Old Flames Never Die (Valentine Mystery) (14 page)

“Not yet,” she said. For a moment she
wondered if it was going to be enough for him. And what she'd do if it wasn't. “Will
you wait for me?”

He cradled her face in his palms. “If I
know you love me, I'll wait as long as it takes.”

“I do love you.”

He gave her a smile accentuated with a
dimple, and kissed her again.

“If we're going to make it to the
Showalters, I need to shower again,” she said as she slid off the counter.

“We could just stay here.”

She wrapped her hand round him and gave
a slight tug as she moved towards the shower stall. “Why don't you join me?”

~~~~

“We were thinking maybe you weren't
coming,” the Senator said as he escorted Tess and Jack into the living area of
Helen and Tom's home.

“We're sorry,” Jack said.

“Making up can take some time,” the
Senator said.

Jack tried to hide his surprise and
annoyance at the comment. He knew Tess caught the Senator's meaning when she
stiffened next to him. He gave her hand a squeeze as he scanned the room. Helen
and Tom were giving their best poker faces. Daniel turned away.

“Well, you're here now,” the Senator
said. “Why don't we get you both a drink?”

For a dinner with the Showalters, it
wasn't that bad. Jack wasn't exaggerating when he'd told Tess they didn't like
him. But Helen and Daniel were doing their best to tolerate him. Tom either
ignored or completely missed the undercurrent of tension directed at Jack. And
the Senator focused solely on having his “family” together for dinner.

It was after dinner that things began to
fall apart. Tess left to help with the dishes while the men lingered at the
table.

“Jack, I wonder if I could talk to you
for a moment, alone. Tom, we can use your office, can't we?” the Senator asked.

The last thing Jack wanted to do was
speak to the Senator alone. It almost always involved some scheme to officially
bring Jack into the Worthington family. Jack wanted to honor the mother he
never knew and his grandmother who helped raise him, but he absolutely didn't
want to be in the Worthington family. He felt it would be a betrayal of the
parents who raised him. But it was also because the Worthington family was
crazy dysfunctional. Not that Jack's family, which now consisted only of Cora,
wasn't a little off-kilter. But the Worthingtons had a way of sucking the life
out of Jack.

“It's not business…or family,” the
Senator added, as if he knew what Jack was thinking.

“Sure,” Jack said.

“I wanted to ask you about your friend,
Mrs. Danforth,” the Senator said when he and Jack were in Tom's office.

Jack felt his jaw tense. “What about
her?”

“Her husband Charles owned some land
down in Bucks County. I guess he was looking at developing it. Into what I
don't know, since most people leave Bucks County, not move to it.”

Jack declined to remind the Senator that
Bucks County was in his district and played a part in his election.

“I was wondering if maybe you'd find out
if she was interested in selling the land.”

The first question that popped into
Jack's mind was why the Senator would want land in a county he clearly thought
was backwoods. But doing so would only bring him further into a conversation he
felt uncomfortable having.

“I can't do that.”

The Senator looked at Jack in surprise. “Why
not? She probably doesn't want it.”

“I don't feel right about helping you
take advantage of a friend of mine who just lost her husband.”

“Take advantage?” the Senator bristled. “I'm
not the one engaging in a late night rendezvous with a widow.”

Jack was glad he was able to keep his
mouth shut, as he wasn't exactly sure what would have come out. Instead he gave
the Senator a scathing glare and headed towards the door.

“Oh, come on, Jack. Tess isn't here.
It's just us two. You don't have to be discreet with me.”
            “Go to hell,” Jack said as he continued across hall toward the
kitchen. He could hear the Senator following him, but didn't care.

He entered the kitchen and immediately
made eye contact with Tess. Everyone else turned to watch as well.

“I have to leave. If you'd like to stay,
I'm sure Daniel would be willing to give you a ride.”
            “No. I'll go with you.” Without having to ask, Tess excused herself
from Daniel and his parents and came to Jack. In that moment, Jack didn't think
he could love Tess more. Without question, without hesitation, she'd chosen to
go with him.

“Jack, really now. We were having a
wonderful time. We'll just pretend we didn't have our conversation and go on
with the evening,” the Senator said.

“Thank you for dinner, Helen. It was
wonderful, as always,” Jack said. He shook Tom’s and Daniel's hand. “I'm sorry
I need to go.” He laid his hand on Tess' back to escort her out.

Tess sat silent in the car as Jack drove
away from Tom and Helen's house. She was curious about what had happened
between him and the Senator, but the fierce look on Jack's face told her he
wasn't ready to talk yet.  They had made it through the center of town when he
said, “I guess you want to know what happened back there.”

“If you want to tell me.” She saw his
jaw clinch.

“Do you care?”

Tess was surprised by the terseness of
his voice. “Of course  I care. What kind of question is that?”

“You seem indifferent.”

“I'm trying to be supportive. If you
want to tell me, I want to hear it. If you don't want to talk about it, then we
won't.”

“He wanted me to ask Liv to sell him a
piece of nothing land in Bucks county.”

Tess knew there had to be more to it.
Jack could anger easily, but there was usually a good reason. Before she could
ask, he continued. “That's not why we left. I told him I wasn't comfortable
taking advantage of her situation and he insinuated that I was taking advantage
of Liv's new widowhood last night.”

“Oh.”
Well, that explained everything
,
Tess thought. Jack's pride was the size of Everest. Not that he was conceited,
but he hated anyone questioning his character. And a lot of people were
questioning his character lately. And she fueled those questions by moving out.

“Am I the only one who believes that a
man and woman can be friends? That I could actually just be trying to help her
and not trying to get into her bed?”

“I do,” Tess said.

Some of the tension fell from his face.
He reached over, took her hand and brought it to his lips. “Thank you.”

He drove her to the hotel. He remained
quiet as they took the elevator and stepped into the hall. As they came around
the corner toward Tess' room, she could see someone sitting by her door.

“Kate?” Tess asked, as they got closer.

Kate Wells, Tess' friend from college
and local news station journalist, looked up from her book. “Tess! I've been
waiting forever. I…oh, hi Jack.”

“Kate.”

Kate looked to Jack and then Tess. “I
was…uh…thinking maybe you needed a friend. I brought enough chocolate and box
wine to sink a ship.”

“Well, we know what paper you read,”
Jack quipped.

“You know you can't believe everything
you read,” Tess added.

“No. I know. In fact, I didn't believe
it. But you wouldn't return my calls and when I called Daniel he told me you
were here. I just assumed…well…”

It was a logical assumption and one Tess
knew irritated Jack even more.

“Since all is well, I guess I'll take my
loot and shove off.”

“Actually,” Jack said turning to look at
Tess. “Why don't you and Kate have some girl time?”
            “Are you sure?” Tess didn't really want girl time, but she was
worried that his mood might lead them to fight and she wanted that even less.

“Yes. I need to figure some things out
myself.”

All of a sudden Tess wondered if she was
one of the things he needed to figure out.

“I'll call you tomorrow,” he said.

 She nodded. He bent over and kissed
her. His hand rested on her cheek, his thumb giving it a gentle caress. With
one last look, he turned and left.

~~~~

“I don't get it,” Kate said as she set
her empty wineglass on the table. “If you moved here for time and space to get
your life together, then why are you spending the day with Daniel embroiled in
the case that involves Mrs. Danforth and then spending the evenings with Jack?”
            She was right, Tess thought.

“People who get their lives together
leave,” Kate finished.

“I don't want to leave. I'm just not
ready to live with him.”

“I don't mean leave him as in break up,
I mean leave as in a retreat. You know, where you're alone with your thoughts,
figure out the meaning of life and all that,” she finished with a wave of
Godiva chocolate. “You should be in a secluded mountain cabin meditating or
something.”

Tess thought she had a point there too,
which only solidified her belief that she didn't know what the hell she wanted.

“I don't buy it anyway.”

“Buy what?” Tess asked.

“The whole I-need-to-find-myself line.”

“Why not?”

“What's there to find? You're a smart,
intelligent lawyer with the damnedest best looking man who's hopelessly in love
with you…” Kate pointed her chocolate at Tess. “I don't think anyone has ever
been more in love than that man is with you. God, the patience he must have to
put up with this.”

“Maybe you've had too much wine,” Tess
suggested.

“No. You know I haven't. Wine just gives
me loose lips. What I speak is the truth.”

“Well, if I'm such a smart lawyer, then
what is it he’s having to put up with?”

“This,” Kate said waving her chocolate
to indicate the hotel room. “Who moves out on a guy like Jack Valentine? Unless
he's cheating and you've said he isn't. No. This isn't about soul searching,
this is about you being a great big chicken.” Kate finished her speech by
making chicken sounds.

“No, I'm not,” Tess said, and realized
the childishness of her voice indicated she was probably one glass of wine over
her limit.

“Sure you are. You always have been,
ever since that whole debacle in Washington.”

“I'm over that. Jack cured me,” Tess
said. She was sure of it. Yes, she'd closed her heart to love after being
betrayed, humiliated and run out of town by her ex-fiancé and his family, but
surely being in a relationship with Jack, admitting her love for him, that was
progress. She wasn't afraid any more. Was she?

“You're better. Not quite like when we
were in college, but better than when you first returned to Jefferson Tavern.”

“I'm not afraid. I know he's a good man.
I know he loves me.”

“Tess, it's like swimming. Some people
jump right in, get all wet.”

“And I take my time?”

“Well, yes. And also, you're in the pool
now, except you're wrapped in plastic wrap, so you don't get wet. You're in the
mix of everything, but you're not really immersed in it.”

Tess shook her head, even as she
wondered if Kate was right. Did she still have barriers?

“Look, I can get that you don't want to
be a kept woman. You want to be able to support yourself. But you can do that
at Jack's house. Or grab that huge trust fund your granddaddy gave you. We both
know that you'll never be left destitute or unable to care for yourself. So
this isn't about finding a career just in case Jack hurts you.”

Tess couldn't respond. Was she trying to
protect herself? She'd left Jack’s apartment to find herself, but felt more
lost than ever. She was spending most of her time thinking about Jack and
whether or not she'd made the right choice in leaving.

“You need to get wet with Jack. And I
need more wine,” Kate said reaching for the box.

Jack hadn't consciously decided to head
to Northern Virginia, but as he passed the last exit that would keep him in
Jefferson Tavern, he knew he needed to get away. Away from the Worthingtons.
Away from small town gossip. And, if he was honest with himself, away from Tess
too. Not that he didn't love her and want to be with her. But she was so damn
frustrating and he couldn't trust himself not to say or do something to blow
the whole deal. The idea that he had to censor himself made him even angrier.

He couldn't understand her reasoning for
moving out. By her rules he could see her, even make love to her, but they
couldn't live in the same house? What was the difference? Just as annoying was
her insistence that Liv was up to no good and that he was too blinded by lust
or loyalty to notice he was being manipulated. The lust part was ridiculous.
Sure Liv was beautiful in that superficial, store-bought way. But he wasn’t
attracted to her. Ultimately, Tess didn't trust him; didn't trust that he could
be faithful or that he knew what he was doing. And he didn't know what do to
about that.