Page 41 of For Love & Torture
Chapter 19
Grant
Three days later
For three nights Isabel has slept in another bedroom. She walked out on me after I told her we had to keep what we have a secret. Since then she’s only spoken to me when she’s had to, and in that professional tone I can’t stand. The one that lets me know she’s only talking to me because she has to.
In my office at Cellular Global, I look out the window and wonder what the hell I’m supposed to do.
I’ve been grasping at straws lately for reasons why she and I can’t go public with our relationship. It’s only because I don’t want anyone coming up to me and wishing me happiness and congratulating me on finally finding someone. Being with her is a big enough step, I don’t think I can handle any of the other shit that would come with the territory. But for the life of me, I can’t say that out loud to her.
My attention is taken as my cell rings and I find it’s a number I don’t recognize. Swiping the screen, I answer the call. “Grant Jamison.”
“Don’t hang up, Grant. It’s me, your sister Jenny and we have to talk. And you should know that if you hang up on me, then I’ll come down to your office and make things very uncomfortable for you.”
Pinching the bridge of my nose as I try to find a way out of talking to my sister, I find I can’t come up with a single excuse. “What do you need?”
“I need you to meet me. I’ll be at the park we used to play at when we were kids. Be there in half an hour or I’ll come looking for your obstinate ass and make life a living hell for you until you hear me out.”
“This better be important, Jenny. I’m very bu…”
She butts in, “Busy, yes I’m completely aware of how busy you are big brother. Just meet me at the park. I’ll be sitting on the swings you used to push me on when I was a kid. Bye, see you soon.”
I put the cell in my pocket and head out, wanting to just get this shit over with. I have no idea what she thinks is so damn important, but I suppose it’s much better to meet her and hear her out, rather than have her stalking me. Which would lead her to my club. A thing I’d rather none of my family know about.
The drive to the park doesn’t take the whole thirty minutes and I see Jenny swinging away as I pull up and park my Jag. Her blonde hair is moving in long waves behind her as she flies through the air.
The sight of my closest sibling by birth does something to my heart. It pinches it a bit, making me feel the loss of time, and something else too. Remorse?
I wonder how much more remorse I can handle.
Coming up behind her, I ease onto the empty swing beside her and wait for her to stop swinging.
“Grant, you’re here!” She jumps off the swing as it’s high in the air, landing on he feet the way I taught her to when she was eleven-years-old. “Wow! I landed it. Didn’t know if I could still do that, but I had to go for it.”
Her smile is radiant and I find my heart doing that pinching thing again as it lets me know I could’ve always seen my little sister’s smile. I only have myself to blame for that.
With a bit of applause, I let her know what I thought of the jump. “Bravo, Jenny. You did have the best teacher in the world, though. I have to take some credit for your tremendous talent.” I chuckle as she holds her arms out for me as she walks up to me.
“Get up and give your favorite sister a hug, you crazy man.”
I get up and she wraps her arms around me. Hesitantly, I wrap my arms around her and hug her back, smelling the vanilla scent of her shampoo. It pulls even more at my heart.
As the oldest by five years, it was always my job to be Momma’s little helper. I did everything from the feeding to the bathing of my younger siblings. It hits me hard that I let Mom down when I walked away from them.
I wasn’t a very good helper after the tragedy.
“You look like you’re doing well, Jenny,” I say as I let her go and sit back down on the swing.
She takes the one next to me and turns it sideways to face me. “It may look that way, but I’m not doing well at all. My husband and I are having problems. And I’ve been spending a lot of time over at Mom and Dad’s house.” She makes air quotes with her fingers. “Cleaning things up.” Resting her hands in her lap, she looks at them, instead of me. “He’s buying that so far. Not that he cares much if I’m around or not.”
That older brother protective instinct kicks in automatically. “Should I give this asshole a talking to?”
With a shake of her head, she looks at me with glistening eyes. “That’s not what I’m here for. I don’t need my big brother to go threaten my husband into treating me right. But I do need my big brother for other things.”
With a sigh, I try my best to put my selfish ways to the side so I can help my sister, who looks like something is weighing heavily on her narrow shoulders. “Give it to me straight, sis. I’ll see what I can do.”
With a nod she goes on, “First of all, I don’t want you to laugh at what I’m about to say. Keep an open mind. Promise me that, Grant.”
