Page 66 of Divine Sense
“And what if I refuse to do that? What if I refuse to stop seeing her?”
“Then your business will be ruined. I know some very important people, Mr. Vesey, and I don’t think they would take too kindly to knowing about how you’re stealing from them. Imagine what it would do for business if your highest paying clients found out that the man who they’d hire to protect their belongings, was actually pilfering them away like a bandit in the night.” She cocked her head to one side and flashed me a sickly sweet smile.
I shook my head, dumbstruck that she would stoop so low. I tried to steady my voice before speaking, but the rage growing inside of me due to her threat was starting to take over.
“I nor my people haveeverstolen from our clients,” I said firmly without raising my voice too much. “How dare you threaten to slander all the hard work they’ve done. And for what reason? To get me to leave your daughter? Because I canpromise you right now, Mrs. Sinclair, I will not be doing that. I love Magnolia and I will not do to her what you’re asking me to do.”
“Enough!” she shouted and stood from the table furiously causing the delicate china and crystal to shudder. Looking down at me with flared nostrils, I watched as her chest rose and fell heavily as she pushed out heated breaths. “Magnolia is destined for great things and she will not be taken down by someone likeyou.”
I stood from the table and buttoned my jacket in front of me, taking a breath before speaking. “I love your daughter, Mrs. Sinclair. I won’t do what you’re asking me to do to her. I won’t break her heart. Because breaking her heart would mean breaking mine.” I took a step away from the table, about to see myself out but paused and turned to look at her again. “And because you mentioned it, something I find utterly disgusting is a mother who can’t see past her own personal gains when it comes to her daughter’s happiness.Thatto me is utterly disgusting. I hope you have a nice day now.”
As I walked out of the dining room, leaving Susan standing at the table glowering back at me, I spotted Ms. Ruthie standing inside the open kitchen door looking out, having heard the entire conversation. She gave me a grave look for a moment before dropping her head and walking out of sight.
I paced aroundthe kitchen for almost an hour waiting for her to come over. She had told me she would be here after she and Margaret finished shopping for her father’s Fourth of July fundraiser. She tried calling me on my way home from my meeting with her mother but I ignored her call because I didn’tthink I’d be able to keep what had happened from her. I needed some time to think about what transpired before she came to stay the night with me.
While I had managed to keep a level head in front of her, I was completely stunned by what Susan had said to me. What she threatened to do to me if I failed to comply with her demands. Never in my life had I been blackmailed, or, threatened to be slandered? I wasn’t really sure what to call what she had told me she would do if I didn’t break up with her daughter. But I couldn’t do that to her, I wouldn’t. I was crazy about her and wouldn’t be another person on the list of people who’d hurt her. Even if it meant the reputation and name of Sweetgrass Security came under fire.
On my drive home, I’d wavered back and forth on whether or not to tell her about what Susan had said to me. I knew how stressed she’s been about keeping our relationship from her parents, but now I knew that Susan was already fully aware of it. And she wasn’t happy about it. The spot on the back of my hand was starting to burn from how hard my thumb rubbed into it when I heard the keypad beeping down the hall that led to the front door.
She walked in carrying several large bags that rivaled the size of the smile on her face when she saw me. Looking at her from inside the doorframe, I knew I couldn’t keep this from her. If the roles were reversed, I would want her to tell me.
“Hey, you,” she said warmly as I walked down the hallway towards her. I needed to feel her, hold her, pull her into me so that I could hopefully slow the sinking feeling I had in my gut. “How was your meeting at my parents’? I can’t wait to show you the options I picked out for the fundraiser. I just hope one of them will be enough to please my psychotic mother.” She rolled her eyes and shook her head, setting the bags down on the ground and kicking off her shoes.
“Hey there, angel, did you have a good time with Margaret?” My voice was somber as I pulled her into a hug which she gladly accepted. Her arms wrapped around my neck as mine looped around her waist. As I held her in the embrace, I felt her feet leave the floor and I wondered if she could feel my heart pounding behind my sternum.
“Hey.” She pulled away as I set her back down and looked up at me with worried eyes. “What’s wrong?”
I ground my lips between my teeth and took her hand in mine. “Come on, we need to talk.”
She followed me silently down the hallway without any interjection—a first for her and a clear sign that she knew something was up. I pulled a seat out for her at the dining room table and took the seat next to her, reaching for her hand before speaking again. Looking into her eyes, which were full of love and worry, I struggled to produce any words. I bowed my head, looking towards my knees because I knew that what I was about to say wasn’t going to be easy. When I felt her hand on my cheek, I looked back at her and tried to swallow my fears.
“What’s going on?”
“So I talked with your mom today,” I started, trying to piece this together as delicately as I could.
“I know, about the fundraiser.” Her eyes darted around my face, trying to pick up on any clues as to what was causing me to act like I was.
“Flower…she knows.”
She furrowed her brows at me. “What do you meanshe knows?”
I trapped both her hands between mine and pulled them into my lap. “I mean she knows about us.”
“What?” she exclaimed, feverishly shaking her head at me trying to make it untrue.
“She told me so this afternoon as we sat across a table covered in finger sandwiches and fine china.”
“How did she?—”
“I don’t?—”
“Daniel,” she interrupted, connecting the dots in her mind about who would have possibly gained from telling her mother about us. “He must have said something to someone who brought it back to her. I can’t believe he would do that.”
“Baby, that’s not all she said,” I added before she could run away with her thoughts. She snapped her eyes towards me again.
“What else did she say?”
I took a deep breath and tried to swallow the lump in my throat. The last thing I wanted was for her to think that any of this was her fault when it wasn’t. She had followed my request to keep our relationship a secret and I didn’t want her to think I was upset with her or disappointed. She got enough of that from the people who were supposed to love her unconditionally.
