Page 41 of Saved by Him

Eighteen

As soon asI got off the phone with Salome, I called Jenna. After everything she’d done for me, I wanted to tell her that I had a good lead on finding another of her siblings. I made a few moments of small talk before jumping into the real reason I’d called.

“It turns out that Helen figured since she couldn’t seduce Harry Franklin into doing what she wanted, she’d try seducing the young woman who was Franklin’s junior partner. She told Salome that someone in the Marshal service had forced himself on her and that was how she’d gotten pregnant. There was this whole sob story that Helen made up, and it was enough to convince Salome to help Helen ‘save her baby.’”

I relayed the rest of our conversation, explaining how Salome had arranged for Helen to meet with a gay couple who had been excluded from adopting due to some issues in their past. She’d taken care of all the paperwork and had made sure Helen returned to Cheyenne. Once Helen had gotten back, Salome found out that she’d accepted money from the couple, but Salome hadn’t been able to report it without revealing what she’d done. Franklin, however, had been suspicious.

“Fortunately for us, Salome remembered a lot of details about the couple, and it shouldn’t take me long to find them. I might even have them for you tomorrow.”

When I finally stopped talking, there was a long silence, and then Jenna said, “That’s…a lot.”

“I just thought you’d want to know that I should have another name for you soon.”

“It’s Christmas Eve tomorrow,” Jenna said. “Wait until after Christmas to do anything else. Enjoy your holiday.”

“I’m not really doing much of anything,” I said.

“Yes, you are.”

She sounded so sure of herself that it caught me off guard.

“Besides, you can’t go around calling people on Christmas asking them if they illegally adopted a baby eight years ago.”

“Well, when you say it like that,” I said with a laugh. “You’re right. I hadn’t thought about it.”

“Now that you know you can’t work, you’re free to do what you want for Christmas.” Jenna paused, and then added, “And one of those options is for you and Jalen to come to Christmas Eve at our house. Rylan and I are having family over, and we’d love for you to join us.”

“I can’t intrude,” I protested.

“You’re not. You and Jalen are coming to our Christmas Eve party at six o’clock. We’re going to have food and games, and unless you can tell me that you and Jalen are doing something else, you have no excuses.”

She was right. About me at least. I hadn’t talked to Jalen about what he was doing over Christmas. I couldn’t even lie and say that I’d forgotten. I’d been too scared that he’d tell me that spending Christmas together would be moving too fast.

“Bring some wine. Jalen has a good selection.”

And I apparently had another call to make.

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