Page 45 of Promise of a New Beginning
“Elizabeth said she was quite fond of you, and that it appeared mutual.” Ralph’s eyes never left Jack’s, and Jack didn’t back down from the question.
He couldn’t lie about Savannah, but he hated to hurt Ralph and Elise with the truth of his feelings. He settled on honesty. It was the least he could give back to them.
“Yes, sir. She was right.” Jack addressed Ralph formally due to the importance of the subject they were addressing, and he hoped it conveyed the respect that he felt for him. He drew his shoulders back, ready to face whatever they might hand him. He knew he deserved it.
A weak smile spread across Ralph’s face, gathering the loose skin around his mouth and multiplying the fine lines that surrounded his eyes. “That’s good, Jack. That’s good.” Ralph motioned with his hand for Jack to come closer.
Jack leaned in close, catching a whiff of his medicinal breath.
“You deserve this, Jack. Be happy. Let love find you and have that family you always wanted. Linda would want you to.” Ralph reached up slowly and patted Jack’s back.
Jack put his mouth beside Ralph’s ear. “Thank you, Ralph. Thank you.” He drew back, and Ralph grabbed his arm, his frail fingers pressing into Jack’s skin.
“Jack, listen to me. You’ve got to let your guilt go. People die every day. We’re all gonna go sometime. This woman, Savannah, she doesn’t need to live with Linda’s noose around your neck. Let yourself be happy. Linda would want that for you. You know she would.” He released Jack’s arm and settled back on the pillow, looking even more depleted than when Jack had arrived.
“Ralph, I’m so sorry for all that happened and for what you’re going through now.” Jack touched his arm.
Ralph’s eyes met his. “I know you are. Let it go,” he whispered.
“I love you, Ralph, and I’ll always love Linda.” Fresh tears pressed on Jack’s eyelids.
Ralph nodded. “She knows, Jack. She knows.”
An hour later, as Jack climbed back on his motorcycle and drove away, he finally felt as if he were moving forward instead of standing still.
Chapter Twenty-Five
AIDA BARGED THROUGH Savannah’s office door and closed it behind her. She was practically bursting the buttons of her blouse with every heavy breath as she pressed her back against the door.
Savannah startled. “What the…? Is someone armed out there?”
“I ran from reception.”
“Why would you do that?” Savannah came around her desk and eyed Aida’s black pencil skirt and the four-inch heels on her Jimmy Choos. “Howdid you do that?”
“Are you kidding? I can run like a deer in these. I can pull my ankles behind my ears, too.” She winked.
“You’re so weird.”
“Remember that creepy client of Ed’s? He was out there when I was coming back from the ladies’ room.” Aida shivered. “He really creeps me out.”
“You’re so dramatic.”
Aida grabbed Savannah’s hand and dragged her to the chairs in front of her desk. She sat down and pulled Savannah down to the chair across from her. “Enough about the creeper. I had the hottest date last night with that attorney from Greenberg’s office.”
“The blond guy?”
Aida rolled her eyes. “Yes, the blond guy. The man has a body that should be tattooed withtoo hot to touch.”
“Yeah? Did you have a good time? Was he nice?” Aida wasn’t known for a long track record of meaningful relationships. The other women in the office called her a man eater. She rarely went on a date with the same man more than three times.
She shrugged. “Eh. But he was incredibly talented in bed. Enough so that it might warrant a second time around. We’ll see.” Aida pursed her lips and ran her eyes up and down Savannah. “What’s up with the after-sex glow?”
Savannah waved her hand in front of her face and made apshtsound.
“You think I didn’t notice you humming in the meeting this morning? You might as well have worn a sign across your forehead that said,I got laid, and no, I cannot stop smiling.”
“You’re such a pig,” Savannah teased. “You always think you see something that has to do with sex.”
