Jane made her exit, and Mom said good night before turning off the light and shutting the door behind her. Usually, he would call out for her to please open his door, but not tonight.
Trevor blindly reached down until he could feel Tank’s silky fur beneath his fingers. He had stopped believing in Santa at the age of seven, but if Santa were real, he would ask for two things: a lock for his door and for Jane Bell to leave this house and never return.
CHAPTER THIRTY-THREE
It wasn’t yet 6:00 a.m. when Nora’s phone buzzed and woke her up. She reached for her phone, blinked a few times to focus, then saw that Richard had texted her back: I’m out of town until the New Year. I haven’t talked to Jane since she called off the engagement.
Nora’s heart dropped to her stomach.
She read it again. She thought about waking up David and telling him what she’d learned and that she had caught Jane in yet another lie. Afraid he might continue to sympathize with Jane and refuse to confront her, she climbed out of bed, slipped her arms into her robe hanging on the chair, then quietly made her way out of the room and down the stairs.
The smell of coffee greeted her at the landing. The first thing Nora noticed when she walked into the kitchen was that every dish had been washed and put away. The place was immaculate. To her right, Jane sat at the table in the nook, looking through one of the floor-to-ceiling windows. “Good morning,” Jane said without looking Nora’s way. “I made a full pot of coffee.”
“Thank you.”
Jane turned toward her. “You couldn’t sleep, either?”
“My phone buzzed and woke me up. It was Richard texting me back.”
“You texted him?”
“Yes. You said you ran off, leaving him at the dinner table. I didn’t want him to worry about where you disappeared to.”
“Hmm. I see.”
Nora watched her and wondered what she was thinking. What went on inside that head of hers?
Jane went back to looking out over the beautiful view—the clear and tranquil lake, flanked by row after row of lofty trees—as she asked, “So what did Richard tell you?”
“He told me the truth. Something you haven’t been able to do.”
Jane sipped her coffee. “Not everyone can handle the truth.”
“Try me.”
Jane gulped down the rest of her coffee. “Maybe some other time. I’m going to go now.” She stood, then looked down at the yoga pants, sweatshirt, and shoes she’d borrowed from Hailey. “I’ll return these later. Maybe when we do lunch?”
Nora gave her a sideways glance.
“I was kidding.” Jane brought her coffee cup to the sink, rinsed it, and placed it in the dishwasher.
“Wait,” Nora said. “I’ll grab my boots and keys and drive you home.”
“No need. I already called a cab.”
Nora raised a questioning brow.
“I know when I’m not welcome. You and your son wear your emotions on your sleeves. You both think so little of me.”
“Respect needs to be earned.”
Jane glowered at her. “It must be so nice to have never lost those you love in a flash of hot burning metal.”
Chills crawled up Nora’s arms. Jane’s voice dripped venom. Her eyes were wide and unblinking. In that moment, she clearly saw what Heather and others had seen in Jane. She appeared detached from reality. “I’m sorry about your parents. I—”
“I don’t want to hear it! You are not sorry! You have never been sorry.” She grabbed her purse and her pile of clothes she’d been wearing when she arrived. “I’m going to wait outside. I would appreciate it if you didn’t follow me.”
Nora wasn’t sure what to do. The minutes ticked by as she watched Jane pace in front of the house. Her mouth was moving as if she were talking to herself. Clearly, she was unstable. She resented Nora for having grown up with loving parents. For the first time since meeting Jane, Nora wondered if she could be dangerous.
Finally, Nora watched her climb into the back of a yellow cab and drive away. It was a while before Hailey and then David made their way downstairs and into the kitchen.
“Where’s Jane?” Hailey asked.
“She left.”
A look of surprise swept over David’s face before he opened the refrigerator and pulled out a carton of eggs.
“Why would she leave?” Hailey asked. “What did you do?”
“It was her decision,” Nora said.
“I don’t believe that. She looked so happy to be with us last night. Tonight’s Christmas Eve. She shouldn’t be alone after what Richard did to her.” Her hands curled into fists at her sides. “Dad. We must do something. Let’s go get her.”
“Jane is the one who broke off the engagement,” Nora said. “Not Richard.”
Hailey crossed her arms, unconvinced. “How do you know?”
“Richard told me as much in a text,” Nora explained. “And Jane didn’t argue otherwise when I told her what he’d said.”
Hailey’s brow arched upward. “Why would she lie?”
Nora rubbed her temple. “For sympathy. And because she’s comfortable with being the victim.”
“Let’s have some breakfast,” David said, “and then figure out what to do, if anything.”
“I’m not hungry.” Hailey poured herself a cup of coffee before heading back upstairs.
Nora poured herself a cup, too, but she thought it tasted bitter, so she poured it out and made a fresh pot. As she waited for the coffee to brew, she slumped down onto a stool and watched David cook. “Do you think I should have stopped Jane from leaving?”
“If it was her decision to leave, then you did the right thing.”
“But then why do I feel so horribly guilty?”
“Because you’re a good person.” He smiled at her. “How about a mimosa to cheer you up?”
“I have to run to town to get a couple of things. But tonight I would love one of your delicious hot toddies. We have lemons, honey, and whiskey. I already checked.”
“You got it,” he said.
“You’re not going to work in the office today, are you?”
“I promised your mom I would fix the garbage disposal in the cottage. After that, I think I’ll see if I can convince Trevor to go out on the pontoon.”
“Good luck with that.” She stood and walked around the counter. Standing behind him, she wrapped her arms around him while he cooked. “I love you.”
He swiveled around so that he could hold her close. “I love you, too.”
“Are you sorry we moved?”
“You just don’t get it, do you?”
“What?”
“If you’re happy, I’m happy.”
CHAPTER THIRTY-FOUR
After getting dressed, Nora walked out of her bedroom and saw that Hailey’s bedroom door was shut. She knocked.
“What do you want?” Hailey asked.
“It’s Mom. I need to talk to you.”
The door came open. Nora stepped in and watched Hailey plop down onto the mattress. Nora took a seat on the edge of her bed. The first thing she noticed was an envelope that had been ripped open. A Christmas card peeked out.