There was one question that came to her lips almost involuntarily. “Did he rape me?”
“No! No, baby, he didn’t. I swear to you.”
Well of course he didn’t. She remembered that first time with Jerry, and she very distinctly remembered him taking her virginity.
“You were in a coma for twenty of the longest hours of my life.” Her father stopped and looked to Robert Jessop.
“I have the medical report from the hospital in Mississippi, Jacqui. The doctors were pretty certain that your comatose state was emotional, rather than physical—a supposition that appeared to be supported by the fact that, when you awoke, you had no memory of what had happened to you.”
“At the time, the doctors urged we leave it be, and not tell you what had happened. They said that in cases of this kind of trauma, the mind protects itself. So we didn’t, thinking that you’d eventually remember on your own. But the months turned into years, and you didn’t remember.”
“I had bad dreams.” Jacqui sat up straighter. “I remember that, now. I had bad dreams for a while. I don’t remember what they were about. But…” But it was a puzzle piece.
“Yes. And you seemed leery of me when I tried to comfort you. Your mother had turned you over to me, because she blamed herself for what had happened to you. She couldn’t—well, for a long time, she couldn’t face you. So she left, and moved to California. I thought it was the fact that I was a man—that perhaps in your mind you’d confused me with Merk—that made you pull away when I tried to hug you, and I honestly couldn’t blame you for that.
“So I did the only thing I could think to do. I sold my business, and moved us to Georgia, to live with your grandparents. I thought—well, if you were leery of me you might be more comfortable in a house with other women. I believe I was proved right in that, because you clung to Holly right away, and seemed happier.”
“We’d always been close.” Jacqui looked over at her aunt.
“I know.” Her father sighed. “It wasn’t just your mother who let you down. I let you down, too. I withdrew from you emotionally. I didn’t how to act around you.”
“And I didn’t make it easy for you, either. I remember being so angry with you…but I just thought that maybe I blamed you for mom moving away. For the two of you being divorced.” A belief her mother had fueled, in part because she’d not had much good to say about her dad for a long time. Jacqui blinked when she realized it had been years since her mother bad-mouthed her father the way she had before—before Merk.
“In this society of ours, we tend to hold fathers responsible for the safety of our families, even when that is an unfair expectation,” Robert said. “You couldn’t recall what had happened to you, but your subconscious knew something had. So you blamed your father for not keeping you safe. Not fair, not reasonable, but it is how the psyche works.”
“There was news coverage at the time,” James said. “That was another good reason to move us out of Mississippi. I didn’t want someone to slap you in the face with what had happened to you when you didn’t even remember it.”
“I still don’t remember. You’ve told me all this, and some of it seems familiar somehow, but I still don’t remember him taking me.”
“It’s quite possible that the headaches you’ve been experiencing are a sign that you’re beginning to do just that.” Robert said. “I’m still going to examine you, just to rule out other causes. You do know it’s not normal to have headaches the way you have been when you never have had them before.”
Jacqui shrugged. What could she say to that? She’d been half afraid that she had a brain tumor. Instead of answering him, she looked around the room. “Why now?”
“Maybe the situation with that fugitive that’s headed this way,” Robert said. “It’s a police operation, one that you’re aware of, and it involves people you care about. There could be enough similarities with what you went through when you were eleven that it’s triggered your deeply buried memories.” Robert smiled. “We really don’t fully understand how the human mind works, Jacqui.”
Jacqui exhaled, an action that fluffed her bangs. “Well, hell.” Then she nodded. “All right, Dr. Jessop. Conduct your examination. And if you could tell me what I can do to help cope with whatever memories are trying to surface, I’d appreciate it.”
* * * *
Norm timed it well. Will kept hold of Jacqui’s hand as they, with her father, and her aunt Holly headed toward the door of the clinic. It was late enough in the day that they’d decided to head over to Lusty Appetites for an early supper.
For his part, Robert Jessop didn’t seem at all surprised when Norm came back into his office.
“We have one more question for you. Would it be better for Jacqui if we got her out of Lusty and away from where Wilde might end up?”
Robert smiled. “I was expecting that question earlier, as I was examining her.”
Norm wondered if he looked as sheepish as he felt. “We know our woman fairly well. Neither of us would want to risk getting our heads chewed off asking that in front of her aunt and father.”
“I figured she was the independent type.” Robert grinned. “But to answer your question, Norm, no. Jacqui will remember what happened to her, or she won’t. If she does, it’s likely something that would have happened anyway. Trying to get her to leave Lusty—to leave the two of you when she thinks you could be in danger—would only give y’all a headache so big I don’t have a prescription strong enough to fix.”
“That’s what we thought, but I had to ask.”
It didn’t take him long to make his way over to the restaurant. Jacqui tilted her head to the side, a clean unspoken request for an explanation as to why he’d stayed back at the clinic.
He met her gaze and told her the truth.
“I’m not going anywhere.” Jacqui looked from him to Will, her expression serious.
“Well, as Dr. Jessop said it wouldn’t make any difference, the point is moot.” Norm took a seat across from her, beside her father. Will and Holly had her tucked in between them on the other side of the table.
Emily Anne came over and distributed menus. She didn’t need to be introduced to James Bethune—apparently he’d come to town for his sister’s Commitment Ceremony, and she remembered him.
“So, Dad, when are you going back to Georgia?”
Norm raised one eyebrow and met Will’s gaze. His cousin shook his head, and slid his arm around Jacqui’s shoulder.
“Sugar Plum, that wasn’t very nice.”
Jacqui sighed. “I guess that did sound rude. Believe it or not, I really didn’t mean it to.”
“I believe it,” her father said. “And to answer your question, I’m going to be here a while.” He didn’t say anything more to her, but Norm had the distinct impression that he had a lot more to say.
Emily Anne returned with a tray filled with drinks. Norm met the waitress’s gaze, and it reminded him of an earlier conversation they’d had.
“Did you ever hear what’s going up outside town?” he asked.
“No, did you find out for me?”
Norm couldn’t believe the information had been kept out of the gossip pipeline for so long. And since his cousin Jake hadn’t told them it was a secret, he nodded. “A Roadhouse. The kind of place you can go to for an evening’s entertainment. My understanding is there’re plans for a mix of live music and a DJ.”
“That’s a great idea! I wonder who’s behind the project? Is it someone from town?”
“That, I don’t know.”
Emily Anne grinned. “A Roadhouse! That will be perfect! It’s so close it won’t take more ’n a few minutes to get home from there.”
“Probably be easy to get groups together, name a designated driver, and have a safe, fun night out.” Norm could certainly see the attraction in that.
Whenever he and Will had wanted to blow off steam, they’d taken a cab to whichever night spot they’d chosen, and would take one home again. There w
asn’t a cab company in Lusty—it really wasn’t needed. He didn’t know if there was a taxi company in Gatesville or not, but Waco had them. A ride from there to here could be pricey, though.
“If y’all are ready, I’ll take your orders.”
Norm turned his attention back to the menu. He was in the mood for a steak—the bigger, the better. There was just something about red meat that really fuelled him when he was stressed out.
Hearing what had happened to their woman when she’d been a child—realizing how close she’d come to being murdered—had stressed him nearly beyond measure.
It didn’t take Emily Anne long to take everyone’s order, and then she left them with a promise to return with their salads.
“Where are you staying while you’re here, Mr. Bethune?” Will asked.
“Please, just call me James—and not Jim Bob.” he sent a teasing glance to his sister. Holly laughed and stuck her tongue out at him. “I’m staying with Holly and her husbands. They were very kind to offer. But if I think I’m crowding their style, I may head over to the bed and breakfast.”
“You won’t crowd our style…James.”
“But what about your business?” Jacqui’s expression reflected genuine confusion.
“You’re more important to me than my business, Jacqui. You always have been.”
Jacqui’s cheeks turned just the slightest bit pink. Since he was watching her, he noticed when she inhaled, and when she lifted her head she met her father’s gaze. “I think you and I really need to talk.”
“I’d like that. I’d like that a lot.”
Norm saw the pleasure on the man’s face. He was so proud of Jacqui just then it was all he could do not to jump up and hug her. Will already had his arm around her. So Norm reached for her hand, and when she looked at him, he smiled.
“And then after you and I have that talk, I’d like to spend some time with these two gentlemen.”
“Dad!” Jacqui looked more than a bit mortified.
“It’s all right, sweetheart,” he said to her. “We expect nothing less.” Then he looked over at James. “We’ll look forward to it.”
James nodded, and seemed content with that response. Holly, for her part, just chuckled. When Jacqui shot her aunt a narrow-eyed look, she simply grinned and shrugged her shoulders.
“From what Holly told has told me, you boys are at the center of the trouble that’s headed this way.” James looked from Norm to Will. “What’s going on?”
Poor turns of speech seem to run in the family. He could see from the look on Will’s face he likely thought the same thing. However, in a way, James Bethune had the right of it. They were at the heart of the trouble headed this way. Will began to fill the man in on the situation.
James listened without interrupting. Finally, he shook his head. He sat back as Emily Anne brought out a tray full of salads. “One thing that’s always been a mystery to me is this. Kids—they get their ‘big break’ at a ridiculously young age, either in music or in films. They gain a bit of fame and too much money—and then they seem to dedicate themselves to totally screwing up their lives at record speed.”
“That’s definitely what Rick Wilde did.” Norm ignored his salad for a moment. “We tried to steer him toward some good mentors. When it looked like the film franchise was going to take off, we hooked him up with investment counselors. And when we heard rumors of his living in the fast lane—drugs and booze—we warned him, not just that he was facing ruin, but that he was in danger of breach of contract. But you can’t make a person do something they don’t want to do—even if what you want them to do is in their very best interests.”
“No, you can’t.” James flicked a look at his daughter. Then he turned his attention to his salad.
Norm grinned. It seemed that Jacqui’s father had something in common with both his dad and Will’s—the art of the subtle set down. He looked up and saw Will caught it, too.
Emily Anne returned in a few minutes with Michelle Grant. Between them, they removed the empty salad plates and distributed the supper plates.
One thing that Norm could say was that while Lusty Appetites was the only restaurant in town, the food was plentiful, of a wide variety, and damn good. His steak was perfect, and the mashed potatoes he’d chosen to go with it had just the right amount of garlic. He, as did everyone else at their table, dedicated himself for the next several minutes to eating.
“Dad, how about after we’re done here, I take you on a quick tour of where I work?” Jacqui’s offer would put them together in what she might consider neutral territory. Norm approved of the tactic. She had to be feeling more than a little stressed out herself right about now. She’d been hit with a bombshell this afternoon. She was handling it well, which told Norm that while she couldn’t remember the events she’d only just heard about, something inside her recognized the truth in what she’d learned.
“Is it far from here?” her father asked.
Jacqui gave her father a smile that looked like a smirk. “It’s right behind you—literally. The bookstore is still open, but there are a couple of quiet sitting areas where we can talk privately.”
“Your boss won’t mind?”
“No, Nancy would never mind.”
“It seems there are a lot of good, caring people in this town. If I can’t have you home with me, then I’m glad you’ve found a place like this, where so many folks care about you.”
Jacqui exhaled and set her plate away. “I’m glad I came here, too. Are you done eating?”
James looked down at his empty plate. He gave her that smirk right back.
Norm held back his grin.
“I think so.” He got to his feet and then he nodded to the table at large. “If you’ll excuse us?”
“I’ll have Emily Anne bring you your coffee and dessert,” Holly said.
James smiled, and touched his sister’s shoulder. “Like I said—a caring town.”
“Sweetheart?” Jacqui had also stood up. Norm waited until she looked at him. “We’ll be right here.”
She looked from him to Will. The smile she gave them was a small one, but in her eyes, he read her relief. “Good. I’ll be back.”
Yes, it was good. And when she came back to them, he knew that he and his cousin—his best friend—would spend the rest of the evening pampering her.
Chapter 17
“I can see your pride in what you do. That doesn’t surprise me. You always did seem happiest when you had your nose in a book.”
She’d given him a look at the store, introduced him to Nancy, and then led him over to one of her favorite spots. Each back corner of the bookstore held a sitting area with a couple of round tables and four comfy chairs.
Holly had just delivered their coffee and their dessert—pecan pie—and they’d taken a moment to indulge.
Jacqui barely kept herself from saying something sassy in response to her father’s observation. Before today she would have let fly with something along the line of her being surprised he even noticed her.
Now she found herself in the very uncomfortable position of having to admit something. No sense in putting it off. It’ll only get harder the longer you wait.
“When I came to Lusty, there was one thing of which I was absolutely certain. And that was you wouldn’t care if I left home to be with Holly—that you’d actually be relieved to see the back of me. But now…now I think that things weren’t the way I’ve always thought they were.” She sighed. “And that just makes me feel stupid and pathetic.”
“No.”
Her father reached for her hand, his movement spurred by—what? He stopped just shy of touching her. Damn it, a man ought to be able to take his daughter’s hand without worrying he’d piss her off. Jacqui understood in that moment, that was what kept her father from making that final connection.
Oh, God.
So she extended her hand to his, and blinked back tears at his look of gratitude and the way he held on tight.
; “Let me tell you what I know. After we moved to your grandmother’s, I did step back. But not because I didn’t love you, or didn’t care. I stepped back because I was afraid. You’d been hurt, and I didn’t know how to handle it—handle you. And you seemed so relieved to have Holly and your grandmother there.” He laughed. “Even Becky played her part, as she was the only one in the house who did not treat you with kid gloves.” He shook his head. “The truth is, honey, that at that point in my life, I didn’t have the guts to fight it out with you. If I had it to do again, when you pushed me away, I’d have gotten right in your face, so you’d know I wasn’t going anywhere.” He gave her hand a squeeze. “So don’t beat yourself up. I made mistakes, too. Only mine were worse because I was supposed to be the adult in the room.”
“Dad.” She inhaled deeply, and then closed her eyes for a moment. Her emotions were in full on riot mode. It wasn’t—or it hadn’t been—in her nature to stand and face those emotions. Usually, she’d run.
Man, how pathetic have I been all these years?
“I don’t know why I started being bitchy to you in the first place,” Jacqui said. “I know it started a long time before we left Georgia. It started when I was still living with Mom, when she was still with that guy.”
“Did he have anything to do with that? I’ve always had my suspicions. But that is neither here nor there. I’m not really interested in placing blame. I want us to start over. I want a relationship with you. I am your father, and I may be a little late to the party, but damn it, I am going to act like your father from here on out.”
“I think I’d like that.”
“Good. So understand one thing. I know you’re an adult, capable of handling your own life, but until we figure out if you’re going to remember more or not—or until the current situation involving…your men…is resolved, I’m not going anywhere.”
“Okay. But I’ll ask you again about your business. Can you take an extended leave?”
Love Under Two Extroverts [The Lusty, Texas Collection] (Siren Publishing Ménage Everlasting) Page 15