Such a Beautiful Family: A Thriller(37)

“If no one had signed on the dotted line, it’s all up for grabs, isn’t it? And since when do you listen to rumors anyway?”

Nora knew he was right, and yet she knew she wouldn’t be able to let it go until Levi Hale called her back. “I did tell the woman that it was only gossip, but I don’t know any longer.”

“What do you mean?”

“Too many things aren’t adding up.” The thoughts running through Nora’s brain made her shudder. “I have a strong feeling Jane planned the trip to Paris for the sole purpose of getting rid of me so she could swoop in and spend time with all of you.”

David shook his head.

“What?”

“I don’t know,” he said. “It just sounds a bit far-fetched.”

“Maybe you’re right. But the truth is, I don’t like Jane coming over whenever she feels like it. Making dinner for my family is one thing, but doing it night after night when I’m gone and hanging out with all of you is unacceptable.”

His eyes gleamed.

“What?”

“You’re jealous.”

“Maybe I am.”

“No need to be,” he said.

Nora watched David eat as she took a bite of spicy tuna. In their seventeen years of marriage, not once before meeting Jane had she felt this prickling unease when it came to him and other women. She didn’t like feeling so tense and alert every time Jane’s name was mentioned. Jealousy was a common emotion, even normal if she didn’t allow it to overpower her. But where was the jealousy coming from? She trusted David with all her being. And yet, since Jane had come into their lives, she’d seen a change in him. Or was it her imagination?

Nora had always prided herself in being a secure and independent woman, comfortable with being assertive when it came to expressing her needs and opinions. She was confident with who she was, damn it.

“What’s going on in that head of yours?” David asked. “You seem a million miles away.”

“I’m struggling. I know it’s ridiculous, but my self-esteem has taken a hit since Jane came into the picture. I’ve begun to perceive her as a threat; she’s prettier, thinner, smarter. God”—Nora cupped her face with her hands—“what’s wrong with me?”

“Nothing is wrong with you. This has been a crazy year—the accident while in Hawaii, then the new job, your dad’s failing health, and now Paris and being away from your family. You’ve been dealing with a lot. Maybe you should take a few days off and just breathe.”

She was way too deep into her own head to let his advice sink in. “Did you know that Jane offered to buy Trevor a two-thousand-dollar software program?”

He shook his head.

“That was after I returned thousands of dollars’ worth of clothes that she’d bought Hailey.”

“Maybe you should talk to her.”

“That’s the thing. I did. After I returned the clothes, I told her I knew she meant well, but I would rather she not spoil our children.”

“And?”

“She handled it well, even apologized.”

“That’s good, right? And she didn’t buy Trevor the software, so no harm done.”

She sipped her water. No harm, no foul? But then the image of Hailey popped into her mind. “That blouse Hailey had on this morning was brand-new. That was not Goodwill.”

David looked skeptical. “You’re sure?”

“Pretty sure.” Nora didn’t like feeling so agitated. Mostly, she didn’t like being so easily manipulated. “Doesn’t it bother you that she let Hailey dye her hair purple without even mentioning it to us first?”

“Remember when your mom took Hailey to get her ears pierced?” David reached for his water and took a swallow. “If I remember correctly, she didn’t ask us for permission.”

“But that’s my mother you’re talking about, not a woman I hardly know. And Mom still feels bad about that.”

David dipped his sushi into his sauce and put the whole thing in his mouth.

“I thought I could be friends with Jane,” Nora said, “but I don’t know anymore. Sometimes I feel like she’s trying to take all of you from me.”

He wiped his mouth. “She can’t take us, Nora. Because I won’t let her.”

Nora smiled at that.

“Are you going to be okay?”

It took her only a second to imagine what she must look like through his eyes—a jealous, paranoid middle-aged woman. She inhaled. “Yes. Of course. I’ll be fine. I’m just tired.” But she seriously wondered if that were true. She also wondered if everything she was feeling was warranted. Deep down, she felt trapped, stuck, as if she had no power or control over what happened in her life.

And she had no one to blame but herself.





CHAPTER NINETEEN

Early the next morning, Nora entered her place of work. Just inside the iron-framed double doors, she stopped to take in the modern and bright space with its sweeping staircase across the main floor that led to her office on the second floor. For a moment, she admired the vast open work space at IMPACT. Dozens of open-office desks were separated by lush tropical plants, giving employees a sense of privacy. The large-paned floor-to-ceiling windows provided plenty of natural light, and at both ends of the room were comfy couches and low padded tables for employees to take a break and put up their feet.