Chapter 35
When Jenna returned from work on Monday she was on cloud nine. Who was she kidding? She’d been on cloud nine all weekend.
Even Miss Molly had known something was up when Jenna walked into work this morning with a giddy smile.
On Sunday Jenna had had coffee with Sofia and relayed the good news. Her friend was thrilled for the couple and didn’t hold
back on the teasing or I-told-you-sos. Jenna was too blissful to mind either.
Even though Ty had been busy with the B and B over the weekend, he’d made time to talk on the phone. They texted each other
throughout the day. This slide from friendship to more might have happened quickly, but it felt so right.
With Jason—and the others before him—she’d had anxiety about growing closer. A feeling that as the relationship progressed,
she was getting backed into a corner. A stifling, suffocating feeling that had her putting up walls.
She hadn’t been able to put words to the feeling until now. Until she felt only excitement about a future with Tyson. Being
with him was worlds different from being with anyone else. No one understood her the way he did. No one made her feel the
way he did.
Sure, it wouldn’t be easy if she moved back to Alexandria. But she might not even get that job. And maybe she could find something
here on the island. She hadn’t really poured herself into that yet.
And Ty had been right about his position as an active firefighter. He’d never even been injured beyond a minor burn. If her anxiety over his volunteer spot became a problem, she could always seek counseling. Their relationship was worth fighting for.
A welcome waft of cool air brushed her skin as she entered the house. She needed a shower after being in the sun all day.
She and Ty had plans to meet up later for supper at Captain Zack’s. The casual restaurant had been a favorite for years.
The house was quiet—but then again, Mom’s car hadn’t been in the drive. She and Gordon were probably out enjoying the summer
evening.
But as Jenna started to head upstairs, she heard the floor squeak in Mom’s room and turned that direction. She found her mom
standing in her bedroom, staring at her phone. “Mom?”
Her mother startled. “Jenna. I didn’t hear you come in.”
That wasn’t like her at all. Jenna paused in the doorway, noting Mom’s blanched face. “You okay? You seem a little upset.”
“Oh, I don’t know. I’m fine, I guess.”
Jenna entered the tidy bedroom, the familiar scent of Chanel No. 5 washing over her. “You don’t seem fine. Did something happen?”
Mom stood frozen for a few seconds, then dropped onto the edge of the bed, pressing her hand to her chest. “My heart’s beating
a million miles an hour.”
Alarm shot through Jenna. “Are you having chest pains?”
“No, no, it’s not that. Not a medical event. Something else entirely.”
Jenna lowered herself beside her mom. “What is it then?”
Mom’s brows squished together, and a bewildered look shadowed her eyes. “I just—I was taking some clean towels up to Gordon’s
room, and it was just sitting right there on the bathroom vanity. It didn’t even register at first—I just started to hang
the towels . . .”
“What didn’t register?”
She turned and met Jenna’s gaze. “It was a credit card statement. It didn’t dawn on me until I was putting the stack of towels
in the closet: He had a credit card bill, and he told me he didn’t have a credit card.”
A pit opened in the bottom of Jenna’s stomach. “Oh, Mom. Maybe there’s some other explanation.”
“I looked at the statement. The card’s in his name. And Jenna . . . the balance is almost thirty thousand dollars.”
Thirty thousand dollars? She couldn’t imagine being so deeply in debt. No wonder Gordon had wanted Mom to pay for everything.
“See for yourself.” She shoved her phone at Jenna.
Mom had taken a picture of each page. The bill was addressed to him, and the total amount owed . . . Yikes.
Mom put a hand to her forehead. “I’m losing my mind. I can’t even imagine that he would lie to me like that. I know him. Or maybe I just thought I did. Maybe my judgment was clouded and you were right about him all along.” Tears seeped from
Mom’s eyes.
Jenna’s heart gave a hard crack. “I’m sorry, Mom. I admit it doesn’t look good. But if he’s so deep in debt, it’s no wonder
he wouldn’t want to charge anything else.”
“But he didn’t have to lie about it. If he lied about this, what else did he lie about? Maybe I don’t know him at all.” Mom
gave her tears an angry swipe. “And why would he go on an expensive cruise when he had this kind of debt? That’s just irresponsible.”
Jenna’s mind spun for a reasonable explanation.
But obviously Gordon had been dishonest. “You should confront him about it. Hopefully there’s some kind of explanation.
” But a memory flashed in Jenna’s mind—his phone conversation where he’d claimed he was in Maine.
She didn’t want to lay anything else on her mom, but it was relevant to the conversation.
He’d lied to someone on the phone about where he was.
“What?” Mom asked. “What are you thinking?”
Jenna grimaced. “I just remembered something. Something I overheard when he was on the phone. It didn’t make sense at the
time. It still doesn’t, but it might be nothing.”
Mom’s shoulders straightened and her chin went up. “Tell me. I need to know everything. If I’ve been a fool, I’ll just have
to face it.”
Jenna took Mom’s hand. “It was shortly after I arrived on the island. He told whoever he was talking to that he was in Maine.
Does that mean anything to you?”
“Maine? Why would he say he was in Maine?”
“I don’t know. It raised a red flag for me. He also told the person that he loved them. When I discovered he was living with
a woman, I assumed he’d lied to her about where he was for some reason. Then when I found out he was living with his sister,
I just put the Maine thing aside. But now . . . I was hoping you might have some insight.”
Mom gave a self-deprecating laugh. “I’m starting to think I don’t know anything at all. I should’ve listened to you and instead
I let my emotions run away with me. And now I’m in love with a man I can’t even trust.” More tears leaked from her eyes.
The hurt in her eyes was like a sucker punch. “Oh, Mom. I’m so sorry this is happening.”
The rumble of an engine sounded outside the window, growing nearer.
“He’s home.” Mom straightened her slumped shoulders and wiped her eyes.
Jenna gave her hand a squeeze. “What are you going to do?”
“I’m going to ask him why he lied to me. Do I look okay?”
Her eyes were slightly red and turned down at the corners. “You look fine. You’ve got this.” Jenna gave her a hug, wishing she could imbue Mom with strength. Her mother lingered in her arms for a moment.
At the slam of the car door, they eased apart.
“My heart’s pounding. I feel sick.”
“You’ll be fine, Mom. You’re a strong woman. Tell him what happened and give him a chance to explain.” Though Jenna wasn’t
too hopeful he’d have a reasonable excuse. “I’ll run across the street and give you two some privacy.”
“No.” Mom grabbed her hand. “Can you just . . . hide somewhere? Maybe listen in? If he comes up with some cockamamie tale, I don’t
know if I’ll be able to tell if it’s the truth. I don’t know which end is up anymore.”
“Whatever you want. You’ve got this, Mom. I’m here for you no matter what.” Jenna squeezed Mom’s hand one last time before
she slipped from the room and down the hall. She slipped into the bathroom and whispered a prayer for her mother. Jenna’s
own heart ached in sympathy.
She left the door cracked so she could hear. The front door opened and Gordon greeted her mom. There was a slight pause before
he asked, “What’s wrong? Are you okay?”
“I have something I need to ask you about.” Mom’s voice sounded stilted.
“Okay . . .”
“I was taking towels up to your room and I saw the credit card statement you left in the bathroom.” Her voice trembled at
the end of the sentence.
The long pause didn’t exactly alleviate Jenna’s fears. She clutched the collar of her shirt.
“And you think I lied to you.”
“You did lie to me.”
Another pause followed. “The credit card might be in my name, honey, but it isn’t mine.” He sighed. “Can we sit down and talk
about this?”
The muffled sound of footsteps reached Jenna’s ears, followed by the slight squeak of Mom’s recliner.
“I’ve told you a little about Katie—how she’s had some problems.”
Katie—his daughter who lived in DC. His voice was hushed and Jenna had to lean into the door’s crack to hear.
“I told you about her alcoholism and that she’d had a little trouble with the law over the years.”
“Minor stuff, you said.”
“Yes, minor stuff. But what I didn’t tell you was that while she was staying with me last year, trying to get back on her
feet, she took out a credit card in my name. She transferred debt from her own credit cards to the one in my name and then
paid the minimum payment for a while. Since she intercepted the mail, I never knew about it.
“I didn’t lie to you, Dee. I don’t have a credit card anymore. Obviously I froze this one, once I found out about it. But
unfortunately Katie stopped payments on it months ago. She tanked my credit. I’ll be paying off the debt—I’ve got money set
back for retirement obviously—but it’s currently tied up in investments.”
Jenna weighed his words, and Mom must’ve been doing the same because quiet echoed throughout the house.
“Why didn’t you just tell me about this?” A hint of distrust lingered in her mom’s voice.
“I was embarrassed. My own daughter exploited me. Me, a retired accountant. The whole thing is humiliating. But . . . I would’ve told you eventually. Time just got away from
me, I guess.”
He sounded so sincere, even Jenna was inclined to believe him.
“Why did you go on that cruise if you had a pile of debt back home?” Mom still sounded guarded.
“Rosalind transferred that cruise to me. She and her husband planned to go for their anniversary, but then things fell apart.
And it was too late for a refund. She insisted I go to thank me for taking them in.”
“You never mentioned that to me.”
“Why would I? It seemed irrelevant at the time.”
A long silence ensued. Jenna leaned closer, feeling like an eavesdropper. But Mom had asked her to listen in.
“Why did you tell someone on the phone that you were in Maine?”
Another pause indicated he’d been caught off guard. “That was Melanie. I told you about her. She vacationed in Maine as a
child, so now she refers to every destination as Maine. When I went out of state for work, I was in Maine. When I was on the
cruise, I was in Maine. It’s what she understands.”
It sounded as if Melanie might be a special needs adult. Likely a relative since he’d told her he loved her.
“Oh.” A load of regret packed her mom’s one word.
Jenna winced. Mom wasn’t the only one dealing with that particular emotion. Everything Gordon said made sense. He couldn’t
have made all that up on the fly, could he?
“Listen, Dee,” he said gently. “I can see you have some reservations about me. About us. Maybe it’s time I went back home.”
“That’s not what I want.” Mom’s voice wobbled pitifully. “I’m sorry I jumped to conclusions. I just saw that statement and
I—”
“We haven’t known each other very long, and maybe we rushed things.
Got a little excited to have found someone we connected with.
But I admit I’m feeling pretty hurt right now.
I probably should’ve told you about Katie and the credit card debt, but I would’ve hoped you’d at least give me the benefit of the doubt. ”
“I should’ve . . . I’m sorry.”
“I appreciate that. But I think maybe we should take a little break here. I’ve probably overstayed my welcome.”
“That’s not true. I’ve loved having you here.”
“I’ve loved every minute, Dee. I really have.”
“Please don’t leave like this.”
A moment of silence passed before Gordon responded. “Honestly, Dee, I’m feeling a little . . . uneasy. It’s probably me. Maybe
I’ve got some issues of my own to deal with. But right now I need some space. I never intended to stay this long anyway, and
I should probably get back home to my sister and nephews.”
The sound of footfalls suggested Gordon was heading toward the door and Mom was following. “I’ll go on up and schedule a flight
home.”
“Oh, Gordy, I don’t want you to go.”
“It’s for the best. I’m feeling . . . I think I need to leave, that’s all. We’ll talk later, okay?”
The door snapped quietly shut.
Jenna listened for her mother but heard nothing. Had she gone with him? Jenna opened the bathroom door and watched Mom disappear
into her bedroom. The door closed and the muted sound of weeping soon followed.
Jenna palmed her forehead. She couldn’t believe he’d responded this way. It seemed like such an overreaction.
But also, this was her fault. Her suspicions had brought this on. Mom never would’ve responded to that credit card statement
suspiciously if Jenna hadn’t planted seeds of doubt in her heart. Why had Jenna been so quick to jump to the wrong conclusion?
She wallowed in remorse as she gave her mom a few minutes. When Jenna couldn’t take it another minute, she approached the
door and tapped quietly. “Mom? Can I come in?”
Everything went quiet for a moment. Then a heartbeat later her mom answered the door, eyes red, lips quivering, and fell into
Jenna’s arms.