Chapter 23
CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE
THE WRENCH
Lennon
Cole Carson didn’t need to worry about us having any fun without him. The moment he and Bella headed for the airport, all activity came to a grinding halt.
Andrei’s cell hasn’t left the motel. We have physical proof, too, since Brax and King are sitting outside doing surveillance. I can’t imagine how boring that is, but I guess it’s what they do.
The man named Jarvis is waiting for Andrei’s new captain to leave the boat so he can break in.
The thought of that brings me back to my darkest memory ever that’s captured on surveillance even though Jett and Devon have told me not to worry about it.
I guess this Jarvis fellow is the best at what he does.
The remainder of my first day of vacation ever was spent listening to Harlow and Jett prepare for their meeting with the board tomorrow.
Jett referred to it as his newest pain in the ass and something he didn’t have time to deal with at the moment.
Regardless, Patrick and Chrissie spent hours quizzing Jett and Harlow on talking points, figures, and future goals of Stonebridge.
By the time they were done, I didn’t have the heart to ask the million questions about Jett and his new family, let alone his seat on the board or trust fund. In the big scheme of things, it was at the bottom of the list of things to rehash for the day.
I paced their suite, watched stupid TV—something I haven’t had the chance to do in years—and waited for updates from secret organizations who made their living working on the dark web.
And not one person was arrested. Any other time, I’d be appreciative of boring, but this kind of boring is wearing on my nerves.
Today is a new day. I’m back at work but promised Jett I’d stay in my office. When Felicity called and asked why I took an unexpected day of vacation, I decided to quit hiding my past from her.
I unloaded about everything.
Well, everything other than the notch on my soul that will never heal, even if I did take a life to protect mine.
Poor, wholesome Felicity. She’s not cut out for my kind of family drama. There was no other way to describe her than aghast by what I’ve been through. After an hour-long conversation on the phone, she told me she’d bring me leftovers for lunch today so we could spend time together.
And that’s where we are now. I fork a bite of reheated chicken pot pie into my mouth while the closest friend I have in Winslet sits across my desk and mulls over my past.
“You poor girl.” Felicity dabs at the tears she shed for me.
“I wish I had known. I’m not sure what we could have done, but we would’ve done something.
Heck, we would’ve moved you into my craft room.
If you can sleep in the basement of the public library, you could’ve slept in the middle of my projects.
The only reason I never asked you is because you seemed dead set on doing things on your own.
As a career woman, I wanted to respect that.
But now I know!” She emphasizes that word and even throws her hand toward me dramatically.
“Harold and I will move you in immediately. We can carpool to work. Though you don’t have a car, so it would just be you riding with me, but that’s okay. ”
I swallow and wipe my mouth with the paper towel napkins she provided with my lunch. “You’re the best. So is Harold. But I’m staying here with Jett. For now, it’s working out.”
“Yes, Jett.” Felicity packages up her to-go containers as she talks. “I really like him. And, since you’re staying with him, I assume things are progressing nicely between the two of you. Harold and I approve.”
“Thank you. That means a lot to me.” I smile as I take another bite and wonder if most women would be annoyed by an older woman approving of their relationship when they have no say in anything.
Not me. I love it. I’ve never had anyone who cared enough about me to approve or disapprove of anything I’ve ever done.
“It did happen rather quickly, but hey, you’re a modern woman.
And now that I know you’re making up for lost time, it makes even more sense.
I will say, Harold and I will not be happy if Jett breaks your heart.
We will have no trouble picking sides. We’ll cut him out, just like that.
” She snaps her fingers as an exclamation point on her declaration. “Dead to us.”
I point to her with my fork and tell her the truth, because I haven’t had a woman in my life in years. Not a friend. Not a sister figure. And definitely not a maternal stand-in for the real thing. “That means even more to me ... more than you know.”
“We’re just going to hope that doesn’t happen. The two of you are cute as a button. Why, the first time I saw you together in the parking lot after he stole your car, I thought to myself, now this is a handsome couple. They would make some pretty babies.”
My eyes widen.
I’ve only had sex once. Before Jett and I went to bed last night, he said no matter how much I begged him, there would be no sex because he wanted to make sure I was okay from our first time.
I tried to argue, but he put his foot down.
There was no more sex for me, but I did get another earth-shattering orgasm that put me to sleep.
But babies?
Babies are nowhere on my radar. I don’t know how to be a mother. If it ever happens, I’ll need to YouTube motherhood the way some would use it for changing a toilet or putting in a fence.
“I know, I know, talk of babies seems premature, but you fast-tracked moving in with the man, so I just thought maybe it could happen. Harold and I couldn’t have babies.
” Felicity doesn’t need me to carry on this conversation, which is good, because I’m not sure how to respond to any of it.
“We came to terms with it a long time ago.”
“I’m sorry.”
She tsks me. “I said we were fine, and we are. But that doesn’t mean we can’t have people in our lives, right? I’ve decided that when you have babies, we’re calling dibs on Grandma and Grandpa roles.”
I stumble over my words. “Oh. Of course. I mean, if it happens, I’d be honored.”
“Babies can’t have too many grandparents, right? Harold and I are at the age where we’re primed and ready to spoil little kiddos. If we get in good with you and Jett, maybe Harlow and Devon will let us adopt their babies someday too.”
I had no idea adopting grandbabies was a thing. “I mean, I can’t speak for them, so I don’t—”
“I can see it now.” Felicity is on a roll and smiles as she looks off into the space above my head. “I’ll be in my Grandma Era.”
She’s so happy, there’s nothing else for me to do but encourage her. “You’ll be amazing. I know you will.”
She looks back to me before collecting my dirty to-go containers and packs them with hers.
“I can’t wait to tell Harold. It will soften his edges after I tell him that the man who calls himself your father pawned you off, and you were held hostage by that horrible man.
It’ll make the grandpa role even more special. ”
I’m anxious to change the subject, so I ask about the meeting that Devon set up for me at the end of the day. “You’ve lived in Winslet all your life. What do you know about Payne Deacon?”
Felicity frowns. “Are you thinking about dumping Jett?”
“Oh my gosh, no. I have a meeting with Payne this afternoon to represent me, should I need it. I’m nervous, that’s all. I don’t know what to expect.”
Felicity looks relieved. “Well, then. Not that I don’t like Payne. I do. He’s a real looker, even more now than he was when he was young. I’m older and married, but I can still see.”
I smile. “Hey, you’re only human.”
“That’s right. Anyway, he was a high-falutin attorney before he moved home when all that stuff happened with his parents.
He took over the family business when he wanted none of it right out of college.
I heard he wanted out of town. I’m not sure why he ended up coming home.
If you think you need a lawyer, you can’t go wrong with Payne. ”
“I just want to be prepared for anything, you know? Thank you for always being so kind. It’s really hard for me to trust new people.”
She stands and clutches her oversized lunch box. “It sounds like you’re on your way to fixing all your problems. We’ve become awfully attached to you. Your home could be right here if you allow it. I hope you stay.”
“I hope so too.”
Her expression turns stern. “Don’t you dare leave the office until Jett can come and get you. We don’t need anything else to happen.”
And with that last demand, our lunch break is over. She turns and leaves. She doesn’t have to worry about me tempting fate. I’m not going anywhere until Jett is done with his emergency board meeting.
Jett
The last twenty-four hours has been a trip to hell and back with a pitstop in Death Valley to fuel up for the experience. And half of the journey has been instigated by a money-hungry, power-tripping board member.
The last year has not been easy on my birth father.
He was drugged into a coma by his then wife who was having an affair with his right-hand man, Allen Foster.
Foster is now serving time for a list of crimes so long, I’m sure the media was bored out of their minds by the time they dug to the bottom of it.
He’s also the one who gatekept me from Patrick and Harlow.
Then he almost managed to have Harlow killed.
He knew I was a second heir and did everything he could to keep me from Patrick.
Had Harlow not foiled her ex-fiancé’s murder plot, I wouldn’t be standing here healthy for the first time in years, have a woman in my bed who I cannot stop thinking about, and with a life expectancy of a normal, healthy man.
Foster almost took out the entire Madison family, even if I’m not a Madison by name.