As though Mom knew what was on Bonnie’s mind, she said, “We’ll let the guys talk. We won’t be long.”
What were the odds they could box up the gifts in comfortable silence?
The moment they entered the sitting room where the gifts had been taken, Bonnie noted that they were already packed neatly in boxes and ready to go.
Mom turned and fixed Bonnie with one of her serious looks. The kind that meant she intended Bonnie to listen and pay attention.
“You’re thirty-two now, Bonnie. It’s time to grow up.”
Mom’s tactless comment had Bonnie speechless. “Excuse me?”
“You’ve been playing nanny in the Echolls household for over two years. Do you have any idea how that looks? Jace Echolls is one of the richest men in town, after your father of course, and no eligible man is going to offer you his hand in marriage while you’re still connected to the Echolls family.” Mom folded her hands in front of her as though she were reciting some kind of poetry instead of making Bonnie feel as though she’d just turned a hundred years old or something.
“What would you have me do? Quit my job and sign up for the first online dating site I run into? Stand on the street corner with a sign announcing that I’m in the market for a husband? What makes you think I want to get married in the first place?”
Mom looked at Bonnie as though she’d grown a third eye right in the middle of her forehead. “Don’t be ridiculous, Bonnie. Really.” She released a heavy sigh as though she’d been forced to carry a burden for far too long. “You need to quit playing around and marry Jace Echolls.”
“Excuse me?” Bonnie’s voice has risen an octave even to her own ears. Her mom had overstepped bounds before. Many times. But this? This was way too much. Anger that she’d often experienced with regards to her parents boiled up. Her chest ached. How many times had she been criticized and told she was living her life wrong? How many times had she ignored her parents’ words in order to keep the peace?
This conversation needed to end before she said something she might regret later.
“Look, I should go and let you and Dad have some time to relax after the party. Thank you again for all the effort you put into it.”
She moved to pick up a box of gifts, but Mom shifted to stand between Bonnie and the table. “You’re hiding out at that ranch like some mistress who is ashamed of who she is. Marry Jace Echolls. You’ll finally have access to the money you deserve, Bonnie. The money you should’ve had by now if you weren’t so blasted stubborn.”
Bonnie’s hands clenched and she straightened her spine. “I’m all grown up now, Mom. I don’t need your money.” She lifted her chin as her body tensed. “You married Dad for money. It’s worked out for you guys, and I’m glad you’re happy together. But I’ll never marry money. Stop trying to push Jace at me, Mom. I’m not going to marry some rich man just to help you align yourself with one of the richest families in Clearwater. I wish you could see I’m doing fine on my own.” With that, Bonnie whirled to walk out of the room.
She stopped short, her heart jumping into her throat when she saw Dad and Jace standing in the doorway.
Dad’s face was as red as a tomato. But Jace? His eyes were void of emotion and his lips pressed together as he watched her.
How much had he heard?
* * *
After Bonnieand her mother left, Jace had tried to ignore every one of his instincts that screamed at him to go with them. Instead, he turned to Mr. Tabor in an attempt to be polite. If Jace’s hopes for the future came about, he’d have to learn how to get along with the man one way or another. “It was a great party, sir. Thank you again for inviting me to join in the celebration.” He held a hand out.
Mr. Tabor shook it, but then didn’t let go immediately. Instead, he glanced in the direction the women had gone and lowered his voice. “You seem like a bright young man. Surely, now that you’ve seen where Bonnie comes from, you can understand why she deserves more than to simply work and care for your son.”
“I assure you, sir, that I both pay and treat her well. She isn’t just an employee. We are a team, and we make a good one.” Jace paused as he tried to choose his words carefully. “Bonnie is an amazing woman with a strong personality. We both know that, if she didn’t want to work as my son’s nanny, no one would be able to stop her from quitting.”
“The fact that she’s working a menial job at all shows her judgment could be better.” Mr. Tabor pinned Jace with a look full of accusation. “Marry my daughter, Mr. Echolls, or cut her free. But do not enable what has amounted to a lifetime of bad choices on her behalf.”
Mr. Tabor wanted Jace to marry Bonnie? That was the last thing he’d expected to hear when he came to the party tonight. But to say that hiring Bonnie as his nanny was enabling her bad choices? It took severalmoments for Jace to digest that a father could speak so poorly of his own daughter. He couldn’t fathom speaking about Gunner in such a way.
He’d been on the receiving end of criticism and disappointment. Bonnie didn’t deserve to be treated like this.
Jace clenched his jaw to keep from saying what he really wanted to voice and took a moment to contain his anger. When he did speak, he was careful to keep his tone even. “I believe it’s time for Bonnie and me to go.” Without waiting for permission, he headed in the direction Bonnie went a few minutes earlier.
He heard the women’s raised voices before he saw them.
So Mrs. Tabor had been pushing her daughter as well. Anger burned. Bonnie’s voice rose more, and he wanted to cheer her on for sticking up for herself. Until he was close enough to hear the conversation.
“But I’ll never marry money. Stop trying to push Jace at me, Mom. I’m not going to marry some rich man just to help you align yourself with one of the richest families in Clearwater. I wish you could see I’m doing fine on my own.”
Bonnie’s words slammed into him as a knot formed in his stomach. He tried to swallow, but his parched throat wouldn’t cooperate.
After what Mr. Tabor had said, Jace could only imagine the unkind words Mrs. Tabor might’ve had for Bonnie. He wanted to believe that Bonnie hadn’t meant what she just said, or that he’d somehow heard it all out of context.
