Chapter 9
Bonnie dropped the mail inside her house and started down the steps of her deck, following Jack’s path. She gritted her teeth, preparing herself for an unpleasant encounter. It wasn’t that she thought Jack would react badly to her apology; on the contrary, she dreaded seeing his wife, Sharon.
Sharon Barlow was Bonnie’s nemesis. It felt vaguely absurd to use that word, but it was the only one that accurately captured their relationship. Bonnie didn’t want to have a nemesis, but Sharon wasn’t the kind of woman who took no for an answer if she could help it. Frankly, Sharon was the driving force behind the remodeling competition. Jack did the labor, but Bonnie had seen Sharon ordering him around and making more and more demands on him every summer.
It wasn’t just Jack, either. At restaurants in town, Bonnie had seen Sharon berate waitstaff and roll her eyes at valets. She was impatient, high-strung, and easily offended. All of Bonnie’s initial overtures of friendship had been met with cool condescension and scathing comments about her appearance. Her clothing, jewelry, and bags were never up to Sharon’s standards, and for some reason, it irked her that Bonnie wouldn’t compete with her the way Peter competed with the houses.
Bonnie found the whole thing exhausting. It wasn’t why she came to the lake. So coming face to face with Sharon and having to thank her for collecting the mail wasn’t something she looked forward to doing. However, apologizing for her rudeness to Jack and thanking both Barlows for keeping an eye on the house while they were away was the right, neighborly thing to do.
Instead of coming up to their back deck, she went to the front door. Part of her hoped they wouldn’t answer, but she knew as soon as she walked up the porch, it was unlikely. Their light was on, and she could see the silhouette of someone moving around in the kitchen through the windows. She knocked on the door and waited, braced for a vaguely unpleasant conversation and inappropriate assessment of her physical appearance.
Then the door opened, and it was Jack, not Sharon. She was relieved and happy she could focus on apologizing and not on dodging Sharon’s well-timed insults.
“Hi, Jack.” She offered a sheepish grin, hoping it would be enough to keep him from turning her previous attitude around on her.
It seemed to work because Jack lifted one corner of his mouth in a coy smirk. “Hey, Bonnie. Something the matter with your mail?”
Her cheeks flamed with heat, embarrassment warming her from head to toe. “It’s my attitude that has the problem, I’m afraid. I’m so sorry I was rude to you. You startled me, and I’ve had quite the day, so my nerves were worn very thin. It’s no excuse, but I didn’t want to repay your kindness with harsh words. You don’t deserve that.”
“You know, I think I can find it in myself to forgive you.” He winked, and his smile grew wider. “Don’t worry about it. I didn’t mean to startle you, so I reckon I deserve at least a quarter of the rudeness. We can call it even.”
Bonnie forced a small laugh, but she couldn’t quite let herself relax just yet. The backlog of mail bothered her. She had her suspicions about what was going on after everything that had happened, but it would be nice to have confirmation.
“Listen, I’m very grateful you collected the mail. It was a kind thing to do, but I’m afraid I’m not sure why you did it. We have a property manager to take care of that sort of thing, and I’ll be so embarrassed if he’s been relying on you while we keep paying him.”
Jack’s easy-going smile disappeared. “Uh, why don’t you come on in? We’re letting bugs in the house.”
Bonnie nodded and followed him into the house. He led her to the kitchen, where he looked like he was cleaning up after dinner. There were still some dishes in the sink, and a glass of water on the table.
“So, is Sharon up here, too?” Bonnie asked, partly to initiate conversation and partly to prepare for an ambush.
“She’s not, actually. In fact, she hasn’t been up here much since the divorce.” He glanced around the ornate kitchen, appearing slightly uncomfortable about discussing his marriage—or lack thereof.
“Oh, goodness, I’m so sorry!” Bonnie quickly covered her mouth with a perfectly manicured hand. “I didn’t mean to bring up something unpleasant. If I had known, I wouldn’t have said anything. I’m so sorry you split.”
“Eh, don’t be. It was an amicable divorce, low drama. We’re both a lot happier now. Well, I’m definitely a lot happier. She seems to be happier, so I’m choosing to take it at face value.”
“Then, I suppose congratulations?” Bonnie lifted her shoulders as if unsure if that was the right thing to say. “To both of you.”
Jack nodded, his face still somber. “I’m the one who should be offering you condolences. I was really sorry to hear about what happened to Peter. It’s unfair, Bonnie. I’m so sorry you’re going through that. If you ever need help with anything—a friendly ear, a person tall enough to reach the top shelf of the pantry, or even someone to pick up your mail, then please, don’t hesitate to ask.”
Bonnie’s eyes swam with tears, tears she fought hard to ward off. The combination of sincere kindness with the reminder of Pete’s death was a lot to handle. She’d ricocheted from one emotion to another all day, barely able to keep up. Now, exhausted, her grief swelled up to take over the lion’s share of her chest.
Jack’s condolences were some of the most sincere she’d heard. The words weren’t all that different from anyone else’s, but his voice was miles away from the standard tone people took on to discuss the dead. There was a weight to the way Jack spoke that made it feel more genuine and heartfelt.
“Thank you.” She flashed a small, quick smile, eager to change the subject before she cried in earnest. “So, I hope our property manager hasn’t been causing you any trouble while we’ve been away. The dates on the mail go back a ways. I’d hate to think we were inconveniencing you.”
“It was no trouble, really.”
“Jack…” Bonnie huffed, her shoulders falling flat with defeat. “Will you level with me, please? What’s going on with the property manager?”
He began to pivot on his feet and glance around the room, clearly uncomfortable.
This didn’t soothe Bonnie’s fears at all.
“We don’t have to discuss this tonight, Bonnie.” He placed his hand over hers on top of the counter and met her dull stare with his bright blue eyes. His expression was wary, though his smile was sincere and, had her day been different, she might’ve found it comforting.
She pulled her hand away and crossed her arms, fixing him with a level glare. “Just, tell me. Whatever it is, I promise, I can take it. Grief hasn’t made me unstable.”
He sighed, fidgeting with the hem of a dish towel laid out on the kitchen island. “Your property manager quit some time ago. He’d heard rumors about Pete’s checks bouncing and decided he wanted out before it happened to him, too. He was fairly vocal about it, so I knew right away. I’ve been trying my best to keep an eye on things and make sure nothing happens to the property in the meantime. You know how much an empty house tempts the local high schoolers to make bad decisions.”
A lump formed in Bonnie’s throat as she glanced down at the white-and-blue towel he continued to fidget with. He hadn’t said anything surprising, but it still left her embarrassed to hear it from Jack. She wanted to stay strong and stoic, but the tears flooded her eyes. It was too late to do anything about them other than dab at them discreetly with a tissue from her pocket.
Only, in Jack’s warmly lit kitchen, standing just across the island from him, it was impossible to be discreet.
“I’m sorry, Bonnie. I didn’t want to upset you.” He let the towel go as if wanting to reach out to her but stopped himself.
“What’s some more bad news at this stage, really?” She tried to make a joke of it to see if that would take the sting out of this latest humiliation.
It didn’t.
All it did was give her time for Jack’s words to sink in. The property manager had heard Peter’s checks were bouncing and shared that information broadly. It wasn’t just Charles—and now Jack—who had known about her money troubles before she did. It seemed Bonnie was, in fact, the last person in all of New York to hear about the status of her bank accounts and the precipitous way she and her husband were living.
That was the deepest humiliation of all.
“Hey, it’s going to be okay,” Jack said in as soft and soothing of a voice a man his size could muster. “I know it’s overwhelming and probably scary, but you’re going to make it through this tough spot.”
Bonnie sniffed, trying to push down all the panic in her chest. She wanted to believe Jack, she just didn’t see how his reassurance was anything more than pretty, comforting words. He might know she was in financial trouble, but there was no way he knew the extent of it.
“I’m not sure how I’m going to figure it out. I thought everything was settled, but every time I turn around, I learn that some new part of my life has crumbled. I haven’t ever been in the workforce, and I have no idea how I’m going to make ends meet next week, let alone next year or for the rest of my life.”
“Good thing your neighbor’s a financial advisor.” He wagged his dark brows and smiled, his teasing self-promotion taking away a sliver of the somber mood in the room. “I’ll help you, Bonnie. It can’t be that bad.”
“What can you advise me on if there’s no money?”
“You have assets,” he pointed out. “If you sell the house in Albany, you’ll have plenty of money to live on here. Things are cheaper, the home maintenance is lower, and you’ll be comfortable.”
Bonnie snorted. “Oh, so I can become a townie? That will really help out my reputation after the beating it’s gotten lately.”
Jack shrugged, his lighter mood dropping a few degrees. “It’s not so bad being a townie. At least, I don’t think it is. I’ve been living here year-round for a while, and it’s been some of the greatest times of my life.”
Her cheeks flared with another round of heat. She couldn’t seem to stop insulting Jack and being rude tonight. Clearly, she thought, she was too tired to keep having this conversation. It was time to go back to her own house and rest. All of her problems would definitely still be around in the morning.
“Well, I appreciate your help, Jack. With the mail, with the encouragement—it’s nice to have you as a neighbor. But I should be heading home. It’s been a long day.”
The corners of his lips fell, giving away his disappointment that she was leaving. But he didn’t try to stop her. Instead, he walked her to the door. “Good to see you, Bonnie. I’ll see you around.”