Such a Beautiful Family: A Thriller(43)

Whatever.

She grabbed her bag and climbed out of the car.

The door was unlocked. She stepped inside. It was quiet except for a couple of low voices coming from the kitchen. When she walked into the kitchen, she saw David standing near the nook area, his back to her. He was six foot two and hard to miss. She also spotted a slender hand on his forearm, which reminded her of what Trevor had said. She knew it was Jane he was talking to, but she couldn’t see her until Jane peeked around David, blushed, then put on what Nora was sure was an act. Feigning surprise to see Nora when she must have known, since Nora had texted David, that she would be home soon.

“Nora!” She stepped away from David. “I heard what was going on, and I came as fast as I could. I’m so sorry about your father.” She rushed toward her and embraced her tightly. Nora didn’t move a muscle as her gaze met her husband’s. He looked guilty. Or maybe he just knew Nora was having a difficult time, and he sympathized. She didn’t know any longer.

Jane finally let go of her. “I was asking David if you had a chance to tell him about the new job assignment offer.”

Nora squinted as if she suddenly couldn’t see things clearly. “Seriously?”

Jane looked from Nora to David. “Did I say something wrong?”

“Yes,” Nora almost shouted, exasperated. “Get a clue. My dad went missing last night and then spent most of the day in the hospital. The last thing I want to talk or think about is that stupid idea of yours.”

“Nora,” David said.

She didn’t care. Enough was enough. Her gaze fixated on Jane. “You’ve told me many times what a beautiful family I have, so why in the world would I want to leave them to run off and be an ambassador for your company while you cozy up to my husband and buy my children ridiculously expensive gifts?”

Jane’s eyes watered.

The woman deserved an Oscar.

“Mom. Stop it.”

Nora glanced over her shoulder at Hailey, who stood beneath the archway leading from the family room to the kitchen.

David came forward, most likely in hopes of saving Nora from herself. “Come on,” he said, turning her about-face. “You’ve had a long day. Why don’t you take a shower and get comfortable. I’ll make you some soup.”

Nora wriggled free, turned back around, and walked to the stove to see if anything was cooking. “Is that what Jane made us for dinner tonight? Soup? I don’t see anything here. No pan-seared scallops or roasted eggplant?”

Jane lifted her purse from the table. “I’m sorry, Nora. I didn’t mean to cause you more stress by coming tonight.”

Nora tilted her head to one side. “Are you sure about that?”

“Mom! She’s only been trying to help out while you were away.” Hailey was huddled close to Jane as she ushered her from the kitchen.

David followed.

Nora waited until she heard the door open before she left the kitchen and headed up the stairs, her stomach twisting on the way to her bedroom. She felt guilty, and that made her even angrier as she entered her room and tossed her purse on the bed. She pulled the sweatshirt she’d thrown on this morning up and over her head.

A moment later, she heard footsteps approaching. It was David. Her husband was a nice man with a kind heart, making it easy for people to push him around. But how far would he go when it came to being manipulated?

“I’m sorry to have caused a scene,” she told him when he entered the room, “but I’m done.”

“What do you mean, you’re ‘done’?”

“I’m going to quit my job. I’ll give Jane notice tomorrow.”

“She’s only trying to—”

“Stop. Please. Every time I turn around, Jane is right there in my face, playing innocent while she cozies up to all of you. I can’t do it anymore.”

David rubbed his temple as if she were being unreasonable. Nora didn’t care. She plopped down on the edge of the bed and pulled off her shoes and socks. She was tired of Jane making her look like the jealous wife. She’d always been confident and sure of herself, but lately she felt herself morphing into someone else.

“Where’s Richard?” Nora asked David, since he was still standing there. “There’s no way he works every damn minute of the day and night. Maybe if she put as much effort into her relationship as she does our family, she would be happily married with children by now.”

“She can’t have kids.”

“I know. She told me as much. But she could adopt.” Nora paused. When Jane had taken Nora and David to dinner, she hadn’t mentioned her inability to have children. It was a rather intimate and personal issue, come to think of it. “When did she tell you she couldn’t have children?”

“At the barbecue. She mentioned being raised by her aunt and uncle after a tragic accident took away her dreams of someday having children of her own.”

Nora put her shoes in the closet, then turned to face David. Jane had told her she couldn’t have children and that her aunt and uncle were abusive, but she hadn’t said anything about an accident. “Did she give you more details . . . you know . . . about the accident?”

“No. Why?”

“I don’t know . . . I’m just not sure I trust her or believe everything she tells me.”