Page 96 of This Time Around
He nodded and took the phone back, sliding it into his pocket as he reached for her. “That’s right. I’m all in, Allie.”
She seemed to hesitate, then nestled into his arms. Jack held her against his chest, thinking about how right she felt there. She tilted her head back and looked up at him, and he lost himself in those green eyes for what felt like the millionth time.
“Are you?” he asked. “All in? I mean I know we didn’t talk about exclusivity or anything, and it’s kind of soon, but?—”
“Yes,” she said, smiling up at him. “I am.”
He kissed her then, so damn grateful that he almost didn’t see the flicker of worry in her eyes, almost didn’t feel the pang of hesitation in his own gut.
Almost.
Allie looked up as her mother swept majestically into the room, making her grand entrance with an attractive young man by her side.
Granted, the young man was a prison guard, and Priscilla wore handcuffs instead of the thick gold bracelets she used to favor. Even so, there was a regal air to her mother’s presence. Allie stood, resisting the urge to curtsy.
“Mother,” she said as the guard unlocked the cuffs and gestured toward the adjacent table. Allie leaned in for the customary, brief hug they were permitted at the start of a meeting. Then they seated themselves on opposite sides of the table.
“Allison, dear, did you have someone new do your hair?”
She nodded and touched a hand to it, trying not to take it personally that the question hadn’t included a compliment. “Yes, Skye. The woman Grandma hired to take care of the house.”
“You let a housekeeper do your hair?”
Priscilla’s tone suggested Allie might as well have allowed a busboy to perform her tonsillectomy, but Allie held her tongue. “She’s a student at one of the beauty schools, and she does really great work.”
“Hmph.” Her mother studied her. “I suppose the layers do frame your face nicely.”
It was the closest thing to approval that Allie was likely to get, and she sat wondering how soon she could steer the conversation to the real reason she’d come.
But she needed to talk with her mother. When the story unfolded in court, it had quickly become clear Priscilla Ross was the mastermind behind the Ponzi scheme. If anyone would know where the attic money originated, it was Allie’s mom.
“I didn’t expect to see you again so soon,” her mother said. “It’s only been ten days this time.”
“Yes, but the last time was a special visit so we could talk about grandma. This is our regularly scheduled visit.”
“I see.” Priscilla folded her hands on the table, her fingernails looking perfectly manicured and polished. “It’s nice to see you again.”
“You, too, Mom.” Allie glanced at the guard. He was standing a little further away than normal, probably trying to keep a closer eye on the amorous-looking couple in the far corner. Something about the closeness between the two made her think about Jack, and she found herself blurting out the one thing she hadn’t intended to tell her mother at all.
“I’m seeing Jack Carpenter again.”
She looked back at her mom in time to see her eyes narrow the tiniest bit.
“Really.” The word came out dry and crackly, not a question as much as a disdainful statement.
“Yes. He has a ten-year-old daughter.”
Priscilla gave a familiar put-upon sigh. “And let me guess—he sees her every other weekend and complains about how much he has to pay in child support.”
“No, mother.” Allie ordered herself to keep her tone even. “The girl’s mom is dead. Jack’s been raising her alone from the time she was just a baby.”
That wiped the judgmental sneer off Priscilla’s face. Her hands went flat on the tabletop, and the frown lines deepened around her mouth. “I’m sorry to hear that.”
“And Jack’s actually quite wealthy now.” Allie felt annoyed with herself for saying so, for giving a damn about the fact that Priscilla would obviously care about Jack’s financial status. For caring that Priscilla would care. Still, she couldn’t seem to make herself shut up. “He’s the owner of a successful app development company. I looked up the prices on some of the games and apps he’s sold. Some have gone for well over a million dollars.”
“Well,” Priscilla said, looking suitably chagrined. “I guess sometimes things don’t turn out exactly like you expect.”
Allie nodded, clenching her own hands tight in her lap. “You’re right. They don’t.”
