Angels In Red (12 page)

“He’s in the barn. Sasha is having her litter. Four so far, and probably four more to come.”

Charles attempted to rub the cold from his hands before taking off his boots. “So, how are you making out in the middle of nowhere?”

“We can discuss that later.” She recognized his avoidance of a more serious matter. Small talk had never been his forte. “I’m sure you didn’t come all the way out here just to ask if I’m okay.”

The wooden chair he sat on creaked precariously under his large frame. “It’s your father, Jenna.” He shook his head. “It’s not good news. In fact, he could go any day now.”

“He could go where?” Jenna swallowed the lump in her throat. A picture of the prescription bottles on his bedside table flashed in her mind. She turned her back to him and grabbed hold of the countertop. “What does Dr. Harvey say?”

“He was initially treating him for a bladder infection. After two weeks of the antibiotics not working, he ran a series of tests. Your father has stage four colon cancer, and it’s too far gone and spreading. They’re keeping him as comfortable as possible, but he’s weakening rapidly. In fact, I’m taking a chance leaving there at this time, but I thought you should know.”

She’d spent the first weeks at the cabin wondering how her father reacted to her decision to stay. A part of her even hoped he’d reach out to her. As the weeks passed by, she gave up waiting, and accepted the harsh truth. Her father simply didn’t care enough about her to make the effort.

Now he’s sick, dying of cancer…

Jenna fumbled with the coffee mugs; one slipped out of her hand and hit the floor, breaking into several pieces. “Damn!” She stooped to pick up the shards, slicing her finger on a jagged edge. “Now look what I’ve done…” Tears rolled down her cheeks. 

Sure, she had every right to be angry, and more than justified in not wanting anything to do with the man, but he was still her father…

Charles stooped and grabbed hold of her arms, guiding her to stand. He took her bloody finger and ran it under cold water. “It’s going to be okay, kiddo. You’re not alone.”

Jenna sniffled. “I know my father can be an asshole, but nobody deserves to die from that horrid disease.”

Her dear friend picked up the broken mug and threw it in the garbage. “Got another cup?”

She sucked on her finger and nudged him out of the way with her hip. “Go on, I got this.” After taking another mug from the cupboard, she filled all three with steaming coffee. “I need to take one of these out to Jack.”

Charles smiled reassuringly. “Mind if I come? I’ve never seen a dog giving birth.”

She offered him a weak smile, grateful he sensed her need for a diversion. “Thank you.”

Charles hated being the bearer of bad news, but he hoped to talk Jenna into coming home for a few days. He hadn’t counted on the eight new arrivals. There was no need for words between the young couple, working together seamlessly, like a well-oiled machine. A brush of her hand against Jack’s arm and the slightest of smiles tugged at the corner of his mouth in response—the pair obviously very much in love.

Maybe it wasn’t such a good idea coming here and disrupting their lives.

“Well, let’s give our girl some privacy with her new pups.” Jack wiped his hands. “It’s good to see you again, Charles.”

They returned to the main cabin and settled in around the fire before he brought up the topic again. “I’m sorry I’m not here under more pleasant circumstances.”

Jenna sat on the arm of Jack’s chair.

“What’s wrong?” His gaze shifted from Charles to Jenna, and back again.

“Jenna’s father is very ill. He could go at any time now. I thought she should know.”

Jack took her hand and steered her to sit on his lap. “I’m so sorry. Are you okay?”

She sniffled. “I think so. I haven’t been close to my father in a very long time.”

“He’s still your dad, so I get it.” He rubbed her back. “How long will you be gone?”

Jenna frowned and brushed his hands away. “Who says I’m going anywhere?”

“I am. You’ll regret it for the rest of your life if you don’t go.” He smiled reassuringly. “It won’t be long, and you can help Charles tie up any loose ends. I’d come with you, but Sasha needs me here. I have to make sure all the pups are being nourished. You just don’t know from one litter to the next how the mom is going to do. So far, she’s been doing great, but it could go bad very fast.”

Charles ran a finger along the inside of his shirt collar. It felt a little like he was intruding on a very personal moment. A quick look around showed nowhere to bow out and give them some privacy.

“Don’t you need me here?” She pouted.

The same pout Charles remembered from when she was just a little girl.

“Of course I do.”  Jack brushed his lips across her knuckles. “I’ll manage. You’ll only be gone a couple of days, right Charles?”

“Oh, uh, yes,” he stammered, surprised his presence was acknowledged. “I would think three or four days, depending on how long he…”

He pressed his lips together. Yes, the man had acted like a complete ass the past four or five years, but he’d worked alongside Kenneth for many years now. His life would have turned out very differently if he hadn’t hired him.

Charles cleared his throat noisily. “I’m not sure how he did it, but your father has pre-arranged everything. The will is to be read the day after his death, naming you as executrix. I imagine there will be a few details to take care of in regard to the house and staff.”

Jenna held up a hand to stop him. “Okay, I’ll go. I’m not crazy about leaving here, but I guess I should be there.”

Her knuckles turned white as she tightened her hold on Jack’s hand and moved closer to his side. Even so, Charles couldn’t help being happy she’d decided to return with him. Selfish or not, he looked forward to spending some quality time with her. He still wasn’t used to not seeing her every day.

He hoped the old guy hung in there long enough to see his daughter, but in the same breath, he prayed she wouldn’t bear the brunt of his nasty disposition.

The Lutsen Mountains gradually faded into the horizon. They’d been on the road less than an hour and Jenna already missed Jack so badly her heart hurt.

She’d spent so much time justifying her right to be angry with her father, she never once thought of things from his point of view. There was no disputing the
arrangement
he’d made with Howard Meed was wrong. It was her who ran off, not him who abandoned her.
Was he hurt? Did he shed a tear over me behind closed doors?

Jenna put down the visor to block the blinding sun. “Did my father ever talk about me?”

Charles shifted in his seat. “Every now and then, I guess.”

She narrowed her gaze on him, sensing there was something he wasn’t telling her. “How did he react when you came home without me at Christmas time?”

He blew out a rush of air. “What do you want me to say?”

“Is it that bad?”

He shrugged. “No, he just thought you were punishing him for setting you up with Harold.”

“Well, I
was
pissed off. Who wouldn’t be?” She shook her head in disgust. “I guess it was pretty dumb of me to think he might have missed me, even just a little.”

“I’m sorry, kid.”

What a fool I am to have entertained the thought he actually cares about me, not just as part of a ridiculous business deal. How much was my hand in marriage worth to him?
She shook her head and straightened in her seat.
No more. I will not set myself up, only to be shot down by his indifference toward me.

Jenna recalled the diary entries. “Did I tell you about my mother’s diary?”

Charles shook his head in response as he maneuvered around an old lady who seemed to be sightseeing at thirty mph.

“Before I left the estate the night of my father’s birthday party, I snuck into my mother’s sitting room and took a diary from her writing desk.” She saw the surprise on his face. “Yes, I know I was treading on forbidden territory, but at that moment in time I didn’t give a shit what my father wanted. So, when Jack and his dogs found me under the snow, he also found the diary underneath me. It wasn’t until I woke up and began healing that he gave it to me.”

“I didn’t think anything was recovered from your car?” He kept his eyes on the road.

“I had stuffed the diary in my coat pocket.” She shrugged. “Unfortunately, the book was near ruin from blood stains and being soaked from the snow.” Jenna shuddered. “I could only decipher two entries…one at the beginning and one at the end.”

“That’s too bad, kiddo. So, what has you so confused? What did it say?”

Jenna situated herself to face him. “The first entry was about her experience, feeling me in her belly for the first time.” She swallowed hard. “It was the last entry that really made no sense. She talked about being excited to go out on a first date, and debating whether to share her secret so soon.”

“A first date
after
you were born?” Charles’ brow knit.

“I know. The only secret I can think of is, having me. The strange thing is, she started to write out the mystery man’s name, but all that was left was the letter K.”

His eyes grew big. “K?”

“Yes. Now you see why I’m so confused. There were at least one hundred pages ruined in between the two entries. I thought maybe it meant she had me before she met my father, but I remember seeing pictures of him holding me in the hospital room.” She flopped back in her seat. “When I get home, I’m going to look around and see if I can find more diaries. I know she wrote in one every night before bed.”

Charles scratched his bald head. “I’m sure you’ll find something to make sense of it all. I highly doubt your mother had you before meeting your father. I came to live on the estate shortly after you were born. I remember the big write up in the paper about their wedding at least a year before then.”

They sat in amiable silence for quite some time. It wasn’t until they hit the border the reality of going back to Thunder Bay hit her. In less than an hour’s time, she would face the man who was her father, possibly moments before his death.

Jenna settled in her seat and shuddered.

“Are you going to be okay?” He reached over and squeezed her hand.

She stared out the window. “Sure I am.”

As the landscape grew more and more familiar, her anxiety rose. They passed a sign that read WELCOME to THUNDER BAY.
Her hands trembled as she flipped down the visor to look in the mirror.
Why am I so scared to face my father?
 
I’m not the same girl who ran away in a fit of anger, what seemed a lifetime ago. Will he be able to tell how much I’ve changed just by looking at me?

Before long, Charles turned down the winding driveway to her childhood home.

“How about once you’re settled and have paid your father a visit, we’ll sit down to a nice meal and talk about what happens next?”

The screech of tires assaulted them, the air filled with the stench of burned rubber.

“What the…” Charles spun in his seat and groaned.

Jenna followed suit just as the back door of a silver Lincoln flew open and a very red-faced Howard Meed lunged out.

Her stomach churned in distaste. “Oh God… I can’t deal with him right now.” She locked her door and hunkered down in her seat.

What the hell does he want?

Charles patted her hand. “Stay down out of sight. I’ll take care of him.”

He pushed open the door and sprung out of the car. “What the hell do you think you’re doing?”

Howard stormed toward him, shaking his fist. “Kenneth made a deal with me, and I’ve come to collect.”

Jenna swallowed the sour bile rising up the back of her throat.
He’s got to be kidding.
She pushed herself up just enough to see between the seats. Howard stood in Charles’ shadow.

“Listen up, buddy. Listen good.” Charles jabbed a finger in the man’s chest. “I don’t know what kind of deal you made with Mr. Blackburn, and I don’t really care. What I do know is your business partner is lying on his death bed, and his daughter has come to be by his side.”