Page 53 of Intrigued
As I drove into the parking lot of the very busy UPS Store, it finally clicked inside me. I could forgive Gayle for being human. And perhaps I was ready to give her a second chance, even as she rested in her grave in Pittsburgh.
* * *
Nearly an hour and a half later,I was out of the UPS Store and on my way back to the mansion. Goodness, the UPS Store had been a circus. People were shipping last-minute gifts, which reminded me that I hadn’t bought anything for the Christmases. Yes, they were wealthy and probably had everything already, but I had come to know their little quirks and thought perhaps I could offer them a little cheer since their father died. However, I wouldn’t actually give them the gifts unless they were ready to receive them.
I searched for the nearest mall and drove to the department store. All men loved good ties, so I bought one for Asher and one for Spencer. Then a pair of cuff links caught my attention. They had an onyx stone surrounded by encrusted diamonds and gold. They reminded me of all the unique facets of Jasper—his intensity, elegance, darkness, and undeniable sex appeal. But those traits were on his surface. His insides sparkled with the promise of a man who could be kind, loving, and loyal.
Bryn was the hardest to shop for. She was so secretive and unfortunately manipulative. I had to admit that I hardly knew her at all. At least I hoped that was the case. She was beginning to remind me a lot of Gayle. I thought about what I would give my mother for Christmas. Then it came to me, and I bought it. Bryn’s reaction to her gift would be the test.
It was late afternoon when I made it back to the Christmases’. The ambulance was gone, but the house had a different feeling. The air was lighter. The lights in the trees twinkled brighter. The place carried an aura that made me feel as though I were coming home.
I clenched the steering wheel and reminded myself that I was not home. The brightness and the holiday ambiance were a disguise. Who the family was at heart lived in the secret passageways. As a matter of fact, I was too exhausted to have dinner with the family tonight. Tomorrow was Christmas, and I was only at the beginning of acquiring enough information to give Bryn. However, I knew for sure she was not writing a memoir.
I opened the garage and pulled into the stall. After turning the engine off, I sat there with my eyes closed for a moment. I had to figure everything out and put it all into perspective. Two days ago, Bryn had mentioned that her mother would not apologize for being a shitty parent.Hell, join the club. However, I’d just learned that Bryn was supposed to marry a man she’d never met. I hadn’t told her all of what I’d heard between Arthur Valentine and Jasper because my instincts had forbidden me. Then I’d heard Carter Valentine was a friend of Jasper’s and had asked Bryn on a date a number of times. All the details were swirling around in my brain, trying to fit together like puzzle pieces. Jasper and Arthur Valentine were not friends. So I doubted Jasper was friends with his son. I also believed Bryn knew who she was supposed to marry.
“What does she want?” I whispered. That was easy—she didn’t want to marry Carter.
There was a secret, which was something that was very much germane to the Christmases. Bryn didn’t know what it was. However, she must’ve known it was destructive enough to bring all of them down, which would release her from any obligation to wed Carter Valentine. I wondered if Jasper knew what it was and if he would be so cruel as to make her marry a man she didn’t love for the sake of their family’s reputation.
I rubbed my temples to alleviate the tightness in my brain. My instincts, reason, and emotions warred on the inside. No, Jasper was not that kind of man. Then why would he make her go through with it? And if what Bryn said was true, then why would he go through with it himself?
Sally Preacher hadn’t given me much, but I knew the answer was in that brush. I had to go back to my room and ask myself some hard questions.
Knock, knock, knock.
I jumped because I recognized the cadence of the sound. I looked out the window, and Jasper took a step back. He didn’t look happy to see me. I got out of the car. It was so cold.
“Where were you?” he asked.
“Running some errands.”
“What sort of errands?”
I was not going to tell him about what I’d sent to the lab, not yet at least. However, I knew how to shut down his line of questioning. I pressed the button on my door that opened the trunk. “Follow me,” I said as I walked to the back of my car.
After a moment, he did as I asked.
I opened my shopping bags. “Tomorrow’s Christmas, and I hadn’t bought anything for your family. I thought—”
“It’s okay,” he said. “I’m sorry for confronting you like this. I just thought…”
“You thought what?” I was extremely curious to know.
“You being gone had something to do with Dale.”
I felt my brows ruffle. “You really don’t know, do you?”
He leaned back as though he were bracing himself for some sort of revelation that would hurt. “What don’t I know?”
“Bryn and Dale are involved.”
His face collapsed into an intense frown, which made me question whether I should’ve told him.
“I want to know I can trust you, Jasper,” I said.
“Trust me to do what?” he snapped.
“To not say anything to her about her relationship with Dale.”
