Secret Indiscretions (Carson Cove Scandals 2)

“You have, but when the deck is stacked against you, there’s no shame in running,” she sighed. “It wouldn’t be the first time.”

“Dad?” I tensed up.

“Yes.” She nodded. “Luckily, he wasn’t as persistent as Jackson and got the message when he finally did track me down…”

“He didn’t want to rekindle the romance, I assume?” I sighed.

“No.” She shook her head back and forth. “Not really—he’d have the usual drunken moment where he missed me, but it passed…”

“That’s the worst part of this.” I shook my head back and forth. “I know that Jackson doesn’t care about Charley—he’s just using her to get to me.”

We decided to wait until it was time to leave to tell Charley about the trip to the city. I wasn’t sure how I felt about my mother’s plan, but it didn’t seem like there were any other alternatives. I wanted to be the one that ran, but it was too risky. I would lose Charley if I got caught. If Mom ran away with her, then I could still fight for custody at the trial. The main thing we had to do was get through the hearing, and if that meant Charley had to take an abrupt vacation with grandma, then it was the only option we had.

* * *

The next day

I skipped another day of work because I wanted to be at the hospital when Jon was released. The doctor suggested that he stay one more day, and I tried to convince Jon that it was for the best, but he just wanted to be home. My Hyundai wasn’t a luxury ride by any means, but it got him back to Alcott Manor.

Once Jon was settled in his bed, I picked up his prescriptions, and the new cell phone we ordered him during one of our talks at the hospital. The one he had when he was at the Pembroke Hotel seemed to have vanished after he was stabbed. The people at the cell phone company were able to match his number and restore everything that he had on the phone before it disappeared. He kept everything on his cloud, so it was a quick transfer. After I got back to the Alcott Manor, I tried to get Jon to take some of his medication, but he wanted to work—there was still business he needed to handle at Alcott Inc., and he had a cell phone, so he was eager to get started.

“I’m sure the company can survive for a few days without you.” I tried to take the phone out of his hand, and he fought me at first but finally relented. “You need to rest.”

“I’m fine…” He tried to sit up and groaned.

“No, you’re not.” I shook my head back and forth. “You didn’t follow the doctor’s orders at the hospital, but you’re going to at least take your medication…”

“I’ve never liked pills…” he sighed.

“It says they should be taken with food. I’ll go make something for you.” I put the pills down on the table and walked downstairs.

Jon didn’t have much in the house, but I was able to make him a sandwich. I took it back upstairs, and he was on the phone again, so I literally had to take it out of his hand for the second time. I put it on the table out of his reach and made him eat his sandwich. He groaned the whole time, and it took a little coaxing for him to take his pills, but he finally did. He was obviously in pain. I sat and talked to him for a little while until he drifted off to sleep.

The hospital arranged for a nu

rse to come by and check on him, and she was planning to stay the rest of the day, so I showed her around once she arrived. I was pretty exhausted by the time everything was done and was thinking about laying down for a nap when my phone buzzed in my hand. It was a number I didn’t recognize, and when I let it go to voicemail, it lit up again with a text message. I slid my finger across the screen, and my blood ran cold in my veins as soon as I saw the message—it was obviously from Jackson.

Jackson: Hello sunshine.

Melanie: What the hell do you want?

Jackson: Is that any way to speak to the father of your child?

Melanie: You’ve never been a father to her.

Jackson: That’s true, but it’s time for me to change that. Unless…

Melanie: Unless what?

Jackson: I would be willing to discuss a compromise.

Melanie: After you stabbed Jon? Fuck off.

Jackson: I wasn’t the one who hurt your boss.

Melanie: You? Duke? Either way, it’s your fault.

Jackson: I’d love to put all of this behind us.