Chapter 15
15
Exhausted from the weekend and mildly hungover again after an evening meal at Todd’s, Jake planned to spend the morning catching up in the office but instead drove out to Petrie Bay, surfboard on the roof rack and his wetsuit draped over the back seat. Work could wait.
With the recent rain and autumn having made a hasty entrance, the air was cooler than usual for the season, and as Jake hit the water, his body tightened with the cold. But by the time he’d caught a few waves, the headache was gone and his energy recharged.
Later, as he dried off back at his truck, the one thing he couldn’t clear from his mind was the low hum of all things Molly Parker. That fitted black dress with its crisscross straps, the bold red lipstick, and the unique scent of her. The way she spoke—her words sprinkled with New York pepper, like she’d lived there most of her life.
And as he stood at the southern end of Petrie Bay, just west of the pines, and watched the sun climb into the clear blue sky, Jake realized that the brief time he spent with her on Sunday night was the most connected he’d felt to another human being in a long while.
Back in his own home that night, Jake went to bed before nine. But, unable to relax, he lay in the dark with his hands behind his head as if searching the ceiling would somehow manifest answers to the questions he was reluctant to engage in.
If things had been different, he might have invited Molly in for a post-after-party drink the other night, but her question about his brother had brought his drunk ass crashing to earth with a thud.
And what would Jesse make of the Molly of today—of Jake’s growing fascination with her? Because that’s what it was—a fascination that had no place in his reality.
Pity he had no idea how to curb it.
Two days later, Jake was about to leave for the gym when his phone lit up with a call. He checked the caller ID before answering.
“Annabelle, what can I do for you?”
“Morning. Sorry to call you so early, but it seems we’ve hit a bit of a speed bump.”
Jake picked up his keys from the hall table and slipped them into his pocket. “Is this to do with Molly?”
“No, not Ms. Parker. Alexia Cunningham. She’s contesting James’s will. I’ve received an email from her lawyer, who has Alexia listed in the claim as your stepsister. Is that correct?”
Shit! Mentally reviewing his and Alexia’s text exchange from Sunday night, Jake returned to the living room and slumped down in the nearest chair. He removed the phone from his ear and hit the speaker icon. “Mum’s been dating, if you can call it that, Robert Cunningham on and off for the past few years, but they’ve never lived together. We’ve known the Cunninghams since my high school days.”
“According to her lawyer, Alexia maintains that James promised financial assistance to help launch her business brand before he died.”
Jake had to stop himself from blurting out an astounded “bullshit.”
“Were Alexia and James particularly close?” Annabelle continued.
“Not at all. In fact, quite the opposite. He’d be turning over in his grave if he knew she’d pulled a stunt like this.”
“Okay. Good to know.”
Jake wanted to add that his twin couldn’t stand Alexia, but he’d said his piece; anything further would be inappropriate. “Do my parents know?”
“Not yet. Well, not to my knowledge.”
“Okay. I’ll talk to them. How long will this take to sort out?”
“How long is a piece of string? It could be months if we can’t persuade her to drop it. In the meantime, my advice is to tread carefully as far as Alexia is concerned. This is a legal process and, as such, needs to be dealt with via the proper channels.”
“I understand.”
And Jake did. He understood that when it came to Alexia, his first instinct was his best. Even back in high school, she was the type to say what you wanted to hear to your face but also kept a figurative switchblade in her school uniform sock in case she felt the need to stab you in the back.
Also, while she’d never admitted it to Jake or Jesse, he knew for a fact that Alexia passed herself off as their stepsister whenever it suited her. Sure, her father and his mother had an on-again/off-again thing going, but right now, it was very much off, and for that, Jake mentally thanked the universe. Because not only did he find Alexia challenging at times, but her father was also a prize jerk whose “wheeler-dealer” reputation was often the talk of the town. What his mother saw in the man, he’d never know and tried not to think about.
“Right, well, I’ll keep you informed of any developments,” Annabelle continued. “In the interim, I suggest you talk to your mother—she may have some insights we don’t regarding Alexia. Also, I’ve forwarded a copy of James’s will to Molly Parker but, so far, have heard nothing back. Shall I flick her an email with this latest update?”
“No, I’ll let her know. Talk soon.”