Chapter 20
Jacob opened his door to his hotel suite, listening to his daughter chatter happily about her day and what she and Sierra had been doing. His mood suddenly light because she sounded like her old self, more alert and vibrant since Sierra had returned and he didn’t know how to feel about that.
Last night, he had been wondering what they were doing at home without him.
He’d been distracted throughout dinner and didn’t pay attention to most of the festivities.
His thoughts were full of Kaitlyn and of Sierra.
He realized he didn’t once think of Marissa until Kaitlyn mentioned her in the call.
His daughter excitedly announced that she and Mommy were going on a private picnic outside in the backyard and that she’d gotten Grandpa to find her an old projector and screen for them to watch movies on later.
Concern thoughts of Kaitlyn being outside in her condition overwhelmed him, then turned to anger because he was now put in the position of being the bad guy.
He spotted Colin standing by the big windows of the hotel room with a cup of coffee in his hand, staring absently out the window. Jacob paused a few feet away.
Colin turned when he heard Jacob say, “Okay munchkin, Daddy loves you. Can I speak to your mom for a second?”
Jacob glared at Colin, a none-too-subtle warning for him to mind his business. Though Colin did turn back to the window, the angle of his head suggested he was going to eavesdrop. Not in the position to threaten his sibling, Jacob rolled his eyes and prepared to lower his voice.
“Hi Jacob, how is Vegas going?”
His heart skipped a beat at hearing her say his name.
Her greeting sounded warm and pleased to be talking to him.
He like hearing her this way, which spiked his anger because he had a girlfriend and he didn’t need to be rekindling anything with his ex-wife.
His tone now sharp, “Sierra, I don’t like being made to look like the bad guy here, but I do not want you taking Kaitlyn outside. It is cold, and she could get sick.”
At first, only silence at first greeted him. He tensed as memories clung at the edges of his mind, and he waited for the blast of anger.
“It’s okay, Jacob, we can do something else that will be fun.
I had checked with Dr. Hayes and she said as long as Kaitlyn was dressed properly and was not outside for a long period of time, it should be okay.
Dad dropped off a battery-powered heater, but I can come up with something else and tell her I changed my mind. ”
He felt like such an ass. Part of him wanted to ask when she’d started talking to her father again, but the upset at not being consulted still made him feel bitter, and he didn’t bother to ask.
Or are you really bitter because you would rather be there joining them on their picnic….
His mood darkened further and then the silence between them began to drag on. They both talked at once.
“I’m sorry, I should have waited to speak to you before telling Kaitlyn.”
“You could have called,” he huffed, and his indignation was again shot down when he realized she didn’t have his number. His voice softened. “It’s okay as long as Dr. Hayes says it is okay. I will give you my number when I am back home tomorrow night. You should have it to be able to reach me.”
“Thanks, Jacob.”
“Yeah okay, no problem.” And again awkward silence fell like a veil between them. He knew he should let her go but a stirring in his chest left him wanting her to stay on the line a little bit longer. But when he saw Colin staring at him, his curiosity piqued, Jacob quickly said his goodbyes.
Deliberately ignoring the stare aimed at the back of his head, Jacob went to the pot of coffee Colin had brewed and he poured himself a cup. Though Jacob had always been the early riser of the brothers, as a kid and as a businessman, he appreciated Colin being up to prepare the coffee.
Though Jacob wasn’t in the mood for small talk, he knew Colin was about to interrogate him about how Kaitlyn was doing.
He felt sad and disappointment for Kaitlyn when Colin’s expression held a look of excited expectation and Colin said.
“I will bring Coco by to see her when we get back from Vegas before her surgery next week. And about her being a flower girl, will she be okay to do that? I would love the munchkin to be there.”
He cupped both hands around the mug, and sighed. “I don’t know, we will have to see how it goes after the operation and if she is up to flying.”
Of course, Kaitlyn was chosen to be Colin’s flower girl, but with her recovery time, Jacob was still unsure if she would be able to fly to Barbados.
Colin’s broad shoulders slumped, but both men understood the delicate nature of her condition.
Colin then nodded and they sipped their coffee in silence.
As if the silence allowed for a change in topic, Colin asked, “So how is it going with Sierra, Jacob?”
Jacob stiffened, not liking that he was about to be grilled but not surprised either.
Though he’d kept up a frosty front whenever his brothers mentioned Sierra, it was still a bizarre situation looking in from the outside.
“So far, so good. She has been keeping her promises, and she found a local benefactor to continue her AA meetings with.”
Colin blinked with suspicious surprise. “And how is Kaitlyn handling her mother being home?”
Coffee abandoned, Jacob raked his hands through his hair and let out a frustrated sigh.
“The truth is she has been flourishing now that Sierra has been back. It was hard trying to keep her away from her mother, especially under the same roof and Sierra tried to keep her distance but you know how stubborn Kaitlyn can be when she wants to be.” He tried to maintain the frustration in his voice, but any thoughts of his daughter’s mood being brighter now that Sierra was here made him happy for his child.
“Maybe this is a good—” Colin shut his mouth immediately when Jacob shot him a look capable of ending him. Colin swung up his hands in surrender and tried another approach to Jacob’s amusement of his brother’s tenacity. “How is everything going with Marissa and the new situation at home?”
He raked his fingers through his hair again, his annoyance returning.
Though he could understand her upset, Marissa was flooding his phone with text messages about how unhappy she was about the new living situation, that he wasn’t spending time with her anymore and that Kaitlyn preferred to be with her mother more than her lately.
How the only time she felt needed was when she was cooking and cleaning for them.
He grimaced because even though they’d been dating for some time, his main focus was on Kaitlyn; she was his only priority right now and he could no longer give any time to his relationship and lately, he was not sure if he even wanted to.
“Marissa is not happy about it, but I don’t pay her to be happy, just to take care of my child and make sure she is happy. ”
Colin pressed. “Are you still considering asking her to marry you?” At that point, Jacob shrugged and refused to acknowledge Colin otherwise. He was done with the conversation, which was good because door locks churned and disengaged. Then Abbott surreptitiously crept into the room.
Jacob’s eyebrows rose and he stared in surprise as Abbott was still wearing the same clothes as last night. It didn’t take long to spot the thin band around his finger. Unbelievable was the only word that came to mind.