“It wasn’t as funny as she makes it out to be,” Rachel mumbled, yet Caroline saw her cheeks twitch in laughter at her friend’s recounting.
“It’s all right if you don’t want to discuss it,” Rebecca assured her. “I didn’t call them to gang up on you. They’ve helped me in my recovery, and I thought you might benefit from some friendly advice. Yes, Jameson is part of our family, whether he believes it or not. Guys can screw up, too. We’re your friends and want to help.”
“He didn’t really do anything bad,” Caroline faltered. “I try not to think of James when I see Jameson. They’re two separate people. I love him and want to trust him. Then, I discovered yesterday he rented the house. He never mentioned it or the car. It’s lying by omission. Yet, he did it for me,” Caroline murmured. “My gut says trust him, but my head sends red flags.”
“You’ve gone six years without trusting a single person,” Riley offered. “It’s your body’s instinct to warn you.”
“No,” Rachel interjected. “How many times did we hear Jameson talk about Caroline? She did trust him. Caroline gave him the last whereabouts of Rebecca, risking her own life.”
Delaney sighed. “Caroline wanted to help someone. It doesn’t mean she trusted him. She might’ve wanted to help someone else escape the hell she lived in.”
Rebecca gazed at Caroline for a moment, who seemed stunned by the frank discussion in front of her.
“We don’t believe in talking behind your back,” Rachel explained. “I can be a bitch, but Delaney won’t let me be catty, too.”
“Damn, right,” Delaney answered.
“Caroline didn’t believe she’d ever get away. She wanted to trust Jameson,” Rebecca surmised. “Not for herself, but for me.”
Tears threatened as Rebecca hit the nail on the head. Cain made it clear she’d only go home in a body bag.
“Oh, honey,” Riley sympathized. “I can’t imagine what you went through. But Jameson kept his word. He told us he promised you, he’d find you.”
Rachel handed Caroline a tissue from the side table.
“He did,” she said guiltily. “After he disappeared, I thought they killed him, or he found Rebecca.”
“He searched for you the day they returned home. Garrett has accompanied him on leads,” Riley informed her. “When he returned, he seemed more distraught than ever. He loves you. I’m not trying to throw guilt on your shoulders. I’m only assuring you he does.”
Delaney glanced at Caroline, who wiped her tears. “Trust can be a double-edged sword. You believe him, but you don’t.”
“Exactly. Why keep the car and house a secret from me?” she asked the group.
“I can answer your question,” Rachel volunteered. “Because the guys worried if he tried to buy your love, you might think he was trying to make up for what James did. The poor man seems damned if he does and damned if he doesn’t.”
“What really happened on the other team?” Caroline turned to Rebecca. “I don’t understand if Jameson saved lives, why they made him an outcast.”
Rebecca sighed. “When you’re on a team, you must trust everyone to have your six. Jameson joined the men under false pretenses because James gave him his version. You must keep in mind, Jameson seemed desperate for his dad’s approval after his half-brother, Phillip’s death. After spending time with the team and guarding Kassie, he saw how the family watched out for one another. He realized James lied to him. Jameson put him off, trying to figure out a way to tell the team the truth. James double-crossed him and took things into his own hands, which led to Kassie and her daughter getting kidnapped, and Samantha and her son getting held hostage. Jameson suffered a huge injury. We didn’t think he’d make it. Despite infections, setbacks, and the team, Jameson made it. The women sent him packages and letters, but the men felt a bit differently. You can’t trust a man who lied to his teammates. Trust can make or break a team. I know Jameson feels bitter, but Leo did him a favor. Instead of sending him packing, he gave him another chance here.”
“So, he could start over?” Caroline asked.
“Jameson needed to prove himself. He’d only get the chance on a different team,” Rebecca explained.
“They don’t hate him?” she asked
“No. If Leo held any hard feelings, Jameson wouldn’t be here. It’s about finding out where he belonged,” Rebecca assured her. “James did a lot of damage to him as a boy. How do you think Jameson might have felt if he spent days with people second-guessing him? Julio took him on, and he’s never let the team down.”
“What’s the problem?” Rachel asked. “Did something happen?”
Rebecca gazed at Caroline. “You don’t have to talk about it if you don’t want to. Sometimes it’s nice to have friends as sounding boards.”
“As you know, I discovered the situation about the house yesterday. Nancy plans to pick up the rest of her things today. I accused Jameson of lying to me and told him I’d never get over what his dad did because his action reminded me of him. He even reminds me of James. I know in my head he isn’t, but I can’t separate the two. I hurled horrible things at him.”
“Oh, no,” Riley breathed.
“I know,” Caroline said. “I’m angry about my dad, and why did Jameson have to be James’ son? It makes this whole situation complicated. I don’t have a job. It’s my second chance at life, and I already screwed it up,” she admitted as tears streamed down her face.
Delaney waved her hand in dismissal. “Oh, good grief. Did you imagine everything to turn out sunshine and roses?”
