Читать книгу Betting On Santa - Debra Salonen, Debra Salonen - Страница 10

CHAPTER FIVE

TESSA WAS READING a book to Joey when the door to the motel suite opened. Her mother rushed inside, letting her bag fall to the floor. Her lovely silver hair, windblown and free of its usual braid, flew about her face as she hurried to the wing chair where Tessa and Joey were sitting.

“You’re here. I was so worried.”

“I called Sunny’s room as soon as we got to town, but you didn’t answer. Is everything okay?”

Autumn’s eyes filled with tears, but she nodded. Dropping to her knees beside them, she held out her arms to Joey. “Hello, sweetheart, Grandma missed you something fierce. Do you have a hug for me?”

Joey threw himself into Autumn’s arms and the two rocked back and forth. Joey wasn’t nearly as demonstrative with Tessa as he was his mother and grandmother.

“Any change?”

Autumn looked over Joey’s shoulder. “Not really. Another specialist came by this morning. They were worried about her kidneys. I guess they changed her medication and fixed whatever was causing the problem. My head felt like it was going to explo—” She stopped speaking and faked a smile for Joey’s benefit. A moment later she added, “I went for a walk. I just couldn’t breathe inside that building anymore.”

Tessa reached out and touched her mother’s shoulder. “It’s not easy seeing someone you love in a hospital bed.”

“Especially Sunny. This would make her crazy.”

Autumn smoothed back her grandson’s hair. “So, tell me all about your great adventure, Joey boy. Did you get to see Santa?”

“Sanna,” Joey said, looking around excitedly.

Tessa picked up her purse and poked through it until she found her camera. “I think I got a couple of shots before…um… Joey had an upset stomach. As I said, we didn’t stay long. They’re not great, but one or two might be worth printing.”

She turned on the power and tapped the control button back to the image she wanted. “See?”

Autumn held the display at arm’s length. “I don’t have my glasses, but…oh, yes, there you are, Joey. With Santa. Very nice.” She handed the camera back to Tessa. “I’d like to look at them later. Do you have any of you-know-who?”

“No. The situation didn’t exactly lend itself to that kind of thing. But he said he wanted to visit Sunny today, so you’ll get to meet him.”

“Are you serious? He’s coming here?”

She’d known her mother wasn’t going to be thrilled with this news. Tessa stood and walked into the kitchen area to put away the few groceries she and Joey had picked up on the way into town. “Cole said—and Amelia confirmed—that he and Sunny were friends. He helped her get a job and find a place to live.”

Her mother didn’t reply, but a few seconds later Tessa heard the chatter of a children’s video, and her mother joined her.

“I bought more water. Do you want one?” Tessa offered.

“Yes, thank you. I keep forgetting to drink.”

“You’ve always been a stickler for staying hydrated.”

“I think my brain is only working at half speed. Every time I step through the doors of that hospital, I feel like I’m going into a parallel universe.”

Tessa cracked open a bottle, too. They moved to the small dinette table under the window. In the distance, she could see the lush green hills that had surprised her when she first saw them. Where was the flat, austere desert she’d expected? The terrain was so different from Oregon. Open and expansive with a sky that went on forever.

“Mom, I have a couple of things to tell you, and I think we should talk now, even though I can tell you’re tired.”

“Worn down is not the same as tired. I took a pill last night and slept very well, but I woke up feeling as though I’d hiked a dozen miles or more.”

Tessa nodded.

“So, you might as well get it over with and tell me.”

“I don’t think Cole Lawry is Joey’s father. He has blue eyes and light hair, but he just isn’t Sunny’s type.”

“Did he deny the possibility that he could be Joey’s father?”

“Not exactly. At first, he thought I was scamming him.”

“Oh, for heaven’s sake. As if you’d do something like that. If he’s not the one, then who is?”

“I don’t know. I thought I’d call the office where Sunny used to work and see if anyone remembers her. There are only two other names on the list. Maybe Mr. Big or the G-man is someone she worked with.”

She took her phone from its slot in her purse and punched in the number she’d gotten from the Internet. A woman answered on the second ring. “BJM Realty. How may I direct your call?”

“My name is Tessa Jamison. My sister, Sunny Barnes, used to work for your company. Is there anyone I can talk to who knew her? I believe she was hired by Cole Lawry.”

“Mr. Lawry no longer works here.”

“Yes, I heard that. But maybe there’s someone else who knew her. This was two years ago or so.” Tessa gave the woman the address of the rental property Sunny had managed.

“Oh. Is your sister the pretty blonde from out West?”

“Yes. She’s from Oregon. Did you know her?”

“No. Sorry. That was before I started here, but I saw a photograph of her at a staff party. She’s really beautiful.”

“Thank you. Yes. Um…she was in a car accident last week. She’s in a coma, and I’m in town trying to piece together what happened. I thought she might have contacted some of the people she used to know. The only person I can remember her mentioning is Cole Lawry.”

The line went silent a moment. “Oh, you poor thing. This must be so tough on y’all. Most of this happened before I came to work here, but from what I’ve heard, Cole left not too long after your sister quit. He’s very much a persona non grata around here, if you know what I mean. Messy divorce with the boss’s daughter.”

Tessa blinked. His ex-wife was his boss’s daughter? “Oh? From what Sunny said, he seemed like such a nice man.”

“Well, I guess that depends on who you’re talking to. Big Jim—he’s our head honcho—is probably the one to ask about your sister ’cause nothing happens in this company that he doesn’t know about. But I’d leave Cole Lawry’s name out of the conversation if I were you. This is Texas, and blood is a lot thicker than marriage vows, if you get my drift.”

“Is…um…Big Jim there? Can I talk to him?”

“Sorry. He’s in Dallas at the moment. Do you want me to take your number? He usually calls in for his messages.”

Tessa thought a moment. “We’re at the hospital a lot, so I’ll try back. Thanks for your help.”

“You’re welcome, and I’ll be saying a prayer for your sister, too. Bye, now.”

Tessa closed the phone and gave her mother a condensed version of what the receptionist had told her. “Do you suppose Big Jim is Sunny’s Mr. Big?”