28

“Okay, Marilyn, you know I’m always glad to see you and all, but will you tell me why I had to pick you up from the train station so late? And without telling me you were coming?” Traci asked.

“No reason,” Marilyn said, refusing to look at her friend. Instead, her gaze remained fixed on the buildings they drove by. Holiday decorations were in storefronts and in the windows of the homes they passed. She knew her parents had put up their tree by now and she couldn’t wait to see it. She had intended to buy her own tree for her apartment and had looked forward to decorating it with Jonathan. Not any longer. All she needed right now was the warmth of home.

It was already dark but she knew the area. She didn’t need daylight to know they were leaving downtown San Antonio and heading toward the part of town where both her parents and Traci lived. Growing up, she and Traci had lived down the street from each other, and when Traci was looking for her own home, she searched in the same area, wanting Erika to be near her grandparents. A new housing community had been developed less than ten minutes away, so Traci had purchased her home there.

“Marilyn?”

They had come to a traffic light and she glanced over at Traci. “How are things going with you and Roman? Is he planning on coming back to--?”

“Don’t do that, Marilyn. I’d rather you just come out and say that whatever is going on with you is none of my business instead of changing the subject. Don’t think I haven’t noticed you’ve been avoiding my calls the last few days, and then suddenly, you phone and ask me to pick you up from the train station. I can’t help but be curious.”

“I only called you because I knew you’d be free. That is, if Erika still spends Thursday nights with your folks.” For years, the Kinseys had declared every Thursday as Grandparents Day and would pick Erika up from daycare, then take her home with them for the night. It was a tradition Marilyn didn’t see changing anytime soon.

“Yes, Mom and Dad are keeping Erika tonight. And I’m not complaining, Marilyn. You’re my best friend. When something bothers you, it bothers me. I’d just like to know what it is.”

Marilyn drew in a deep breath. “You’re right. I’ve deliberately avoided your calls.”

Traci lifted a brow. “Why?”

Marilyn studied her hands in her lap for a moment, then looked back at Traci. “Because I knew you would try to talk me out of doing something I’d made up my mind to do.”

“Which was?”

Marilyn drew in another deep breath. “I filed an ethical complaint against Jonathan with his boss.”

Traci’s mouth dropped. Then she slammed on the brakes and took an unexpected turn at the next corner. “Traci? What are you doing?”

“Your folks weren’t expecting you, so I’m taking you to my place. And you, Marilyn Erika Bannister, are going to tell me everything.”

* * * *

“Jonathan, would you please tell me what’s bothering you?”

He turned at the sound of his mother’s voice. He hadn’t been able to sleep and had decided to come outside and sit on the porch a while. He had awakened that morning, thrown items in his overnight bag and come out to Whispering Pines. His home. The place he loved. The place that he hoped could heal his broken heart and help him get over a woman he no longer wanted to love. A woman who didn’t deserve his love. He needed to eradicate her from his heart, mind and soul. No matter how hard doing such a thing would be.

“I couldn’t sleep and decided to come out for some fresh air. I love this place.”

Felicia Laverne sat in the chair beside her son. “I think we all love it because it’s where we feel close to your father. He made this place special for all of us.”

Jonathan nodded. “He sure did.”

“So tell me, Jonathan. Did you invite Marilyn to spend Christmas with us?”

He stiffened. “No,” he said with more force than he’d wanted.

“Any reason why?”

“Marilyn and I won’t be seeing each other anymore.”

“Oh? I liked her a lot. You admitted to loving her, so what’s the problem?”

Jonathan looked over at his mother. “Falling in love with her was a mistake that I won’t make again.”

There was no way Felicia Laverne could miss the bitterness in his voice. “I’d like to know why.”

Jonathan didn’t say anything for a moment, but he knew his mother. She wouldn’t let up until she heard the entire story and he preferred she didn’t get it second-hand. So the details needed to come from him. “Fine, I’ll tell you,” he said. And then he did. But doing so made the pain he felt cut even deeper. Made Marilyn’s betrayal that much more profound.

“There you have it. I could lose everything I’ve worked for if Marilyn goes through with her complaint. And all because I loved her enough to want to do something about it.”

Felicia Laverne patted him on the shoulder. “When will you know if she goes through with filing the complaint?”

“Joseph Sanders gave her a week to think about it. She is supposed to contact him next Tuesday with her final decision.”

“Let’s just hope she drops the complaint, Jonathan.”

He nodded, well aware that his mother knew what it would mean to his career if Marilyn didn’t. “I love her, Mom, but I doubt I’d ever be able to forgive her for what she is doing to us. To me. Why can’t she believe I’m nothing like her brothers? I took the time to court her, to build a good relationship with her. One I thought was based on trust and respect and over time, love. But she proved there was no such thing for us. I am done.”

“Done?”

“Yes. Done. I don’t plan to fall in love ever again. It’s not worth the pain. Goodnight, Mom.” He got up and after kissing her on the cheek, he went inside the house.

Felicia Laverne Madaris stayed out and glanced up at the sky. The moon was bright and there were so many stars out. But there was darkness surrounding Whispering Pines tonight. She drew in a deep breath. Her son was hurting and she didn’t know how to stop his pain.

* * * *

“So there you have it, Traci,” Marilyn said, sitting at Traci’s kitchen table, a cup of coffee in front of her. “I found out Jonathan is just like the rest of them. I fell in love with him. I slept with him. Then I found out I was nothing more than a pawn in his game of seduction.”

Traci stared over at Marilyn. “And you think that’s all it was? A game?”

“Yes. Didn’t you hear what I told you? He deliberately sent me to another school.”

“Yes, I heard. But I also heard you say that he told you he loved you, and that he fell in love with you the first time he saw you.”

Marilyn frowned. “That doesn’t make sense. Although, I admit I thought I could have felt some interest on his part that first day we met, when we shook hands, but I dismissed it, figuring it was my interest reflected back. But I was smart enough to know that it couldn’t go anywhere. But to think that he’d manipulated my career just to get what he wanted, then plan for my downfall--”

“Your downfall? Take a good look at your situation, Marilyn. Granted, maybe Jonathan should not have transferred you to another school, but are things really so bad? You are doing what you love, while at the same time helping out students who badly need your expertise in math. Just think of what would have happened to all those kids at Cullers if you hadn’t been sent there. Yes, Jonathan might have had ulterior motives when he came up with the idea, but you can’t argue that it wasn’t a good one. It was downright brilliant, if you ask me.”

Traci took a sip of her coffee, and then pointed her finger at Marilyn. “And another thing...whose idea was it that the two of you sleep together? Did Jonathan twist your arm?” Seeing Marilyn’s defeated look, Traci added her coup de grace. “So who really seduced whom?”

Marilyn put her coffee cup down. “I’m tired and want to go to bed now.”

Traci smiled. “That’s your way of saying you don’t want to hear what I have to say. My words of reason. That’s fine. I love you, but I think if you go through with filing that complaint, you will be making a huge mistake.” She put her cup down as well. “Come on, it’s late and way past our bedtime. I’ll drop you off at your parents’ house on my way to work in the morning.”

* * * *

You will be making a huge mistake…

Traci’s words rang through Marilyn’s head, keeping her awake. She stared up at the ceiling, replaying everything over in her mind, starting on the day she had walked into Jonathan’s office for the first time. Okay, she would admit to the possibility that she and Jonathan were attracted to each other immediately. Still, if that was the case, they had both tried to fight it. At least, she’d tried to fight it. It looked as if Jonathan had had other ideas.

However, the one thing she couldn’t deny was that her presence had been needed at Cullers. And she had Jonathan to thank for seeing that. He couldn’t have known that she didn’t have a car, and when he did find out, he’d set up the arrangement she had with Robin. And she also had Jonathan to thank for giving her support when Stuart Jr. had been shot. He had immediately put whatever plans he’d made on hold to drive her to San Antonio to be with her family. And he hadn’t just dropped her off, but stayed with her and her family until they’d learned that Stuart Jr. was out of danger.

Why was she suddenly thinking that all of Jonathan’s good deeds might outweigh that one bad decision? And what if she was wrong? What if it hadn’t been a devious plan of seduction after all? What if Jonathan truly loved her?

Traci had been right. She was the one who invited Jonathan into her bed. He hadn’t rushed her, but had been gentle with her, knowing it had been her first time. And afterwards, he had taken care of her.

Marilyn closed her eyes, not wanting to think any longer. But deep down, she knew she needed to make sure whatever decision she came up with regarding Jonathan was the right one.