Jasmine had to make him understand. "Wes, you don't understand. I—"
"I don't want to hear a damn thing you have to say. I want you to get out and take everything of yours with you. When I return I don't want anything in my house to remind me that you've ever been here, and leave my key on my dresser. If you set foot on my property again I will have you arrested, and if you ever go near another Danforth, you'll regret the day you were born."
He left slamming the door behind him. He was angry, torn up inside, madder than hell. He had to leave. He didn't want to be under the same roof with her. Going into his garage he went straight to his Corvette.
As soon as he pulled out of his driveway, he punched Jake's phone number into his cell phone. He had a lot of explaining to do. He had allowed Jasmine to get close to him, to his family, to the people he cared the most about.
He sighed when Jake didn't answer the phone. Wesley wondered if next Sunday's paper would be running the story about the threatening e-mails Abraham had received. He felt an ache deep down in his gut as pain twisted his insides when he thought of how much he had loved and trusted her.
After driving around for over an hour, with no particular destination in mind, he finally pulled into Jake's driveway, glad to see Jake's car parked there. Cutting off the engine to his Corvette he got out of the car and walked up to the door. Jake opened the door on the first knock.
"Wes? What got you up and out so early?" From Jake's cheery expression Wesley could only assume he hadn't read the morning's paper. "I called earlier but no one picked up," Wesley said, entering the house when Jake moved aside.
Jake chuckled. "Sunday is one of the few days Peter doesn't wake up at the crack of dawn, so Larissa and I always turn the phones off to get in a little daddy and mommy time. If you get my meaning."
Wesley nodded. He did. "I didn't mean to disturb you and Larissa."
Jake smiled. "You're not disturbing us. But had you come a few hours earlier, I wouldn't been able to say that," he said grinning. "Come on into the kitchen. Larissa is fixing breakfast."
"Good, I need to talk to the two of you." Larissa turned from the sink when Jake and Wesley walked in the kitchen. Her blue eyes lit into a smile. "Wes, you're just in time for breakfast."
"Thanks." Wesley glanced around. "Where's Peter?"
"He's still asleep," Jake said. "He spent some time with Kim and Zack yesterday and instead of him wearing them out, they wore him out."
Jake and Wesley sat down at the table. "I'm the bearer of bad news this morning," Wesley said with disgust in his voice.
Larissa came to stand next to Jake. Concern etched on her face, as well as on Jake's. "Why? What happened?" Jake asked, placing an arm around his wife's waist.
Wesley sighed deeply. "Jasmine wrote an article that appeared in this morning's paper."
Jake nodded. "Yes? What about it?"
"It's about you, Larissa and Peter," Wes replied.
Larissa smiled. "Yes, we know."
Wesley met Larissa's gaze. "So you've read it?"
Larissa nodded. "Yes, we both did this morning, but I'd already gotten an inside scoop earlier this week when Jasmine gave me a copy of it."
Wesley blinked, more than sure he hadn't heard correctly. "Whoa, back up, time-out. What do you mean Jasmine gave you a copy?"
Larissa's smile widened. "She gave me a copy of the article this week when we had lunch together."
Wesley's brow lifted in surprise. "You and Jasmine had lunch together?"
"Yes, while you were away in Dallas. She wanted to explain why she was doing the article. Her boss was leaning on her to do it and she knew if she didn't do it he would assign someone else to write it."
Wesley leaned back in his chair. "And you accepted that?"
"Yes," Larissa said, cheerfully.
"And we think she did a great job on the article, Wes," Jake added.
"You do?" Wesley asked, completely surprised.
"Yes. Don't you?" Jake responded, studying him intently.
"I haven't read it," Wes admitted.
"Then you should. Larissa and I appreciate the way she wrote it."
Wes suddenly found a cup of coffee shoved in his hand and the newspaper article placed under his nose. "You need to read it, Wes, before you go giving her hell about it," Larissa said.
Wes rubbed a hand over his face. "Too late." He then took a sip of coffee and began reading the article. Five minutes later he knew that he owed Jasmine a big apology. The article was a feel-good piece that featured Jacob and Larissa as a couple who had found true love and happiness in a reunion romance.
He stood. "I have to get back to my place before Jasmine leaves. I said a lot of mean and nasty things to her," he told them as he headed toward the door.
"Tell her thanks for us," Jake said, pulling his wife into his arms. "Everything she said in that article is true. Larissa and I have found happily ever after."
Wesley nodded as he opened the door and closed it behind him.
* * *
When Wesley got back home Jasmine was gone and so were all traces of her … just like he'd asked. He tried calling her at home and didn't get an answer but decided to go over there anyway.
When he got to her apartment he noticed her car missing and since he still had her key he opened her door and let himself in. The house was dark and shut up like she hadn't been home yet. He wondered if perhaps she had gone to her father's house. Moments later he walked out of the house and closed the door behind him and got back into his car.
Less than thirty minutes later he was ringing her father's doorbell and was glad when Dr. Carmody answered, smiling. "Wes, this is a pleasant surprise."
"Yes, sir. I was looking for Jasmine and wondered if perhaps she was here or if you've heard from her."
"No, she isn't here but I did hear from her over an hour ago. She called to let me know she wasn't coming to dinner and was going out of town for a few days."
Wesley raised a brow. "Out of town?"
"Yes, she said she needed to get away but didn't say where she was going."
Wesley nodded, then after a few minutes he said. "We had an argument."
Dr. Carmody nodded. "But I'm sure it's not anything that can't be repaired."
Wesley nodded again. He wanted to believe that. "Thanks for the information, sir, and if she calls back, please tell her to contact me. I need to talk to her."
"Yes, son, I'll most certainly do that."
Dr. Carmody watched as Wesley got back into his car and drove off.
Wesley spent most of the day by the phone hoping that Jasmine would call him. Although he didn't hear from her, he did hear from a number of people in his family, including Abraham, telling him what a wonderful job she'd done on the article.
Ian had dropped by to bring him up to date on some things that had gone on while he'd been away in Dallas. According to Ian, Abraham's security expert was working diligently behind the scenes trying to find out who had sent those threatening e-mails. Also, a message had been left on Ian's answering machine that Sonny Hernandez wanted to meet with him next week. Ian intended for his answer to be the same as before.
Wesley had tried listening to what Ian was saying but found he was distracted with thoughts of Jasmine. When there had been a lag in their conversation, he'd glanced up to find Ian studying him intently. He filled Ian in on what was going on with him and Jasmine, as well as all the unforgivable things he had said to her.
"I hope you find her and straighten things out, Wes. You're the last person I thought would fall in love with anyone, especially after that Caroline Perry incident and I have to say that I'm truly happy for you."
Wesley nodded. He would be truly happy for himself if he could find Jasmine and straighten out the mess he'd made. "Beware, Ian. If love can find me again then it can definitely find you."
A frown covered Ian's face. "Like hell it will. I don't ever plan on falling in love again."
Wesley chuckled. "Yeah, I thought the same thing."
After Ian had left, Wesley decided to go to Jasmine's apartment again, hoping that perhaps she had changed her mind about going out of town. All the way over to her place, he kept wishing he had read the article before going off on her the way he had. He had claimed he trusted her—what a joke. What kind of trust was that? After everything that he had said, she probably didn't want to ever see him again.
When he didn't find her at home for the second time, he decided to call her office at the newspaper. They confirmed that she'd called earlier that day to request a few days off and wouldn't be back to work until Wednesday. When he'd asked to speak with her friend Ronnie whom he'd met the night of the hospital benefit he was told she was out of town for a week on an assignment.
He knew he had a big job ahead of him when she did return to town. Somehow he had to get her to forgive him and convince her that he loved her and that he had been wrong to think the worst.
He had to find a way to make her see the two of them were meant to be together.
* * *
Eleven
« ^
"Welcome back, Jasmine."
Jasmine smiled at Brad whose desk was right next to hers. "Thanks."
"And that was a nice article you did last Sunday on Jacob and Larissa Danforth," he added.
She nodded. "Thanks, again."