Page 59 of Grumpy Boss in Love

Jane raised an eyebrow and then smiled. “You can say the word divorce, Elliot. I won’t break, I promise.”

Heat engulfed my face. Jane was the only one I’d felt bashful and completely inept around. My guilt made me walk on eggshells around her. I was taken aback when she chuckled and looped her arm through mine. Stunned speechless, I allowed her to lead me to wherever we were going.

It turned out to be the dining room. I stared at the set table and then glanced at Jane. She answered my unasked question. “Yes, Elliot, we’re having dinner. I didn’t tell you because I knew you would have talked your way out of it.”

She wasn’t wrong. Had I known she intended for us to sit through an entire meal together, I would have found a way out of it. “I don’t understand. I thought something was wrong.”

I watched her warily as she broke contact and circled the table to sit. “The only thing wrong is you avoiding me for the past couple of months,” she said as she gestured to the chair across from her. “Sit. Please.”

Stifling a groan, I complied. I guess I was having dinner with my stepmother then. Hopefully, I survived the discomfort and tension.

* * *

Surprisingly, dinner with Jane wasn’t as bad as I thought. The only tension in the room was coming from me, so I took a deep breath and shoved it aside. The small talk that she engaged me in helped me to relax a bit. It was kind of like the way Ruby talked me out of my prickly moods. The thought of her brought back that guilt I felt earlier in my office after she left.

“I know you’re wondering why I sprung dinner on you,” Jane said.

I forced my thoughts away from Ruby and tuned back into the present with Jane. Shoving food around my plate, I lifted one shoulder. “You called it. I would have talked my way out of it had you given me a heads-up.”

A hint of amusement danced in her eyes. Placing her elbows on the table and lacing her fingers, she studied me for a moment. “I also wanted to check on you.”

I froze. “I’m fine… Why?”

Jane let out a long puff of air. “Oliver mentioned that your mother passed away.”

I blinked. So the old bastard hadn’t just disregarded the news as I thought. “Really?”

“Despite our impending divorce, we talk from time to time.” She looked skyward. “Actually, he called me complaining about you bothering him with questions about me.”

My appetite, which had barely been present since dinner started, completely vanished. Dropping my fork, I forced myself to meet Jane’s eyes. “Bothering him? Seriously?”

She pursed her lips and sat back. “You know how your father is.”

I snorted.

“I was pleased to discover that you care, but why didn’t you call me?” she asked.

Jesus. This conversation was the last thing I wanted. My eyes actually bounced around the room searching for an escape. What was this anyway? Jane and I didn’t have family dinners to bond. Hell, I’d been convinced that she hated me since the day I barged into her life.

“It was after Ryan’s birthday. I texted you.”

“I would have loved for us to talk instead.”

Bewildered and feeling out of my depth, I gazed at her. “Oh… I wasn’t sure if…”

“I suppose that’s my fault.” Jane’s expression twisted into lines of regret. “I wasn’t the warmest person to you when we just met, was I?”

My gaze fell away from her. I was six years old when we entered each other's lives. She’d resented me, and she had every right to. As a child, I had jumped through hoops to get her acceptance. Maybe get a bit of the warmth and affection she’d looked at Ryan with because I craved a mother’s love after mine abandoned me. However, Jane couldn’t love the bastard child her husband accidentally had with his mistress as her own.

I’d learned to accept that, and I always tried to stay out of her way as much as possible. Seeing me was a constant reminder of her husband’s infidelity, and it must have been like a slap in the face each time. Yet, she was always decent to me.

I shrugged. “You were always good to me. Better than I deserved.”

She huffed. “Elliot, you were achild. What you deserved was understanding and acceptance from me.”

My agitation mounted with each second. “Look, Jane, I get it. I always have. You don’t have to feel guilty. I ruined your life the day I was dropped off on your doorstep. Finding out about your husband’s treachery that way was horrible. I plunged your perfect family into a media scandal and humiliated you on a massive public scale. You had every right to hate me.”

She gawked for a moment. “I neverhatedyou, Elliot, and you didn’t ruin my life. You were an innocent six-year-old.” She dropped her face into her hands and inhaled deeply. “You’ve felt this way all this time? No wonder you avoid me.” She met my gaze again. “I’m so sorry. About everything. Your mother… I’m sorry she passed.”

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