That Ring: Chapter 21

I decided not to spend the night at Danny’s last night, letting Jadyn do so by herself. Although I don’t want to kowtow to Lori, I also don’t want to give her any fuel for the fire.

I get up, shower, and get ready for the day. I peek outside, expecting to see a winter wonderland but am disappointed. There’s only a dusting of snow on the ground.

I make my way downstairs, finding a house empty of kids and dogs and Jadyn sitting at her kitchen table, video-chatting.

I hear Tripp’s booming voice. “Needless to say, I’m thrilled with how the hotel is going. I took a risk on this and you.”

“In your case, a very calculated risk. You knew what I could do,” she counters.

“That’s why I called. I want to talk about two things—my offer to buy your company and our next project.”

“We aren’t done with this project yet,” she says.

“I know, but I want you to come to Dallas and take a look. Start getting ideas and planning. What I was thinking is, we could move crews from one place to the next. Once the plumbers are done, we send them to Dallas. The framers follow and then the drywallers. For efficiency.”

“That’s a great idea, Tripp.”

“Why do I feel like there’s a but coming?” he says.

“If you buy my company, I want to retire,” she replies.

“But you can’t do that.”

“You didn’t let me finish,” she says. “I’ll still consult.”

“But I was supposed to buy the company and get you for free in the process,” he says with a chuckle.

“Yeah, right.”

“Jadyn,” Tripp says, “I can’t do this without you.”

“Yeah, you could. I’m flattered, and I enjoy working with you, but this schedule is difficult for me. I’m away from my family too much, and I hate that.”

“Oh, come on now. You haven’t been gone that much.”

“Tripp, you wanted me to miss Halloween!”

“I know. I know. So, what does consulting mean to you?” he asks.

“It means, I do a maximum of one site visit every two weeks, and everything else will be done via video-conferencing. If I’m not in charge, I don’t need to be there in person.”

“Fine,” he says. “It’s your design talent that I want. That’s the intangible that you bring to the equation. The rest is just numbers. I guess, you’ve got a deal. Between you and your husband, you’re going to break me this year.”

Jadyn laughs. “Somehow, I doubt that.”

“Whatcha gonna do with all that cash?” he asks.

“Actually, Tripp,” she says, “how about we trade some of that cash for some of your company’s class A stocks?”

I can see him narrow his eyes at her in admiration. “Well, I’ll be.”

“Is that a yes? I understand they aren’t easy to get.”

“Hell, darling, I’ll make some new ones. Just for you. How much we talking?”

She throws out a staggering number.

“That’s almost everything you’ll take home from the sale.”

“Yes. And it’s going in a trust for my children, so don’t mess things up.”

“Darling, I think I just fell in love,” he says.

“Um,” I mutter, raising my hand like I’m in a classroom.

“Uh, Tripp, Jennifer Edwards is here with me now. I think she’d like to say something.”

I put my face in front of the screen. “Any chance I could get in on a deal like that? I’ll be honest, I was afraid to invest my money. Heard horror stories about managers stealing it, so it’s mostly all cash.”

Tripp’s eyes get huge. “Are you serious?”

“Yes, sir,” I say politely.

“Oh, please don’t call me sir.”

“Yes, Tripp.”

“Better,” he says. “I’ve seen your net worth in . Are you telling me you’ve never invested it? No stocks, bonds, real estate, nothing?”

“Uh, well, I did just buy a house. And I have a few—okay, maybe like eight exotic cars.”

“Will you be in Kansas City for a few more days?” he asks.

“Yes,” I say, hoping I still will be, Lori’s threat of moving into Danny’s bed still on my mind even though it shouldn’t be.

“In that case, we’re all meeting tomorrow with my guy. For gosh sake, you must pay an exorbitant amount in taxes.” He’s still shaking his head when he ends the call.

“I’ve heard about his A stock. It’s premium,” I say to Jadyn.

“It is. And no one ever sells it. There are a lot of people here who owe all their wealth to his business savvy. People who invested twenty years ago are rolling in it. A hundred dollars invested thirty years ago is worth something like six million today.” She changes the subject. “I still think you should have stayed at Danny’s last night.”

“I didn’t think it made sense. I haven’t spend the night in his house while the kids were there. And I won’t until after he’s divorced.”

I tell her what Lori said yesterday about screwing up. That she knows Danny still loves her. How they have a second chance and how she’ll sleep in Devaney’s room until he gets back, and then she’s moving back in his room, where she belongs.

“Oh, that’s bull,” Jadyn says. “Don’t listen to her. Danny would never allow it.”

“He could have sent her to a hotel,” I counter.

To that, she doesn’t have a response. She just nods her head in agreement and scowls.

That would have left me in a bit of a tizzy, but Danny’s been texting me constantly since he left, and the fact that he told me he’s been thinking about proposing sets my heart soaring.

I spend most of my afternoon texting Danny and reading a potential script in the study while Jadyn works.

Later, she tells me that Danny’s kids will be here for dinner and to watch the first half of the game, and then Phillip will be staying with them until Danny gets home. Which will be late.

After a decisive victory, the team got on a plane and flew back to Kansas City. It’s just after three in the morning when I finally get to my house. I would have loved to go over and wake up Jennifer, but I need some sleep if I’m going to be able to hang out with her all day tomorrow—well, today.

I park the car outside, so the garage door doesn’t wake Angel and move quietly through the front door and into my room—where I find my estranged wife in my bed, waiting up for me, and dressed in a white mesh slip that leaves little to the imagination.

“You shouldn’t be here, Lori,” I say with a sigh.

“You always liked when I waited up for you,” she says with a sexy smirk, letting the strap slip off her shoulder.

“Yet you rarely did. I’m going to put my suitcase in my closet, and when I get back, I want you out of my bed.”

“Okay then.” She pouts. “If that’s how you want it.”

“That’s how I want it,” I emphasize. Although I’m a little shocked she’s giving up so easily.

I take my time hanging up my suit, changing into a pair of pajama pants, and brushing my teeth. When I step into my room, I understand that she didn’t give up. Sure, she’s out of my bed, but she’s now standing next to it, stark naked.

She saunters toward me and runs her finger down my chest.

It’s a familiar gesture, and it’s funny how what used to turn me on now repulses me. I guess betrayal will do that to you. I’m not the least bit attracted to her. Not even her boobs, which I always loved. Well, truth, I liked them better before her surgery. But she was worried they sagged slightly. Who knows? Maybe Richard has been making her into his perfect woman, one procedure at a time.

I study her more closely, trying to remember all she’s had done. Butt implants. A tummy tuck. A little face sculpting. She’s still beautiful, but I didn’t really notice how different she looks—probably because they were subtle changes. A nip here, a tuck there. All meant to enhance. And they did. But as I think back to the young girl who used to run her finger down my chest with a smirk, I realize how far she’s taken it. Her body is literally perfect.

“I see that look in your eye, Danny,” she coos. “I know you want me as badly as I want you. I’ve missed you so much.”

“Actually, I’d like you to put your clothes on. You’re making me uncomfortable.”

She sits back on the bed, purposefully spreading her legs. “I didn’t really mean it, Danny. When I told you about the affair and left with Richard, I thought you would come after me. Fight for me. Fight for us. I only had an affair to get your attention. I left because I wanted you to realize that you can’t live without me.” What she says pulls at my heartstrings. “We shouldn’t have given up so easy.

shouldn’t have. I’m sorry. Really, I am.” She holds her arms out. “I never wanted a divorce. I mean it. Now, I’m humiliated that I had to go to such great lengths to get you to notice me. This was supposed to be a separation, so we could have an amazing reunion. It’s a blip in our lives. Make love to me, Danny. Let’s fix this and be a family again.”