The Mother-in-Law

by Modglin, Kiersten

  I sounded desperate and needy, two things I hated, but I was desperate and needy, so there was no use hiding it anymore.

  Chapter Thirty-Three

  Loren

  Six Weeks Later

  Jack and I held hands, our palms sweating, in the room of the title office where we waited to meet the new owner of our home. I’d cried so hard all morning my cheeks were raw from the salt, but as we waited, I felt stronger than I expected.

  I’d taken charge of my life and my circumstances. It hurt to give up the last piece of my family that I owned, but it was freeing to know I couldn’t be controlled by anyone any longer. I’d set my life on fire to give myself freedom, and that was a power no one else could give me. Cue the Eminem soundtrack as soon as we walk from the building, thank you.

  The door opened and Jack and I turned, holding our breath to see who would walk through the door. Nothing could’ve prepared us for the face we saw. Smelled, more like. I smelled her lavender and sage scent before I saw her, and I knew. Oh, I knew. My stomach knotted in an instant.

  “Mom?” Jack stood from his chair. “What are you doing here?”

  I looked her over, holding onto a shred of hope that she’d come to her senses and was coming to apologize and hand our home back to us before we made this mistake.

  She smiled, her lipstick a dark maroon, and a bit of it was smudged underneath her thin lips. “I was under the impression I was here to buy a house.” She looked toward our agent. “Is that not the case?”

  I launched myself at her over the table, unable to control my emotions any longer. Jack grabbed hold of me, pulling me back though I struggled against him. “You bitch!” I spat. “You had this planned all along, didn’t you?”

  “Oh, yes,” she admitted. “That’s exactly right. From the day you two met.” There was no shame in her words; she was proud of her plot.

  “What do you mean…the day we met?” Jack asked, releasing me so I fell against the table. I stood, dusting myself off and looking his way. They were at a standoff, it was obvious, but I wasn’t sure exactly what was happening. “You…you did this—all of this—on purpose.” The look on his face said that something monumental was hitting him, though it didn’t feel like that big of a revelation to me. I furrowed my brow.

  “Jack?”

  He turned to me, shaking his head. “There’s something I haven’t told you.”

  Chapter Thirty-Four

  Jack

  Before

  “Mom, are you sure you don’t want something to eat? We could stop for lunch anywhere you like. My treat.” I jerked Merlin’s leash, trying to get him to walk alongside me.

  She patted my shoulder, her eyes searching the crowd. She’d been so distracted that day, but I couldn’t decide why. We stopped walking, stepping up to face the river. “That’s all right, Jack. I think I’ll just have a drink when we get back to the bar. My coffee from this morning still has me satisfied.”

  “What are you looking for?” I asked, stepping in front of her line of vision when she turned to face the crowd again.

  She held up a hand to shield the sun from her eyes, regardless of the fact that she was wearing sunglasses. “Sorry, son. I know I seem a million miles away. I’ve been looking for one of those little book stand things, the ones they set outside of stores sometimes. I’ve been reading your father all of VC Andrews’ work, so I try to grab one whenever I see it.”

  I spun around, determined to find one for her, but as far as I could see down the boardwalk—and it wasn’t far, the place was packed—I didn’t see any books. It was pointless to try to search for one and then search for the exact book she wanted when we could just go straight to the place we knew wouldn’t let us down. “Why don’t we go across town to the actual book store? They’re bound to have them.”

  She shook her head, sighing and patting Merlin’s head. “No, no, that’s all right. Maybe tomorrow. I’ll just wait here a while longer, enjoy the sunshine.”

  “It’s awfully crowded,” I said. “Why don’t we open up the patio at the bar? We could sit there and still be in the sun, but get you away from the crowds.”

  She swatted my hand away when I reached to lead her. “Jack, stop fussing over me. I’m old, not dying. I’m perfectly capable of standing in a crowd. You’re the one always saying downtown is safe.”

  “Downtown is safe, but that doesn’t mean you’re not tired. You’ve just gotten over the flu and traveled from Herrinville to get here. You must be exhausted.”

  “I traveled last night. I’m fine now. Quit worrying.” She was smiling, but her tone was serious. It was time for me to drop it.

  I nodded. “I just worry about you.”

  “It’s high time you find a girl to worry about and leave your poor mother alone. What about a nice girl like that?” She gave me a wink and I scowled, following her finger to where a woman around my age was walking with a young girl. The two had identical straw-blonde hair and pretty smiles. Even from a distance, I couldn’t deny she was attractive, but she was likely married with a kid in tow. So, not exactly an ideal choice to pick out of a crowd.

  “I’ll find someone eventually,” I told her. She’d been on me to find someone new since my break up with Evelyn two years ago, but I was in no hurry to go through all that again.

  When I looked up, her eyes were bright, staring across the crowd with laser focus, following the girl. Merlin nudged my leg. “Jack, why don’t you go and get me a small thing of fries?” she asked, her brows raised when she looked at me. “I’ve decided I am hungry, on second thought.”

  I nodded. “Be right back.”

  “Oh, leave Merlin with me,” she said, holding out her hand. “You know how he is about food. He’ll knock it out of your hand before you can get it to me.”

  I handed over the leash. She was right. Try as I might, I couldn’t seem to break the old dog from trying to take food from people. He wasn’t ever aggressive about it, you could tell him no and he’d give up pretty easily, but that didn’t stop him from staring at you with those sad eyes or moving toward your food every chance he got. And if you dropped it, forget about it.

  “Okay, be right back.” I hurried across the riverwalk when there was a break in the crowd, walking up to a burger stand. “I need to order a small fry, please.”

  The man nodded, taking the cash I offered and turning around to begin scooping out the food. Before he could hand it to me, I heard a scream.

  “Jack!” Mom cried. I turned around just as she’d reached me. “Merlin!” She pointed. “That mom and little girl, she had ice cream. He took off after them.”

  “What?” I darted off in the direction she pointed me toward. “Merlin!” I yelled, cursing the dog in my head as I zoomed through the crowd, shoving my way past people. “Merlin!”

  I stopped short when I saw him, nose in the ice cream on the pavement, standing in front of his latest victims. The woman stood, scooping up her daughter and pulling her from the street quickly.

  “I’m so sorry,” I yelled. “I’m so sorry. Did he hurt you?” I grabbed the leash that was connected to the dog’s neck. “Merlin,” I scolded, then looked up at the woman. Her palm was bleeding, the girl crying in her arms. “I’m so sorry,” I apologized again. “He took off. There were some birds or something, he thought he could catch them.” I couldn’t stop the lie that came out of my mouth—he wasn’t after your food, you just happened to be in his way. It was a pitiful lie, but she didn’t call me out on it. “I couldn’t get through the crowd to get to him in time.” I took in her appearance, even as frazzled as she must be, she was beautiful. And I didn’t see a ring.

  Chapter Thirty-Five

  Loren

  Present Day

  Jack’s eyes were wild with anger as he spoke, throwing his hands in the air and clutching his scalp. He stepped back from the table, his eyes filling with sudden tears. “You…you…you planned it all, didn’t you? You really did? You forced us to meet. You coached me along thro
ugh the whole relationship, told me what to do, what to say. You told me when to ask her to marry me. It was all you in that…that sneaky, conniving way you have where I don’t fully know that you’re controlling me. But you know it.” He was pacing then. “Why? Why, Mom? And how? How could you do this? How did you—how did you even know her? And why?” His knees bent with his question, the pain of it in his words. “Did you ever even care that I love her? Was this…were you trying to hurt me? Was it about money? About Dad?” He stopped, rubbing his scalp so his hair was a mess. “I don’t…” His words trailed off as his eyes bounced around the room and I could see him piecing it together.

  “What are you talking about? She forced us to meet? What do you mean?”

  He looked at me, his eyes wide in fear as he sucked in tears. He moved his hand to cover his mouth, obviously distraught. “Loren, I…everything about our relationship, she had a hand in. She is the one who sent Merlin after you to knock you down. She is the one who told me to stop by the flower shop and ask you out that day. She told me what to say, what to ask. She…for God’s sake, she helped me pick out the ring and told me how I should do it. Told me I should include Rynlee.”

  “You didn’t—” I started to ask him so many things: You didn’t want to marry me? You didn’t want to ask me out? What are you saying? But none of the words would come out. None. I froze, turning to stare at Coralee, because only one question mattered. “Why?” I demanded through gritted teeth.

  Coralee cast a glance toward the realtor and title worker, who were both pink in the face and looked petrified. “Perhaps we should take this outside,” she said, her voice as calm and collected as ever. She jerked her head in the direction of the door, then pulled it open, not bothering to wait and see if we’d follow. She had us on her string, as always, and we followed her like lost puppies out the door.

  When we made it to the front steps, she stopped, staring out at the large oak trees on the title company’s front lawn.

  Jack spoke first. “If you didn’t want me to be with Loren, why did you force me to meet her?”

  “Who says I didn’t want you to be with Loren?” she asked, continuing to stare straight ahead. A little boy rode by on his bike, making me think of Rynlee. I so badly wanted to be with her, to go back to a time when it was just the two of us. A time when I thought our lives weren’t great and had no idea how great they truly were.

  “You’ve done everything in your power to tear us apart. To keep me to yourself.”

  Coralee looked at him then, a smirk on her lips. “Don’t flatter yourself, Jack. It was never about you.” She looked at me. “Or you, for that matter.”

  “Then what?”

  She inhaled deeply, crossing her arms and rubbing her palms over her biceps as if she were cold. “Son, it was always about the house.”

  I sucked in a breath. I’d expected her to say anything—I was prepared for literally anything—except that. “My house?”

  “Mine now,” she responded. “Well, soon enough, anyway.”

  “W-what—what could you possibly want with my house?”

  “How did you even know she had the house? When we first met, you had no idea who she was.” Jack shook his head.

  “Oh, my dear, you don’t give me any credit at all. Do you really think I’d force you into any kind of relationship if I didn’t have some sort of plan? When you and whatsherface broke up, you were a wreck.”

  “What are you saying, Coralee? You knew me? How? I didn’t know you.”

  She raised her brow, smiling at me with a grin that sent chills down my spine. “Because, my dear, we’re family.”

  Chapter Thirty-Six

  Loren

  She paused, like she wanted me to ask more, but I was still trying to remember how to breathe. What had she said? How was it possible? It wasn’t possible. No. No. I shook my head, arguing with the voice inside.

  I looked at Jack, who, much to my—relief, surprise, I couldn’t decide—looked shocked as well. “What are you talking about?” he asked, his jaw locked tight.

  Coralee shrugged. “Oh, Jack, I never meant to hurt you with any of this. Honestly, I didn’t. But it was what needed to be done—what had to be done to set things right.”

  “What are you talking about?” I demanded, bending at the waist. I was sure I was going to be sick.

  “My mother, like I told you before, was very ill. Her mother had dementia first, though we didn’t know it was called that then. My mother was diagnosed with it at a very young age, barely forty, and we lost her pretty quickly after that. Their eldest child, my uncle, died young and my mother was the next child in line for the house—it was willed to her immediately following her brother’s death, there was never a question. But, when she got sick, my grandfather changed over the will, so it would go to their youngest child—your grandmother. My grandfather swore to me I’d always have a place in our family’s home, but when he died, it became clear that was no longer the case. Your grandmother made that clear.”

  I shook my head, unable to make sense of what she was saying. “My grandmother? I don’t understand.”

  She rolled her eyes as if she couldn’t make it any clearer. “Your great-grandparents, my grandparents, had three children: a boy, Leo, my mother, Lenora, and your grandmother, Laura. Leo was—”

  “Meredith’s grandfather,” I said, my voice breathless with shock. It was all lining up in my head.

  “Yes, that’s right. He was the first in line,” she continued. “But he died in the war. His only child was an infant then, younger than even your mother and I, so it willed to the next born child: my mother. When my mother got sick, the will was changed again, passed down to their third, and last, child, your grandmother, Laura. My aunt. And then, when she died, because your mother was old enough, it went to her. Then, you. But I was next in line. The house ever going to you before me was a mistake. Your mother always resented me because I was our grandfather’s favorite. She did it on purpose and there was no one around to stop her.” Her grin was tight and full of pain, and when she spoke next, her face barely moved. “Until now.”

  “Hold on, so you’re saying…we’re related?” Jack asked, looking at me with an upturned lip.

  I grimaced as well, unsure of what to make of the discovery, but Coralee scoffed. “You’re second cousins by marriage, it’s hardly related and perfectly legal.”

  I frowned. Did that matter? Did it make it okay?

  “How could you do this?” Jack asked, stepping back from the both of us. “How could you do this to me? You—you set me up.”

  Coralee shook her head, still refusing to look at either of us. “I needed to get my house back. It should’ve never belonged to you. You think that it holds the only memories you have left of the family you loved, but I was born in that house. I will die in that house, and I won’t let anyone get in the way of that. When I die, it will go back to Jack, and so, to you, if you stay together.” She looked at me then. “This was never meant to hurt either of you, though I realized early on that was inevitable. I simply wanted what was right.”

  “How is any of this right?” I demanded. “Don’t you know what you’ve done, Coralee? All for a house? All for a house that you could’ve lived in anyway if you’d just been kind to me?”

  “A house that you destroyed with your tacky wallpaper and horrible countertops. That house deserves to be restored to its former glory. Your great-grandmother would roll over in her grave if she saw her beloved bedroom any color besides yellow.” She huffed. “I didn’t want to live in it, Loren. I wanted to own it. I wanted my name on those papers like they should’ve always been. When my family shunned me after my mother’s death, I was left alone with not a penny to my name. It wasn’t until I met Malcolm that I had a sense of what family really was.” She glanced at Jack, her eyes showing more emotion than I’d ever seen from her. “You gave me that, Jack. You showed me what love was—what families are supposed to be. After losing my grandparents and then my mothe
r, I’d nearly forgotten what that felt like.”

  “This isn’t love, Coralee.” I felt the weight of her name on his lips, knew the line he’d just drawn. “Whatever you think this is…it’s not love. You…you used me.”

  “You love Loren, do you not?” she demanded, and I looked at him for an answer.

  “I—yes. I do.”

  My heart thudded in my chest. “Then, I got what I wanted while also giving you the greatest blessing,” she told him. “If you decide to disown me now, you’ll still have a family to turn to. This house is all that I have left.”

  “That’s your own fault,” I told her. “You could’ve had all of us.” I wanted to scream. I wanted to attack her. I’d never felt such anger pulsing through my veins. It had seeped into my bones—the anger, the hurt, the pain. I wanted her to pay for what she’d done, but what penance would ever be enough?

  “I needed to protect the house!” she screamed.

  “So, what, you just…knew where she’d be that day on the riverwalk? How could you have arranged that?”

  “Someone anonymous paid for our family pictures,” I answered his question, the realization hitting me square in the chest. “At the studio across from where we met. It was…” I shook my head, blinking back tears as I tried to recall the memory. “It was for one day only. The note said ‘Family is what you make it.’ I…I thought it was Meredith who’d done it. I was struggling with the idea of family after Travis left. Rynlee had so many questions. And…I thought family portraits were such a good idea, but I’d never splurge on a studio of that caliber. Meredith knew that. She’d never admit it, though…I just—” I looked up at her, my brows drawn together. “It was you?”