Christmas in Angel Harbor - Jeannie Moon Page 0,27
“What about you? You’ve got a thriving business and a daughter. You know everyone. How has it been putting down roots in town?”
How did she answer that? Her life plan had essentially blown up before it even had a chance to get moving. Jane was on the cusp of her dreams when she was shaken awake by the loss of her father. Not only was she grieving the man who had encouraged her every step of the way, but all her goals and aspirations were yanked away at the same time. The loss was brutal.
Jane adored her mother—she was a good woman who’d been cast adrift after her father’s death. She and Dad were true soul mates, but there was no question in her mom’s mind that Jane would be the one to keep the business alive. Her mother was still teaching and owned 51 percent of the store, which meant at the time, Jane couldn’t sell it if she wanted to. Not to mention, she was easily guilted into doing what everyone else thought was the right thing.
In spite of feeling like she’d missed out on the life she’d planned, Jane would never regret her choices or having her daughter. Whatever had happened, Tara was her prize.
“My daughter is my greatest gift and my best work,” Jane responded truthfully.
“She seems like a great kid. Looks like you at that age except for the hair. Her dad…”
“Is not in the picture. He never has been.”
“Never?”
“No,” she said curtly.
Danny nodded and let it drop, making Jane feel bad for being so short with him. He didn’t know what had happened. How could he? So she did something she never did…she talked about her ex. “He was a history professor at the state university. I was trying to keep up with some grad classes while I ran the store, and I met him at a department colloquium.”
“You don’t have to tell me if you don’t want to. I didn’t mean to pry.”
“No, it’s okay.” She gripped his arm tighter, forcing herself closer. “Ari was handsome and charming. So smart. I could listen to him for hours. We met, really hit it off, and were married within a year. I was pregnant three months later.”
“That does not sound like you. You’re always so careful.”
“Right? I shouldn’t have rushed it, but I was in my early thirties, I’d barely dated, and I thought it could work. He seemed happy where he was, secure.”
“I’m guessing that wasn’t the case.”
“You would be correct. As soon as the lines on the stick turned blue, our marriage went south.”
“I’m sorry, Jane.”
“Stuff happens.” Jane never talked about her ex, about the hurt, about the crushing fear. “When I was just out of my first trimester, he took a visiting professorship in California. You know, just for a few months.”
“A few months?”
Jane breathed deep. It amazed her how hard it was to talk about what had happened, even after all this time. “It wasn’t a few months.”
Danny reached his other arm across and took her gloved hand in his. “It became permanent?”
“A tenure track position. He never came back.”
Danny stopped and turned to face her. “I’m sorry. What? Never?”
“Nope. He’s never met his amazing daughter.”
“Sonofabitch.”
“That’s accurate.” Uncomfortable with the way he was looking at her, she motioned that they should start walking again. “On the plus side, his family was quite well off, and he invested a substantial sum for Tara when she was born. He didn’t want anything to do with her, but as a result of that investment, my daughter has a trust fund that will give her the freedom to go to college debt free, and have a nest egg.”
“That’s nice, I guess, but I still can’t believe he just left.”
“Believe it. She doesn’t even carry his name. She’s a Fallon.”
“It must hurt, though,” he said kindly.
“Sometimes. Personally, I know I dodged a bullet. He was charming, brilliant beyond words, but Ari is an arrogant snob. I feel bad that Tara knows her father walked away. I tried to couch the truth, but I wasn’t going to lie to her. Money aside, that’s a bitter pill.”
Silence descended, and the light snow made it all the more poignant.
“What about you?” she asked. “Any exes?”
“I’ve had relationships that didn’t work out, but I never married if that’s what you’re asking.”
That was a shame. It would have been nice if one of them had been able to make a go of marriage. “Married to your work, I guess?”