Judy Duarte: Under The Mistletoe With John Doe

“What did she claim he did?”

“She said that he was a big flirt and that he came on to every woman between the ages of eighteen and fifty. And that she knew several who’d slept with him, hoping for a promotion or extra perks. But your brother never came through with them. One gal even got pregnant, and supposedly, Mike paid for an abortion.”

“Is that true?”

“Hey, all I can tell you is what I heard. But Cheryl seemed to think that just making a claim was guaranteed a settlement. And she told her friends that Mike deserved it, that she was doing every woman who worked at Alvarez Industries a favor by forcing him to be more respectful to his female employees in the future.”

Jason couldn’t decide if that was good news or not. If Pedro was telling the truth, Cheryl’s sexual harassment accusation wouldn’t hold up. But it was probably just a matter of time before a legitimate claim was filed. And in that case, Mike was headed for trouble. And so was the family.

“Would you mind testifying to that?” Jason asked. “We can fly you to California for a deposition or the trial-if it goes that far.”

“I really don’t want to leave Brighton Valley right now. I’m in a twelve-step program, and it seems to be working.”

Jason was glad to hear that. He liked Pedro, and he hoped the guy would find a healthier way to deal with his pain and grief. Thank goodness he’d sought help.

“For what it’s worth,” he told the man, “we’ve got those meetings here. And if you stay in the program, I’ll make sure that you get your job back at Alvarez Industries.”

“That’s tempting.”

“Give it some thought.”

“I will, but I gotta tell you, Jason. It’s been really nice being back in Brighton Valley. Life is slower, the air is cleaner and people are more sincere. And to top that off, I’ve also met a nice lady at one of my meetings. It’s not like we’re dating or anything, but we’ve got a lot in common.”

“I’m glad to hear that.” The poor guy really deserved to find happiness.

“You know,” Pedro said, “last night, while I was walking her to her car, we saw a falling star. She said, ‘Quick! Make a wish.’ And I did. I wished that I could start over again-that I could move past the grief I’ve been wallowing in for the past ten years and make a new life-in Brighton Valley.”

Jason hoped that a change of location and a loving woman could help him change his life around.

After getting Pedro’s number, Jason hung up the phone and returned to Mike’s office.

“So what did he have to say?” Mike asked.

“His testimony will help. He says Cheryl’s just in it for the money.”

“Great. I’ll make it right for him. Tell him he can have his job back.”

“At this point, he doesn’t want to come back.” Again, that sense of envy struck.

Like Pedro, Jason had found something very appealing about Brighton Valley, but in his case, it went beyond ranches, horses and a more rural lifestyle. It had to do with the people he’d met, the people who’d offered a home and job to a stranger.

People who accepted a man on faith and had treated him like family.

“If he’s going to testify,” Mike said, “what’s in it for him?”

“Maybe some people just want to do the right thing,” Jason said. Like Betsy. And Doc Graham.

Jason raked his hand through his hair and added, “That’s the trouble with you, Mike. You’ve got a self-serving agenda, and it’s going to be your downfall.”

Mike stiffened, as though Jason didn’t challenge him often. But all that was going to change.

“That cocky, flirtatious nature of yours is going to get you in one heck of a fix someday,” Jason said. “And if you don’t change your ways and treat your employees with more respect, some woman is going to lay a claim like that on you, and it’s not going to be bogus.”

“What’s got you on a high horse?”

“I’m just calling it as I see it, Mike.”

And that’s exactly what he was going to do from here on out. Life was too short to be unhappy and forced into a role that wasn’t of one’s own choosing.

Three days later, it was all Betsy could do to keep her mind on her work rather than on her broken heart.

When she moved out of the house she’d shared with her ex-husband, she’d had to deal with a rush of anger and resentment. But she hadn’t grieved for Doug’s loss. Not like she was grieving for Jason and what they might have had together.

Focusing on her work and on her patients helped, but not when there was a lull in the E.R. On those occasions, she would leave the hospital and get away from people who might ask what was bothering her or why she seemed so sad.

And today was no exception. While the E.R. faced another quiet spell and the waiting room was empty, she’d planned to go for a walk.

But then she’d received an unexpected phone call and was forced to face the past, just as Jason had wanted her to.

“I’ll meet you in the rose garden,” she’d said, deciding they would need privacy.

But her feet moved slowly, as though a part of her wanted to be somewhere else-anywhere but here.

As she turned the corner, she headed for the stark garden, eager to get the meeting over with. The bushes that had once been lush and full of blooms last spring were bare now, making the grounds look bleak and dreary.

She wondered if coming out here had been a bad idea, especially because this was where she’d last seen Jason. It was a sad reminder of their final goodbye. But there weren’t too many places she could go and not risk running into someone.

She spotted a slender, red-haired woman sitting alone on one of the concrete benches, her head bowed. Betsy almost turned around and let her have the place to herself until the woman looked up, and their gazes met.

Betsy’s breath caught and she took a step back, thinking she’d just looked into the mirror.

The woman placed a hand on her chest, as if she’d been taken aback by the resemblance, too. She looked ready to bolt, and Betsy could understand that. How often did one run into one’s mirror image?

An almost eerie sensation settled over her as she realized she could be looking at her twin instead of her mother. Obviously the woman hadn’t been able to take no for an answer.

Betsy had been tempted to return to the hospital and refuse to see her, but Jason’s words urged her on. Sometimes love and relationships deserve a second chance.

So she put one foot in front of the other, just as she’d been doing to make it through each day after Jason left.

Odd, she thought. The closer she got to the woman, the more of a resemblance she saw.

She supposed she could be a perfect stranger, but the woman had zeroed in on her, too.

“Carla?” Betsy asked, taking a gamble and calling the woman by name.

She nodded as she got to her feet.

“I’m Betsy Nielson.”

“I know. I…” Her lips quivered. “I wasn’t stalking you. Honest. I had no intention of bothering you. I just…wanted to see you.” She bit down on her bottom lip.

Betsy didn’t know what to say. Their unexpected meeting had certainly thrown her off stride. But now that they’d seen each other, now that they’d spoken, she couldn’t very well turn her away.

“I can understand your curiosity,” Betsy said. “But I’m on duty, so I can’t promise that I won’t be called back inside.”

“I’m not sure if you ever wondered about me, about why I had to give you up.”

“Yes, but I want you to know that I had a happy childhood and wonderful parents. As far as I’m concerned, your placing me for adoption was a blessing to them, and I’m glad to be their daughter.”

“I’m glad to hear you say that.” The wind kicked up, blowing a strand of her hair across her cheek, and she swatted it away. “I was a sixteen-year-old foster child when I gave birth to you, with no real family support. And your father was in the same boat. As much as I loved him and wanted to keep you, I knew I’d be sentencing us all to a life we’d never be able to break free of.”