Chapter 39

Jenna

DURING THE SHORT WALK through the hotel and to the coffee shop, I devised a story as to why I wanted to have coffee with him. I’d come across as a little too flirtatious in the book store, and there was no doubt he viewed me as an overenthusiastic fan who wanted a cheap thrill. But it got me to where I wanted to be, so I couldn’t be too hard on myself for it. I followed the signs until I reached the cozy little coffee area that felt more like I was entering a quaint little Parisian café.

“The girl with no name.”

I forced a faux smile when he caught my attention as he sipped on an expresso and eyed me up.

“Hey there!” I grinned, crossing the room and taking a seat across from him at the corner table.

The waitress hovered over me, barely giving me time to decide on what I wanted.

“I’ll have a mocha latte, please.”

She nodded and was on her way.

“So, girl with no name, what’s your story?”

“What’s my story? What, are you thinking of putting me in your next book?”

“That depends…” He raised his cup to his mouth, his lips turning up into a perverted smile.

I cleared my throat and trudged forward with my plan. “I write for a local paper, and my boss would love me forever if I could surprise him with a piece about you. He’s a big fan too.”

“And, what will I get from it?”

My heart raced, my legs trembled, and a small bead of sweat formed on my brow line. He was shifting this back into the direction he intended for it to take. “Well, umm—” I smiled up at the waitress as she placed my drink on the table, creating a much-needed diversion. “Let’s just see how good the article is and then we could discuss payment—shall we?” I raised an eyebrow.

He nodded in agreement. “But first, I think I should at least know your name.”

“Fair,” I agreed. “It’s Jenna.”

“Pretty name for a pretty girl.”

“Thanks,” I whispered, shifting in my seat. I was feeling cheaper by the minute just sitting here with him and allowing him to eye me up like a lion stalking its prey.

“So, Mr. Hampton…”

“Carl. Call me Carl.”

“But I’m sure Carl isn’t your real name, is it?” I batted my eyelashes. “Don’t all authors use pen names?”

He shrugged. “Some do. Some don’t.”

“And you?”

“Maybe I’ll allow you the answer to that question later.”

Later? I was sure in his warped mind he envisioned later as me calling his name out in the throes of passion. I swallowed hard, trying to mentally put together the list of questions I had for him, as I rummaged through my purse for a pen. “I’m such a ditz. I totally wasn’t prepared for this today. Okay, I think we’re good now,” I advised once I had my pen in hand and the napkin I planned on writing on in front of me. I had to make it look believable to him.

“I’m ready when you are.” He grinned, and I knew he wasn’t referring to the questions.

“Okay, when did you know you wanted to become a writer?”

He shrugged. “I guess from the time I was in middle school. I was sort of an anomaly to all my friends, who were into sports and just starting to get into girls. I was more into poetry and actually paid attention in English class. I’d read the books for our assigned reading instead of skimming through them at the last minute to try and come up with a sensible report about it.”

“So, what made you decide to take the chance and put it all on the line. I mean, putting your book out there is like baring you soul in a way, is it not?”

“It is.” He nodded and sighed heavily. “I had this idea in my head and put it into words. Then I was lucky enough to catch the eye of an incredible agent who saw something in my work and shopped it around, and…voilà!”

“So, writing the book is only half the battle?”

“Oh, absolutely. You could write the most fantastic story that without a doubt could be a bestseller, but without the right backing, it’s nothing. You need a strong agent and even stronger publicist because in the end it all comes down to marketing.”

I tried to steady my shaking hand and was hoping it wasn’t apparent to him as I scribbled down the answers on the napkin. “Do you have any advice for writers who are just starting out?”

“Just to keep going. It’s a lot of rejection in this business. Believe me, I had my fair share of it, but all it takes is for the right person to come into your life, and things could change in an instant.”

“Is there anyone you’d like to give a shout-out to, who may have helped you along the way? You know like maybe a successful author you may have looked up to or a family member who kept you going?”

He dropped his head for a moment, appearing to be deep in thought.

“Probably my agent and my public relations person. They’ve been—”

“Marcus?”

We both raised our heads to the female voice in the distance. My eyes widened as I focused in on the woman and the little boy standing beside her. She glared at me and I was unable to look away. Something about her was so familiar when it occurred to me just how much we resembled one another. My gaze dropped to the little boy holding her hand, clutching to a teddy bear—the same teddy bear Ethan had. His cleft chin and familiar blue eyes sent chills through my spine. I tried desperately to remain composed. This woman and this little boy couldn’t be who I thought they were.

“Caroline, what are you doing here?”

“I-I thought we’d surprise you, and then head up to Boston with you tomorrow.”

He stood up and walked over to her, placing a kiss on her cheek while my eyes remained locked on the little boy, and my heart immediately began to ache for Ethan. I’d come here thinking Ethan had stolen this man’s story, only to find out this man was the one who’d stolen everything from Ethan. How could I have doubted him?

“Jenna, this is my wife, Caroline, and my son, Landon. Jenna and I were just wrapping up an interview she’s doing for an article about me.”

“Oh.” She raised an eyebrow, seeming threatened by my presence. Little did she know, I posed a much bigger threat to her than this man cheating on her.

I stood up and shook her hand, my legs trembling the entire time. “It’s so nice to meet you. You must be so proud of your husband. You have a really beautiful family.”

“Thank you. I am,” she whispered.

I bent down to get a closer look at the little boy to ensure my suspicions were correct. “And you are a little cutie.” Tears pooled in my eyes. The resemblance to Ethan was undeniable. For the past year, he’d been in a living hell and here, this woman was off living her life with another man and Ethan’s son, like she didn’t have a care in the world. “I love your teddy bear. He’s really cute.”

He smiled, revealing the same exact dimple I’d seen on his father’s face so many times. I stood back up and pulled it together.

“He looks a lot like you.” I played it up to Carl or Marcus as his wife referred to him.

His face reddened and he nodded while she dropped her gaze to the floor and cleared her throat.

You look away, you bitch. You know this child is not this man’s. “Well, it was really nice meeting you, and thank you for taking the time to allow me to interview you. As I said before, my boss will be very happy. Just one more question…” My voice cracked.

“Sure,” he responded.

“I was asking you about who you wanted to give a shout-out to. I’d really like to include the people who helped make this book a success in my article.”

“Oh…um, yes, of course. My publicist, Tina Warren, and my agent, Edward Bailey.”

I forced a smile while trying to pick my jaw up from the floor. “Thank you so much for your time, and it was very nice to meet your family.”

“You’re most welcome.” His amorous behavior from just a little while ago was now all business.

I gave them both a quick nod, casting one last gaze on the little boy who I was certain was Nolan then nearly sprinted out the door. All the emotions I was trying to disguise just moments ago now came to surface.

I got into my car and took a few deep breaths. I needed to get in touch with Ethan but wasn’t sure if I should just yet. Rightfully so, he’d be overcome with emotion and want to see his son right away, and in the same token I was sure his anger would be at an all-time high with his wife. His wife. Ethan was still married. My stomach churned with that thought. I couldn’t take the chance of him flying off the handle and doing something rash that would take him away from his son again.

Think, Jenna. Think.

If I went to the police with this, they’d think I was crazy. Ethan’s brother-in-law, Tom. He was a cop. He knew the whole situation. I’d get in touch with him. But how? I didn’t have his number. I didn’t have his sister’s number. I didn’t even know their last name.

“Shit!” I threw my head back on the seat, a million thoughts racing through my mind. I pulled my phone from my purse and opened up the Facebook app, my hands trembling as I punched in Helene Banks, praying she had an account and that she used her maiden name. Relief washed over me when the photo of the first person to pop up matched Ethan’s sister. Helene Banks-Redding. I sent her a friend request and immediately private messaged her, leaving her my number and asking her to call me ASAP.

“Please check your messages. Please check your messages,” I begged. It was only a matter of minutes before a New York number flashed across the screen of my phone. “Helene,” I answered, certain it was her.

“Hey, Jenna. Is everything okay?” Her voice was laced with apprehension.

“Umm…yeah. I mean…no.”

“What is it, honey? Is Ethan okay?”

“Yeah, Ethan is fine. Helene, is Tom with you?”

“Yes, he’s sitting right here.”

“Can you put the phone on speaker, so you can both hear this, and please make sure you’re both sitting down?”

“Oh, no. I don’t like the sound of this. Okay, he’s here.”

“Hi, Jenna!” Tom shouted.

I started from the very beginning, including every last detail. I realized how crazy the whole thing actually sounded after spewing it out.

“Oh my God,” Helene whispered. “So, she’s been alive with my nephew this whole time?”

“Okay, wait, wait, wait. We can’t just go assuming this woman is her and the boy is Nolan. It could be just a coincidence.” Tom automatically went into police mode.

“Tom, you heard the entire story. That seems like an awful huge coincidence. My brother writes a story and then supposedly deletes all the copies. Then all of a sudden, this man publishes the same story, and it turns up as bestseller with the help of Ethan’s agent. Jenna said the little boy looked just like Ethan and he had the teddy bear. You remember how obsessed Nolan was with those bears.”

“I don’t know if I should say something to Ethan,” I spoke.

“No. Not yet. Let me do some digging around. Maybe I could get some information on him,” Tom replied.

“The problem is, I don’t know his last name. He goes by a pen name,” I responded.

“Shit. That’s gonna make things harder.” Tom sighed.

“He’s going to Boston for a book signing tomorrow. Maybe there’s a way we can stalk him or something. God, I sound like a complete psycho now,” I relented.

“No, actually, you don’t,” Tom intervened. “That’s a great idea. You said this guy sat down and let you interview him.”

“Well, that was only because he thought he was gonna get a little something. Thank God she came in when she did.”

“Yeah, but that means he was attracted to you. Guys don’t think with their heads, Jenna. Well, at least not the one on their shoulders. We have something to work with. You show up at the book signing tomorrow and act like you want to pick up where you left off. Pour it on thick.”

“And then what?” Helene interrupted. “I don’t like that idea. You’re putting Jenna at risk.”

“Will you relax? I think I know what I’m doing here. I’m gonna get in touch with Boston PD and have an undercover cop following her the whole time. Jenna, you’re gonna try and find out at which hotel he and the wife are staying, so I can get a glimpse of her and the son.”

“And what happens when you see that it’s them?” Helene asked.

“She and her sham of a husband will be arrested for kidnapping,” Tom replied.

“What about faking her own death?” Helene continued with her interrogation.

“That’s not a crime,” Tom informed.

“What?” Helene and I both exclaimed in unison.

“Nope, but kidnapping your son for a year is,” Tom responded calmly.

“I feel awful keeping this from Ethan.” I sighed.

“I know, Tom, if Ethan finds out Jenna was keeping this from him, he’s going to be so angry with her. I think we need to tell him,” Helene chimed in.

“Helene, you know your brother. If this is all true and Darrah did this to him, I don’t even want to think of how he’s gonna react.”

“But it’s his son, Tom. He deserves to know he’s alive,” Helene continued with her plea.

“And what if it’s not? Do you have any idea what a letdown that will be to him?” Tom countered.

“It was, Tom,” I added. “I know I never met Nolan, but Ethan has shown me pictures, and when I stared into the little boy’s eyes today, it was like I was staring into Ethan’s.”

He sighed heavily. “Let me just think about it before we mention it to him.”

Silence loomed between the three of us. “Oh shit, speaking of the devil. Ethan’s calling on my phone right now,” Tom informed. “Let me take this and feel him out. In the meantime, Jenna, why don’t you head up to our place and spend the night, so we can be on our way first thing in the morning. Helene will text you our address.”

“Oh...umm...okay.” It was all too real now. My stomach churned with the thought of what tomorrow would bring, and even more so with how Ethan would react if he knew I was keeping this from him.