“Oh, God,” she cried. “Is it even possible to manipulate a phone that way?”
Sitting back beside her, he threaded his fingers through hers. “There’s a lot that can be done with technology, if you know how.”
“Or have enough money to pay someone who does. I am so sorry, Theo.”
His warm arms wrapped around her. He held her close to his chest, so close she could hear his heartbeat. Could she stay here forever?
“You never went to Europe then either, I’m assuming.” His thumb caressed her cheek.
“No. The only time I ever went was right before graduation, although for me it was more finishing up my studies. I was homeschooled by tutors from the time I was about ten. After I begged him, my father allowed me to go on a trip with some other students to visit the museums of Europe. He sent along two of my tutors and a bodyguard. Why are we talking about that?”
“After you’d been gone almost a month, you finally sent a message asking me to stop contacting you. You had made a foolish decision to move to Bar Harbor with me. You said you were sorry and hadn’t meant to hurt me, but you were too young to commit to one guy right now.”
Tears fell as she shook her head, easing out of his arms. “That wasn’t me.”
“I get that now. At the time, I was ticked off. I took a few days and drove to Westchester, to your home.”
“What? How did I not know?” The answer was obvious. Her father.
“I tried to get inside to see you, but the guy at the gate said you weren’t home. When I got kind of loud and insisted on coming in, your father came over. He apologized for you and said you had done this a few times.”
Theo twisted the ring on his finger, then continued. “I wondered if he meant gotten married, but then he showed me a picture of you on his phone. You were with some other young people in front of the Eiffel Tower, and you were all laughing. There was a blond guy with his arm around your shoulder, smiling at you. Your father told me that young love was fickle.”
Finally, she reached over and touched him. Aside from trying to hit him when she’d first found out about Jordan, it was the first time she’d initiated contact since she’d been back.
“That was two years before I met you, Theo. That guy was nice, but we never did anything.”
For a moment, Theo stared at his lap. Then, a hesitant, almost coy grin crept onto his face. “Well, that I know. You were quite innocent when we first got together.”
Her heart soared at his playful manner, then plummeted again. He’d said he loved her. Was it too late to get that back? If they did, would it only end again when he found out about her condition? Was it selfish of her to want to get to know her daughter better? Spend time with her? They’d been having fun, but would it last? Could she continue to fool them into thinking she was fine?
Too many questions plagued her. The worst was knowing her own mother had still succumbed to the disease, even with a daughter who loved her so much. Did she want Jordan to get attached and then lose her the way Chelsea had lost her mom? If she went away right now, maybe it would be better. It would be easier to lose something you never knew you had, right? How did she know what was best?
Chapter eight
“Wegoingayourhouse, Mama?” Jordan called out from her seat in the back of the SUV.
After their talk, Jordan had woken up and insisted they walk along the ocean. Theo had wanted to continue the conversation, but it wasn’t for little ears. Their daughter didn’t need to know all the deception and lies that had transpired years ago. It was hard enough for him to understand it.
“It was my grandmother’s house,” Chelsea replied. “But she died a few years ago, so now it’s mine.”
“Can I see it? Daddy, can we go inside?”
As he pulled in the driveway, he peeked at Chelsea and raised his eyebrow in question. Her nod told him it was okay.
“Sure, peanut, but we aren’t staying long. Your mother probably has lots of things to do since we kept her out all day, and it’s getting late.” They’d stopped for a quick bite of supper before dropping Chelsea off, since he wasn’t sure how much food she had in her house.
They trotted up the porch steps and Jordan twirled around, her eyes wide. “Mama, you get to look at the ocean all the time.”
“I do, sweetheart. It’s very healing.”
God, he hoped it healed her. Seeing her so meek and pale stabbed him in the heart. Time with her daughter should help, as well. And perhaps being with him?
After unlocking the front door, Chelsea led them in. “It needs lots of work. Still smells musty. I’ve opened the windows a few times, but it’s too chilly at night to leave them that way.”
“It is kind of cold,” he said, noting the stale odor. It was April in northern Maine. The mercury often dipped low at night. “Have you set the thermostat to a certain temperature?”
Chelsea’s gaze lowered to the floor. “The heat isn’t on. I’m not sure how to do that. I think the control is in the basement.”
