Jase winced. “So now she’s turned my daughter against me.”
Laurel raised her eyes in astonishment. “Lolly’s not against you. After all, Lolly’s your daughter, not Marguerite’s. She’s a smart girl. Just give her a little time to sort things out.”
“You sound like your father.”
Laurel felt the blood leave her face. “I’m sorry.”
“No, no—I meant it as a compliment.” He inhaled on a shudder and stood up. “Oh hell, Laurel, Lolly and I are in the same boat: I’m trying to sort everything out too. I can’t figure out how to deal with—with—” He moved his hands apart, palms up, and looked around the room as if searching for the words to finish his sentence. His eyes ended up at the door to Reverend Ed’s study.
She followed his gaze. “I know. Believe me, I know.”
He looked straight at her then, his eyes dark as coals. “I love you, Laurel. I always will. But we’re all so much a part of everything else in our lives—Marguerite, my father, your father. Is love enough?”
“That’s up to you.”
His eyes searched her face. “You’re always so calm about everything, so serene.”
She gave a half laugh. “Do I seem that way to you?” Just because she wasn’t screaming at him didn’t mean she wasn’t dying inside. Somewhere inside her, she’d hoped Jase wouldn’t care about what Daddy had done.
“Have I hurt you?”
“Yes.” What did her expect her to say?
“I’m sorry.”
She affected a shrug “Like Lolly, I’ll recover.” No way she’d beg him to stay if he didn’t want to on his own.
He glanced toward the stairs. “How long do you think it will take for Lolly to be ready to go home?”
“Maybe a couple of days. “If you want to go back to Dallas, I’ll call you when she’s ready.” That way, you don’t even have to remain in the same town with me.
“I think I’ll stay here—at the old house. You have my phone number.”
He stared at her. It was an awkward moment, as if he wanted to say something more but didn’t have the nerve. Finally he stood up.
“I guess I’d better go make arrangements to stay in town.”
Laurel rose from the chair to walk him out. “I’ll call if there are any changes.”
This whole scene was just a postscript. Lolly would leave, and Jase would too. Maybe they’d send her a Christmas card, but if so, it wouldn’t reach her—she was going to be long gone. The Cokers had made an offer on the house yesterday, and her Realtor was drawing up the papers.
She gestured toward the hall closet as they proceeded down the hall. “Your suitcase and garment bag are in the closet. You probably want to pick them up.”
Jase turned and his eyes met hers.
“I’ll leave them here for the time being.”
Chapter Eighteen
Jase stopped by Hardy Joe’s for a lunchtime SuperBurger, then opened up the old house again. Damn, at this rate, they’d never get tenants.
He sat down on the edge of the bed and looked around the room, which was almost as empty as his life seemed to be. He wished Laurel were with him, but that issue had to wait till he got Lolly settled.
After reporting in to Maxie, he contacted Connie to find out what dire emergencies had come up the minute he left town. Not that Connie, who’d been with him for six years now, couldn’t handle most of them blindfolded. Like Maxie, she answered immediately.
“You found Lolly?”
He nodded as if she could see him. “She’s in Bosque Bend again.”
“Is she all right?”
“Yeah, she’s staying with a family friend for a few days, so I’ll bunk down here at the old house till she’s ready to leave.”
Jase heard the pause on the other end of the line and realized Connie was debating whether or not to press him for more information. She knew almost everything there was to know about his family life and wasn’t shy about keeping up.
“Mmmm…uh, glad to hear Lolly’s okay.”
He snorted to himself. Connie had decided to wait till he got back in the office so she could grill him in person. “Anything I need to be aware of in the office right now?”
“Just routine stuff, but there are a couple of proposals you need to look at. Where should I fax them to? Same address as before?”
He’d forgotten about the machine at Laurel’s. “Uh, no. Send them to Craig Freiberg. His contact information is in my email. I’ll pick them up from him.”
“Sure thing. I’ll get right to it.”
Jase put his mobile on the floor beside the bed and lay back, cushioning his head on his arm.
Damn Marguerite to hell. She’d messed him up from the start. His conscience had bothered him so much after their first encounter that he couldn’t sleep that night. He’d fucked a teacher. He almost confessed to Reverend Ed the next day, but couldn’t bring himself to talk about anything so vile to that good man.
Jase snorted.