Total pages in book: 109
Estimated words: 109608 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 548(@200wpm)___ 438(@250wpm)___ 365(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 109608 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 548(@200wpm)___ 438(@250wpm)___ 365(@300wpm)
“Of course, Jamie. Speak soon.”
“We will. And thanks again.”
They rang off, and he took Nico’s call.
“Hello, Nico.”
“Sorry to disturb you at work, Jamie.”
“That’s all right. Everything good?”
“If you’re fishing about whether or not I know what happened to Ma, I do. Cadence called Val, Val called Allegra and me.”
“I see.”
“I just spoke to her, and she says it’s all good, but Mom always says that shit. So I’m calling you, and I know I’m putting you on the spot, but that was some fucked-up shit, so I really need to know if she’s okay.”
“Nora’s strong, Nico. You know that,” Jamie replied. “She was shaken up last night. But Alyona and I were with her, he didn’t hurt her physically, and she was herself this morning. I can promise you I’ll keep an eye though.”
“Right,” Nico mumbled.
“I’m sure she won’t mind if you came down this weekend to see for yourself,” Jamie invited.
“I’m already planning on it. Is it cool if I show on Saturday and stay the night with you two?”
“It’s your home, so definitely.”
More mumbling with his, “Cool.” And then he cleared his throat and said, “Uh…Felice won’t be with me.”
“That’s too bad,” Jamie lied. “Maybe next time.”
And more mumbling with, “Maybe.”
He felt Nico’s pain. Coming to the realization you needed to end a marriage was not fun and games.
But Jamie looked at his Patek Phillipe watch, and saw he had to leave in no less than five minutes, or, if New York traffic delayed him, as it tended to do, he’d be late for his lunch.
Even so, Jamie inquired, “Is there something else you needed to speak to me about?”
“I…yes, um…no. No, not really. Just worried about Ma.”
“We don’t know each other very well,” Jamie said carefully. “But I hope you know I love your mother, what we have is serious, it has a long future, but not only because of that, also because I like all of you, I want to build strong relationships with you and your sisters. So I also hope you know if you need anything from me, I’m here.”
“Boy, you get to the point, don’t you?” Nico remarked.
“Life is too short to fuck around when shit is important,” Jamie returned.
“Yeah, it is,” Nico muttered.
“So, is there anything you need from me?” Jamie offered.
“I…maybe this weekend, you and me, you know, just the guys, can have a chat?” Nico requested.
“I’d like that.”
“Okay, we’ll do it.”
Did Jamie detect relief in his tone?
Christ, Roland was such an asshole.
“I’m sorry, but I have to let you go now,” Jamie said. “I need to be off to a meeting.”
“Oh, right. Yeah. Anyway, thanks for assuring me Ma’s okay.”
“She’s good. See you on Saturday. Look forward to it.”
“Yeah. You’re busy, so I’ll call Ma and tell her I’m coming.”
“Right. Take care, Nico.”
“You too,” Jamie replied.
They ended the call, and Jamie had just enough time to text Kateri about the latest developments with Chet and make a note for himself to deal with the audio files for Elsa when he returned, then he was up and on his way to the door to his office.
It opened and Dru peeked her head around.
He came to a halt.
He should have known this would happen. She was very bad at hiding how distressed she was last night. He didn’t buy her consistent reiterations she was fine, she’d stop by that evening to check up on them, and he should let her go so he could see to Nora.
But woefully he was a father who had a now-adult daughter he couldn’t coddle and protect, and if she expressed her wishes, he had to abide by them rather than sending a car for her and all of her clothes and moving her in with him and Nora.
“Hey, darlin’, this is a surprise,” Jamie greeted.
She smiled at him and slipped in.
“Is this a good time?” she asked, walking his way. “You look like you’re off somewhere.”
It wasn’t, and he was.
But for Dru, he always had time.
She made it to him, they kissed cheeks, and she stepped away.
“I have a lunch,” he told her. “But I can text and say I’ll be a bit late.”
“This won’t take long, promise,” she said.
“You okay?” he asked, watching her closely.
“I just…well it hit me, last night, with my bio-dad rearing his stupid head again, that I’m twenty-three now.”
He smiled at her. “You are.”
“So, I don’t need his permission for you to adopt me.”
Jamie’s stomach dropped and his throat closed, but oddly, neither were unpleasant sensations.
“He can kiss off,” she went on. “I’ll officially be an Oakley, and he’ll just be the pathetic loser he always was.”
“Darlin’,” Jamie whispered, his voice choked.
Her eyes were bright with tears of happiness because she knew his answer to her suggestion.
And setting him up, she clobbered him with the rest of it.
“Now I can tell you, I saw him. My bio-dad. Last week, he was lurking across the street from the brownstone. He was there, then gone, and he’s aged a whole lot. I wasn’t sure it was him. Until what he did to Nora, that is.”