Page 121 of Love or Leave

"And Westley? Do you speak to him?"

Her head pulled back, stunned. It had been a very long time since she’d heard that name. Did he know about Wes?

He couldn’t have. No one knew.

Except her and Wes.

She huffed out a breath and looked away, wondering if she'd have to tell David Hartley to fuck off right there under the fairy lights.

Hartley seemed to take the hint. He looked across the room and backed into the shadows of the dessert table. "Are things with Jake serious?"

She stared at him, back pressed into the corner, looking uncomfortable. Wealthy, powerful men never slunk back into shadows. What the hell was this?

She should have walked away, but this was too intriguing. And concerning.

"Why would you care about the seriousness of my relationship with Jake?"

She suspected he was in contact with Wes. She wouldn’t have been surprised. Was that what this was about?

Hartley's shoulders rounded slightly. "I'm trying to help you. It might be difficult to move forward with Jake."

What the?

She stared at him, wondering why the hell he would try to help her. Then she remembered what her middle sister had said once, about her suspicion that someone “untouchable” must have been helping them behind the scenes. Had it been David Hartley the whole time?

She looked at him, backed into the corner, glancing around like he was some common street dealer.

"You stepped in back then, didn't you? You bought the café?"

He waited a beat, then nodded.

"Why?"

"Your mother asked me to," he said, his eyes going soft. "I've never told her no, and I'd never let her down."

She didn't even try to hide her surprise. Her eyebrows shot up so fast and stayed up for so long that her eyes went dry. She'd long suspected the “untouchable” that was helping was Wes. It was actually a relief that Wes wasn't involved. She wanted to believe it, but there was a giant, gaping hole in Hartley's story.

"My mom passed before any of this came to light."

He nodded. "She had suspicions about your dad for a while, though. When she got sick, she asked me to look out for you three."

"Why you?"

He held her gaze. "She knew how much I always loved her," he said.

His eyes dropped to his shoes briefly. She couldn't believe what she was hearing—or seeing.

"It killed me when she married your dad."

She had to tell herself to pick her jaw up off the floor. All these years and she had no idea. Her mom never once gave any sign that she'd been involved with David Hartley.

"This is so far beyond…" she trailed off as the speechlessness sank in.

What in the world?

He gave a wince. "I know you don't know me," he said. "And what I'm about to say might sound kind of… odd… but I always hoped your mom would leave your dad and that she and you and your sisters would be with me. But after she got sick…" He trailed off, his eyes showing heartbreak.

"Sorry," she said, not knowing what the hell to say. Never in a million years would she think she’d be giving words of condolence to David Hartley over her mother’s untimely death twelve years ago.

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