Page 54 of Between the Lines

“And, I gotta say, you look like it.” Miranda cocked her head. “Everything okay?”

He shrugged, unable to explain his personal disaster. As much as Miranda was his friend, she also worked for him—it was somewhat above and beyond.

“Mr. Wishart can’t blame you for not closing the sale,” she said, glancing up at the Majestic. “It’s not your fault the old lady keeled over.”

He raised an eyebrow. “Keeled over?”

Miranda smiled, unrepentant. “What? She’s gonna be okay. I mean, it’s bad but notthatbad.”

They made their way back to the front of the car and Miranda held the umbrella while Theo slipped into the passenger seat. “I understand she’s recovering well,” he said, and then a thought occurred. “In fact, I’d like to see her before I go. I want to thank her for her hospitality—and make sure she’s not worrying about any of this while she’s convalescing. Let’s stop by the hospital on our way.”

“Sure.” Miranda closed the door, took her huge umbrella around to the driver’s side and shook it out. She climbed in with a shiver. “This weather is gross, by the way.”

“My apologies,” Theo said. “I’ll order something better next time.”

She smiled and pulled out her phone. “Okay, which hospital?”

They reached St. Theresa’s early and had to wait for an hour before Theo was allowed to visit Jude on the ward. Miranda made a couple of dry comments about why he’d needed a car from the hotel so early—and he didn’t tell her it was to avoid a painful goodbye, or that it hadn’t helped and leaving Luca hurt like hell anyway. But at last, after two cups of terrible hospital coffee, he found himself at the door to a small ward and making his way toward Jude.

She was sitting up and looking pale but alert, smiling when she saw him. “Theo.” She held out a hand for him to take as he sat down in the plastic chair next to her bed. “What a nice surprise.”

“How are you feeling?” he said, squeezing her hand. “You look better than I was expecting.”

Jude gave a rueful chuckle. “I’m doing fine, so they tell me. I’m hoping I’ll be able to go home soon.”

He eyed the various wires snaking out from beneath her nightgown and wondered whether it was likely. “Well, I hope you make a speedy recovery. I won’t stay long, I’m sure you need your rest, but I couldn’t leave without coming to say—”

“You’re leaving?”

Theo nodded. “Dad’s recalled me to the office, I’m afraid. But I wanted to thank you for your hospitality before I left. I’ve become very fond of—” his voice cracked, the memory of Luca asleep in his bed a sudden and powerful jolt “—of this place.” He cleared his throat, willed his emotions back under control. “And I don’t want you to worry, at all, about the sale. Lux is happy to wait until you’re back on your feet to—”

“No.”

“No? You...don’t want to sell?”

Jude shook her head. “I don’t want towait,” she clarified. “I’ve waited too damn long already, Theo.” She waved a hand at herself. “Don was right, I should have sold months ago. If I had, maybe I’d have saved everyone all this damn fuss.”

He sat back in his chair, astonished. Not by Jude’s decision but by his own lurch of dismay—his sudden realization that he didn’t want her to sell. “I see.” He cleared his throat, trying to collect his wildly scattering thoughts. “Well, look, as soon as you’re out of hospital we can, uh, talk some more but—”

“You don’t have the contract with you?” Jude eyed his messenger bag sitting next to the chair.

“I do, but...” He frowned, leaning forward. “Look, Jude, you’ve been through something the last couple of days. Maybe you should take time to talk the decision through with Don and...and with Luca. Get their input.”

She gave a wry smile. “Their input? Theo, honey, we both know their input. And you were right the other day when you told me not to factor Luca into my decision about the hotel’s future. As much as I might want him to take over, it’s not what Luca wants. He’s cut his ties with the Majestic and that—” she took a breath, mouth a resolute line “—that hurts. But I respect his decision, and now I have to do what’s best for me and Don.” She held out her hand. “So come along, then, let me see the contract and then you can take it back with you to your father.” Her mouth softened back into a smile. “I get the feeling he’s a hard man to please.”

Theo couldn’t deny it would be a coup, turning up at the office with the sale closed. But the fact was, he didn’t want to. He didn’t want Lux to own the Majestic. “Are you sure, Jude?” He glanced around the ward. “Are you—? I mean, are you in the best frame of mind to decide right now?”

“Honey, I’ve got trouble with my ticker. I haven’t lost my marbles.”

He couldn’t help but smile at her strident tone. “So I can see,” he agreed. “But I want you to make the right decision.”

“How about I worry about that, while you get the contract out of your bag and let me do what I should have done months ago?”

And how could he argue with her? Jude was a grown woman and the Majestic was hers to sell—he had no right to stand in her way. Only, the idea of the place coming under his father’s control, of the Majestic falling to the bulldozers and wrecking balls, of it being replaced by a faceless development, tugged hard at the barbed feeling lodged deep his chest.

Regret, he realized. It was regret.Because I love it here.

The truth ambushed him, striking like summer lightning out of the blue. He did love it here in this sleepy, old-fashioned town with not much going for it but the ocean and the people. Mostly the people.

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