She sounds confident, but I highly doubt three months stuck in Maine will help me in any way.
Jackie chimes in, grinning, “There is more to life than work.”
It takes every bit of willpower not to roll my eyes like a teenager at the overused line. But I let it slide because I had already planned to work remotely the moment Ipacked my bags. The single upside of leaving New York is that the two of them won’t be able to hover over me, making work almost impossible.
“I’ve been gone long enough, this is unnecessary.” I’m worried about the effect my prolonged absence will have on business. Investors are agitated, rumors already coiling in the dark corners of boardrooms and private cigar clubs. I hate still being as useless as I was three months ago.
“Robertson and I have it covered,” Jackie’s tone is serious. “I won’t let you down.”
My mother nods along. “You’re more important to us, son. The company means nothing if something happens to you again.” Her voice breaks a little on the last words and guilt twists my insides.
I know their love is unconditional, but I’m supposed to be the strong one and protect my mother and sister. I’m stuck between a rock and a hard place, keeping them at ease and keeping the family legacy safe.
“The reason I’m even considering doing this is because I trust you,” I tell Jackie. “You’re the only person I’m comfortable leaving in charge.”
Jackie’s always been my rock, even back when our father tightened his grip and isolated me. Our bond was indestructible. I know how business-savvy she is, and she wouldn’t let our company implode.
“The place has rubbed off on you already.” Jackie tries to hide her emotions behind a joke. “You’ve gone soft.”
“The place is certainly…quaint. Not your regular vacation spot, mother.”
“I wanted you to enjoy life the way I did when I was little, before”—she waves her hand around the luxurious living room she’s walking through—“this happened.”
Before my father founded the company and became so rich he forgot where they both came from. I open the large window and take in the lake, sparkling in the morning sun.
“Let me guess. I’m supposed to learn how to enjoy the simple things?” I ask her, unconvinced.
“Exactly!” they both say.
“You can ask the owner to show you around. The Mainers are very nice people,” my mother says.
The fresh air wraps around me, cooling my skin.
“I met the owner when I got here.”
“Oh, how sweet of them to wait for you so late.”
“It was more of a miscommunication. She stayed the night.”
“I’m sure she had a perfectly good reason, I hope you weren’t rude.” My mother gives me that look, meant to be severe.
“You raised a perfect gentleman,” I tell her, and she’s pleased.
Though I don’t understand how the redhead owns and rents this cabin but has nowhere else to go in the time of crisis she’s so obviously going through. Unless she’s mentally unstable. I should have checked if the bedroom door had a key. Then the intrusive thoughts and suspicion start to slither through my mind.
“Did you have anything to do with it?” The question bursts out.
My mother pales and Jackie is stricken, “Carter—”
“You know I’d never do that to you,” my mother says, cutting her off.
I take a deep breath and the crisp air clears my mind.
“Yeah, sorry,” I say on an exhale. “It was unexpected, that’s all.”
“Is she pretty, at least?” Jackie asks.
I laugh at the absurd question. “Definitely not. A dull, countryside mess of a woman.” I think about the frightful apparition as I open my bags to change. The wrinkled flannel shirt was an instant red flag. Her face was blotchy. And she appeared to have the same emotional stability as cryptocurrency.
