Chapter Sixteen
“The market analysis indicated a strong and positive response to the name change, Jack.” Eric passed around a copy of the charts Jack had asked for so they could finalize the naming of the hotel chain.
Jack sat at one end of the conference table, and his father sat at the opposite side by the door. In between were employees ranging from marketing, accounting, Dean’s second in command from his contracting firm, and a couple of lawyers to ensure the legal department’s advice was followed.
“Then it looks like we have everything set for the…” Jack’s words trailed off as voices outside the conference door indicated someone wasn’t where they were supposed to be.
“You can’t go in there,” said a frantic woman beyond the door.
Everyone in the room turned.
Gaylord shifted in his chair.
“I’ll only be a minute.” Jack heard her voice just as the large mahogany door burst open.
Several people in the room gasped.
Jack surged to his feet. “Jessie?”
She locked eyes with him and ground to a halt. The array of emotions that played over her face in the span of two seconds felt like a punch in the gut. How did she find out?
“What’s the matter, Jack? Can’t come up with a lie quick enough to explain this?”
He started walking toward her. “Jessie, I—”
Her hand shot up in front of her, stopping him. “Don’t waste your breath. I’m not here for an explanation. I needed to see with my own eyes if what I saw on the news was true.”
The news? What the hell is she talking about?
“Obviously the media has a stronger grip on the truth than you do.”
“I can explain.”
“Let me guess, you made employee of the year and they gave you the hotel.”
“Jessie, please.”
“Oh, don’t even try that with me.”
“Jack—” He heard his father’s voice but couldn’t stop watching Jessie. Her anger was palpable.
“Don’t bother, Mr. Morrison. It is Mr. Morrison, isn’t it?” Jessie asked his father.
“It is.”
Jessie’s gaze shot from his father to him. “At least someone in the room knows his own name.” She glanced around the room as if noticing it for the first time. “You told me you were a waiter. A waiter? God, I’m so gullible.” Her hand shook as she pointed at him. “Stay the hell away from me and my son. You hear me, Jack Morrison. Stay away!”
It took him a second to realize that Jessie had turned and was running from the room.
Jack pushed away from the table and started after her.
His father stopped him at the door. “Is that her?” he asked.
Jack shook off his father’s hand. “Yes.”
Gaylord barked out a laugh. “Ha! I like her already.” Jack had explained everything to his father in the hour they’d shared lunch. Thank God he’d had that hour or this scene would be more difficult to explain. “What are you standing here for, son? Go.”
Jack ran from the room but didn’t see Jessie in the lobby.
A stunned receptionist stood by sputtering apologies. “I’m so sorry, Mr. Morrison. She just ran in here.”
“Where did she go?” he shouted.
The young woman pointed toward the front door.
By the time Jack stepped out into the sun, Jessie was in her new car, tearing out of the parking lot.
Patting his pants, Jack realized his keys were in his briefcase in the conference room and ran to retrieve them.
Bolting into the room, Jack ignored the questions and stares of his team. Once his keys were in his hand, he rushed to his truck and took off after her.
All Jack could see in front of him was the pain in Jessie’s eyes. He should have told her the truth, explained who he was and why he kept it a secret from her.
He hit the steering wheel when the light at the intersection to her apartment turned red.
Although Jessie only had a fifteen-minute head start on him, by the time he made it to her apartment, she was gone.
Her work said she wouldn’t be returning until after Christmas. Jack couldn’t let her stay away from him that long. There was no way of knowing where she went. Jack left messages on her cell phone, but she didn’t return them. The damn thing was probably sitting in her purse, purposely turned off.
Back at the hotel, Jack learned that his father had finished his meeting and instructed the staff to enjoy their holiday. Luckily, Gaylord wasn’t in Jack’s suite when he returned. Katie, on the other hand, was.
“Any calls?” he asked, knowing damn well the one he wanted to call wouldn’t.
His sister shook her head. “None. Give her some time, Jack. She’ll come around.”
Katie couldn’t know that for certain, but it was nice of her to lend her support. “I should have told her.”
“Yes, you should have.”
Jack couldn’t even muster the energy to be pissed at his sister for siding with Jessie.
“I think I know what tipped Jessie off,” Katie said.
Jack threw his keys on the coffee table. “What?”
“The media was in the lobby today and must have overheard something about your personal life. You, big brother, are tonight’s entertainment report for the local station. A picture of you and me made it to the headlines.”
“What headlines?”
“About an impending wedding announcement between you and a mystery bride.”
Jack didn’t see the problem. He’d asked Jessie to marry him once and all but promised he’d ask again in the very near future. “Jessie knows how I feel about her.”
“Does she? Did you propose again?”
“No, I told you I needed to come clean first.”
Katie tilted her head and gave him a wan smile. “Did you tell her you love her? Guys suck with the ‘L’ word.”
“I told her I cared for her more than—”
“Blah. You skipped the ‘L’ word. Now she thinks you’re ready to walk down the aisle with someone else.”
“There is no one else.”
“She doesn’t know that,” Katie countered. “She saw a picture of you and me talking; for all we know, she thinks I’m the other woman.”
“That’s ridiculous,” Jack cried. “You’re my sister.”
“I’m sure you pulled out the ole family album and showed her a picture of me.”
No, he hadn’t done that. Still, Katie wasn’t afraid of the spotlight. Hell, she’d been on more covers of magazines than a lot of top models. Surely Jessie had seen her before. Once Jessie had connected Jack Morrison to Jack Moore, the pieces would fall in line. Jessie would have to know Katie was the woman in the picture.
“Jack, trust me, Jessie is thinking the worst about you right now. A little time will need to pass before she’ll give you a minute to talk.”
Not the words he wanted to hear. Physical pain settled in his chest when he thought of how Jessie must have painted him.
“I’m going out,” Jack said, reaching for the keys he’d placed on the table.
“Where?”
“Anywhere. I can’t stand here waiting for her to call.” He suspected he’d be waiting for a long time. “I need to find her.”
Katie stopped him from leaving the room. “Have dinner,” she encouraged. “Regroup so you have an idea where to look.”
Food wasn’t even on his radar.
Jack placed his hands on his sister’s shoulders and moved her out of his way. “If she calls…”
“Yeah, yeah…go. I’ll call you.”
Jack kissed her cheek and left the penthouse.
Jessie hadn’t intended to run home to Mother, but she didn’t have anywhere else to go. And although they didn’t get along on the day-to-day things, Renee could be counted on in a bind. Besides, when it came to men and the games they played, she could be relied upon to watch Jessie’s back.
Something else boded well for Renee, and that was her lack of standing in judgment. Even when Jessie had found herself pregnant as a teenager, Renee never judged her.
She hadn’t been happy, but she didn’t judge.
Danny fell asleep on the couch, disappointed that they weren’t going home.
Jessie sat huddled under a blanket outside on her mother’s porch. The cold kept her numb. Numb was a good thing. Feeling nothing would be even better.
How could she be so blind?
What a fool.
Jessie couldn’t even take pleasure in the shocked expression that had shot to Jack’s face when she’d barged in on his meeting. They’d both been stunned silent. She for seeing him dressed in clothes that would take her a month to purchase. Sitting at the head of the table meant he was the big boss, the leader, the billionaire to whom everyone at the table answered.
If only she could cry, maybe then she’d feel better.
The door to the house opened and Jessie’s mother stepped out. “Danny still asleep?”
Renee removed a cigarette from a pack and went through the process of lighting it up. The habit had aged her mother prematurely, Jessie realized. “Like a baby,” Renee said.
“Good. It’s been a big day for him.”
Renee sat beside Jessie on the swing and moved the cigarette to where the smoke wouldn’t blow in Jessie’s face. Renee was thinner than Jessie would like, her skin weathered for her sixty-two years.
Her mom looked tired.
“It’s been a big day for you, too.”
Jessie had heard Monica explaining to their mother what had happened before she ran off to stay with a friend. Jessie made her promise not to run to Jack and tell him where she was. Pinky swears and sister pledges went a long way in situations like this. Jessie hoped to hell she’d never be in this exact situation again.
“He lied to me, Mom.”
Renee tipped the swing until it rocked back and forth in a gentle motion. “Monica told me, but I kept thinking about something…”
“Thinking about what?”
“About how you would have reacted had you known the truth about his name, his money.”
Jessie had thought of that, too. Would she have treated him the same knowing he was loaded to the tens with money? She would have dated him sooner, which was something he’d been after since they met.
“Doesn’t account for the fact that there is some other woman in his life I knew nothing about.”
Renee took a pull off her cigarette and blew the smoke away. She took her time talking. “Maybe. Or maybe the media got it all wrong. Wouldn’t be the first time.”
“You didn’t see the woman hanging on his arm. I’d be a fool if I thought I could compete with that.”
“You stop it right there, young lady. That’s my daughter you’re talking about. The daughter I know and love doesn’t need fancy clothes and makeup to compete. She has everything she needs naturally.” Renee pointed a finger in her direction. “This Jack guy could be so lucky to find his forever with you.”
Jessie was taken aback by her mother’s praise. It had been a long time since her mother had said anything to her like this. “I come with baggage, Mom. I’m not the top pick for the team.”
“That’s where you’re wrong. When Danny’s dad ran off, leaving you to raise your beautiful boy all by yourself, I was ready to run after him and force him to stand by you. Then I realized you’d be much better off without him. You’d have a greater chance of falling in love if you didn’t have that bum by your side.”
“Falling in love is overrated.”
“Bite your tongue. Falling in love is what makes this miserable life worthwhile. I should know; I’ve done it about a hundred times.”
Jessie smiled and felt a tiny chuckle rise in her throat.
Renee laughed alongside her. Stubbing the cigarette out under her shoe, Renee patted Jessie’s knee. “I know you don’t approve of how I live my life—”
“It isn’t that I don’t approve, Mom. I just want you settled and happy.”
“I am settled, little girl. I’ve been in this house since right after you were born. As for happy…I’m happy most of the time.”
“And miserable every time your relationships fall apart.” Jessie covered her mother’s hand with hers.
“No denying that. I think I’ve fallen in love with falling in love. It’s exciting to see your man look at you with diamonds in his eyes, the thrill of a first kiss, the buzz of every touch and taste.” Renee gazed off in her memories.
“With all that buzzing and sizzling, I’m surprised you haven’t buried your husbands,” Jessie joked.
Her mother tossed her head back with laughter. “Life is too short to live it alone.”
“Well, it looks like Danny and I’ll be alone for a little bit longer.” More than a little bit. Jessie wouldn’t be jumping into the dating fire any time soon. Her mom might like the buzz, but the dive after wasn’t something Jessie wanted to experience again.
“I told you, you could fall in love with a rich man just as easy as a poor man.”
As if Jessie could forget those words. “Lotta good that does me.”
“Seems to me you fell in love with both.”
That’s where Jessie disagreed. “I fell in love with Jack Moore. Cowboy waiter who drives an old, beat-up truck.”
Renee stood. “You’re going to get through this, Jessie. I never did worry about you landing on your feet. Even after you ended up pregnant, I knew you’d be just fine.”
A lump formed in the back of Jessie’s throat. “Thanks, Mom.”
Renee nodded and slipped back inside, leaving Jessie to her own thoughts.
Then the tears finally came.
It was Christmas Eve, and Jack had no idea where Jessie was. For the life of him he couldn’t remember all the last names Jessie had spouted that belonged to her mother. Driving around Fontana looking for a house with Jessie’s new car parked in front of it was a bust.
The hours of sleep he’d had could be counted on one hand, the meals on less than that.
The ring he’d ordered from the jeweler had arrived, and Jack sat on his bed in his room staring at it. It belonged on Jessie’s finger. All he had to do was put it there.
The voices of his sister and father carried from the living room. The two of them had actually joined forces in busting Jack’s balls for deceiving Jessie as he had. It was nice to see that Jack could bring his overbearing father in sync with his meddlesome daughter.
Between the two of them, you’d think one would have a surefire way to find Jessie.
His sister had always butted in uninvited as a kid, so what stopped her now?
Sister.
Jack’s thoughts turned to Monica.
Gaylord was riling Katie about the tightness of her jeans when Jack walked into the room.
“I wear ’em to tick you off, Daddy.”
“Don’t think I don’t know it,” Gaylord chided.
“There you are,” Katie called when Jack walked by them on the way to his computer. “Are you going to eat?”
“Not now, Katie.”
“Did you figure out a way to find her?” his father asked.
“Jessie’s sister, Monica. I just need to find her cell phone number.” Jack sat down at his desk and turned on his computer.
Katie called out a series of numbers, but Jack ignored her.
Then his head popped up and he slowly turned in his seat. “Monica’s number?” he asked his sister.
His sassy sister winked at him. “Doubt she’ll tell you where Jessie is. I didn’t have any luck.”
“You talked with Monica?”
At least Katie had the good sense to let the shit-eating grin on her face fall. “Don’t look so shocked. Sisters are always looking out for each other.”
“You don’t have a sister.” Jack hoped his sister heard the sternness in his voice.
“I get the divine pleasure of looking out for you.”
“When did you talk to Monica?”
“Before we flew back. I’ve left a message for her since, but she hasn’t called me back.”
All this time Katie may have held the key to finding Jessie and she had held out on him. Why?
Jack picked up the phone. “What’s her number again?”
Katie called out the seven digits and Jack put the number to use. While the phone rang, Jack moved to the patio for some privacy.
He was about to give up when suddenly Monica’s voice said, “Well, if it isn’t the town snake. How is the grass you’re lying in, Jack? Get it, lying in?” There wasn’t a drop of humor in Monica’s voice.
“I can explain everything.”
“Save it. I’m not interested.”
Jack knew he’d lose her if he didn’t act fast.
“There is no other woman. The picture on TV was of my sister. Sassy woman who talked to you last week.”
Monica was breathing into the phone, but not saying a thing.
“I need to talk to Jessie. Please, Monica.”
“Next you’ll be telling me you’re not a millionaire, or is it billionaire?”
The need to apologize for having money held a bit of irony. “I had my reasons. Reasons I need to tell Jessie, not you. Where is she, Monica?”
The cool afternoon wind blew in his face. Jack turned to-ward it.
“I don’t know.”
“I can’t make this right if I don’t talk to Jessie. I can make this right.” Please, dammit, give me an address.
“The woman in the picture is Katie?”
He was getting somewhere…he knew it. “I swear on my life. She’s right here, she’ll tell you.”
“If you’re lying to me—”
“I’m not.”
After a long pause, Monica said, “She’s at my mom’s.”
“I need an address.”
“I swear if you’re bullshitting me, Jack Morrison, I’ll kick your cowboy ass all the way back to Texas.”
“Address, Monica. Please.”
“Oh, OK, fine. I’m only telling you this because Jessie’s so damn miserable and your sister was sincere when we talked.” She rattled off the address while Jack flew into the suite to write it down.
“Thank you.” Jack studied the address and committed it to memory.
“Thank me by making my sister happy,” she scolded.
“That’s my intention.”
Jack hung up the phone and noticed his dad and sister staring at him.
“Well?” Gaylord asked.
Across the room was a huge clock hanging on the wall. “I found her.” With any luck, he would be able to bring Jessie and Danny back before dinner.
He hoped.