Chapter 30
It was dark by the time Jenna approached her mom’s house. Her mind was still on the awkward good-bye hug she’d shared with
Ty. He still sat at the curb, waiting for her to enter the house. Ever the gentleman.
As she stepped onto the porch she gave him a wave.
With the weight of everything that had happened, she’d decided to put off her talk with Mom until tomorrow. Maybe arrange
another girls’ night at Island Creamery. A little something sweet to help the bad news go down. Sure, that would help.
Her mother’s car wasn’t in the drive anyway. But when Jenna entered the house, she found Mom curled up on the sofa, watching
a reality TV show. She looked younger than her years with her stubby ponytail and pale blue loungewear. The familiar smell
of molasses and vanilla reached Jenna’s nose.
“Hi, honey.” Mom jumped up and embraced her. “I’m so happy the interview went well. I can’t wait to hear all about it.”
“I can’t wait to tell you.” Jenna had only texted broad details about the interview.
“Ty’s not coming in? I have a fresh batch of oatmeal-raisin cookies cooling on the stove.”
“His favorite. He said to tell you hello but he had to get going.”
“I’ll just take some over tomorrow. Ronda likes them too. I made some without raisins for you and Gordon.” The man had a huge sweet tooth, which might account for the uptick in Mom’s baking this summer.
“Thanks. I’ll have one later.”
They settled on the sofa as the program broke for a commercial. Jenna answered all Mom’s questions about her conversation
with Nancy and the job particulars. So much had happened in the past twenty-four hours that the interview seemed like it had
taken place a week ago.
“The job sounds perfect. So you think you’ll get it?”
“It seems promising, but she’s not finished interviewing so I don’t want to be too optimistic. Where’s Gordon?”
“You just missed him. He went to Island Foods for basil. He’s planning to make his homemade spaghetti sauce tomorrow, which
apparently has to simmer all day.”
Island Foods was a twenty-minute errand at most. Maybe that was Jenna’s cue to have that talk with Mom. But Jenna had already
been here ten minutes, and this wasn’t a conversation to rush.
Mom’s phone vibrated and she checked the screen. “They didn’t have fresh basil, and the man refuses to use dried herbs. He’s
heading to Food Lion.”
The store was off island, a twenty-minute drive. Plenty of time for that talk now. But Jenna’s heart thumped with dread. The
thought of hurting her mother pained her. She’d clearly grown very fond of Gordon. Was probably in the early stages of love.
But that gave Jenna even more reason to divulge the truth. Even though it would be hard, it was the loving thing to do.
The program was back on now, but her mother had muted the show long ago. Mom was apparently texting Gordon back. When she set down her phone, Jenna took the opportunity. “Mom, can we talk a minute? I—I have something I need to tell you.”
Her mother’s pale blue eyes sobered. “What’s wrong, honey? Are you okay?”
Of course Jenna would be her first concern. It only made her feel worse about what she had to say. “First, I have a confession
to make. Ty and I did go to Alexandria for my interview, but after that . . . we swung up to DC.”
A glimmer of joy entered Mom’s eyes as a smile bloomed on her face. “I knew it! I could just tell something was brewing between
you guys. It’s about time!”
Jenna parted her lips but couldn’t seem to formulate any words. Her mom had been expecting a romance to develop between them?
Jenna thought she’d put that dream to bed long ago.
“So you went on a little romantic getaway?” Mom turned fully toward Jenna, pulling her knees to her chest. “Tell me everything.
I’m so excited it’s finally happening.”
“Oh, Mom, no. That’s not what—” Well, it kind of was what happened. But that particular situation was complicated—and beside the point! She had to get this conversation back on
topic. “That’s not why we went to DC.”
Mom’s face fell. “Oh. Then you’re not together?”
“No, we’re not.”
“Then why did you—?” In a matter of seconds her mother’s eyes went frosty and her expression closed. “Please tell me your
little excursion had nothing to do with Gordon.”
“Before you get upset—”
“Too late.”
“—hear me out. Please. You know we only have your best interests at heart.”
Mom faced forward, lowering her feet to the floor. “So Tyson’s in on this too. The both of you are conspiring against Gordon. What in the world could you possibly have against him? He’s been nothing but kind to me—and to you.”
“Perhaps, but there’ve been a few red flags, Mom. Don’t you see how fast this is moving? Plus I heard a suspicious phone call
between him and someone—he said ‘I love you,’ and I got the feeling something wasn’t right.”
Mom scowled. “Oh, he said ‘I love you’ to someone on the phone. How heinous! He does have family, Jenna—did you think of that?”
“Of course I did, but—” Jenna gave her head a hard shake. “Just listen. We discovered something in DC. Something that’s going
to be difficult to hear. The last thing I want to do is hurt you, but you need to know the truth.”
Mom crossed her arms and leveled an impatient look at Jenna. “Well, go ahead then. Tell me whatever it is you think you know.”
Jenna winced. This was harder than she’d expected. She was about to break her mother’s kind, soft heart. But it had to be
done. “Ty and I went by Gordon’s house. There’s a woman living there, Mom. Her name is Rosalind Smith. We didn’t speak with
her, but we saw her exiting the house early in the morning. And the mailbox had mail addressed to her.” There. It was done.
She set her hand on Mom’s. “I’m really sorry to have to tell you this.”
Mom stared at her for ten full seconds, her expression blank. Jenna couldn’t even guess what she was thinking. She was probably
in shock, registering what Jenna had said. Processing what it meant.
“And the two kids?”
Two kids? Jenna blinked. “What two kids?”
“The two teenagers who also live there. Didn’t you find any mail for them while you were rooting through his mailbox?”
Wait. Her mom knew about Rosalind? And they had kids together? None of this was making sense. Had Jenna misunderstood?
Mom huffed. “Rosalind is Gordon’s sister, Jenna. She’s divorcing her two-timing husband and living at Gordon’s house with her kids until things settle down.”
His sister?
Rosalind was Gordon’s sister? Could Jenna really have gotten this so wrong? It all lined up: the piece of mail, the “I love you,” the woman living in
his house. But what if he’d only told Mom that to cover the truth? It was possible, wasn’t it? But Jenna had to tread carefully
here. “Okay . . . but if she’s married, why’s her last name still Smith?”
Mom narrowed her eyes. “Because she never took her husband’s name. Are you seriously doubting him even still? Even though
I’m sitting here giving you a perfectly reasonable explanation?”
“Well, I— It’s just . . . he never mentioned her, that’s all.”
“Well, he mentioned her to me. He’s opened his home to them even though her teenage boys drive him up the wall. It so happens he’s a humble man, so no,
he doesn’t go around telling everyone he’s helping her out. It’s also why he’s in no rush to get home. We didn’t realize you
needed a notarized letter explaining his situation.”
Warmth flooded Jenna’s face. Still . . . it was possible he wasn’t telling her mom the truth. The sister thing could just
be a cover story for the wife and kids he had back home. There was still that comment Jenna had overheard about him being
in Maine. What was that all about?
“Oh, for heaven’s sake! I’ve seen pictures, Jenna. Pictures of his sister and nephews before the divorce. I saw her wedding
photo. Do you need visible proof? I’m a grown woman and I’m perfectly capable of handling my own love life. You have got to
drop this right now.”
Ouch. That kind, soft heart Jenna knew and loved was nowhere to be seen now. Not that she deserved to benefit from it at the moment.
Apparently she had been wrong about Gordon. Somehow she jumped to the wrong conclusion and started seeing danger around every corner. Maybe
Gordon really was just a nice man who didn’t own a credit card and opened his home for his brokenhearted sister and her kids.
Oh boy, had she messed up. She gave her mom an apologetic look. “I’m so sorry. I really thought—”
“You have been suspicious of him from the start, Jenna Mae Greene.”
The full name. Jenna winced. “You’re right. It just happened so fast . . .”
“I’m getting awful weary of that tired old line.”
“You’re right, you’re right.” Jenna rubbed the back of her neck. “I don’t know what’s gotten into me.” She’d done a background
search on the man! Maybe her breakup with Jason had messed her up somehow. Or maybe no one would ever measure up to her father.
But that wasn’t Gordon’s fault. “I really am sorry, Mom. I’ll try to do better.”
A bit of the starch left her mother’s posture, and the smallest of smiles lifted her lips. “Do more than ‘try.’”