“I’ll take care of it. Why don’t you go lie down for a while?”
“Really? You’ll clean it up?”
“Of course. It’s no big deal.”
“Thank you.” Though she didn’t want to end the conversation, she couldn’t think of anything else to say, so she took a step toward her room, but her back felt so stiff that she moved awkwardly.
“Let me help you,” Kyle said. He put his arm around her waist, but when she faltered again, he effortlessly scooped her up into his arms. “I think this will be easier.”
Inhaling sharply at his unexpected proximity, she placed her arm around his neck. Her face almost touched his and the scent of his cologne overwhelmed her senses. It was all she could do to keep from resting her head on his shoulder. His strong arms pressed against her body as he carried her to her room, and she didn’t ever want him to let her go.
When they reached her room, he gently set her on the bed, then sat on the edge next to her. “You really scared me when I heard you scream and then heard the crash.” His jaw clenched briefly. “I was afraid of what I was going to find.”
His obvious caring and concern filled her with hope. “It scared me too.”
He gazed into her eyes and reached for her hand. “I still care about you, Jessica.”
Her heart pounded as he began stroking her hand. Then he suddenly stopped.
“What’s this?” he asked, holding up her hand where they could both see the engagement ring.
“It’s, it’s . . .” she stammered.
“Are you engaged? When did that happen?” He released her hand and she let it fall to her side.
“No. He proposed, but I haven’t given him an answer.”
“I see.” His jaw clenched again, but this time there was no warmth in his eyes. He stood and stared down at her. “But you’re wearing his ring now. I think we both know what that means.”
Feeling any chance with Kyle slipping away, Jessica couldn’t think clearly. “It’s not like that.”
“I didn’t realize things were so serious with you and him.”
Jessica stared at him, at a loss for words. How could she explain her relationship with Alex? She was confused about it herself. And though she knew she was still in love with Kyle, she couldn’t admit it to him. That would open herself up to being hurt and she wasn’t about to do that. Besides, what about Melanie and his daughter? She couldn’t forget about them. Even though he admitted he still cared about her, she refused to break up his family.
“I’d better get back to work,” he said.
She watched as he left her room, then listened to his footsteps go down the hall. A short time later she could hear him cleaning up the broken glass. She knew when she got up and walked down the hall there would be no trace of the accident she’d had. But the scars on her heart were another matter.
Chapter Twenty-Five
Jessica lay in bed for a while, feeling sorry for herself. Hudson soon joined her, snuggling against her side. After a while Jessica dragged herself out of bed. As she stood next to the bed, she slowly stretched her arms and bent from side to side, trying to loosen her stiff muscles. She had too much work to do to lie in bed, and after a few minutes of stretching she left her bedroom and walked toward the stairs.
Not a speck of glass could be seen in the hallway and she smiled despite herself, impressed with the job Kyle had done. She could hear him working in her aunt’s room as she walked past. Holding tightly to the handrail, she made her way down the stairs and into the sunroom. Her laptop was where she’d left it, and after settling herself into a plush chair, she booted it up and picked up where she’d left off earlier.
A little while later she heard a knock at the front door. Glancing at her watch, she wondered if Alex had come early and felt a moment of panic that she hadn’t come to any kind of decision regarding his proposal. For a moment she considered not answering the door, but the person knocked and then rang the doorbell, obviously certain someone was home.
Setting aside her laptop, Jessica pulled herself out of the chair and walked stiffly toward the door. Preparing herself to face Alex, she opened the door, but it wasn’t Alex standing there.
“Jessica, right?” Melanie said, her blond hair pulled up in a French twist, emphasizing the blue of her eyes.
“Yes. Hi, Melanie.” Jessica self-consciously pushed her hair behind her ears, knowing how plain her hair looked. It’s no wonder Kyle prefers her over me. She’s stunning.
“Oh my gosh,” Melanie exclaimed, reaching for Jessica’s left hand. “Are you engaged? That ring is gorgeous.”
For some reason, having Melanie think she was engaged made her feel better. As if she had proof that someone cared about her enough to marry her. “Do you want to come in?”
Melanie stepped inside and Jessica closed the door behind her.
“What’s his name?” Melanie asked, like she and Jessica were old friends.
“Alex. But I haven’t decided yet if I’m going to accept.”
Melanie pulled her gaze away from the sparkling diamond and looked at Jessica. “Why not? What does he do?”
“He’s a contracts attorney.” Jessica could tell Melanie was impressed, and pride swelled within her.
“Wow. So when did he propose?”
“Last night at dinner.”
Melanie’s voice dropped to a near whisper. “So are you going to accept?”
“I’m not sure.”
“What’s holding you back?” she asked, her voice back to normal volume.
Jessica smiled somewhat self-consciously. Though she enjoyed the girl-talk, she couldn’t tell Melanie the truth. I’m in love with your boyfriend. And by the way, did you know he and I were engaged a few years ago? “I just don’t know if I’m ready to take that step.”
“You should jump on the offer. I know I would.”
The thought of Kyle asking Melanie to marry him pierced Jessica to the center of her heart. She forced herself to keep a neutral expression on her face. “So have you and Kyle talked about marriage?”
“Oh sure. We talk about it all the time.” She paused. “In fact, I might have a ring of my own soon.”
The thought of Kyle making that final commitment to another woman made Jessica feel sick, and she felt her face pale.
“Are you okay?” Melanie asked.
Jessica nodded, not able to speak.
“Melanie?” Kyle called from the top of the stairs.
Jessica and Melanie both turned and looked in his direction.
“Hi, sweetie,” Melanie called out.
“What are you doing here?” Kyle asked, glancing at Jessica before focusing on Melanie.
“I was in the neighborhood and I wanted to stop in and see you.” She took a step toward the stairs, then turned back to Jessica. “It was nice talking to you.”
Jessica nodded and watched Melanie gracefully ascend the stairs. When Melanie reached Kyle on the landing, she threw her arms around his neck and kissed him. Jessica couldn’t pull her gaze away and saw Kyle close his eyes in apparent pleasure.
After another moment Jessica turned away and hurried, as best she could, back into the sunroom. She sat in the chair and stared at the ring on her left hand. After talking to Melanie, reality had begun to sink in: There was no future for her and Kyle.
Maybe I should just accept Alex’s proposal, she thought. It could be years before I have another opportunity to marry. And maybe I won’t have another opportunity at all. She twisted the ring this way and that, allowing the diamond to catch the bright rays of the sun. It sparkled brilliantly and she smiled as she pictured the sincerity and love on Alex’s face. There was no question how he felt about her. He couldn’t make it any clearer that he was in love with her. And she loved him. Yes, she was still in love with Kyle, but she was beginning to accept that she had to move past that. She thought she could be happy with Alex.
I’m going to accept his proposal, she decided abruptly.
Relief
rushed through her now that she’d made a decision, and as she imagined the happiness Alex would feel at her acceptance, her own happiness began to grow.
Jessica opened her laptop and began working. After a while she heard voices coming from the entry.
“I have to get back to work,” Melanie said.
Jessica strained to hear the conversation. Then she stood and hovered near the wall separating the sunroom from the living room so she could hear better.
“But you can come to dinner tonight?” Kyle asked.
“Of course. Why?”
“I need to talk to you about something,” Kyle said. “Something important.”
“Is that right?” Melanie said, her voice seductive.
There was silence and Jessica imagined them kissing passionately.
“I’ll see you tonight then,” Melanie said.
A moment later the front door opened and closed, and Jessica heard Kyle walking back up the stairs.
He’s going to propose to her tonight, Jessica thought, devastated. Stumbling back to the chair she’d been sitting in, Jessica fell into the chair and stared into space. Is this really a surprise? What did you think was going to happen? Melanie told you they had talked about marriage. You’re going to marry Alex. So why are you so upset?
Closing her eyes, Jessica tried to sort out her feelings. I’m in love with Kyle, but he is most obviously not available. I do love Alex and he loves me. He is the one I need to be focusing on. Not Kyle. Jessica opened her eyes and stared straight ahead, not seeing the beauty of the room she was in.
Sick of thinking about her confused love life, she turned her thoughts to Douglas Harrington. She replayed her interaction with him at the car dealership earlier that day, then thought about the way he had treated the server at the restaurant. What kind of a man was he, really? Kyle seemed to think he shouldn’t be messed with. But why? What did Kyle know? Jessica decided she needed to talk to Kyle and find out what he knew about Douglas Harrington.
She chewed on her lip as she thought about going up the stairs and talking to him. How could she face him after overhearing the conversation only a moment ago? While she gathered her courage to go up the stairs and talk to Kyle, she Googled Douglas Harrington to see if she could find anything nefarious about him, but all she found were mentions of him related to his businesses.
I guess I’ll have to ask Kyle, she thought, pushing herself out of the chair and toward the stairs. As she entered her aunt’s bedroom she heard a scraping sound coming from the bathroom, and when she got closer she saw Kyle kneeling on the floor, spreading thin set across the back of a tile, then placing it in position. As she watched his movements, she could almost feel his arms around her as he carried her to her bedroom earlier that day. But then the words he’d said to Melanie rang through her head. “I need to talk to you about something. Something important.” The tone of voice Melanie had used had made it clear that it was something she was happy about. Jessica could only assume he was going to propose.
She frowned and watched Kyle place tile spacers around the tile. Noticing he had his ear buds in again, she called to him loudly, not wanting to tap him on the shoulder and startle him like last time. He turned his head, and when he saw her he smiled and removed the ear buds. “Hi, Jessica.”
“Hey. It’s looking good.”
He stood to face her. “Thanks. What’s up?”
“Earlier you said something and I just had a question.”
He glanced at her engagement ring, then back at her. “Okay.”
Suddenly it occurred to her that he might think she was referring to his comment that he still cared about her. She felt her face heat up, then to avoid any confusion, blurted, “It’s about Douglas Harrington.” Though she did want to know what he had meant when he said he still cared about her, she didn’t want to be the one to start that conversation.
“Oh.”
Surprised by his apparent disappointment that the topic was about Douglas, Jessica felt further confused. Did Kyle want to talk about his feelings toward her? Wasn’t he about to propose to Melanie? Maybe he wants to get my blessing, to assuage his guilt for dumping me. Well, I’m not going to help him out there. “This morning when I told you I had found something out about Douglas Harrington you said I shouldn’t mess with him. What did you mean?”
“Why? What’s going on? Do you know him?”
“No.”
“Then why are you asking? What did you find out about him?”
Jessica hesitated, deciding if she should tell him about the letters and everything she’d learned. Then thought, Why not? “I found some old letters in my aunt’s attic from his mother to his father.”
His eyebrows pulled together in confusion. “I don’t understand. Why would his parents’ letters be here?”
“His mother had an affair with William Donohoe. He’s the man who owned this house before my Aunt.”
He shook his head slightly. “What are you saying?”
“I’m saying that Douglas Harrington’s actual father is William Donohoe.” Jessica watched him take in that information.
“So his father isn’t really Charles Harrington?”
“That’s right.”
“Are you sure? The letters said that?”
“Well, the ones his mother wrote didn’t name names, but then I found one from William that did.”
“Maybe you misinterpreted what the letters said, Jessica.” He paused. “I’d be interested in reading the letters myself.”
“Unfortunately, the letters were stolen last night.”
Kyle’s eyebrows went up. “Stolen? What do you mean?”
“I mean they were in the drawer next to my bed yesterday afternoon, and when I came home from my date with Alex . . .” Jessica hesitated when a crease formed between Kyle’s eyes, but then it smoothed out. “They were gone.”
“Who do you think took them?”
“My guess is Douglas Harrington.”
“How would he even know you had them?”
“I don’t know.”
“Did you make any copies?”
“No, I didn’t think to make copies. But then I didn’t think someone would come in and steal them, either.”
“Did anyone else read these letters?”
“My aunt read the ones from Douglas’s mother, but the one from William was stolen before I had a chance to show her.” Jessica watched Kyle’s face as he digested the information.
“And that’s the letter that named names?” Kyle bit his lip and looked away, then looked at her. “Don’t take this the wrong way, but are you sure you didn’t misunderstand what the letters said?”
Jessica stared at him a moment. “You don’t believe me, do you?” Stunned that he doubted her, she felt a spark of anger beginning to grow.
“It’s not that exactly. It’s just, well, it’s a pretty major claim to make without any proof.”
She frowned. “I had proof. Until last night when someone came into the house and stole it.” Jessica paused. “Besides, if it wasn’t true, why would someone bother to break in and steal them?” Jessica watched Kyle’s face and wondered what he was thinking. “So what do you know about Douglas? Why did you say not to mess with him?”
“I think you need to just let this whole thing go.”
“Why?” She stared at him. “You don’t believe me? You think I’m mistaken?”
He hesitated. “It’s just an awfully big leap to say Douglas Harrington is not the son of Charles Harrington.”
“Well, it’s true.”
He clenched his jaw before he spoke. “Look, even if you’re right, what does it matter to you? Why is it up to you to find out?”
Jessica pressed her lips together, irritated at him for telling her what to do. “Are you going to answer my question about Douglas Harrington?”
“There’s really nothing to tell.”
“Then why did you say not to mess with him?”
“I’ve just heard rumors. I don
’t even know if they’re true.”
“What rumors?”
“I’ve just heard he has a temper.”
Jessica pictured the way he had treated the server and believed the rumors could be true. “Anything else?”
“No. And Jessica, it’s not up to you to be the girl detective. Don’t you think you have enough on your plate with your aunt and your job and your impending wedding?”
The spark of anger burst into flame and her mouth fell open. How dare he tell me what to do with my life. When he walked out on me he gave up any right to have a say in what I do with my time. “I have work to do.” Then she turned and stalked out of the bathroom. When she reached her bedroom, she sat on the edge of her bed and fumed, furious that Kyle would tell her what to do. And then to throw her engagement in her face—what did he know about it, anyway? He didn’t know if she had agreed to marry Alex or not. Yes, in her mind she had decided, but it wasn’t official yet. And he was going to propose to Melanie tonight, so what did he care what she did?
And so what if Douglas had a temper? She could be a ‘girl detective’ if she wanted to. No one could stop her, least of all Kyle.
Chapter Twenty-Six
As she sat on her bed, she thought about Douglas Harrington. If he was the one who stole the letters, and she couldn’t think of anyone else who would be interested, he obviously knew William was his father. She wondered how he found out. Did William tell him like he wanted to? She didn’t know when William died, but she did know when Douglas turned eighteen.
She decided to find out exactly when William died, then she could make a guess as to whether or not William had told Douglas the truth. She searched the obituaries of the online newspaper archives, but they didn’t go back far enough. Sighing in frustration, she decided she would have to go to the library and look at the microfiche. Glancing at the time, she saw it was getting late in the afternoon and she needed to work. She would have to wait until the next day to go to the library. She decided she could work for a couple of hours before getting ready to have dinner with Alex.
Over You Page 18