Page 106 of Between Now & Heartbreak

Relief sings in my blood. I wrap my arms around her, too, and savor the feel of her in my arms before I force myself to let go and take a step back.

34

ORNAMENT

ELISABETH

“Jeb,don’t be acompleteshithead. That boy’s barely off his mama’s titty,” My father shouts into the phone. A deep, smoke charred laugh bursts through the large speaker in the center of his desk.

“He’s older than Old Wolfe was when he started this company. And look what he did? Let’s be honest. You’ve been distracted. Our dividends have been smaller every year since the public offering. And you’ve sold so many shares, that you can’t afford to buy back—”

His head swivels in my direction and I avert my gaze to the ceiling. He picks up the receiver and swivels in his chair so that he’s facing the window. I turn to look in the same direction. The view of Winsome from here is spectacular. He sits atop the hill like a king.

I’ve been sitting here, my stomach in knots, waiting for him to hang up and finally address me. His ever-present bodyguards stand, silent sentinels at his side. It’s just one of the ways he makes himself look important. As if he needs any protection. People around here are afraid to sneeze around him, much less touch him.

“Come to the house this week. We’ll talk about it. But, remember what we did for this town. And remember that soon, I’ll be in Austin, and all of those line items you want will be up to me.”

The sound of an audible gasp, surprises us both and we turn to the door and see Fiona standing there.

“Jeb? Hold on— actually let me call you back.” He slams the phone down and fixes her with a fierce scowl that shocks the shit out of me. It’s ugly and certainly not how I’d expect a husband to look at his wife.

“What do you mean coming into my office without knocking” He growls at her.

She flushes with embarrassment and looks down at her hands. Her eyes dart to me before she looks back at him.

“Ms. Bates said you were alone.” She hesitates for only a moment before she steps fully into the room.

“And since when has that meant you could just mosey on in here without knocking?” He snaps and pulls out one of the pieces of nicotine gum he chews almost compulsively these days.

“I’m sorry. It won’t happen again. I was hoping… we could speak in private?” I don’t look at her, but I can feel the weight of her gaze on me as she speaks. I want to tell her that I’m more eager to get out of here than she can imagine. There’s something about her vulnerability that I recognize in my own and the reflection makes me intensely uncomfortable.

Without waiting for him to respond, I stand and head toward the door. “Do you work for her? Or you work for me? You don’t move unless I tell you.” His voice, that grating growly disdainful voice, snaps at my retreating back.

I halt in mid-stride. Even though every single inch of my being flexes against the way he’s speaking to me, I nod without any emotion and sit down in my seat.

This is for the greater good and it’s temporary. I’m still a step ahead of him. And as long as that’s true, I’ll be fine.

Fiona starts to sit in the chair next to mine

He groans. “I hope you’re not sitting down because you’ve got a lot to say. I’m busy.”

She pauses half way through sitting and looks at him like a deer in the headlights.

“You look like you’re about to take a shit, Fiona. Say whatever you’ve come to say and let me get back to my day.”

Her swallow is audible.

“I’ll talk to you at home. It’s not important.” She says, finally and then without waiting for him to respond, she hurries out.

My father stares at her, his eyes full of disdain. When the door closes behind her, his eyes return to me.

“I have the worst luck with my wives. First your mother turns out to be a she-devil with no loyalty. And then Fiona turns out to be as barren as a desert. That girl she pushed into the world better not turn out like her mother. I’ve got plans for her.” His smile is dark.

I bristle in anger. But not at him, at the powers of fate, or God, or whoever decided thatthisman would be my father. I think about every hope I’ve ever had - painting in paradise, falling in love – and how I handed them all over to him in exchange for Cameron’s freedom. How wrong I was to do that. I’ve only given his brand of love more fuel.

Dina’s right, I’ll do more for her by letting him go.

I bite the tip of my tonguehardand give him one of my practiced smiles.

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