The muffled sound of footsteps reached Jenna’s ears, followed by the slight squeak of Mom’s recliner.
“I’ve told you a little about Katie—how she’s had some problems.”
Katie—his daughter who lived in DC. His voice was hushed and Jenna had to lean into the door’s crack to hear.
“I told you about her alcoholism and that she’d had a little trouble with the law over the years.”
“Minor stuff, you said.”
“Yes, minor stuff. But what I didn’t tell you was that while she was staying with me last year, trying to get back on her feet, she took out a credit card in my name. She transferred debt from her own credit cards to the one in my name and then paid the minimum payment for a while. Since she intercepted the mail, I never knew about it.
“I didn’t lie to you, Dee. I don’t have a credit card anymore. Obviously I froze this one, once I found out about it. But unfortunately Katie stopped payments on it months ago. She tanked my credit. I’ll be paying off the debt—I’ve got money set back for retirement obviously—but it’s currently tied up in investments.”
Jenna weighed his words, and Mom must’ve been doing the same because quiet echoed throughout the house.
“Why didn’t you just tell me about this?” A hint of distrust lingered in her mom’s voice.
“I was embarrassed. My own daughter exploited me.Me, a retired accountant. The whole thing is humiliating. But... I would’ve told you eventually. Time just got away from me, I guess.”
He sounded so sincere, even Jenna was inclined to believe him.
“Why did you go on that cruise if you had a pile of debt back home?” Mom still sounded guarded.
“Rosalind transferred that cruise to me. She and her husband planned to go for their anniversary, but then things fell apart. And it was too late for a refund. She insisted I go to thank me for taking them in.”
“You never mentioned that to me.”
“Why would I? It seemed irrelevant at the time.”
A long silence ensued. Jenna leaned closer, feeling like an eavesdropper. But Mom had asked her to listen in.
“Why did you tell someone on the phone that you were in Maine?”
Another pause indicated he’d been caught off guard. “That was Melanie. I told you about her. She vacationed in Maine as a child, so now she refers to every destination as Maine. When I went out of state for work, I was in Maine. When I was on the cruise, I was in Maine. It’s what she understands.”
It sounded as if Melanie might be a special needs adult. Likely a relative since he’d told her he loved her.
“Oh.” A load of regret packed her mom’s one word.
Jenna winced. Mom wasn’t the only one dealing with that particular emotion. Everything Gordon said made sense. He couldn’t have made all that up on the fly, could he?
“Listen, Dee,” he said gently. “I can see you have some reservations about me. About us. Maybe it’s time I went back home.”
“That’s not what I want.” Mom’s voice wobbled pitifully. “I’m sorry I jumped to conclusions. I just saw that statement and I—”
“We haven’t known each other very long, and maybe we rushed things. Got a little excited to have found someone we connected with.But I admit I’m feeling pretty hurt right now. I probably should’ve told you about Katie and the credit card debt, but I would’ve hoped you’d at least give me the benefit of the doubt.”
“I should’ve... I’m sorry.”
“I appreciate that. But I think maybe we should take a little break here. I’ve probably overstayed my welcome.”
“That’s not true. I’ve loved having you here.”
“I’ve loved every minute, Dee. I really have.”
“Please don’t leave like this.”
A moment of silence passed before Gordon responded. “Honestly, Dee, I’m feeling a little... uneasy. It’s probably me. Maybe I’ve got some issues of my own to deal with. But right now I need some space. I never intended to stay this long anyway, and I should probably get back home to my sister and nephews.”
