“Hi, um, sorry to bother you. Who am I speaking to?”
“I’m Sharlene Willis. Who are you?” she said, her tone abrupt.
Jessica stiffened. “This is Jessica Flynn. I’m Mark Dalton’s girlfriend. I found your note.” She sucked in a breath, her heart pounding so hard she could feel it rattling her bones.Deny it, Sharlene…tell me it isn’t true…
There was a pause. “I…I didn’t know he had a girlfriend. Is everything okay?”
“He’s fine,” Jessica croaked. She swallowed over the pain in her throat. “I, um…you’re his mother?”
Sharlene laughed, but it sounded tired and sad. “He didn’t tell you, did he? Guess I can’t blame him. I fucked up big time where he’s concerned.”
Jessica couldn’t speak. Everything was spinning out of control. She was on the phone with Mark’s mother. Hismother. It wasn’t possible. How could he have kept this from her? She choked back a sob as two tears splashed over her cheeks.
After a lengthy pause, Sharlene cleared her throat. “Well, I guess you two have some things to talk about. Sorry for my part in it. Hope you can work it out.”
There was a click, and she was gone.
Jessica stared at the phone in her hands. Mark had been lying to her since they’d first met back in high school. How? Why? Sharlene had been here in Haven, recently enough for Bear to chew up her note.
Had his mother been here in Haven after he and Jessica were already back together?
A sob broke free. She thought he had finally opened himself up to her, that he’d finally trusted her with all his secrets. That night in the hot tub…he’dpromised.
But as it turned out, he’d been keeping secrets all along.
