But after spending time with him yesterday, being in his art-filled home, watching him decorate the Christmas tree with Hunter, hearing him discuss jazz music with Ashton, well, she had felt more attracted to him than ever. In fact her longing had taken her quite by surprise, but she figured the emotions were hers alone. Now, realizing that perhaps Jack was having similar thoughts, Marley felt almost like a teenager looking forward to a big first date!
“What’s up with you and Jack?” Ashton asked as she drove along the river. “At one time I thought you two were an item, but this week I got the impression you were disinterested. Now I’m not sure.”
She let out a little giggle. “I’m not really sure either, Ashton.”
“Do you really like him?”
“I like him a lot.”
“He seems like a genuinely good guy, Mom. I’m not an expert when it comes to matters of love and the heart, but I can’t help but get the feeling Jack is into you.”
“Really?”
“Uh, yeah. I mean I saw him watching you while you and Hunter were getting out the Christmas decorations yesterday. It seemed like there was something there.”
“And what would you think”—she glanced at her son—”if there was something there?”
Ashton smiled. “Cool. Very cool.”
Marley sighed. “Not that I know there’s something there, mind you, but it’s nice to know you’d approve if there was.”
“I think it’d be awesome for you to find a great guy. I mean you put up with so much with Dad. You deserve better. And Jack seems like a real improvement.”
She laughed.
“Seeing you like this actually gives me hope,” he said.
“Hope?” She wasn’t sure whether to feel relieved or worried.
“Yeah. Not with Leo though. I’m pretty sure that door’s been closed.”
“And you’re okay with that?” she asked tentatively.
“I’m getting okay.” He confessed that the relationship had not been very solid from the start, admitting that he’d always suspected it would end badly. She listened, allowing him to unload on her, trying not to grieve over how much heartache Ashton had been through.
“I’m so sorry,” she told him. “When I say I know how you feel, you know I’m not making it up.”
“I know, Mom.”
“I guess I hoped that you might’ve learned from me—I mean, how it doesn’t pay to remain in a bad relationship.”
“You’d think, wouldn’t you? But I guess history sometimes repeats itself.”
Marley felt a bit guilty now, like perhaps Ashton’s situation was partially her fault. “Well, maybe you have to learn from your own mistakes.”
“I guess so.” He let out a long sigh as they started coming into town. “Hopefully we’ll both choose more carefully the next time around. At least you seem to be on the right track now, Mom.”
“I hope so.” The car got quiet as she navigated the city traffic, and finally she was back at his apartment complex. “Are you going to be okay?” she asked as he reached in the back for his duffle bag.
“Sure, Mom.” He made what looked like a forced smile as she came around the car. “I just need to get through this afternoon, and then the next day, and the next.”
“Keep me posted, okay?” She hugged him tightly.
“Yeah.” He nodded as he stepped away. “I will.”
“I’ll be praying for you.”
He chuckled. “Well, I guess that can’t hurt.”
“That’s right. And in time you might figure out that it actually helps.”
“Okay, Mom.” He nodded in a tolerant way. She got back into her car and started driving west. Once again, as she drove, she prayed for Ashton, and this time she prayed for Leo, too. Part of her wanted to hate Leo, but she remembered that she was supposed to love her enemies and pray for them, too. Although it was not easy, she was trying.
She got home a little after three. Following a walk on the beach and a nice long nap, she decided to spend a couple of hours primping. It had been a long time since Marley devoted this much attention to her appearance, but it was actually kind of fun. She styled her hair, put on a bit of makeup, picked out a great outfit and jewelry, and was feeling much prettier than usual. The closer it got to seven, the more excited she became. Tonight was really going to be special!
As she drove to Jack’s house, though, she started to question herself, wondering if she might possibly be mistaken. What if Jack really had invited her only to have a casual dinner with him—as a friend? After all, it was perfectly acceptable for a friend to have a friend over for dinner. And here she’d gotten all spiffed up, let her hopes run wild, and was probably going to end up looking like a perfect fool. She was halfway tempted to go back home, change back into her regular jeans, and tone it down, but it was already a few minutes past seven.
She parked in front of Jack’s house, then used a tissue to soften her lipstick. She even considered leaving the bottle of chardonnay in the car as well, but then realized she was probably overreacting. A friend could bring a friend a bottle of wine for dinner without suggesting romance.
“There you are,” Jack said as he opened the door. “You look lovely.”
“Thanks.” Relieved to see that he had dressed carefully too, she smiled nervously as he took the wine and helped her remove her coat. In dark woolen pants and a black turtleneck sweater that gave his gray beard a distinguished look, Jack looked more handsome than ever.
“Oh my!” she exclaimed as she noticed how many candles were lit. “It looks beautiful in here.”
He chuckled. “I might’ve gotten carried away. But with the Christmas tree up, and with you coming … well, I felt like being festive.”
She felt warm and tingly now, like romance was in the air. And yet her old skeptical self kept warning her to be careful. Don’t get swept away. Don’t fall too easily.
By the end of the meal, under the influence of good food, candlelight and wine, easy conversation, shared interests, and Jack’s undistracted attention, Marley knew it was too late. She really was falling, and there was nothing she could do to stop herself.
“You know how long I’ve been waiting for an evening like this?” Jack said to her as they sat on the sofa in front of the fireplace, drinking their after-dinner coffee.
“How long?” she asked quietly.
“Since that first day you walked into my gallery.”
She nodded. “Me, too.”
“Seriously?” Jack looked a bit unsure. “You’ve been so cool these past few weeks. Every time I tried to engage you in a conversation, like when you’d drop off Hunter or a new picture or whatever, it always seemed you were keeping me at arm’s length. Then you’d make some excuse to get away from me. I honestly thought I was losing you, or that something had soured between us. Until you invited me to join you and your friends on Thanksgiving, I was very concerned.”
Marley thought about this for a moment, then laughed.
“What’s so funny?” He looked slightly hurt.
She confessed some of Hunter’s conversations to him. She didn’t go into all the details, and she didn’t mention the marriage word or Hunter’s hopes that they’d all live together as one big happy family. But she did tell him about Hunter’s haphazard attempts at matchmaking. “It just made me feel so uncomfortable, and then I’d see you and didn’t want you to think I’d been putting her up to it.”
Now Jack smiled. “If anything, I was probably putting Hunter up to it.”
“Really?”
“Not directly, but after your Wednesday dates I would ask Hunter what you two had done together, and I’ll bet that got her to thinking her grandpa was pretty pathetic. I’m sure she assumed I needed some help in the romance department.” He laughed. “The truth is, I
probably did need some help.” He put his hand under her chin now, sweetly asking if he could kiss her. Naturally she obliged him.
By the time the evening ended, well after midnight, Marley felt certain that her relationship with Jack had taken a definite turn—a turn for the best. As she drove home, she felt like singing.
Chapter 29
JANIE
Early on Saturday morning Janie quietly let herself into the inn. After locking the door to the basement behind her, she tiptoed downstairs to her law office. Her goal was to finish putting everything away and be ready to open her office on Monday. She’d purchased ad space in the local paper and wanted to be set up and ready to meet with clients as soon as calls started coming in. Because her advertisement promised legal consultations at an affordable price, she expected to get results. However, knowing that Donna was still renting a room from Abby, she did feel uneasy about being in the house.
“How long is she going to be staying there?” Janie had asked Abby last night.
“On Thanksgiving I told Donna that I could only rent to her for one more week,” Abby said.
“So she has to be out by … when? Wednesday, Thursday, Friday?” Janie could hear the frustration in her own voice.
“I’m sorry. Maybe I should’ve said by Monday.”
“It’s just that I want to start using that space.” Janie told her about the ad.
“Do you want me to throw Donna out?”
“No, of course, not. I would think she’d want to leave now that Victor has made himself perfectly clear.”
Abby had told Janie about the conversation between Caroline and Donna on Thanksgiving night. “Caroline told me that Donna sounded hostile and angry—not just toward you, but all of us.”
“And yet she’s still here?”
“Apparently.” Abby had apologized again, promising to do all she could to get rid of her unwanted guest. Today Janie knew she was probably asking for trouble by being here, but she wanted to get on with her life. If that upset Donna, so be it.
Janie had finished bundling up the wires to her computer and printer and fax machine when she heard someone knocking on the door at the top of the stairs. Trying to ignore it, she continued tucking the wires out of sight, but then she heard what sounded like Caroline calling out her name. So Janie crawled out from under her desk and hurried to open the door.
“I saw your car,” Caroline said quietly as Janie let her in and then locked the door again. “I didn’t want to disturb you, but I think Donna knows you’re here. I have a bad feeling about that.”
“A bad feeling?” Janie frowned.
“I think that woman is on the warpath.”
Janie couldn’t help but chuckle. “Really? Is she carrying a tomahawk?”
“I wouldn’t be surprised.” Caroline explained that Donna had gotten all dressed up. “I asked her if she was getting ready to head back to Chicago, but she said no, she still had some business to take care of here.”
Janie sighed. “What is wrong with that woman?”
Caroline pointed to the side of her own head. “I think she’s deranged.”
“So what do you think I should do?”
“I don’t know, but I just figured if you needed to sneak out, you know, while Donna was preoccupied, well, maybe I could help.”
Janie nodded. “That’s probably a good idea.” She glanced at her watch, surprised to see that it was nearly noon. “I promised to meet Victor for lunch at The Chowder House, so I really do need to go.”
“Okay. Let me run up there and distract her. Give me about five minutes, then get out of here as fast as you can go.”
Janie thanked her. Waiting behind the closed door at the top of the stairs, she kept her eye on her watch, and after five minutes she quietly slipped out of the house and into her car with no problem. Feeling pleased with herself, she made it to the restaurant and was seated with Victor a few minutes past twelve.
“It’s so good to see you.” He reached over and grasped her hand, smiling warmly into her eyes.
“And you, too.” But his smile faded when Janie told him about Caroline’s escape plan. “Otherwise I might not have gotten here on time.”
“I can’t believe Donna is still in town. She promised me she would leave.” Victor made a grim face. “Frankly she worries me a lot. She’s been calling the house regularly. I don’t answer when I see that it’s her. It seems pointless to talk to her. But that kind of behavior is unsettling.”
“Caroline seemed a little concerned too, but really, I think if we just ignore Donna and go about our lives, well, she should get the message. Eventually.”
“You’d think. Just the same, it might not hurt for me to speak to her again. Firmly, of course. Somehow I need to make it perfectly clear that it’s pointless for her to stick around.”
“That might be good.”
He squeezed Janie’s hand. “Let’s agree not to waste any more time talking about my ex-wife.” They enjoyed lunch and each other’s company, and because the sun was out, Victor invited Janie to walk down to the docks with him to check on the boat.
“I feel so badly about what Donna did to you that day, and how she took your key.” He pulled out a new brass key and slipped it into her hand. “I had a locksmith come out and change the locks.”
“Thanks.” She pocketed the key and paused to gaze at his boat. “She’s such a pretty boat, Victor.” She wanted to add that it would be a shame if Donna did something to mess it up. Janie wouldn’t have been surprised if Donna stooped to something that low.
He climbed aboard, then reached out to help Janie. “I also had a security system installed, both at home and here.” He opened up a small metal box by the cabin door. “Hopefully I’m not getting unnecessarily paranoid, but it seemed a good idea.” With her watching, he punched in the code. “Remind me to write down the numbers for you later, so you can finish outfitting the boat at your leisure. Of course, I want to compensate you for the things that Donna, uh, removed from here.”
Janie shook her head. “I still cannot figure how she did that.”
They went into the cabin, and to Janie’s relief everything looked perfectly normal. Janie still felt sad to remember how Donna had sabotaged her, but losing some silly material things seemed insignificant compared to what might have happened if she’d lost Victor. They poked around the cabin for a bit, and Janie was just explaining an idea for sprucing up the small eating area when someone began pounding on the door.
“Oh no.” Victor looked troubled. “I’ll bet that’s—”
“Let me in,” Donna yelled. “I know you’re down there!”
Alarmed and imagining the worst, Janie pulled out her cell phone. “Do you think we should call the police?” she whispered.
“No, not yet.” Victor pointed to the bedroom as the pounding and yelling continued. “Go in there, lock the door, and be quiet while I try to reason with her. If it gets out of hand, go ahead and call 9-1-1. I hate to say it, but Donna is, uh, a bit unpredictable.”
Janie didn’t hesitate to do as she was told, but as soon as the door was locked, she had her phone ready.
“What are you doing here, Donna?” Victor asked in a firm tone.
“Looking for you,” Donna snapped at him. “I know you’re not alone.”
“Donna,” Victor said calmly. “I don’t know why you’re doing this. But you have to—”
“I’m doing this because I still love you, Victor. We belong together. Why can’t you see that?”
“I’ve told you, Donna. It’s over between us. You have to accept that.”
“I know you still love me, Victor. How can you say you don’t?”
“I don’t want to hurt you, Donna, but the truth is I do not love you. My love for you died a long time ago. I’ve tried to be patient durin
g your visit, but it’s time for you to go home. There is no hope for us ever getting back together. You have to understand and accept that.”
Janie could hear Donna beginning to cry. “But … but … Victor! How can I go on without you? I know I messed us up. But we can fix that. Why can’t you just give me another chance?”
“I did give you another chance, but I can’t manufacture feelings I don’t have, Donna. It’s over between us. Now please go back home. Get on with your life. And get some help.”
Janie heard their voices getting quieter, and the sound of footsteps on the ladder. She waited for a several minutes, still hearing their voices on deck though she couldn’t make out the words. Finally Victor returned. “It’s okay,” he told her. “You can come out now.”
She cautiously unlocked and opened the door. Feeling uneasy, like she was actually doing something wrong by hiding in the bedroom, she came out and looked around. “Did Donna understand?”
“I hope so. I tried to be perfectly clear.” He put his arms around Janie now. “I was tempted to tell her everything, including how serious I am about you, but I didn’t want to make her too angry.”
“I appreciate that.”
He leaned down and kissed her. “I’m sorry this has been such an ordeal for you, Janie. I appreciate how patient you’ve been with me.”
She smiled into his face. “I actually appreciate how understanding you’ve been toward your ex-wife.”
He looked surprised.
“Okay, it took me a while to fully appreciate that, but after I gave it some thought, I realized it showed your integrity, and that you’re a gentleman. I think your sons appreciated it too.”
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