she explained. “He and I were seeing each
other in LA when I found out Nadia was my twin. Then after I met
Nadia, Rick and I broke up. I moved back here to the east coast,
and he and Nadia started seeing each other.”
That was tactful, but she left out all the
juicy bits.
For a long moment Jesse said nothing, then
he turned his eyes to meet mine and spoke with understanding. “My
brother’s a real charmer, isn’t he?”
I had the distinct impression Jesse knew—or
at least suspected—that the situation had been far more complicated
than Diana let on. What he didn’t know was that all hell had broken
loose when Rick kissed me in a hotel elevator while he and Diana
were still a couple. When the elevator doors opened, there stood my
sister in the lobby, staring at us with a look of shock and horror
I will never forget.
The whole situation had been sordid and
ugly, and to this day I am still surprised she was able to forgive
me.
“He’s only charming at first,” I said to
Jesse, to make it clear I had come to my senses. Eventually.
The waitress arrived to take our orders and
when she left, another awkward silence ensued.
Jacob reached for Diana’s hand. “What do you
do, Jesse?” he politely asked. “Diana mentioned you work
nights.”
“I’m a helicopter pilot,” he replied.
My eyebrows lifted. “That sounds
exciting.”
“Sometimes it is,” he said. Then he smiled
at me. “But sometimes it’s not.”
Jacob and Diana laughed and nodded. “I think
it’s safe to say that about any profession.”
“And what do you do, Nadia?” Jesse asked
me.
My stomach turned over because I had never
done much of anything in my life—until I gave birth to Ellen and
survived a heart transplant.
“I’m not working right now,” I explained. “I
had some health problems recently, and then of course Ellen came
along. I’m just happy to be a stay-at-home mom at the moment.”
I avoided mentioning the cause of my health
problems because part of me was worried that if Jesse knew the risk
factors I dealt with every day, he might change his mind about
helping me keep full custody of Ellen.
“And what do you do?” Jesse asked Jacob.
“I’m a cardiac surgeon at Boston Mass,”
Jacob replied.
“I can’t imagine that ever gets
boring.”
“It keeps me on my toes most days,” Jacob
said pleasantly.
One thing about Jacob—he was always very
humble. He wasn’t one of those arrogant doctors who walked around
beating their chest.
“So I guess that’s enough chit chat,” Jesse
said. Then he turned to Diana. “You asked why I hadn’t spoken to my
family in ten years, Ms. Moore, and I’m happy to tell you. I just
don’t know if it’ll be of any help because it was such a long time
ago.”
Diana sat forward. “We’ll appreciate any
information you can give us.”
Chapter Thirty-four
Jesse told us about a girl he had once
loved—her name was Angela—and how Rick had stolen her away and
gotten her pregnant. Rick then threatened to leave her if she
didn’t agree to an abortion, so she performed one on herself and
bled to death in his bathroom. Jesse was the one who found her.
The waitress brought our meals just as he
finished describing the events, but none of us could eat. We all
sat in silence.
“I’m sorry that happened,” I softly
said.
Then I thought about how Rick had withdrawn
from me so completely when I told him I was pregnant, and how he’d
accused me of trying to trap him. How he pressured me to take the
money and go away.
Now I saw how irresponsible he had been. In
so many ways…on so many levels. Yet he made the women feel at
fault, as if what happened had not involved him at all.
At least he never asked me to have an
abortion. Now I knew why.
Jesse picked up his fork and we all began to
eat, but the mood was somber.
“Did your parents know what happened?” Diana
asked.
Jesse nodded. “I told them everything when I
flew home, but they’d already talked to Rick
other in LA when I found out Nadia was my twin. Then after I met
Nadia, Rick and I broke up. I moved back here to the east coast,
and he and Nadia started seeing each other.”
That was tactful, but she left out all the
juicy bits.
For a long moment Jesse said nothing, then
he turned his eyes to meet mine and spoke with understanding. “My
brother’s a real charmer, isn’t he?”
I had the distinct impression Jesse knew—or
at least suspected—that the situation had been far more complicated
than Diana let on. What he didn’t know was that all hell had broken
loose when Rick kissed me in a hotel elevator while he and Diana
were still a couple. When the elevator doors opened, there stood my
sister in the lobby, staring at us with a look of shock and horror
I will never forget.
The whole situation had been sordid and
ugly, and to this day I am still surprised she was able to forgive
me.
“He’s only charming at first,” I said to
Jesse, to make it clear I had come to my senses. Eventually.
The waitress arrived to take our orders and
when she left, another awkward silence ensued.
Jacob reached for Diana’s hand. “What do you
do, Jesse?” he politely asked. “Diana mentioned you work
nights.”
“I’m a helicopter pilot,” he replied.
My eyebrows lifted. “That sounds
exciting.”
“Sometimes it is,” he said. Then he smiled
at me. “But sometimes it’s not.”
Jacob and Diana laughed and nodded. “I think
it’s safe to say that about any profession.”
“And what do you do, Nadia?” Jesse asked
me.
My stomach turned over because I had never
done much of anything in my life—until I gave birth to Ellen and
survived a heart transplant.
“I’m not working right now,” I explained. “I
had some health problems recently, and then of course Ellen came
along. I’m just happy to be a stay-at-home mom at the moment.”
I avoided mentioning the cause of my health
problems because part of me was worried that if Jesse knew the risk
factors I dealt with every day, he might change his mind about
helping me keep full custody of Ellen.
“And what do you do?” Jesse asked Jacob.
“I’m a cardiac surgeon at Boston Mass,”
Jacob replied.
“I can’t imagine that ever gets
boring.”
“It keeps me on my toes most days,” Jacob
said pleasantly.
One thing about Jacob—he was always very
humble. He wasn’t one of those arrogant doctors who walked around
beating their chest.
“So I guess that’s enough chit chat,” Jesse
said. Then he turned to Diana. “You asked why I hadn’t spoken to my
family in ten years, Ms. Moore, and I’m happy to tell you. I just
don’t know if it’ll be of any help because it was such a long time
ago.”
Diana sat forward. “We’ll appreciate any
information you can give us.”
Chapter Thirty-four
Jesse told us about a girl he had once
loved—her name was Angela—and how Rick had stolen her away and
gotten her pregnant. Rick then threatened to leave her if she
didn’t agree to an abortion, so she performed one on herself and
bled to death in his bathroom. Jesse was the one who found her.
The waitress brought our meals just as he
finished describing the events, but none of us could eat. We all
sat in silence.
“I’m sorry that happened,” I softly
said.
Then I thought about how Rick had withdrawn
from me so completely when I told him I was pregnant, and how he’d
accused me of trying to trap him. How he pressured me to take the
money and go away.
Now I saw how irresponsible he had been. In
so many ways…on so many levels. Yet he made the women feel at
fault, as if what happened had not involved him at all.
At least he never asked me to have an
abortion. Now I knew why.
Jesse picked up his fork and we all began to
eat, but the mood was somber.
“Did your parents know what happened?” Diana
asked.
Jesse nodded. “I told them everything when I
flew home, but they’d already talked to Rick
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