Chapter Twenty-three
Wednesday night dinner had a distinctive and uncharacteristically heavy atmosphere. The usual banter, teasing, and conversation had come to a screeching halt about halfway through when Garrett checked his watch and knew he had about ten minutes left to come clean.
He put down his fork and looked at Shane, who shrugged. “It’s all you, dude.”
It was all him. All alone. It had been five days since he’d last seen Jessie, and the most surprising thing of all was how badly he missed her. And how many times he’d read that one text.
Garrett, please call me so I can explain what happened. It’s not pretty, but I’ve done everything I can to protect you. I’m so sorry.
But he didn’t call. What good would it do? To hear her lies and excuses? To wonder why he’d been taken in again? To ache for everything to be different because, damn it, he did love her. And she stomped all over that.
He and Shane talked it over and decided to wait until the show aired before going into full crisis-control mode. Right now, there was nothing to do but wait and see how bad the damage was.
The damage to his reputation, the legacy of his company, and his family’s finances could be repaired. To his heart? Those scars would never go away.
But he had to tell his family before they found out the hard way.
All around the table, every gaze was on him as he slowly walked through his tale, explaining to them the other life-changing event that had happened in the same month Mom died.
Molly’s eyes filled as he spoke and told them everything, from the relationship with Claudia straight through to how and why Jessie left. Liam listened, expressionless. Gramma rubbed her hands over each other like she did when something worried her, and Pru looked a little confused by it all. And Dad.
Oh man. Dad stared straight at him, and that was the hardest part for him.
When he finished, he swallowed and took a drink of water and braced for whatever it was they had to say.
“Garrett,” his father said softly. “You’re a good man, and I’m proud of you.”
He felt his jaw loosen. “I trusted her, Dad.” Worse, he loved her. “I’m a naive man.”
“I’m not talking about Jessie. You tried to save Claudia Chamberlain when she needed it the most.”
He held up a hand. “Please, I’m no hero. I loved her and was ready to help her raise her child. She used me. That’s not noble. It’s stupid.”
“Not how I see it,” Gramma said. “I agree with Daniel. You know what they say. We rise by lifting others. And you have, lad. You may call it stupid or ignoble. I call it a remarkable sacrifice and nothing to be ashamed of.”
They started chiming in one by one, all in support.
“Do you all realize what this potentially can do to our lives?” he said, frustrated that they weren’t seeing the big picture. “This could hurt stock, which all of you own. This could hurt our reputation and affect Waterford’s business.”
“Son, listen to me.” Dad leaned forward, his eyes the color of a windy, winter sky. “We’re solvent. If every person in this room loses their FriendGroup stock, then the investments that we have planned for Waterford might stop or slow. We may have to stop flying rescues across the country. Maybe we’d up our fees on that new DOD contract. But we would certainly not go out of business.”
Garrett let out a long, slow sigh.
“We’ve all invested and divested,” Shane said. “They can’t do anything about stock we don’t own anymore.”
“I have more money than I’ll ever need,” Liam agreed.
“Waterford has withstood worse over the years,” Gramma added.
“And I don’t believe she betrayed you.” At Molly’s words, everyone looked at her. “Really, do y’all think Jessie’s a bad person? That she’d put her career above this family?”
“Frankly,” Dad said. “I do not.”
“Me neither,” Liam added. “She seemed totally legit.”
“And you’re so much nicer now, Uncle Garrett.”
He shot a look at Pru. “Nicer?”
“Well, come on, Garrett,” Darcy said. “Ever since she showed up, you were smiling and laughing. Now you’re back to, you know, Garrett.”
“And you haven’t even heard her side,” Molly added. “You said yourself you haven’t responded to her text.”
He let his shoulders drop, not able to argue with that. “We’ll hear her side in about five minutes.” He looked at Shane for support, but his older brother shrugged.
“You can’t be sure she was the actual person behind this, Garrett,” Molly said. “Her competition for the job is a ruthless woman who would stoop to anything to get the job. She might have been sabotaged.”
“Or maybe someone from FriendGroup found out and set it up,” Darcy suggested. “I know you guys did everything to hide the history, but oh my God, are there some vindictive people in HR at that company, which is why I hated it. Maybe Claudia confided in the wrong person.”
“You were really quick to blame Jessie based on circumstantial evidence,” Shane added.
“Circumstantial?” He choked the word. “Chamberlain repeated words I’d only said to her.”
“There are two sides to every story,” Gramma said. “And that’s not even an Irish saying, just a smart one.”
“And the bottom line?” Dad added. “We liked her, and we liked her influence on you.”
He looked across the table at his father, who sure had looked a little defeated since Jessie left. Of course, he’d tried hard to manipulate this relationship into happening.
“Sorry,” he muttered. “Better luck next time, Dogfather.”
“The show starts in one minute!” Pru announced as her phone alarm went off. “We’re still going to watch it, right?”
“I’d rather not,” Garrett said.
“Are you kidding?” Dad stood and gestured for everyone to do the same. “We’re all watching, and we’re all supporting you.”
“Check my website stats, Pru,” Gramma said as she walked by. “I bet our hits go through the roof tonight.”
“I hope they got a lot of footage of the dogs,” Molly said.
Garrett sat there, alone at the table, not sure if he wanted to laugh or cry as his family poured into the family room like it was any other Wednesday and they were going to watch a movie.
What could he do but follow them in and sit on the sofa between Molly and Darcy? Just as he settled down, the doorbell rang, and Darcy popped up. “That might be the night staff checking out,” she said. “I’ll get it.” She patted Garrett’s leg. “You don’t want to miss yourself on TV.”
Actually, he did. He really, really did.
The ITAL On Air logo came on the screen, and his gut clenched. One second, and he’d be face-to-face with those green eyes he loved so much.
Because, yes, he did still love her. He couldn’t turn that off.
A man’s face filled the screen, giving him a little kick of disappointment.
“Good evening and welcome to Inside the A List On Air. I’m Caleb Mulvany, and I will be joining the ITAL On Air anchor team with feature stories on the famous and infamous people all over this planet.”
He would be joining the anchor team?
“Tonight’s story takes us across the pond to one of the most famous homes in the world, Windsor Castle, to arguably the world’s most eligible bachelor. Prince—”
“What?” Molly and Pru called out in unison.
“Where’s our story?” Gramma asked.
“This isn’t right,” Dad said.
“Um, Garrett.” Darcy put her hand on his shoulder from behind the couch.
“Yeah?”
“I think you better come to the door. There’s someone here to see you.”
Shane, working the remote, hit pause, and every single person in the room turned to him with a few audible gasps.
“Come on, Garrett,” Darcy said, adding pressure.
Without a word, he pushed up and rounded the couch, heading to the front of the house, hating his heart for beating so fast.
He glanced over his shoulder at the TV, frozen on the face of a famous prince.
Somehow she’d gotten the story killed and it looked like it cost her the job. She—
A dog barked from the front porch. Loud. Three times. She got Lola back? He rushed to the door, squinting into the early evening light at reddish-blond hair that brushed narrow shoulders.
The wrong hair. The wrong shoulders. But it sure was the right dog.
“Sherry.” The name came back to him as Lola came close and sniffed, then padded around him, looking into the house.
“I have to give her back,” she said.
He tried to process that, and the incredible burn of frustration and disappointment that this wasn’t the woman he wanted her to be. “Okay. Why?”
She handed him a leash. “I’m moving to France, and I can’t take her.”
“It’s safer for you there?”
“It’s better. I met a man there, and I want to go back permanently.”
“They have dogs in France,” he said.
She gave a tight smile and a nod. “He wants to travel with me. A lot. I think Trisket is better off with that woman who works for you. Jessica? Trisket misses her. And only answers to the name Lola now.”
No surprise, that made him smile.
“I don’t want to give her to a stranger,” Sherry said. “I really love her, but I can’t figure out a way to fit her into my life now.”
“I know exactly how you feel,” he said softly, petting Lola’s head.
“Can you take her?”
“Of course. I’d be happy to.”
She reached into her purse. “Here are her registration papers and license. Thank you.”
He reached down and gave some love to Lola, rubbing her ears and welcoming her back. The whole time, she stared at him with those bottomless brown eyes and one obvious question: Where is she?
Sherry took a moment to say goodbye, got a little teary, then gave Garrett an unexpected hug.
“I’ve heard that some dogs and people are only supposed to be in your life for a brief time,” she said. “Long enough to change you.”
“I’ve heard that, too.”
With a quick nod and another blown kiss, Sherry turned and hustled away to her parked car, as if lingering would hurt too much.
Only in your life for a brief time? “Unless you get them back, right, girl?” He ruffled Lola’s furry head again.
When he walked into the family room, there was a lot of chatter, all of which stopped cold, except for the dogs who barked when Lola came into the room.
Dad looked as crushed as Garrett felt. “That wasn’t her? Because there’s no story about you, Son. Not tonight, anyway.”
“Just a dumb interview with some prince,” Pru said.
“Lola’s owner brought her back,” he said. “And now…I have to…” He had to. Tonight. “I have to take her to New York.”
“And do what?” Dad asked.
“Beg.”
Instantly, Lola sat back on her haunches, raised her paws, and let her tongue out.
The entire room burst into hoots and hollers and heartfelt clapping. But not for Lola. Garrett was pretty sure they were clapping for the best decision he’d ever made.
* * *
The sun was high enough that it had to be close to nine when Jessie opened her eyes. She listened for sounds of life in the three-bedroom apartment, but Hannah and Erica had left for work well over an hour ago. As she would have, too, if she’d had a job.
She rubbed her eyes and stretched, thinking of the day ahead.
And all the ones she’d left behind. Not the rat race, not the competitive, stressful, fight for your life at ITAL. No, she missed the halcyon days of gentle North Carolina hills and barking dogs and spring breezes and…
Her cell phone rang, and she hated that it made her heart squeeze. She stared at it on her dresser, not able to see the screen from the bed, but knowing it didn’t say Garrett on the caller ID.
She’d let herself go down that sad hole every time her phone made a noise for days.
Instead, she checked the clock and drifted back to Waterford. By nine, all the chores would be done, the kennels clean, the dogs walked, the training circuits started.
Her chest literally hurt at how much she missed it all.
The call went to voice mail, and she closed her eyes, but almost instantly, the phone rang again.
“Leave me alone!” She pulled the pillow over her head, hating the lump in her throat that wouldn’t disappear.
How long would she pine for him? She had to get a job. She had to get her life together. She had to…go back.
Nope, not an option. No more Waterford. No more Garrett.
But all she could think about was the hurt in his eyes when she left. Would that be any different if she showed up on his doorstep like a stray dog looking for a home?
Once more, the phone rang, and this time, she threw a pillow at the dresser, but it didn’t make it beyond the foot of the bed.
“Fine.” She rolled all the way out of bed, took three steps on the hardwood, and picked up the phone.
Steph.
Really? Her sister? Closing her eyes with a little self-disgust, she answered. “Hey, Steph. What’s up?”
Before her sister even answered, Ashton’s shriek could be heard. “Stop it right this minute, young man!”
“And good morning to you, Sister.”
“Ugh, I’m sorry. Have you heard from Mom? She totally blew me off again today.”
Maybe she was trying to finally get her own life. “I talked to her yesterday, and she said she was going into the city with some friends from her church.”
“Oh, that church. It’s all she does now is go feed the hungry.”
“Stephanie, seriously? Are you really that selfish?”
The comment was met with dead silence, well, unless she counted Ashton in the background.
“Just listen to my schedule, Jessie. I have to…”
While she droned on, Jessie put the phone on speaker, then slipped into the bathroom, brushed her teeth, and ran her fingers through her hair, popping over to respond only when necessary to the tale of an interview at Ashton’s preschool.
“So then what happened?” Jessie asked, taking off her tank top and sleep pants, finding a bra, and stepping into a yellow cotton T-shirt dress. For…whatever she would do today.
Pine.
“Anyway,” Stephanie said. “What the heck happened last night? Where was your interview with the dog guy?”
And she’d known that was coming. “I didn’t get the job.”
“No?”
“I quit, actually.” She reached over to the blind, tugging once so that it would go all the way up and let in some sunshine. “Oooh, nice day.”
“Nice day?” Stephanie choked. “You quit?”
She looked down three stories to the street below, checking out the cars and taxis and a yellow Jeep parked on the…
Inside, every cell, every molecule, every drop of blood absolutely froze.
“How can you quit, Jessie?”
She was dreaming. She was imagining. She was fantasizing.
The driver’s door opened, and all that was visible from this height was…a hat.
No, not a hat. The hat. The doggone hat.
And it tipped back so its wearer could look right up at her window.
“Oh my God,” she whispered, her hands already shaking and her knees almost hitting each other.
“Do you have something else lined up?” Stephanie demanded.
“I…might.”
“Doing what?”
Just then, a brown and white dog climbed onto his lap from the backseat. No, not a brown and white dog. Not any dog at all. Her dog!
“Lola!”
“What? Is that a new company? A website? Because I think you ought to try and get serious about interviewing at a real company…”
Jessie pressed her face against the glass, still not able to believe what she was seeing or the chills that blossomed all over her skin.
She still couldn’t make out his face, only the rim of that precious, worn, ridiculous hat, but he turned to put his feet out and help Lola to the ground, clipping a leash on her.
“…I bet he could get you an interview, Jessie. And I would do that for you. Would you like that?”
“I would like that.” She reached down and frantically tried to unlock the window, but her hands were damp and shaking.
“Oh, here’s Mom! It’s about time!”
Yes, yes, it was about time. Her time. Her happy, wonderful, once-in-a-lifetime time.
Finally, the window released, and she dragged it up all the way, dipping down to stick her head out.
Just as she did, Lola looked up and barked three times.
Instantly, Garrett looked up, too, grabbing the hat to keep it from falling off as he tipped his head all the way back to see up to the third floor.
“You heard the dog!” he yelled.
He let Lola bark again, three times. Garrett swooped off his hat and held both arms up in a plea. “I miss you! I trust you! I love you!”
Each announcement came with the echo of Lola’s triple bark.
“What is all that noise, Jessie? Do you have a dog now?”
She picked up the phone and took it off speaker, still staring down at the man she loved more than life itself. He didn’t even know the truth yet, but there he was, heart on the line, as ready to forgive, forget, and try again as she was.
“Yeah. I have a dog. And I also have…everything I ever wanted.”
“What are you talking about? Mom, Jessie’s crazy.”
“You can say that again.” She hit end and threw the phone on her bed, then stuck her head out the window. “I love you, too!”
He threw the hat twenty feet into the air with a whoop of joy so loud it drowned out Lola’s incessant barks.