Leah Ashton - The Rebel Returns - The Return of the Rebel / Her Irresistible Protector / Why Resist a Rebel?

CHAPTER ELEVEN

BY THE END of the week, Cleo had promised she’d call her mother if he’d just quit pestering her.

Now the moment of truth had arrived. She stared at the disposable cell phone the same way she would a rattler—one false move and she’d be in a world of regret. Whatever made her think calling home was a good idea? Oh, yes, Jax. He seemed to be full of all sorts of advice these days.

And the part she hated most was knowing he was right. She missed her family. After fighting to follow her own path in life and to be able to make her own choices, she still didn’t feel complete. There was a gap in her life—her mother and brothers.

Jax’s voice echoed in her mind. Deep down she still loves you. What do you have to lose?

Inhaling a steadying breath, Cleo picked up the phone. She didn’t know if she was strong enough to do as Jax suggested, but she could do the next best thing. She dialed an old, familiar number. Her stomach quivered like a dried leaf on a blustery fall day. What if—

“Hello?”

She knew the deep timbre of the male voice. “Kurt, it’s Cleo.”

“Cleo?” Her oldest brother said her name as if he was talking to a ghost. “What are you doing calling? Is something wrong?”

It was not exactly the greeting she’d been hoping for. This was nothing like the cheerful calls she’d used to make from college. But then again that was another lifetime. Things had changed irrevocably since then.

“I—I— How are things there?”

“Not so good. I’ve been putting off telling Mom about the mess with the bank, but I need to do it soon.”

“You know Mom has no head for business. That’s why Dad left you in charge. If you tell her, she’ll just worry.” And have one more thing to hold against Cleo.

“And if we don’t come up with some money soon, there won’t be a business for any of us to worry about.”

Cleo worried the inside of her lip, wondering if she should mention her promotion. After her accident and now with her missing work, she didn’t know if she’d still have a job when she returned. Although Jax seemed certain that her job was protected. Maybe he was right.

“I got a big promotion at work.” Then in her excitement, she forgot that she hadn’t told her family about her job at the casino.

“That’s nice, sis. But we need more than a bump in your paycheck to cover the arrears on this loan.” He sighed. “I should tell you that I’ve had to sell off some of the stock, including Buttercup.”

Cleo gasped. She loved and missed the even-tempered mare. The backs of her eyes started to burn. It was the last gift her father had given her—no, it wasn’t. There was the horse her father had bought for her as a bribe to move home. But the horse had died in the same accident that snuffed out her father’s life. With that sobering thought in mind, she knew she had no right to complain about her brother’s actions.

“I’m sorry, Cleo. I’ve had to drastically reduce the overhead.”

She swiped at her eyes and sniffled. “I—I understand.”

Maybe Jax was right. Maybe now was the time to be up front with her family about her choices. It was time to quit sneaking around and pretending to be the person they wanted her to be instead of showing them the real Cleo.

Taking a calming breath, she gripped the phone tightly. “Kurt, this promotion is a lot more than a bump in my check. I’m now working as a casino host.”

“What?” There was a pause as though he were letting the news sink in. “You mean you wear slinky outfits and flirt with men to get them to gamble more?”

“No. I wear really nice clothes. In fact, I design and make my own clothes.”

She considered mentioning that Jax was one of her clients so her brother wouldn’t worry so much, but under the circumstances, she realized that it was best to keep Jax and this mess with ape man to herself. It would be safest for everyone—especially Jax. And she didn’t want to jeopardize Jax’s friendship with her brother, if Kurt decided to act all protective of his little sister.

Without giving her brother an opportunity to hassle her about her career choice, she hurried on. “I’ll forward you some money as soon as I get paid.” And now for the real reason she’d called. “How are Joe, Stephen and Cassidy?”

“They’re fine. Cleo, what is it you really want to know?”

Kurt always knew when she was hedging around something. “And how’s Mom doing?”

“You know, same as always. Busy with this and that. But the arthritis in her fingers is getting worse. If you’re really curious to know how she’s doing, you should call her.”

Her chest tightened at the thought of being rejected by her mother again. She didn’t know if she could open herself up to the potential for that kind of pain.

“I—I don’t think that’s a good idea. I tried calling her after the funeral. She told me not to call back and hung up.”

“I’m sorry, sis.” He expelled a weary sigh. “Mom wasn’t herself after Dad died. She was angry with everyone for a long time. Most of all I think she was angry with Dad for leaving her. She’s been lost without him.”

“I remember how in love they were after so many years. I always dreamed of having a marriage like theirs.”

“You can still have that, if you want it.”

“Listen to who’s talking. You’re older than me and you have yet to settle down and start a family.”

“I have a lot of responsibilities. I don’t have time for that stuff.”

Another pang of guilt assaulted her. If she hadn’t been arguing with her father that day, he wouldn’t have died. Her mother wouldn’t have melted down. And her brother wouldn’t be devoting his every waking hour to keeping the ranch afloat. Kurt might be happily married by now with a baby on the way.

“I should go.” She didn’t know what else to say. There were no words to repair the damage that had been done.

“Cleo, call Mom. Enough time has passed. I think she’d want to hear from you.”

After promising to think it over, Cleo disconnected the call. She still wasn’t sure about calling her mother. After all, her mother was right. The tragedy of her father’s death was her fault—no matter what Jax said. Why should her mother forgive her? If the roles were reversed, she didn’t honestly know how she’d deal with such a profound loss.

The phone buzzed, startling her. She glanced at the screen, but didn’t recognize the number.

“Jax! Jax! Phone.”

She didn’t know where he’d been but he entered the family room at a dead run, grabbed the phone and punched the talk button. “Yes.” A pause. “Yes, it is.”

He strolled out of the room.

That was strange. She thought that it was dangerous to let people have their phone number because of the GPS tracking system. So who did Jax trust enough with their location? The police? And why was his face creased with worry lines?

* * *

Jax’s entire body tensed as he waited for the doctor to come on the line. He paced back and forth on the veranda. The afternoon sun was hot, but his need for privacy trumped being comfortable. He didn’t normally pray, but in this instance if he had any points with God, he could use some help now.

“Jax, this is Dr. Collins. How are you doing?”

Did he mean besides the stress of knowing that his clients were up in arms because the funds in his investment accounts had been seized as evidence until this trial was over? Apart from the fact some thug attacked the woman that he...that he considered a close friend? Or aside from the fact that he was secluded in a ritzy home with a woman who could make him want her with just a look?

“I’m doing good,” he lied.

“That’s what I like to hear from my patients. But something tells me even if you weren’t feeling like your old self yet, you wouldn’t say anything. Don’t push yourself too hard, too fast. And if you won’t listen to me, at least listen to your body. It’ll tell you what it needs.”