“Oh.” Jessica hadn’t thought of that. But her birthday wasn’t for months, and she’d be turning twenty-eight. These flowers were obviously not for that purpose. “Thanks for your help.”
Jessica told her aunt what she’d discovered—which was exactly nothing. Except that the sender obviously wanted to remain anonymous.
“Do you think you should report this to the police?” Ellen asked.
“I don’t know what they could do. I kind of doubt this would be considered any kind of a threat.”
“I suppose. Maybe it was just sour grapes on the part of your former boyfriend.”
“You mean Alex?”
Ellen’s eyebrows went up. “Are there any other former boyfriends you’ve broken up with recently?”
Embarrassed, Jessica laughed. “I guess I was kind of thinking of Kyle in that category too. That’s all.”
“Oh.” Ellen looked thoughtful. “You don’t think Kyle . . .”
She shook her head. “No.” She couldn’t begin to imagine he would do something like that. “He wouldn’t do that.”
“I don’t think so either.”
Jessica gathered up all the black roses—including the one Hudson was chewing on—and carried them out to the trash. She closed the lid, then wiped her hands together and nodded once, determined not to let some mean, spiteful person ruin her day, or worry her. Although deep down, she was worried.
That evening and all the next day, Jessica hoped that Kyle would reach out to her—even a text would be welcome—but he didn’t. And when she woke up Monday morning, she anticipated his arrival to begin working on Ellen’s kitchen with a mixture of anxiety and eagerness.
When he arrived, Ellen let him in the house, while Jessica stayed upstairs. It wasn’t that she’d meant to avoid him—in fact she’d considered stationing herself in the sunroom to work that day so that he couldn’t avoid her. But at the last minute she’d chickened out and had carried her laptop up to her bedroom where she could focus on her work. Halfway through the morning, as she sat on her bed working, she heard a brisk knock on her bedroom door.
Surprised that her aunt hadn’t walked in right after knocking, and not wanting to move Hudson from against her leg, she called out, “Come in.” When Kyle opened the door, she was even more surprised.
He looked at her with that same unreadable expression, then said, “You have a visitor.”
“Where’s Ellen?”
“She had to run an errand.”
“Who’s the visitor?”
His eyes narrowed. “I’m not your butler, Jess.” Then he turned and walked out of the room, leaving her bedroom door open.
She set her laptop down and climbed off of her bed, then headed toward the stairway. She could hear Kyle working in the kitchen, and wondered who could be there to see her. Was it another delivery? Carefully walking down the stairs—she’d had enough falling down the stairs in this house to last her a lifetime—she saw that the front door was closed and no one stood in the entry. Her brow creased with curiosity as she opened the front door, then she released an exasperated sigh. “Alex, what are you doing here?”
“I got your message.”
“What? What message? I didn’t send a message.”
One of his eyebrows rose. “Yes you did.”
Putting her hands on her hips, she glared at him, not appreciating being called a liar. “What did I say in this alleged message?”
“You said you missed me, and that you were lonely, and that you wanted me to come see you as soon as I could.”
She opened her mouth to speak, but was interrupted by Kyle.
“Excuse me,” he said. “I need to get by.”
Startled by his presence, she wondered if he’d heard what Alex had said, but moved aside. She watched him as he passed Alex then walked down the stairs and out to his truck. Focusing back on Alex, she frowned. “When did you receive this message? How did you receive this message?”
“I got an email last night.”
Had her email account been hacked? Who would do that? Why?
“Well, I came,” he said. “Just as you requested.”
Kyle was coming back up the porch steps.
“I didn’t ask you to come,” she said loudly enough for Kyle to hear, although she kept her gaze on Alex.
Kyle stopped to the side of Alex, and looked at Jessica. “Is there a problem here?”
She began to shake her head, but Alex glared at Kyle and said, “Mind your own business, idiot.”
Kyle turned his gaze to Alex, who was a couple inches shorter, and about twenty pounds lighter, and stared at him until Alex looked away first. Then Kyle looked at Jessica. “Let me know if you need anything.”
She nodded, feeling the testosterone flowing as the men seemed to silently fight over her. Though flattered, she would have preferred for Alex to leave, and for Kyle to draw her into his arms and tell her that all he cared about was her and her feelings. But neither of those options seemed to be forthcoming.
Kyle walked past her and into the house, while Alex kept his gaze steadily on her. “Now that I’ve driven all the way here, I think you should at least invite me in.”
Was he right? Was she obligated to be a good hostess? Or should she just send him away?
He looked at her plaintively. “Come on, Jessica. I worked all weekend, and I’m really beat. Don’t make me turn around and drive three hours back without a rest.”
She almost told him he could go rest somewhere else—after all, what if he was the one who sent the black flowers? But then she looked at his face and remembered the devastation he’d seemed to feel when she’d broken up with him the week before. She decided to show him some kindness—she just hoped she wouldn’t regret it. “Oh, all right,” she said, standing aside to let him enter. “But just for a few minutes. I’m really busy with work right now.”
“Thanks, Jessica.” He walked past her and into the living room, where he sank onto one of the chairs.
“I’d offer you something to eat or drink, but the kitchen’s out of commission right now.” To emphasize her point, the sound of cupboards being ripped from the wall could be heard coming from the kitchen.
“Oh, is that what your . . . friend . . . is working on?”
She didn’t miss the subtle emphasis on friend. “That’s right.”
“What did you say his name is?”
“Kyle.” Jessica didn’t sit down, not wanting to invite a long conversation.
“Kyle what?”
“Judd. Kyle Judd.”
Alex nodded. “I think you need to tell him where his place is. He seems a little too interested in your business.” His eyes narrowed. “How long have you known him, anyway?”
Having no desire to go there with him, and deciding it was a mistake to invite him in, she tried to change the subject. “Have you sent me any flowers recently?”
This seemed to get his attention. “No, why? Did you receive some?”
“So you haven’t sent any flowers to me, at all?”
“No, Jessica. I haven’t.”
His denial was very convincing. She hesitated, wondering if she should push him further, although she doubted he would admit it if he had sent them. “I have a lot of work to do,” she finally said. “You should probably go now.” She paused. “There are plenty of places in town for you to rest.”
Irritation flashed across his face. “You’re not very appreciative, are you?”
She huffed out a sound of displeasure. “Appreciative of what? That you showed up uninvited? Again?”
“It wasn’t uninvited.” He shook his head in obvious annoyance. “Oh no, it was very much invited.” He stared at her. “I think after you sent that email you just changed your mind, but you don’t want to admit it.”
She glared at him, and as she spoke, she uttered each word distinctly. “I. Never. Sent. An. Email.”
“Uh huh. Whatever you say, Jessica.”
She rubbed the sides of her head t
o ward off the headache that was starting. “Look, I’ve got to get back to work. Please leave.”
He didn’t move, but a look of bitterness filled his face. “Or what? You’ll get good old Kyle to escort me out?”
He had no idea how much she didn’t want to have to resort to that. “No.” She waited a moment, and when he still showed no indication that he was going to leave, she said, “Please just go, Alex.”
“I’ll go. On one condition.”
“No conditions. No deals. No promises. Just go.” Any empathy she’d felt toward him had vanished.
“You agree to meet with me in thirty days to discuss our relationship.”
She opened her mouth to protest, but he held up his hand.
“You can pick the place,” he said. “We’ll meet there. If you tell me then that we’re done, I’ll leave you alone.”
“And in the meantime?”
He smirked, then shrugged. “I said I’ll go if you agree to that condition.”
Sighing and closing her eyes, she decided to agree. At least it would solve her immediate problem of getting him out of her aunt’s house. She opened her eyes. “Fine, fine. Whatever.”
He smiled. “Good.” He stood. “I’ll be in touch.” Then he walked to the entry, turned around and smiled at her, then left.
“Why oh why won’t he just take no for an answer,” she muttered, locking the deadbolt, then going to the window to make sure he left. After he was out of sight, she decided to peek in on Kyle, preferably without him noticing. She could hear the distinct sound of wood being tossed to the floor, and as she approached the corner that would reveal the kitchen, she slowed, then poked her head around the corner.
Kyle was facing her and evidently saw her. “Did your boyfriend leave?”
Knowing she’d been caught, she walked into the sunroom and toward the adjoining kitchen. “He’s not my boyfriend, Kyle. We’ve been over this.”
He shook his head, but didn’t smile. “Interesting that he says you asked him to come over.” He looked away from her and jammed the crowbar under the cabinet and yanked, his muscles straining as the wood struggled to stay attached to the wall.
A loud crack sounded as the cabinet broke free and Jessica shouted over the racket. “He’s lying. I didn’t send him an email.”
Kyle set the cabinet on the floor and gazed at her. “Uh huh.” Then he turned to the next cabinet.
“What about Melanie?” she said, grasping for something that would turn the conversation to his shortcomings.
He paused and faced her. “What about her, Jess?”
His familiar use of her nickname brought a sense of longing. Longing for him to throw aside any doubts, and all other relationships, in favor of her. Frustrated that he stubbornly refused to do that, she said, “Never mind.” Then spun around and went back up to her bedroom.
The first thing she did was check her email account. There was no email to Alex in her sent box, and she figured he’d made the whole thing up as an excuse to come see her. Just to be safe, she changed her password.
Chapter Ten
Over the next two days Kyle worked on the kitchen, but Jessica didn’t make an extra effort to seek him out. Her strategy was to go about her life and let Kyle see that she was doing fine without him. She even hoped he would wonder about her and Alex, thinking that maybe if he realized another man wanted her, that would make her more desirable.
Late in the afternoon on the fourth day of the kitchen project, with no indication that Kyle would make the first move, she relented, remembering her vow to fight for him. For all she knew, he was getting together with Melanie every evening in the misguided belief that his relationship with Jessica was not going to work out. At least she hoped such a belief was misguided.
She set her laptop on her bed, and headed down the stairs. Halfway down, she saw her aunt in the entry, reaching for the door. “Hi, Ellen.”
“Oh, Jessica. I’m going to run to the store. I would have told you, but I didn’t want to disturb you.” She smiled. “Do you want to come with me?”
“I’d better not. I’m just taking a quick break, then I’ve got to get back to work.”
“Okay. See you in a bit.”
“See ya.” Jessica walked through the living room and toward the sunroom, gearing up for a conversation that could go any number of ways. A moment later the kitchen came into view. It was a shell of its former self—the cupboards gone, the old vinyl ripped out, the appliances pushed into the dining room—and Kyle was patching holes in the wall. “Maybe you can patch the bullet holes when you’re done,” she said, striding to within ten feet of him.
“Good idea.” He glanced at her and smiled. “Might as well while I’m at it.”
“Looks pretty bare in here.”
He looked around the empty walls. “Think of it as a clean slate.”
“A clean slate, huh?”
“Yep.” He stared at her a moment, then set down his tools and walked over to her, stopping about three feet away. “Kind of what I’d like to have with you.”
His comment was unexpected, but hope rose within her as she gazed at him. “You would?”
His voice dropped to nearly a whisper. “Jess, I love you. Why don’t you seem to get that?”
Was he really saying that, or was she having one of her fantasies? Blinking to make sure she was, in fact, awake, she didn’t respond, not sure what she was supposed to say. She considered what she wanted to say—If you love me so much, why do you spend time with Melanie and her daughter when you know it bothers me? What will it take for you to put them in your past? No, she didn’t think that would go over well. That type of comment is what created this rift in the first place.
Instead she said, “That’s a beginning, I suppose.”
His smile faltered. “Just a beginning?”
“We still have some . . . issues . . . that we need to work through, don’t you agree?” Wondering if he would understand that she was referring to Melanie and Avery, she tried not to get distracted by his sheer magnetism and the effect he always had on her. To distract herself, she pulled up the memory of the previous Friday night, nearly a week before, when she’d sobbed until she’d decided she wasn’t above begging to get him to be in her life.
Now here he was, standing in front of her, professing his love for her. Was she still willing to tell him he could have his cake and eat it too? No, she abruptly decided, she couldn’t live with the idea of playing second fiddle to Melanie’s child.
“What do you mean?” he asked.
“I mean, what are you going to do about Melanie?”
Annoyance briefly crossed his handsome face, but it was gone almost as quickly as it appeared. “Tell me, Jess. What do you want me to do about her?”
She pictured Melanie standing on Kyle’s porch the previous week, smiling at him with her perfect teeth, ignoring Jessica as she announced that she would come by later—which she did. Now Jessica smiled, thinking, Is he really going to let me call the shots on this? Cause I’ll be ruthless. “For one thing, you can tell her ’No’ when she wants to come over.”
He slowly nodded. “Okay.” A look of concern crossed his face. “What if she needs help with Avery?”
She held back a sigh. “Do you mean to tell me there’s no one else who can help her with her child?”
He frowned. “Not that I know of.”
Now I’m going to sound heartless. “Perhaps you can give her the name of some child care services in the area.” Jessica frowned. “Who watches Avery while Melanie’s at work?”
“She goes to an in-home daycare, but the woman is very strict about the hours she’ll watch her.”
“Oh. Well, can you suggest she check in to some places that offer after hours care?”
He recoiled a bit. “You want to put Avery in a place with strangers?”
“It’s not like they’re not qualified. This is what they do. They take care of children.”
He shook his head, clearly n
ot convinced. “I’ll have to talk to Melanie.”
Exasperation pushed her to speak without a filter. “No. You just have to tell her you’re not available and let her figure it out. Avery is her child. Not yours.”
His eyes widened as he stared at her, then after a moment, and in a very calm voice, he said, “You’re right, Jess. You’re right. She’s not my daughter.”
A feeling of victory swept over her. He finally gets it. But that feeling was swiftly replaced by anxiety when he smiled sadly and said, “I’d better get back to work. I have a lot to do.”
Jessica watched as he turned his focus back to his work, essentially dismissing her, then she walked back toward the stairs, her thoughts jumbled. She stopped in the living room, out of Kyle’s sight, and sank onto the couch. She replayed their conversation, knowing she was missing something, but not able to figure out what it was.
He’d just seemed so calm when he said Avery was not his daughter. Too calm. It’s almost as if he was just realizing that fact. Not sure why that bothered her, she decided not to overthink it, to allow her mind time to digest their conversation first.
Her thoughts were interrupted by the ringing of the doorbell. “That better not be Alex,” she muttered as she walked to the front door and turned the knob. But when she saw Melanie standing on the porch, she almost wished it was Alex.
“Hi,” the pretty blond woman said brightly. “Is Kyle available?”
Not feeling at all charitable toward her after her conversation with Kyle, Jessica didn’t even pretend to be nice. “He’s working.”
“I just need to see him for a teeny tiny second.” When she smiled, her nose crinkled in a way that would be cute. To a man. But to Jessica it was just another indication of how this woman operated.
The memory of Melanie dropping off the disc of photos flashed through her mind. Photos that Melanie had given Kyle long before. She’d only done it in the hope that Jessica couldn’t resist the temptation to look, and that she would see the adorable family photos starring Kyle, Melanie, and Avery. And it had worked.
But now, wise to her ways, Jessica stonewalled, smiling in a fake-friendly way. “I’m afraid he’s on the clock, Melanie. Is there a message I can give him?”
Second Chances (sequel to Over You) Page 8