Chapter Twenty
Jameson rose when he heard Victoria and Ivan enter the pool area.
“Go get some rest. I’ll watch over her,” Ivan said, holding a bag of groceries.
“Thanks, Ivan. How did it go yesterday?” he whispered and glanced toward Caroline’s room.
“She’s a fighter,” Victoria assured him. “Caroline will heal. When will you?”
Frowning, he shot her an angry glance. “My loving father didn’t sell me like used goods and try to kill my family. In fact, your husband killed my mother as punishment for her part in torturing you. How long did it take you to heal?”
“Stop acting like a crybaby, Jameson,” Victoria ordered. “It’s unbecoming. Caroline has a strong character.”
“I’m not whining. I don’t need to heal. I’m concerned about her,” he insisted as the door to Caroline’s room opened.
“I beg to differ,” Victoria said, as Ivan went to greet Caroline.
“Call Claire in Serenity or talk to the counselors on the ranch. James affected me in ways I never imagined. If you want a shot at her, you’ll find a way to deal with your feelings concerning James and Phillip.
If I had known about you, I’d have insisted Ivan take you with us.
We might’ve escaped together and led very different lives.
Since we didn’t, you must bury the bitterness inside you. ”
“Did you see a professional?”
Victoria crossed her arms and grinned.
“Ivan paid a man to come to the mansion. After the first session, he begged to leave.”
“Why? Surely he’s met traumatized patients before,” Jameson gazed at her as her eyes twinkled in amusement. “Victoria, what did you do?”
“I told Ivan not to leave me alone with the man. When he did, I took out my knife and explained how I liked to cut nosy little men into pieces. He didn’t seem interested in treating me anymore,” she said with a shrug. “You don’t want to become like me.”
“No way, Ivan, let you get away with scaring the doctor away,” Jameson said, shaking his head.
“He did. And see how I turned out? Talk to someone and get your shit together,” she said, patting his chest. “You’re a good man, Jameson. It’d be a shame for you to prove your Serenity family right.” Victoria turned and walked away.
“No coffee, Caroline. Water only. We’re leaving for our run,” she reminded Caroline.
“I poured a cup for Jameson,” she explained, appearing uncertain. He hated seeing the doubt in her eyes.
“Can I take it to go?” he asked. “It’ll keep me awake while I drive back to Embers.”
Caroline passed him the cup. “I don’t have a to-go thermos. I added cream and sugar.”
“This will do,” he said, taking her offering. “Thanks. Have a great day.”
Caroline rolled her eyes. “Be sure to bring more cream,” she whispered.
“I heard you,” Victoria called. “We’ll do an extra lap for your attitude.”
Caroline groaned, making him laugh.
Jameson left, wishing he could pull her into his arms and kiss her goodbye. Little steps, he reminded himself.
“How did your day go?” Thomas asked Caroline as she brought him a cup of tea.
“She showed me a few moves. Since I did better this morning, Victoria left me to keep practicing on my own. I have my counseling appointment in another hour, and then I’ll get to it,” she informed him as she sat across from him.
“I’m proud of you, Honeybee. I’ve worried about you. You’re strong like your mother,” he said proudly.
“Don’t worry, Dad,” she implored. “I’m working on things. It’s not easy, but others have it a lot worse.”
“There’s my Caroline, always thinking of others,” he boasted. “I’m blessed you’ve come back to me after all this time. I can rest at peace, knowing you’re safe. I only wish for your happiness.”
“I’ll get there someday. After all, you saw Victoria. She and Ivan seem very happy, like you and Mom,” she said, biting into the apple she brought with her.
“Have you spoken with Jameson? He hasn’t stopped by for the last couple of days,” Thomas said, frowning.
“He guarded the house last night,” she said casually. “He left when Victoria and Ivan showed up this morning.”
Thomas sipped his tea, eyeing her with a parental gaze.
“Jameson seems like a man who has known pain. It’s hard for a young man growing up with a father like James.
From what I recall, I didn’t know Jameson existed until later.
James always boasted about Phillip. He was a rotten little boy when James brought him to the office.
He stole items off desks and deliberately shattered a handmade art project my secretary’s son made for her before he died in a car accident.
The woman remained inconsolable for weeks. ”
“How terrible,” she said, imagining living under James Stanton’s roof as his son. “Maybe he learned the behavior from his father.”
Thomas shook his head. “No. Something about him seemed unnatural. Phillip liked to hurt people at a young age. I recall my partner talking about him getting expelled from several schools. Perhaps it’s a good thing Jameson didn’t get raised by his father.”
“His mother didn’t seem much better,” she pondered.
“It’s too bad,” Thomas commiserated. “He’s spending his life saving those his father destroyed. He deserves some kindness in his life.”
“I know where you’re going with this,” she warned. “Please respect my feelings, Dad.”
“I do. It’s hard to watch you struggle. Jameson wants to make you happy,” he told her gently.
“I want to create my own happiness. I don’t need a man to do it,” she said firmly.
Thomas smothered his laughter at her feisty reply. “All right, I’ll change the subject. What shall we have for dinner? Nancy went shopping and planned to meet her son. I told her not to worry about us. We can fend for ourselves.”
“I’m up for anything. Hey, I have an idea. After dinner, why don’t we play cards like we used to?” she said excitedly.
“Oh, I haven’t played our game in forever. It’s a brilliant idea,” he said, grinning.
Caroline checked her phone. “It’s almost dinnertime. I’ll check what we have in the kitchen and get started. Will you stay out of trouble if I leave you alone?” she asked, caressing his cheek.
Thomas took her hand and kissed it. “You’re my greatest joy,” he murmured. “I’ll eat whatever you make. I’m anticipating beating you at cards,” he teased.
“You wish, Dad. Don’t cry to Nancy when she gets home about how badly I thrashed you,” she giggled, heading into the house to check the fridge. She opened the door and scanned the food items. Deciding on a stir fry, she took out some veggies and a pack of chicken.
As she pulled the cutting board from the cabinet, the doorbell rang. She walked to the door, and her heart raced. Why did something as simple as answering a door scare her?
“Who is it?” she called as she glanced out the front window.
“It’s me, Caroline,” Jameson answered. “Nancy mentioned she planned to visit her son. I brought you and your father dinner.”
Letting her heart rate slow, she unlocked the door and opened it.
Jameson stepped inside and set the bags on the floor. He cupped her face, searching her eyes. “What’s wrong?” he asked firmly in a tone she only heard when he saw a woman hurt or a child cry.
“It’s stupid.”
“Nothing you can say will make me believe you’re stupid,” he assured her. “Tell me what’s the matter.”
“Nancy answers the door. I didn’t realize how something this small made me feel this much dread,” she confided.
Jameson wrapped his arms around her. “It’s your nervous system. It’s stuck in fight or flight,” he said softly in her ear. “There’s nothing wrong with you. Your body needs time to adjust.”
Caroline nodded and pulled away.
Jameson took a step back and picked up his surprise. “I found the Italian restaurant you spoke about last night. I ordered you chicken parmesan and didn’t know what your dad liked, so I got a few things,” he said, showing her the food.
Her mouth fell open, and she wrapped her arms around his neck, hugging him. “Thank you. What a treat. Can you bring it into the kitchen? Dad’s on the patio. I’ll get him.”
Jameson took everything and headed to the kitchen while she wheeled her father inside.
“You won’t believe what Jameson brought us,” she said, taking him to the kitchen table. “I’ll be right back.”
Bounding back into the kitchen, she grabbed plates and silverware while Jameson took everything from the bags.
“You will eat with us, right?” she asked. “Dad will be in heaven.”
“Sure, as long as you’re comfortable with it,” he said, gazing at her.
Nodding, she grabbed the dinnerware and took it to the dining room. At the sight of Jameson following her with food trays, her father beamed.
“Hello, son,” he greeted. “What do we have here?”
“He brought us Italian food from our old neighborhood,” she informed him, smiling.
Thomas placed a hand over his chest as Jameson placed the trays before him.
“You’ve given us such a gift. We plan to play cards after we eat. You’ll stay and join us, won’t you?” Thomas said, waving him to sit on the other side of him.
“I’ll grab drinks and be right back,” Caroline said, disappearing into the other room.
“You did good, son,” Thomas said, patting his hand and gesturing toward the food.
“He’s only saying it because he remembers how bad I cooked. If you didn’t show up with this, he’d be forced to eat my impromptu stir fry,” she teased. “Doesn’t this smell delicious?”
Jameson unwrapped the bread while Caroline poured the olive oil and added seasonings.
She placed a small plate beside her father, and Jameson passed him a piece of bread.
“Son, did you fly there? It’s still warm,” Thomas exclaimed as he dipped it in the seasonings. He closed his eyes and chewed, obviously enjoying it.
Caroline smiled, watching her dad. Jameson passed her the chicken parmesan.
“Thank you,” she said, taking a small piece and filling her plate with pasta.
“And she smiles,” her father clapped his hands together. “It’s the best gift yet.”
“Eat before your food gets cold,” she chastised him lovingly.
“What did you do today, son?” Thomas asked him.