“Yes. I am good.”
The young man smiled. “All right, then. I’m the night shift. I’ll probably fall asleep at some point in time. Just bang on the bars if you need something.”
“Yes, I will bang the bars.” He wouldn’t need anything. He settled himself on the cot, feeling lighter than he had in years. The oppressive sadness he’d felt was gone, only remnants clinging to remind him of his past mistakes.
“Oh, and your cell phone’s been ringing. I know I’m not supposed to, but did you need to talk to someone?” It must be a mistake. Everyone he knew was either dead or half a world away. It didn’t matter. He lay down on the cot and pulled the covers up around his chest. “No. There is no one to call me. Ignore this.”
Logan tipped his hat, a grin curling his lips up. “Can do. I’m really good at ignoring stuff. Only thing I’m better at is avoiding work.”
The deputy sat down in his chair. He propped his feet on his desk and leaned back. He tipped his hat over his face and was asleep in no more than five minutes.
Alexei stared at the ceiling, the events of the day playing through his mind, and a deep sense of relief spread through his body. Deep in the night Alexei heard the cell phone buzzing from its place in the small locker where the sheriff had placed all his personal items at the time of his booking. He ignored the sound. After a long while, he fell asleep and dreamed about what it would be like to have a best friend and a wife. He dreamed about how it would feel to share a life.
Jen woke and stretched, her limbs deliciously sore from repeated and vigorous sexual encounters with the man she could only think of after last night as her boyfriend. A smile stretched across her face.
He’d said it. He’d said I love you.
Oh, he’d looked a little terrified at the prospect, but he’d said it, and he hadn’t taken it back or tried to pretend like it was a friendly thing. No, he’d said it and held her and let her fall asleep in his arms and then promptly woke her up twice more in the night for some rough sex.
She might need to take up yoga. Nell taught a class at the rec center. Maybe limbering up would help her keep up with her old man.
She chided herself mentally. Never call him that. She couldn’t tease him about their age difference.
A heavenly scent wafted into the room, and Jen opened her eyes to discover she wasn’t alone.
“Whoa!” She pulled the covers up because she was looking at someone she hadn’t expected.
“Good morning, Miss Jennifer.”
Mrs. Truss was a solidly built woman of roughly sixty-five years with a very upper-crust British accent. She smiled down at Jen and placed a mug of what smelled like coffee on the nightstand.
“Good morning.” Jen glanced around the room. It looked like Stef had put up all the toys they had played with last night, but they were still in a dungeon. The woman’s grandmotherly smile and crisp white apron was incongruous in a room that had a whipping chair, a doctor’s table with a TENS unit, and a St. Andrew’s Cross.
“Don’t you feel self-conscious, Miss Jennifer. I’ve been cleaning up after Master Stefan’s parties for years. I received very thorough training on how to take care of all the toys and sterilize them.” Dear god, Stef had hired Mary Poppins to watch after his collection of vibrators. “I am so sorry.” Her laughter trilled through the air. “Not at all, dear. The master is a bit odd when it comes to his sexual proclivities, but he’s a very dear boy. I’ve been with him since he turned sixteen. Miss Stella hired me to take care of the house.”
Jen’s curiosity was on full alert. Carefully keeping the covers around her, she sat up and grabbed the coffee. “Stella hired you?”
“Yes. Stella practically raised the master, you know. After his father left, Stella took over. She didn’t trust the nannies, you see. She was only in her twenties herself, and she’d never had children, but she loved Master Stefan like he was her own.” Stef had been lucky. Stella was a natural mother. It had always been a bit confusing to Jen why someone with as much love to give as Stella had never gotten married. As far as Jen could tell, Stella never even dated. She’d thrown herself into her business and caring for the people around her.
“Why did Stella take over? Max and Rye’s mom was alive then.
So was Callie’s mom. That would have made more sense.” She shrugged. “I have my theories, but nothing concrete. Stella felt a deep connection to the young boy. He felt it, too. I came in to let you know that Master Stefan is having breakfast. I don’t believe he wanted to wake you, but I thought it might be a good idea if you joined him for breakfast. He’s dining with his father, you see.” That could go very poorly, and the last thing she needed was for Stef to screw things up with his dad. It had become very apparent to Jen that part of Stef’s problem was his unresolved conflict with his father. She wanted to be there to referee.
“Thanks, Mrs. Truss. I would very much like to join the Talbot men.”
The older woman nodded her head as though satisfied. She started out the door but turned. “Oh, and you have a call. It’s on hold. I had it transferred out here. Just pick up the phone on the nightstand, and it should come on. I’ll let the cook know to set up another place setting.
I’m very happy you’re here, Miss Jennifer. I think you’ll be perfect for the master.”
The door closed behind her, and Jen picked up the phone, wondering who would call her here. Everyone she knew would call her cell phone.
“Hello?” Jen asked, holding the phone to her ear.
Ten minutes later, soul utterly deflated, Jen got dressed, packed her clothes, and placed another call, this one to Callie Hollister-Wright. After arranging her transportation, she walked out of the guesthouse. She made her way to the main house and the breakfast room, her heart sick. She had to face Stef.
For the last time.
Chapter Sixteen
“Have you thought at all about what I said to you yesterday, Stefan?”
Stef looked up from his coffee as his father took the seat across the table from him. Had he thought about what his father had told him? He’d been awake all night thinking about his relationship with Jennifer, and his father’s words had played over and over again.
His mother had been certain she wanted a family. His father had said it himself. She’d been sure she wanted children, had pushed him for marriage and kids. Would it be the same with his Jennifer? Would he marry her and then be left behind when she realized how big the world was?
“Of course,” Stef said smoothly to his father. Stef found he’d softened toward him sometime in the night. He’d finally felt a true kinship with the man. They both loved women who could break them in two. “I want you to know that I don’t blame you. You wouldn’t have been happy here in Bliss. I understand, and I appreciate that you were willing to let me stay. It would have been easy for you to force me to go back to Dallas. I am truly glad I stayed here.” His father’s face flushed. “Yes, you made a family for yourself here. I can see that. But you’re wrong. I would have been very happy in Bliss. I was simply too afraid to stay.”
“Afraid?”
His father’s hands slipped around the mug of coffee in front of him. He took a drink before sighing and sitting back. His eyes were heavy as he spoke. “Yes, I was very afraid. I told you yesterday that I made a mistake in not staying here with you. I deeply regret it, and I hope you won’t make the same mistake I did.” The food in front of Stef suddenly didn’t seem as appetizing as it had before. He’d meant to come to the main house, grab some food, and rejoin Jennifer in the bed they had shared the night before. He’d meant to feed her from his hands and more than likely make love again. He’d realized the minute he walked into the house that he needed a bit of space. The night before he’d thought about keeping her in Bliss. He was making decisions based on his own needs rather than hers. He was heading down the same path his father had been down.