Page 63 of So in Love
Hell’s bells.I should tell her.
But something tied her tongue.Crystal took that drink of iced tea instead.
Alaina picked up the toilet paper.“Let us know when you’ve got a draft—we can’t wait to read it!”
A draft.She wasn’t writing a draft.Not yet.She was writing a treatment.Something else she wasn’t going to share.She resented Alaina assuming anything.Maybe Crystal didn’t even want to shop it—maybe she’d want to produce it herself.She probably could…
Alaina turned from the counter.“I’ll let you know when the condoms arrive.”
“You do that.”Crystal shook her head, her lips curving into a smile as Alaina left.
Her smile faded as she stared at the closed door.She ought to tell Alaina.And she would.When she had the treatment done and she’d given it to Kim.She was committed to the path she’d mapped out—herpath.
And nothing was going to steer her off course.
Jamie parkedin the middle school lot and tried not to think of the horrible time he’d spent here.Okay, maybe not horrible, but middle school was the worst, and having your dad as the principal was the worst of the worst.
The sun was already low on the horizon as he made his way to the front door, and the temperature was dropping.He tried the handle before realizing, duh, that it was locked at this hour.Dad was working late, and when Jamie had asked to talk—alone—he’d invited him to come by.
He texted his dad to say he was there, and a moment later, Dad jogged into the front hallway with a wave.He opened the door wide to let Jamie in.“Been a while since you were here.I think that was before we had new carpet installed a few years ago.”He looked down at the dull blue.“Not that you can tell.”
“Middle schoolers are hard on carpet,” Jamie said, following Dad toward the main office.
Dad chuckled.“Middle schoolers are hard on everything.”He walked into his office and sat down behind the desk.“So what’s going on?Everything all right?You don’t need money, do you?”
Jamie had asked his parents for money when he’d started up the winery with his brothers and Hayden—a small loan, which they’d given him.Dad had wanted to do more, but they weren’t wealthy people.They were school district employees who did as much for their kids as they could.And Jamie was eternally grateful.
Jamie sat in one of the ancient, uncomfortable chairs in front of his desk.“Why do you ask, Dad?Because I wanted to talk to you alone?”
“Well, yeah.Sorry.Bad assumption.Maybe you just wanted some man time.”He winked at Jamie, causing him to laugh.
“I’d love some man time.Next Blazer game, we should meet up at Dylan’s.Or better yet, I’ll see if Cam can get tickets from one of his friends.”Cam knew a lot of people in Portland, some of whom had season tickets.“But that isn’t why I’m here.I wanted to talk to you about Mom.And the KKK…thing.”What else could he call it?
Dad pressed his lips together in a grim expression.“She’s pretty stressed about that actually.It came as a shock.She’s still trying to process it, I think.”
Jamie could understand that.“I talked to Uncle Randy about it earlier.I figured Mom would’ve mentioned it to him, but she hasn’t.”
“Like I said, I think she’s still processing.”
“Sure, but they’re Randy’s ancestors too.And mine.”
Dad tipped his head to the side.“True.And I’m sure she planned to talk to him at some point.They’re busy people, Jamie.”
“I know.”Randy had a bustling orthodontic practice in McMinnville.Jamie had managed to get him on the phone that morning due to a canceled appointment.“Anyway, he was very interested in everything, but also troubled by it, of course.”
Dad clasped his hands on his desk.His posture almost made Jamie feel like he was visiting the principal’s office for real.“Of course.”
“I asked if he had any problem with the information being shared, and he didn’t.In fact, he thought itshouldbe, especially in the Ribbon Ridge exhibit that Kelsey’s doing.”
Dad’s forehead creased.“I don’t think your mother is saying it shouldn’t.”
“No, but like you said, she’s having a tough time.Honestly, Dad, I’m a bit uncomfortable with having to keep this a secret, especially from Luke and Cam.”
Dad’s brows shot up.“She asked you to do that?”Jamie nodded.“I didn’t realize.I’ll talk to her.”
Some of the tension leached from Jamie’s body.“Thanks, I’d appreciate that.”
“I’m sure she had a good reason.”
