Christmas in Angel Harbor - Jeannie Moon Page 0,31
I went to the funeral, you know. We brought meals. Everyone in town helped out at the store.”
“The Fallons have always been loved in town. That doesn’t surprise me.”
Mel looked away. “Well, you know what surprised everyone? That you were nowhere to be found. Everyone knew you and Jane were close. She asked Mom a couple of times if she’d heard from you.”
“Who did?”
“Jane. She was grieving, Danny, and you didn’t even send her a card.”
“I’m not proud of myself.” His sister was right. He should have called, visited…something. There were a lot of “should haves.” Too many.
He was an idiot, and a heartless one if he actually had the guts to face the truth. There were so many times he’d picked up the phone to call her, but he never did. Jane would have changed his world, and he wasn’t man enough to take the risk.
He never fully got over his feelings for her. Acknowledging that, it made perfect sense that when he had hit rock bottom, he cast the lifeline in her direction.
*
Jane had hit that strange place in her life where her child was trying to act like the parent. Her daughter was sitting at the kitchen island with a cup of steaming tea and her schoolbooks spread out in front of her. The way she glanced up, her blue eyes hooded by her lashes, made Jane feel like she’d broken curfew.
“There you are. I was so worried! For all I knew you were dead in a ditch someplace.”
“Very funny. Obviously, I’m fine.”
“Don’t you sass me, missy. Are your fingers broken that you couldn’t call?”
Jane hung her coat on the hook by the back door and smiled at her daughter who was having some fun at her expense. “Sorry. I left you a note.”
“Yes.” Tara picked up the note and waved it around. “Out to dinner. That’s all! Not a word about where you were, who you were with, or when you would be home.”
“What-ever.” Jane played along, rolling her eyes and clucking her tongue for effect. “I get it. But for the record, you’re not the boss of me.”
Tara laughed and pulled a large gray-blue porcelain mug from the cabinet and poured her old mom a cup of tea from the matching teapot. Jane settled into a chair at the island knowing she was going to long for nights like this when Tara went off to school. The more she thought about it, the more her heart hurt.
Her baby had been a real handful. She walked early, talked early, and knew what she did and didn’t like. That had never changed. To this day, Tara was one of the most stubborn people Jane had ever met. She was also one of the most determined.
Her girl never gave up. If she set a goal for herself, she worked until she achieved it. Once that goal was reached, she set the next one. For someone who was so artistic, she was as methodical as any scientist Jane had ever met.
While she sipped her tea, Jane watched Tara’s body language. She was fidgety, fussing with her fingers and rubbing her temples. It was obvious her daughter had something on her mind. Jane had a feeling she knew what it was. “So, how was the last dress rehearsal, Madam Stage Manager?”
Tara sighed, long and dramatic. “Oh, you know that old saying: bad rehearsal, great show?”
Jane nodded, knowing what was coming. “Yeah.”
“If it’s true, we’re going to have an amazing show! A Tony-worthy show.” Her sarcasm wasn’t the least bit subtle, betraying the worry she was feeling deep down.
“Ouch. That bad?”
“It was a disaster. Actors were missing their cues, stage crew was a mess, the sets aren’t done… Are you sure you want to come? Hennings is ready to bolt. I think he may move his family to the Yukon or something.” Their faculty director was prone to the dramatic, but in this case, it sounded like the reaction was appropriate.
“What kind of mother do you think I am? I’ll be there.”
“You’re a glutton for punishment, Mom. Grandma won’t be home, will she?”
“No, she’s having such a good time, she’s not coming home until Sunday.”
“Good. She’d have a stroke.”
Jane laughed. That was the truth. Her mother was a former stage actress, and while she could recognize that the students were just students, she had no patience for shoddy preparation. Jane on the other hand was more forgiving, relishing the strength and leadership her daughter was showing.