Chapter 14
Jamie
Jamie made sure he didn’t have work at the café, as he wanted to be at the B&B for when his sister showed up to talk to Alice.
Not once had she contacted him in eight years, and according to Alice, Shannon hadn’t bothered with Mabel either.
He knew his twin had moved to Australia, but that didn’t mean she had to cut their grandmother off all together.
He paced the foyer, checking the clock behind the desk every two minutes, wishing Shannon would arrive earlier than arranged, as he wanted to know what her plan was.
She always had an agenda, but he hoped she had changed over the years, and he wanted to give her the benefit of the doubt. After all, the people around him were giving him a second chance.
His instincts told him trouble was brewing. Shannon had rage in her eyes the night before at the tree lighting. Why on earth she had it in her head that Alice had taken their grandmother’s business was beyond him.
‘She didn’t even come to Mabel’s funeral or send flowers,’ said Alice, coming out from the dining room.
‘Whatever she wants, I’ll sort it.’ He could see Alice was concerned.
‘I would have spoken to her last night if she hadn’t walked off.’
‘Best to do it here in private. Take her out back. Give her a cup of tea or something.’
Alice nodded. ‘Oh, I’ll be polite about things. I just wish I knew what things I’m dealing with.’
So did he. He went to respond but closed his mouth as Shannon walked in, head high and lips pursed.
‘Come and sit in Alice’s living room,’ was his greeting.
Shannon smirked at Alice as she followed her brother.
Alice glanced at Jamie, but he just went straight to the sofa and sat down.
‘Spit it out, Shannon. You’ve come a long way to be here, so let’s not beat around the bush.’
She raised a perfectly groomed eyebrow. ‘Trying to get rid of me already, Jamie? I wonder why.’ She glared at Alice.
Alice cleared her throat. ‘Last night you said I’d taken your nan’s B&B, but I did no such thing, just so you know.’
Shannon sighed. ‘You’re the owner, so how about you tell me why my grandmother left this place to you?’
‘She didn’t,’ replied Alice. ‘I bought it from her before she died.’
‘Perhaps if you’d bothered to keep in touch with Nan, you might have known that,’ said Jamie.
Shannon pointed towards the door. ‘In case you haven’t noticed, I don’t live round here anymore.’
Jamie rolled his eyes. ‘Little invention called the phone.’
‘I lead a busy life. We recently moved to New Zealand. Plus, we’ve been travelling a lot. My husband likes to take me places. I can’t be expected to drop everything just to make phone calls.’
‘She was your nan,’ said Alice.
‘Oh, mind your own business.’ Shannon splayed a hand to the room. ‘And this business you think you own is my inheritance — I’m here to get it back.’
Jamie huffed. ‘Don’t be daft. You can’t take something someone bought from our nan.’
‘But it doesn’t belong to her.’ Shannon scoffed, flicking her hair back. ‘Typical of you to be on her side.’
‘There are no sides. This is Alice’s now.’
‘And how do we know she didn’t trick Nan into selling? How do we know Nan was in her right mind? Little Miss Goody Two Shoes here could have taken advantage.’
‘I did not,’ snapped Alice, jumping to her feet.
Shannon crossed her legs. ‘Got proof of that, have you?’
Alice gave a sharp nod. ‘Yeah. How about you ask around? Everyone who knew Mabel knew she wasn’t vulnerable. She was moving to Jersey to start a new life with her girlfriend.’
That snippet of information seemed to stun Shannon for a moment.
‘What girlfriend?’
Alice sat back down. ‘I guess that’s none of your business.’
Shannon patted her chest. ‘My nan’s money is my business. So where is it, eh? Did she leave it to you?’ She turned to Jamie. ‘Or you? Because I haven’t heard a thing all this time. All I got was one short letter telling me she’d died.’
‘She didn’t leave her money to me,’ said Jamie, wishing his greedy sister would just go away. It was all a bit much sitting there listening to her waffle on about inheritance and what she deserved. He was glad his grandmother left her out of the will.
‘She didn’t leave her money to me either,’ said Alice. ‘And if she didn’t leave any to you, then I guess she didn’t want you to have any.’
‘One of you had better tell me where her money went, because if she sold this place, then that’s a lot of cash floating around.’
Jamie took a calming breath. Shannon had always been quite blunt with her words, but the conversation was a touch too cold for his liking. ‘Don’t you even care that she’s dead?’ Judging by her expression, it didn’t look as though she did.
‘So, you’re only here for money?’ asked Alice.
‘I’m here for what’s rightfully mine.’
‘Why have you waited so long? Mabel passed away in August. It’s December now.’ Alice shook her head.
‘I do know, and as I’ve already explained — I travel a lot.’ Shannon huffed. ‘I really don’t have time for this. Just give me my share, and I’ll be on my way.’
Jamie looked at Alice before turning back to his twin. ‘We don’t have your share. There is no share. I don’t even know what Nan did with her money. Probably left it to her partner.’
‘She did,’ said Alice. ‘And charity.’
Shannon’s cheeks went a shade of purple. ‘Are you telling me that my inheritance went to some local cats’ home?’
Alice bobbed her head. ‘Something like that.’
‘I’ll see about that.’ Shannon stood. ‘I’m going to get a solicitor involved.’
‘Well, you do that,’ said Jamie, fed up with her attitude. ‘And good luck to you, but it’s got nothing to do with us, so no need to come back here again.’
Shannon’s eyes widened. ‘Could you be any ruder?’
He didn’t want to argue with her. Whenever he had in the past, it had always drained him, as half of what she said never made sense. She was always right, and either the victim or the hero of the story, never able to see the villain in her ways.
Alice stood, gesturing towards the door. ‘At least you now know what’s been happening here. Perhaps if you’d called, you’d have saved yourself the long trip.’
‘We’re here visiting my husband’s family.’
Jamie blew out a sarcastic laugh. ‘Yeah, good to see you too, sis.’
She made for the door. ‘You haven’t exactly made me feel welcome, Jamie. You didn’t even bother to contact me to let me know you’d been released.’
‘Why would I? You didn’t write to me when I was inside.’
‘I moved away.’
‘Does that affect your hands then?’
Shannon shook her head. ‘Don’t make this my fault. I was staying away from trouble. I had a new life.’
And now he had one too, and it didn’t include her.
There was no malice inside him, no anger or remorse connected to her.
He just felt it was a shame they weren’t close like some siblings he knew.
She’d always been distant even when home, and as he grew he figured perhaps that was her way of protecting her mental health from all the trauma.
Shannon turned to Alice and held out a hand. ‘May I have the contact details of my nan’s partner?’
‘Nope,’ said Alice flatly. ‘She’s an elderly woman, and she doesn’t need the stress.’
‘If she gives me my money, she won’t get any stress.’
Alice shook her head. ‘You won’t get anything from her. Mabel hardly left her a thing. Their chosen charities gained the most.’
‘Fine, then tell me which charities she gave to.’
‘Nope. I loved Mabel,’ said Alice. ‘I won’t betray her.’
Shannon snarled. ‘Oh, you’ve always been so stupid.’
‘She’s not stupid.’ Jamie rose from the sofa.
‘You would say that. Got your feet well and truly under the table here, I see. She doesn’t even realize you’re using her, does she? You’ve always been able to con this one.’
‘You don’t know what you’re talking about,’ snapped Alice, moving to Jamie’s side.
He hoped Alice wasn’t buying into his sister’s spiteful words. ‘I think we both know you’ve always been jealous of Alice. I wonder why. Oh, that’s right, it’s because people like her.’
Shannon scoffed. ‘Oh, please. You know she’s a soft touch, that’s why you keep her around. I bet you’ve already found a way to get your claws into this place.’ She smirked at Alice. ‘Has he got you to sign anything yet? Put something in his name perhaps?’
‘No, he hasn’t, because he’s not devious like you. There is no agenda here, just friendship. You just don’t recognize that because you never had any mates.’
Shannon stormed off to the foyer. ‘I keep my circle small, and I know exactly who is inside, but you, Dipple, think you know my brother. I’m telling you now, he’s using you.
Laughs behind your back. I bet he’s in your bed every night declaring his love while thinking up ways to take Seaview from you. Wake up, you fool.’
‘That’s enough.’ Jamie pointed at the door. ‘Go away, leave us alone, and don’t come back. You’re no family to me. You’re just poison.’
Shannon smirked over her shoulder as she went to step over the threshold. ‘You’ll see his true colours one day, love. When all this disappears from your grasp.’ And with that, she moved to the Christmas tree and pushed it over before marching off.
Alice stared wide-eyed at the baubles and tree ornaments rolling her way. ‘Really?’
Jamie pinched the bridge of his nose as a headache loomed.
He was used to Shannon’s nastiness so not much surprised him when it came to her.
But trying to plant seeds in Alice’s mind was the last straw.
He swore to himself there and then that his twin was now dead to him.
He never wanted to see or hear from her again.
‘Spiteful cow,’ muttered Alice, crouching to pick up the tree.
Jamie rushed to help. ‘What she said about me, I—’
‘Hey, I know that’s not true. What, you think I’d believe her? I grew up with her too you know, and obviously, she hasn’t changed much.’
They straightened the tree, then set about gathering the decorations sprawled all over the floor, a couple broken.
Jamie went to fetch the dustpan and brush from the cupboard by the stairs. ‘I just don’t know what to say.’ He was now wondering if anyone else thought he was using Alice. ‘I get paid soon. I’ll be able to start paying my way here. You’ll see I’m not using you.’
Alice stopped tucking the fairy lights back in place.
‘I know you’re not doing that. Don’t let her get inside your head.
She sure as hell isn’t in mine.’ She approached him and took his hands in hers.
‘What have we always said about ourselves, eh?’ Before he could reply, she added, ‘No one understands our friendship but us.’
He nodded, dipping his head, fed up that his sister had stirred the pot. It was reassuring to hear that Alice didn’t believe her, but he still felt like crap.
‘Everything’s okay, Jamie. Just stay focused on your goals. Don’t let her ruin anything for you.’
He met the sincerity in her eyes, knowing she really was such a kind person. ‘I still want to start paying my way.’
Alice gave his hands a gentle squeeze. ‘Sure, that’s fine.
You can help out around here as well, if you like.
Some housekeeping on your days off. Bit of handyman work.
’ She stepped back to continue picking up baubles.
‘I’ve never seen you as a user, just my friend.
And if you want to be part of the team here, then chip in when you can. ’
Jamie felt a little less rattled. ‘I want you to know I’d never try to take this place from you. You’re the only person I know who loves Seaview as much as Nan did.’
Alice glanced his way. ‘I know you wouldn’t.’
‘I can sign some documents to prove that if you want. You know because—’
‘There’s no need for anything like that. I don’t even need your word. I know you’d never do anything to hurt me.’
He lowered his eyes. ‘I did hurt you though, didn’t I? Being stupid and getting arrested the year your sister died. You needed me, and I wasn’t around.’
‘I don’t want to talk about that time.’
Jamie stepped closer. ‘That’s because it angers you. Perhaps it’s for the best if you let it out. Shout at me or something.’
‘I don’t want to fight with you, Jamie.’ She gestured at the dishevelled tree. ‘Don’t you think we’ve had a bad enough morning as it is? Let’s just tidy up and get on with our day.’
‘Sometimes I want you to yell at me.’
‘Will it make you feel better?’
Jamie shrugged. ‘I put you through a lot.’
‘No, you put yourself through a lot. I just tried to be there for you. How you choose to live your life is none of my business, and how I choose to live mine is on me. Yes, it would have been nice to have had your help when Lisa died and I had to take care of Benny, but it wasn’t to be, so what’s the point of bringing it up?
I don’t want to remember things that make me angry.
I have a nice life. I’m happy.’ She shoved an ornament into the tree.
‘And yeah, you should have been there, but it’s done. I need you to let it go.’
Jamie inhaled deeply, feeling all of her pain. ‘I’m sorry, Angel.’
‘So am I, so forget it now. I’ll not be dragged back to that time.’
‘I understand.’
‘No, I don’t think you do. It was the worst year of my life. My family was broken, you were in prison, and I could barely breathe most days. All I wanted was to run away to your room and bury my head beneath your quilt with you holding me.’
For so long Jamie had wanted her to release that pent-up anger, as he always knew it was there.
It wasn’t his place to force it from her, but at the same time, he needed her to be free of the hold it had on them both.
It was the unspoken issue that bugged the life out of him. He could only guess what it did to her.
‘Happy now,’ she said, her shoulders drooping. ‘I raised my voice, and I only did that because my guests are out, and you seem to think I need to get things off my chest by blaming you.’
‘I don’t want anything bad between us, and Shannon just made me—’
‘Feel bad about yourself again. Yes, I know what she does to you. But I’m not having her ruin what you’re building here. So now can we move forward. Please?’
Jamie nodded slightly. ‘I’m scared things might come back to bite us if we don’t deal with them now.’
Alice sighed and stepped closer. ‘Nothing bad is going to happen. You’re all right, Jamie.’
‘It just feels too good to be true sometimes.’
‘It’s good because you’re making it so. Look at me, Jamie.’ She tilted his chin so they were face to face, and he smiled into her warm gaze. ‘The past is gone. You’re here now and on the right track and your future looks bright. It’s time for you to enjoy life.’
With her by his side, he was starting to believe happiness and peace was possible.