Christmas in Angel Harbor - Jeannie Moon Page 0,80
do now was to give her some space and hope she forgave him.
*
Two hours later, feeling so drained she couldn’t move, Jane sat on the couch in her living room, beneath a warm throw, nursing a cup of tea. Her mother and her friends who had witnessed her epic meltdown had only checked in to make sure she was safe, but otherwise, she’d been left to think.
The Christmas tree stood in the window, a symbol of joy—of love—but at that moment, all she could feel was loss. Loss of hope. Loss of faith. Loss of trust.
It was the loss of trust that hurt the most. Danny had been calling and calling. Each time she let him go to voicemail. Part of her wanted so desperately to see him, but the other part couldn’t face it. Not now. He’d betrayed her confidence and brought down a world of pain. She’d been careless—blind—and because of that, Jane was responsible for destroying something precious. In a few hours she would have to tell Tara. That was going to hurt most of all.
Chloe, who hadn’t left her side, nuzzled Jane’s hand. The dog’s fur was so soft, and petting her was the only calm she could find in this horrible storm. Without warning, the dog lifted her head. She didn’t move or make a sound, but she was definitely on high alert.
The side door opened and closed.
“Jane?” Danny. She didn’t answer. “Janie?” His voice was thick and unsteady.
She should have figured he’d come. He wasn’t the type to let voicemail stop him. “What do you want, Danny?”
Once he rounded the corner to the living room, she could see on his face the moment he saw her. His expression grew sad, with a thousand regrets running through his eyes. “Oh, Jane.”
He dropped to his knees next to her and took her hands. Too tired to fight she just looked away. “I asked you to leave me alone for a while.”
“I know, but I couldn’t stay away. I’m sorry. I’m so sorry. About everything.”
He was still holding her hands, and when she finally turned toward him, she saw a man who looked sad and scared. It was the scared that surprised her.
“You tried to buy the building? What were you thinking?”
“I wanted to help.”
“How is that helping? Telling me the truth would have helped.”
“I thought I was protecting you.”
“I don’t need protection, Danny. I need honesty. I need you to trust that I know how to run my life.”
“I don’t think for one second you can’t run your own life.”
“You tried to handle me. Manage what I knew and what I didn’t. Not following up and trusting my gut is my own fault. I’ve let everyone down. The whole town. But you lied to me.”
Danny’s mouth dropped into a deep frown. “I was going to tell you, but…I don’t know.” His voice cracked with nervousness. “So much was happening, I thought I could spare you. I was wrong, and I’m sorry.”
“Yes, you were wrong.”
“I’m sorry. Truly sorry.”
But was he? Jane’s faith was so shaken, it was hard to know what she should believe. “Apparently, you’re going back to Hawaii? Viti said she talked to your agent, and he mentioned that you had already booked your flight.”
“Jane, please listen,” he implored. Now she sensed panic. “Of course I have a return ticket. I have to pack up my house. I was going to ask you to come with me.”
“Really? First I’m hearing of it.”
Everything hurt. It was like one nerve ending was triggering another, and it was enough to make her shiver with cold. Danny reached for another blanket and draped it over her. His eyes, weary and resigned, searched hers for an answer. “Please don’t give up on us.”
“I don’t know what you want from me, but I don’t have anything left right now. Maybe we can talk later, but I need some time to process all of this.”
“I don’t know what you heard, but I need you to hear this: I love you.”
The words, the ones she’d been desperate to hear him say since they were teenagers, went straight to her heart. She loved him right back, but that didn’t make any of this easier.
“Jane, I just want us to have a chance.” He waited for her answer, keeping hold of her hand. “Please.”
“I gave you a chance. You broke my trust, and my heart. Just like you did before.”
Chapter Sixteen
“What are you still doing here?” Jane looked up from the old photos of the