her head. “A lot of emotions tangled up.”
    “Y’all are going to stay the night, aren’t you?” Scott asked Von.
    “Yeah. Thought