“Mrs. O’Malley, dinner was delicious,” Jessie told the older woman she’d come to admire. Kathleen O’Malley was the epitome of class. She wore a sleeveless floral sheath that flared out at the hips matched with a pair of stylish pumps. Her dark brown hair was swept up in a sophisticated chignon while her makeup and jewelry were subtle yet noticeable.
“Thank you, dear,” she responded. “I’m so happy Hugh came home. It was in the nick of time, don’t you think?” she whispered as she led Jessie to the sunroom.
“Pardon?” Jessie asked, looking up.
“I was disappointed to hear about your dalliance with the Hathaway young man.” Her eyes glinted when she spoke and there was no mistaking that mama bear was out in full effect.
“I didn’t tell him,” his mother whispered conspiratorially. “He’s back now and I believe ready to do right by you. So we’ll keep this between us and never speak of it again.” She glanced down at Jessie, who could only nod her agreement.
By the time they arrived at the terrace where Mrs. O’Malley had tea and mini-desserts waiting, Jessie had lost her appetite. The lies and deception had to come to an end. She was ready for both of them to come clean with their parents.
“You can come visit us anytime, Jessie,” Jack O’Malley stated as he and Hugh joined them. “No need to wait for this one—” he pointed to his only son “—to make an appearance.”
“I appreciate that, thank you,” Jessie said, sucking in a breath. She was doing her best to be cordial, but she felt like she couldn’t breathe. She felt like the walls were caving in all around her and this lunch with Hugh’s parents had done little to alleviate her anxiety.
“I hope your visit means you’re finally getting serious about your future?” Jack questioned, his piercing gray eyes finding his son’s as he waited for a response.
Hugh smiled good-naturedly. “No need to be so heavy-handed, Dad. If you must know, there are big changes, starting with... Jessie and I broke up.”
His father roared. “You did what?”
“Hugh!” Jessie rose. “A word, please.”
He lifted his shoulders in a shrug. “It’s okay, Jessie. I appreciate you keeping up with this charade, but I’ve got this. Go find your happily-ever-after.”
Jessie looked into Hugh’s baby blues for the last time and smiled. “Thank you.” She inclined her head to his parents. “And thank you both for everything. I’ll never forget it.”
It was time she took a page from Hugh’s book and was honest with her parents. When she made it to her rental car, she quickly started the engine and sped away.
Jessie found herself pulling into her parents’ driveway fifteen minutes later. She noticed her father’s car wasn’t there and she was thankful. She could start first with her mother and smooth the waters before talking to her father. She was such a daddy’s girl and would hate to disappoint him, but she had to live her own life. Dragging herself from the car, Jessie used her key for the front door. “Mama?”
Her mother came in from the kitchen, wiping her apron. “I was making some ropa vieja for your father for supper. I’m surprised to see you. I didn’t expect you until much later this evening,”
”Oh, Mama, where do I begin?” Jessie released a long sigh.
“Honey, what is it?” Her mother circled her arms around Jessie’s shoulders and helped her to the couch. “Whatever it is, you can tell me. Surely, we can figure it out.”
Jessie shook her head. “Nothing has to be figured out, Mama. It’s as simple as this. I’m not marrying Hugh because I’m in love with Ryan,” Jessie blurted the words out. As soon as she’d said them, she felt as if she’d been set free. She hadn’t realized that trying to deny her feelings was making her heartsick.
“Ryan?” The stricken expression on her mother’s face told Jessie she’d shocked her.
Jessie nodded.
“But I thought you said you were just friends.”
“We were. I mean, we are. Or then again, maybe not, because I’ve royally screwed this up. I was so conflicted about wanting to do what’s right. What’s expected...”
“Darling, you’re talking in circles. Why don’t you take it from the top and tell me what’s going on?”
Jessie took a deep breath and gathered herself together. “Hugh and I... I know it’s what you wanted and I did, too, but not anymore.”
“I thought he was coming home now to repair your relationship.”
“Yes, that’s why he’s here,” she cried, “but it’s too late.”
“Why? Can you explain?”
“Four months ago, at the prep school reunion, something changed. I don’t know why, but it did. Suddenly, Ryan wasn’t just my friend. He was a good-looking man who looked at me like he wanted me. But then Hugh surprised me by showing up. When I realized I was having feelings for Ryan, I knew Hugh and I couldn’t possibly continue seeing each other. Hugh and I agreed to a break because he understood distance hadn’t made our hearts grow fonder.”
“So you broke up then, not now?”
Jessie nodded. “Four months ago, we decided to take a break and we chose to keep it private. Tonight we ended it officially.”
“Why didn’t you say something?” her mother inquired. “I wouldn’t have pushed you so much if I’d known your relationship status.”
Jessie shrugged. “You didn’t do anything wrong, Mama. I did. I thought I’d imagined the attraction I felt for Ryan because he was the boy I grew up with next door, so it couldn’t possibly be real. I suppressed my feelings for him for three months until the July Fourth weekend. That’s when our relationship changed and we became more than friends.”
“I see.”
“Ryan and I have been seeing each other the last month. And it’s been wonderful, Mama. Honestly, it’s been the best month of my life. But I struggled with my decision because it wasn’t right for our family.”
“What do you mean breaking up with Hugh isn’t the right thing for us?”
“Because I owe them. We all do. Everything Mr. O’Malley has done for me, for Pete. Because of him, we were allowed to continue at Falling Brook Prep. Keep the house.”
The horrified look on her mother’s face startled Jessie. “You owe the O’Malleys nothing. You’ve already paid enough. Your brother working at the dealership during school breaks. And you? You’ve been devoted to the family, to Hugh, for years. But that doesn’t mean you owe them your whole life. Your happiness.”
“Oh, Mama.” Tears of joy sprang to Jessie’s eyes at her mother’s words.
“Jack didn’t give us the money out of the goodness of his heart.”
“Why else would he give us that kind of money?”
Her mother lowered her head. “It’s complicated, Jessie.” She glanced at Jessie and her expression was haunted.
“Mama?”
“Jack and I have been having an affair for years.”
“What do you mean? I don’t understand.” Jessie didn’t want to believe the words coming out of her mother’s mouth.
“I’m saying I’ve been lonely. Losing all his money made your father depressed and withdrawn. You’ve seen it. Think about it. If you feel that way as his child, imagine how I feel as his wife. I was distraught. I didn’t know what I was going to do, how I was going to keep our family together. We were going to lose everything. The house. The cars.”
“So that justified you having an affair?”
“No. No, it didn’t.” Her mother shook her head. “And I never meant it to go that far, but Jack was kind and he listened and one thing led to another, just like it did for you and Ryan.”
“It’s not the same! You’re married. Ryan and I are single. How could you do this?” Jessie’s head fell into her hands and she cried softly.
“I don’t know,” her mother said tearfully. “Jack was offering support at a time when
I needed it most. I didn’t mean for it to happen, but once it did, I didn’t know how to stop.”
“You should have never started in the first place! But thank God you realized it was wrong.”
Her mother looked away and Jessie stared at her in disbelief. “Mama.” She grabbed her by the arm. “Please tell me this affair with Mr. O’Malley stopped? Please tell me you came to your senses and realized what you were doing was wrong?”
Angela Acosta shook her head and Jessie clasped her hand over her mouth in horror. “You’re still seeing him?”
“We never stopped. I tried, but Jack wouldn’t let me go.”
“What do you mean he wouldn’t let you go? He’s married. You’re both married.” Maybe.
“I know how this must sound but, like you, I felt beholden to him because he helped me out by giving me a job at his company and paying me an exorbitant salary, which helped us keep this house. Then he offered to pay for your and Pete’s education if we stayed together, and I wanted the very best for you both and I saw it as a win-win. I know it is cliché. Lonely married woman has an affair, but I guess I enjoyed the attention Jack bestowed on me because your father hasn’t been interested in me in years.”
“That doesn’t give you a license to cheat.”
Her mother was quiet at the reprimand and Jessie fell into silence. She couldn’t believe her mother had been having an affair—at a minimum, fifteen years—with Jack O’Malley. Half her life. It had all been a lie.
“Does Daddy know?”
Angela Acosta shook her head.
“Kathleen O’Malley must know. I saw how she looked at you today.”
“Then she must turn a blind eye because she’s happy with the life and privileges she has being Mrs. Jack O’Malley.”
“This would kill Daddy if he found out. He looks at Mr. O’Malley as his best friend, all the while he’s been cavorting with his wife behind his back.”
“I did what I had to do to ensure you and your brother’s future wasn’t limited by the losses your father suffered at the hand of Black Crescent. You know as well as I do, your father was never the same after he lost his fortune. And when he lost his job a few years after, he had a hard time finding another one. We would have lost the house if Jack hadn’t intervened.”
“All right, say for instance I believe the pile of hogwash you’re giving me. Pete graduated years ago and I’ve been out of college for six years. Law school has been on my own nickel and I have the student loans to prove it. So why are you still with Jack O’Malley?”
Her mother shrugged and Jessie could see she didn’t have a pat answer. “Convenience? Companionship? Familiarity? What? Why have you continued this affair after your kids were gone?”
“Because I didn’t want to be alone!” her mother yelled passionately, meeting Jessie’s eyes without flinching. “If I stayed here with your father, without any companionship or affection, I would shrivel up and die.”
“Finally, we’re being honest with one another,” Jessie retorted with cold sarcasm. “But if you’re so unhappy, why don’t you divorce Daddy?”
“If I did that, it would break him,” her mother responded. “It would be the final nail in his coffin of failures. Do you believe your father could withstand the blow? Because I don’t think so.”
She was right. Jessie doubted her father could take knowing his best friend and his wife were together. It would kill him. Of that, Jessie was sure.
“My whole point in telling you all of this was that I don’t want you to feel obliged to the O’Malleys. You owe them nothing.”
“What if there are repercussions from breaking things off with Hugh? We told his parents tonight. Will Mr. O’Malley retaliate and tell Dad the truth?”
Her mother shook her head. “Jack would never do that, not if he wants to continue having a relationship with me. He would never hurt me that way. Plus, it would ruin his marriage.”
Jessie’s eyes grew large. “You’re going to continue seeing him, aren’t you?”
“I care for him a great deal,” her mother said. “It’s not that simple.”
“And Daddy?”
“I care for your father and love him in my own way, and you’re just going to have to accept that answer.”
Jessie glared at her mother. She didn’t know what to make of any of this, but knew she wouldn’t be like her mother, staying with a man when she clearly wanted to be with another. Jessie started for the door, but stopped in her tracks, spun around and faced her mother.
Angela Acosta looked older and wearier in the recliner by the window. Why had she never seen how unhappy her mother was? Maybe she hadn’t wanted to look too hard.
“Does Hugh know about you and his father?”
“No. Jack has never told him. He wouldn’t want Hugh to know the truth. Hugh looks up to his father. It would tear their family apart.”
“This has been too much,” Jessie said, shaking her head. “I’m leaving and I’m not sure when I’ll be back. I need some time to digest this, and to make peace with everything you’ve laid in my lap and how I’m going to be able to live with myself keeping this from Daddy. Because you’re right, knowing this would devastate him.”
“Thank you.”
“I know you told me all of this at great risk to your marriage and our relationship, but I have to tell you, Mama, I’m disappointed in you and I don’t know if I’ll ever get past this.”
Tears trickled down her mother’s cheek. “I know. And I understand. I wanted you to know that your future is your own.”
As Jessie closed the door behind her, she planned on heeding her mother’s advice and taking her future in her hands.
Starting now.
* * *
Ryan was ready for his second interview with Black Crescent. After spending the weekend with Ben, watching baseball and playing pool, Ryan felt positive about the day ahead. He’d left his brother’s town house early, with enough time for the scenic drive into Falling Brook.
He arrived half an hour early for his interview and stared up at the notorious Black Crescent building. The angled roof, exposed concrete and wall of windows made it everything a modern midcentury office should look like. Parking his Porsche 911 Carrera, Ryan buttoned the jacket of his Armani suit as he walked inside.
A receptionist greeted him. “Good morning.”
“Good morning. Ryan Hathaway to see Joshua Lowell.”
“Yes, he’s expecting you. You can take the elevator to the second floor.” She motioned to the bank of elevators across from the desk. “They’ll take you to Mr. Lowell’s office.”
“Thank you.”
He followed her instructions, but when he stepped out of the elevator, no one was there to greet him. Instead, he found a tall, athletic man leaning over a large, circular desk. As he moved forward, Ryan caught sight of Haley Shaw, Joshua Lowell’s assistant, sitting behind it. The man was murmuring something to her that Ryan couldn’t hear, but Ryan suspected he was trying to come onto her. Why else would he be looming over and in her personal space?
“Is everything all right over here?” Ryan asked, moving forward. He glanced at Haley and then again at the man. He instantly recognized Chase Hargrove, one of the other candidates for the CEO position. Ryan had met him by accident at his first interview. “Perhaps you can give the lady some space?”
Chase’s eyes narrowed and he rose to his full height. He was a few inches taller than Ryan, but Ryan didn’t care. Ever since he was a kid and had been picked on, Ryan hated bullies. Once he’d gotten fit, Ryan vowed no one would ever take advantage of someone smaller or helpless again. It’s why his Krav Maga classes were so important. This guy might outweigh him, but Ryan could take him down if needed.
“Everything is fine, Ryan,” Haley said. “I’ve got this under control. Chase, make yourself scarce. I have work to do.” Then she wa
s sashaying down the corridor, leaving Ryan to follow behind her.
“Does he do that often?” Ryan asked, stepping in line beside her.
She grinned. “Yes, but he’s harmless. No need for you to defend my honor. I’m a big girl. I can take care of myself.”
“That’s good to hear.” Ryan stopped when she reached a closed door and knocked. When she heard the occupant’s voice, Haley opened the door. “Mr. Lowell, Ryan Hathaway is here for his interview.”
A pair of hazel eyes trained on Ryan as he entered the conference room “Ryan, thanks for coming in. Have a seat.”
Haley closed the door behind her and took a seat next to Allison Randall.
The conference room was all glass with sleek, modern furniture done in muted gray and white. A large Sputnik chandelier hung over the table while the elongated acrylic back panels and white padded chairs were minimalist in their design. The man in the midst of it all, Joshua Lowell, looked the picture of a CEO today in what was no doubt an expensive charcoal suit and blue tie.
“Appreciate the invitation,” Ryan said, taking a seat across from them.
“We’ve only extended the invite to a few candidates who I feel would be the best fit to lead this organization when I’m gone,” Joshua said. “It’s important I find someone who understands Black Crescent’s history, so we’re not destined to repeat the mistakes of the past.”
“Understood,” Ryan said. “And the strategies you’ve used for your investments have been traditional in the approach, but I do believe there are times some risks are worth taking. Like hiring the top talent in our industry to provide our clients with a more robust return while giving Black Crescent the management and performance fees.”
“I’m eager to hear more,” Joshua replied.
Over the next hour, Ryan discussed his ideas and vision for Black Crescent’s future. When it was over, Joshua reached across the table and shook his hand. “You just might be exactly what this company needs.”
Ryan chuckled softly. “I believe that’s true and, if given the opportunity, I can show you what I can do. Is there anything in my qualifications that you see as lacking?”
Insatiable Hunger Page 15
