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Maybe Jax was right. Maybe now was the time to be up front with her family about her choices. It was time to quit sneaking around and pretending to be the person they wanted her to be instead of showing them the real Cleo.
Taking a calming breath, she gripped the phone tightly. “Kurt, this promotion is a lot more than a bump in my check. I’m now working as a casino host.”
“What?” There was a pause as though he were letting the news sink in. “You mean you wear slinky outfits and flirt with men to get them to gamble more?”
“No. I wear really nice clothes. In fact, I design and make my own clothes.”
She considered mentioning that Jax was one of her clients so her brother wouldn’t worry so much, but under the circumstances, she realized that it was best to keep Jax and this mess with ape man to herself. It would be safest for everyone—especially Jax. And she didn’t want to jeopardize Jax’s friendship with her brother, if Kurt decided to act all protective of his little sister.
Without giving her brother an opportunity to hassle her about her career choice, she hurried on. “I’ll forward you some money as soon as I get paid.” And now for the real reason she’d called. “How are Joe, Stephen and Cassidy?”
“They’re fine. Cleo, wh
at is it you really want to know?”
Kurt always knew when she was hedging around something. “And how’s Mom doing?”
“You know, same as always. Busy with this and that. But the arthritis in her fingers is getting worse. If you’re really curious to know how she’s doing, you should call her.”
Her chest tightened at the thought of being rejected by her mother again. She didn’t know if she could open herself up to the potential for that kind of pain.
“I—I don’t think that’s a good idea. I tried calling her after the funeral. She told me not to call back and hung up.”
“I’m sorry, sis.” He expelled a weary sigh. “Mom wasn’t herself after Dad died. She was angry with everyone for a long time. Most of all I think she was angry with Dad for leaving her. She’s been lost without him.”
“I remember how in love they were after so many years. I always dreamed of having a marriage like theirs.”
“You can still have that, if you want it.”
“Listen to who’s talking. You’re older than me and you have yet to settle down and start a family.”
“I have a lot of responsibilities. I don’t have time for that stuff.”
Another pang of guilt assaulted her. If she hadn’t been arguing with her father that day, he wouldn’t have died. Her mother wouldn’t have melted down. And her brother wouldn’t be devoting his every waking hour to keeping the ranch afloat. Kurt might be happily married by now with a baby on the way.
“I should go.” She didn’t know what else to say. There were no words to repair the damage that had been done.
“Cleo, call Mom. Enough time has passed. I think she’d want to hear from you.”
After promising to think it over, Cleo disconnected the call. She still wasn’t sure about calling her mother. After all, her mother was right. The tragedy of her father’s death was her fault—no matter what Jax said. Why should her mother forgive her? If the roles were reversed, she didn’t honestly know how she’d deal with such a profound loss.
The phone buzzed, startling her. She glanced at the screen, but didn’t recognize the number.
“Jax! Jax! Phone.”
She didn’t know where he’d been but he entered the family room at a dead run, grabbed the phone and punched the talk button. “Yes.” A pause. “Yes, it is.”
He strolled out of the room.
That was strange. She thought that it was dangerous to let people have their phone number because of the GPS tracking system. So who did Jax trust enough with their location? The police? And why was his face creased with worry lines?
* * *
Jax’s entire body tensed as he waited for the doctor to come on the line. He paced back and forth on the veranda. The afternoon sun was hot, but his need for privacy trumped being comfortable. He didn’t normally pray, but in this instance if he had any points with God, he could use some help now.
“Jax, this is Dr. Collins. How are you doing?”
Did he mean besides the stress of knowing that his clients were up in arms because the funds in his investment accounts had been seized as evidence until this trial was over? Apart from the fact some thug attacked the woman that he...that he considered a close friend? Or aside from the fact that he was secluded in a ritzy home with a woman who could make him want her with just a look?
