Page 79 of I'll Carry You

Jen:...which one??? Was there more than one?

Jason:Maybe.

Her pulse pounded in her neck, and Lindsay drew closer, reading over her shoulder. Jen exchanged a look with Lindsay. Then she clicked over to her bill pay system for her apartment complex. She logged in and then clicked on the balance.

Zero.

“What the hell?” Jen rubbed her temples hard with her palms. She had a headache crowning at the top of her head, radiating pain through her upper back.

“How did he even have access?” Lindsay stared, astonishment in her eyes.

“I don’t...I don’t know. I mean, I showed him my eviction papers. Maybe he took them? Though would that work? Or maybe he just went to the landlord?”

“I guess you could always ask.”

The front door closed, and Lindsay glanced out the kitchen door. “Oh, hey, Mr. Bob.”

Her father removed his jacket and shoes, then padded through the hallway in his socks. Mom had always required shoes be removed at the door, a habit that had driven Jen nuts until she’d had Colby. Now, with the amount of mud that came in with his shoes, she completely understood it. Her patient father had never once complained about the edict.

“Hi, girls.” He smiled at Lindsay and grabbed his own can of seltzer from the fridge. “Good day?”

“Weird.” Jen put her phone face down on the table. “Turns out Jason paid off some of my debts.”

Her father’s gray eyebrows drew in a puzzled frown. “Did he?” His voice didn’t show what he thought about it. Her father had always been a quiet person, though cautious in making any sort of emotional response.

“But she wants to decline the inheritance. Refuse to get the paternity test for Colby.” Lindsay’s words were fast—as though she wanted to get them out before Jen could stop her.

“Lindsay!” Jen shot her a wide-eyed look.How could she have betrayed her?

Lindsay gave her a sheepish, apologetic look. “I know, and I’m sorry. I love you, though. And he’s your father. He can give you much better advice than I can.”

“I can’t believe you right now.” Jen crossed her arms.

The tab on the top of her father’s soda can popped as he opened it. He gave Jen a thoughtful look. “Were you not planning on telling me?”

“No, it’s not that—” She looked away from Lindsay, closing her eyes as her embarrassment crept up her back. “I just don’t want you to hate Jason any more than you already do.”

“I don’t hate him, Jen. I don’t particularly trust him with my daughter and grandson, but hate is a different story. I actually stopped by Millie Price’s today to talk to her about him.”

Of course he had. She glanced at the back window, wishing Colby would need her suddenly and that she could escape this conversation. “What did she say?”

“She told me a great deal. He’s a complicated fellow, that’s for sure.” Her father lifted the can to his lips and took a sip. “It might be good for you to talk to her.” Then he cleared his throat and gave a wary glance at the swing set outside. “Your mother probably wouldn’t like me telling you, but she said that he told her last week that he was planning on telling you the truth about the whole inheritance issue. And that he wanted to do right by you and Colby.”

“Then Millie knew about everything?” Her disappointment pierced her lungs, making it so hard to breathe that she grabbed the back of a chair to steady herself.

“Millie knew some things. Not everything.” Her father set his seltzer down on the granite counter, then unbuttoned the top button of his collar. He glanced at Lindsay. “I know you’re like a sister to Jen, Lindsay. But if you don’t mind, I need a chance to talk to her for a minute. Thank you for bringing Jen’s intentions up with me.”

Lindsay bit her lip, her expression clear that she wasn’t sure she had made the right choice. She mouthed,“I’m sorry,”then grabbed her coat and went outside with Jen’s mother and Colby.

Her father held a chair out. “Why don’t you sit?”

Jen felt too agitated to sit, but she did anyway. Her knee bounced under her hand with nervous energy. “Dad, I’m sorry. It’s not that I didn’t want to tell you. I just”—she swallowed and looked down, her eyes filling with tears—“I know I messed up.” She sniffled loudly. “I fell really hard and really fast for Jason, and I should have told you the truth about everything with him. Somehow, he made me feel less lonely, and I was just so embarrassed. Because I know it’s hard to be proud of me—”

“Jen, I don’t know where you got the idea that we’re not proud of you.” Bob reached across the table to the tissue box. He pulled a few out and handed them to her, then scooted his chair closer. “But if I’ve given you that impression, please forgive me. I’m in awe of you. You have blossomed into a wonderful mother and a very talented baker.”

Jen let out a sputtery cry, then wiped her nose with the tissue. “But I keep messing up—”

“You arehuman. Don’t you think you’re being a little hard on yourself? If anything, Mom and I have failed you.” He leaned over and took her hand. “You’re kind. And compassionate. And stubborn as all hell—you won’t ask for help when you need it—and we just sat back and assumed you were okay unless you said otherwise. I didn’t know you were lonely.”

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