even know if he was my natural father.” She didn’t know what to believe.
“What do you remember about him?”
“Not much. He was gone a lot. Mom said he was working overseas making lots of money so they could retire early.” Money that had disappeared after they died. It didn’t all go into the inn or the place would have been in better shape over the years. The hardwood floors all needed to be refinished, the drapes were so old they were rotten, and most of the upholstered furniture was shot, including the beds. There were some lovely antiques, and she’d been polishing them, restoring the finishes.
“Does it bother you that your parents weren’t married when you were born?”
“No, but it bothers me that no one ever told me.”
“Your mother was probably waiting until you were older.”
“Maybe.” She sighed. “Probably.”
Al closed the album. “It’s one in the morning. This can wait until tomorrow, Jenna. Get some sleep.”
She tried to unfold her legs, but they’d stiffened up. “My leg went to sleep.”
He jumped easily to his feet and helped her up. Still holding his hands, she stood and gazed up into his dark eyes. Her breath caught at the look on his face. He was going to kiss her, and God help her, she wanted him to so much she could already taste him. But he had a lady doctor in his life, a lover no doubt, and he wouldn’t want a loser like her.
He gently brushed the hair off her face. “Afraid I’ll kiss you?”
“Afraid you won’t,” she murmured.
Leaning down close, he put his warm cheek against hers and then kissed her there. His hot breath brushed her ear and then his lips were on her neck. He was doing it to her again, giving her a taste of what it would be like for him to kiss her and then leaving her unsatisfied.
“Still think I’m gay?”
“I think you like women, but not this woman. You probably don’t like kids either.”
“Actually, I do like kids. Someday I hope to have a few of my own. If I can find a classy woman with good taste.”
“That leaves me out,” she said mostly to herself.
“Does it?” A little smile played with his mouth. “I haven’t tasted you yet.”
“No, but you’ve done enough tormenting.” She couldn’t handle any more tonight, so she turned away and walked to the door.
He caught up with her and turned her to face him.
“What do you want from me, Al? An apology? I’m sorry. I was a stupid kid and I made some bad mistakes, and if I could take it all back I would. But I can’t.”
“Brian used you.”
“I know. Can you imagine what it was like for me, growing up without parents?”
“Yeah, I can. My father died when I was two.”
“But you still had a mother and brothers and sisters.”
Mattie’s screeching voice carried upstairs. “Jenna, where are you?”
“Do you hear that? That’s what I grew up with. She never let a day go by without telling me what an awful person I was. I needed someone to love me, and I thought...”
His arms closed around her and he rocked her while Mattie screamed at her from downstairs. Jenna put her head on his shoulder and tried to stop the tears that threatened to fall. After a few seconds, Mattie shut up, and Jenna stayed right where she was, in the most comforting arms she’d felt since Uncle Charlie died.
She pulled away and Al followed her down the stairs to the second floor. “I thought you’d be married by now, Jenna. You were popular in high school.”
“I was miserable in high school. Brian jerked me around as if I didn’t have a mind of my own, and for a long time, I didn’t. I wouldn’t sleep with him at first, so he told everyone I was sleeping my way through the entire junior class.”
“I remember.” He leaned against the attic door. “I finally got the courage to ask Suzy Hertel for a date, but before I could ask, Brian started the rumor about me being gay. Every time it died down, someone stirred it up again, so I didn’t date at all in high
“What do you remember about him?”
“Not much. He was gone a lot. Mom said he was working overseas making lots of money so they could retire early.” Money that had disappeared after they died. It didn’t all go into the inn or the place would have been in better shape over the years. The hardwood floors all needed to be refinished, the drapes were so old they were rotten, and most of the upholstered furniture was shot, including the beds. There were some lovely antiques, and she’d been polishing them, restoring the finishes.
“Does it bother you that your parents weren’t married when you were born?”
“No, but it bothers me that no one ever told me.”
“Your mother was probably waiting until you were older.”
“Maybe.” She sighed. “Probably.”
Al closed the album. “It’s one in the morning. This can wait until tomorrow, Jenna. Get some sleep.”
She tried to unfold her legs, but they’d stiffened up. “My leg went to sleep.”
He jumped easily to his feet and helped her up. Still holding his hands, she stood and gazed up into his dark eyes. Her breath caught at the look on his face. He was going to kiss her, and God help her, she wanted him to so much she could already taste him. But he had a lady doctor in his life, a lover no doubt, and he wouldn’t want a loser like her.
He gently brushed the hair off her face. “Afraid I’ll kiss you?”
“Afraid you won’t,” she murmured.
Leaning down close, he put his warm cheek against hers and then kissed her there. His hot breath brushed her ear and then his lips were on her neck. He was doing it to her again, giving her a taste of what it would be like for him to kiss her and then leaving her unsatisfied.
“Still think I’m gay?”
“I think you like women, but not this woman. You probably don’t like kids either.”
“Actually, I do like kids. Someday I hope to have a few of my own. If I can find a classy woman with good taste.”
“That leaves me out,” she said mostly to herself.
“Does it?” A little smile played with his mouth. “I haven’t tasted you yet.”
“No, but you’ve done enough tormenting.” She couldn’t handle any more tonight, so she turned away and walked to the door.
He caught up with her and turned her to face him.
“What do you want from me, Al? An apology? I’m sorry. I was a stupid kid and I made some bad mistakes, and if I could take it all back I would. But I can’t.”
“Brian used you.”
“I know. Can you imagine what it was like for me, growing up without parents?”
“Yeah, I can. My father died when I was two.”
“But you still had a mother and brothers and sisters.”
Mattie’s screeching voice carried upstairs. “Jenna, where are you?”
“Do you hear that? That’s what I grew up with. She never let a day go by without telling me what an awful person I was. I needed someone to love me, and I thought...”
His arms closed around her and he rocked her while Mattie screamed at her from downstairs. Jenna put her head on his shoulder and tried to stop the tears that threatened to fall. After a few seconds, Mattie shut up, and Jenna stayed right where she was, in the most comforting arms she’d felt since Uncle Charlie died.
She pulled away and Al followed her down the stairs to the second floor. “I thought you’d be married by now, Jenna. You were popular in high school.”
“I was miserable in high school. Brian jerked me around as if I didn’t have a mind of my own, and for a long time, I didn’t. I wouldn’t sleep with him at first, so he told everyone I was sleeping my way through the entire junior class.”
“I remember.” He leaned against the attic door. “I finally got the courage to ask Suzy Hertel for a date, but before I could ask, Brian started the rumor about me being gay. Every time it died down, someone stirred it up again, so I didn’t date at all in high
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