Jack didn’t miss that now Jane was justhis daughterbecause she’d done something Pamela didn’t like.
“Listen to this,” she seethed. He could hear movement on the other end of the line, and Pamela’s voice sounded farther away as she presumably pulled up Jane’s message. “‘I’m not sure if you’re just dumb or up to something sinister,’“ Pamela read, her voice taking on an injured tone. “‘I personally think it’s a bit ofboth because you’re a terrible person who only thinks about herself. Don’t get me wrong, I don’t mean dumb as in stupid. I mean, dumb enough to think me, my father, or my big extended family would for one minute trust you? We knew the moment you set foot into our home that you were up to something. But now we know the truth. You were lying about the disease to get me to sign something. If you think I have the power to sign the inn away, you’re mistaken. It takes three signatures for that. Stay away from me and my family, or I’ll show you who I can be. Remember, your blood unfortunately runs in my veins too.’“
Despite the stress of the situation, Jack felt a surge of pride at Jane’s words. His daughter was not backing down, not letting Pamela manipulate her anymore.
“Well, Pamela,” Jack said, keeping his voice level, “you did anger her and put her through undue distress with your lie about a hereditary disease. What did you expect?”
Silence stretched on the other end of the line for several long moments.
“What do you mean?” Pamela asked finally, her voice carefully neutral.
“Oh, please don’t play innocent, Pamela,” Jack said, irritation flooding through him. “Your biological mother died of ovarian cancer. It was your stepmother who died of the hereditary disease. There’s no genetic link, no way you could have passed it to Jane, and you knew that.”
He stood up from his desk, pacing to the window that overlooked the beach. “What we wantto know—” Jack corrected himself, his voice hardening. “No, what we will find out is why you would do that and what you thought you’d accomplish by it.”
Anger flared through him, hot and bright.
“Were you trying to distract us? Cause us so much stress that we’d take our eye off the ball while you and Victor swooped in and stole our home, our legacy from us?”
“What on earth are you talking about?” Pamela asked, and for a few seconds, the shock in her voice was almost believable. “I don’t understand.”
“Oh, Pamela, stop it,” Jack growled. “I’ve had enough. Stay away from my daughter, the inn, and my family.”
He disconnected the call, his thumb jabbing at the screen with more force than necessary. For a moment, Jack wished desperately that it was the old landline phone, so he could get the satisfaction of slamming the receiver down. Mobile phones just didn’t provide the same cathartic release when you hit the disconnect button.
Jack stood at the window, breathing hard, trying to calm the rage that Pamela always seemed to ignite in him.How had he ever loved that woman? How had he been so blind to her true nature for so many years?
A knock at the office door pulled him from his dark thoughts.
“Come in,” Jack said, setting his phone down on the desk and trying to compose himself.
The door opened, and Holly popped her head in. Jack’s heart did that little jump it always did when he saw her. The warmth, the comfort, the sense of rightness that came from being near her.
“Hi,” Holly said with a smile. “Have you got a minute?”
“Always,” Jack said, immediately relaxing as she walked into the office and closed the door behind her. The tension that Pamela had created melted away in Holly’s presence. “If you’re here to push me about the floor for Room Eight, Logan has already convinced me to go with the option you and he both prefer.”
“That’s great,” Holly said, her smile widening. “It’s a lot quicker to install as well. The guests will have a beautiful room waiting for them.”
“So Logan says,” Jack replied, feeling a genuine smile tug at his lips. “He’s very persuasive when he wants to be.”
Holly was about to say more when the landline phone on Jack’s desk rang. He glanced at it with a mixture of annoyance and resignation.
“Sorry, Holly,” Jack said, reaching for the phone. “Mom is out, and Jane is...” He frowned, realization dawning. “Actually, for the first time in three years, I’m not even sure where my daughter is at any given moment.” He grinned at that thought. Jane out with Gabe somewhere, happy and in love, living her life instead of hiding from it. It was a good feeling. Jack picked up the landline. “Jack Christmas.”
“Jack, it’s Detective Bruce,” the familiar voice came through. “I’ve got Duke here. He’s taken another walk by himself over to my place.”
Jack closed his eyes and sighed. “Again? I’m so sorry, Bruce.”
“No worries, man,” Detective Bruce said with a chuckle. “But I’ve told my kids to keep Brandy locked up right now. It’s that time for her, you know. Your boy’s got it bad.”
“No, I didn’t know, but it does explain why he keeps going over there,” Jack said, rubbing the back of his neck. Duke’s unauthorized visits to the detective’s house had been increasing in frequency over the past week. “I’m on my way to get him now.” Jack hung up and looked at Holly apologetically. “I’m sorry, Holly. I have to go fetch Duke from his girlfriend’s house before we end up with a whole new family to take care of.”
Holly laughed, the sound bright and genuine. “That’s fine. I’ll catch you...” She frowned, clearly trying to remember his schedule. “Lunch tomorrow?”
“Oh no,” Jack’s heart fell. The one thing he had been looking forward to, and he had completely forgotten. “I nearly forgot what day it was.” He pinched the bridge of his nose as he remembered the schedule. “I’m going Christmas shopping with Mom and Jane tonight.”
“Then you and Logan have to get to the town just outside St. Augustine before eight a.m. tomorrow to fetch that antique dresser we found for Room Eight,” Holly reminded him, and Jack felt even worse. How had his schedule gotten so packed?
