Since She Went Away(75)

“No. Forget it.”

“It’s an opportunity to spread the word about Celia and Natalie. You know there’s a chance—”

She stopped herself. The words fell out of her mouth in a rush, so she slammed on her verbal brakes before she finished the sentence.

But Ian knew what she was going to say. He finished the thought for her. “There’s a better chance for this Natalie girl than for Celia. I get it. He’s her father. He’s kept her alive this long.”

“I’m sorry, Ian.”

“It’s okay,” he said. “You don’t have to go on there. When I first heard your voice today, I thought you were calling to talk me into going on.”

“I wasn’t going to try to talk you into anything. I just wanted to make sure you were okay with me saying no. I could go on and on about Celia, as you know. I could never run out of things to say about her, especially from when we were growing up.”

Ian grew silent. Jenna heard two deep breaths through the phone.

When Ian spoke again, his voice was phlegmy. “What I want everyone to know . . . I know what’s important.” He cleared his throat, once and then twice. “I know Celia was a very good mother. I hope everyone knows that about her. You know that, right?”

“I do.”

“I have to go, Jenna. I have someone coming by.”

He was off the phone before Jenna could apologize.





CHAPTER FIFTY-TWO


Jenna was walking in the front door of her house when her cell phone rang. She answered and heard the familiar voice of Sally. “Can I bend your ear for a moment?”

“Sure. I’m just getting home.”

When she came into the living room, the phone pressed to her ear, Jared appeared from his bedroom, an anxious look on his face. He started to speak but stopped when he saw she was talking to someone else.

“I just feel like we kind of gave each other the cold shoulder today,” Sally said. “I think that conversation last night at Haley’s didn’t go the way either one of us wanted.”

Jared lingered in the room, pacing back and forth with his hands swinging at his side. He looked like a hungry dog wanting to be fed.

“You’re looking out for me,” Jenna said. “I get it.”

“I am looking out for you. I know you’ve been through a lot these last few months. It’s really intense.”

Jenna went to her bedroom and kicked off her shoes. She sat on the bed, working her toes into the thick carpet. “I can take care of myself, you know? I’ve been doing it a long time.” As she spoke, she remembered all the other times Sally offered unsolicited advice and opinions. Jenna knew she was no one to throw stones considering her own tendency to verbally fire from the hip and ask questions later. It was part of the reason she liked Sally so much—they both spoke their minds to each other, consequences be damned. But she’d spent the day thinking of Ian, thinking of the way they’d reached each other as they talked. No, she hadn’t been close to Ian over the years, but weren’t the normal rules out the window with someone from high school? Growing up together was almost like sharing the same DNA. How much talking did it take to feel that rekindled connection?

“I suspect you snuck out to see him or call him today,” Sally said. “You weren’t in the office for your break.”

“Wow, you’re really keeping tabs on me.”

“We’re friends. I’m curious.”

“I already have a mom, Sally.” The words came out like a slap. Jenna even cringed after they were out of her mouth, but Sally didn’t say anything. Only silence came from the other end of the line. How many people was she going to put off that day? “Look, Sally, I’m sorry, but—” She looked up. Jared was pacing in the hallway, right outside her bedroom door. He was listening to everything. But more important, what was his problem? He was acting like a child. “I have to go, okay? Can we talk more about this another time?”

“We don’t have to talk about it at all,” Sally said. “You know what you’re doing.”

“I don’t, Sally, not really, but—”

“It’s your life, Jenna. Whatever.” Her friend hung up.

? ? ?

Jenna stepped into the hallway and tried to stop thinking of Sally. “Okay, what is it? You’re pacing like a caged tiger.”

“You have to hear this.”

She followed Jared out to the living room, where the combination cordless phone and answering machine, a relic from when Jenna and Marty were first married, sat on a small table. The message light was blinking, and Jenna’s heart jumped.

“What gives, Jared?” she asked, running through every scenario in her mind. Had Celia called? Natalie?

Jared reached out and pressed PLAY.

The voice sounded pleasant, a little high-pitched but still a man’s.

“Jenna, I’m so glad I reached out this way. I’m coming to town and I want to talk to you about Celia some more. I think you’ll be interested to hear what I have to say.” Pause. “Oh, I didn’t say who I was. This is Domino fifty-five.”

Jenna stared at the phone and its blinking red light as though it were a poisonous snake. The light mesmerized her, held her in place unable to move or speak.