CHAPTER FIVE

Jacob slid his phoneinto the back pocket of his jeans as he climbed out of the Cadillac Escalade, then walked to the front door of the home he'd grown up in. Behind him, the familiar-sounding ting let him know the gates had closed.

Well, I'm here, he felt like announcing loudly.

He was here to face his mother. If she thought a simple heart-to-heart was going to make all of this okay, she was wrong.

Jacob let himself in by punching in the code on the security panel, then announced his arrival. Loudly.

"Mom!"

Samantha Dufort didn't like shouting. Oh dear, how sad.

"Jacob, really?"

He shrugged. "I wasn't sure where you were."

I knew exactly.

"I was where I am every day at this time, in the kitchen making dinner." She chastised and kissed his cheek with a tsk. "Thank you for coming over. I wasn't sure how long you were going to ignore me."

A lot longer if Blake hadn't intervened. But he was also ready to get a few things off his chest and because there was no time like the present...

"Me being here should not be seen as a sign of forgiveness." Jacob said as Samantha circled the large marble island in the kitchen and continued making the salad she'd been preparing.

"I see."

"I also think you should tell Blake who his father is," he said plainly.

"Do you?" She kept chopping.

Jacob clenched jaw, frustrated with her nonresponse.

"Mom!"

"Yes, darling?" She glanced up, then sighed and with authority said, "Jacob, sit your ass down."

He crossed his arms.

"Are you kidding me right now? I came over here to talk to you. Not be treated like a five-year-old."

If she thought she could start dictating to him, he would leave.

He deserved answers and an explanation.

"No, you came here to yell at me." She glared. "And to make me feel terrible about my life decisions and make demands of me. Well, my son, it doesn't work that way."

Yes, it does.

When it comes to making life decisions that impact other people, it absolutely did. Nothing happened without consequences.

What did she think?

That he'd just be all like, Ah hi Dad. So glad I finally know. This is great news. Thanks Mom.

Fuck that.

"Mom, you withheld information about who my father was when he lived five minutes down the damn road." Jacob cried, whipping his arm out and pointing in the direction of the Montgomery estate.

Approximately.

"Yes. I did. But I can't say I would do it any different." She finished the salad and moved the bowl into the middle of the island.

"Wow. No wonder the therapy industry is thriving," Jacob muttered and ran his hand over his short hair, glancing around the room.

He should just leave.

This was an absolute waste of time.

She'd doggedly refused to tell anyone who the fathers of her children were, and now that life had forced her to confess his own, Samantha wasn't apologizing or giving him any explanation.

Many times, Jacob had overheard his maternal grandparents arguing with her, telling her the children deserved to know. She had dug her heels into the ground then and would now.

So, what was the point?

"You know what, I'm going," he said and began to walk out.

"You've never been in love, have you Jacob?" his mom asked.

At the doorway, he turned. "I love you, and I love Blake. I love my cousins. I know what love is."

If this was her excuse, then it was pathetic. Many people lost the love of their life and had children without the father around. There were no grounds for keeping them apart.

"It's not the same. One day you will understand." Her eyes slid away.

So that was it?

That was her complete explanation?

Jacob turned completely around and faced her, planting his fists to his hips. "So, Ward broke your heart, found another girlfriend, and you decided to fuck with both our lives by not telling either of us that we existed? Because you were, what? Jealous of his new life? Nice one."

"Jac—"

"No. You don't get to make those decisions. That's fucking selfish. You stole the chance for me to have a father. Now he's just some damn stranger."

"Yes." Her eyes dipped.

At least she was showing some remorse.

Jacob glared, waiting for the apology, but it never came. While it wouldn't change anything, it might be a start in repairing the damage to their relationship.

"Are you staying for dinner?"

"Jesus. Read the fucking room, Mom." Jacob said and strode out of the house. As he reached the driver's door of the Escalade, she pulled open the front door.

"Jacob!" she called out.

With one leg in the car, he glanced up.

"Make sure you go to the InkWell event this week."

Shit, he'd forgotten about it.

Blake hadn't even brought it up yesterday at lunch, which was likely because he had told his brother to back off and stop pressuring him.

"I'll stay home." Samantha said, and a rush of guilt spread through him. "You can be mad at me, but not your brother and not your cousins. They're your lifeline. Trust me."

He didn't need to be told that.

While he had needed time to himself to come to grips with the shocking news that Ward Montgomery was his father, he knew they understood and cared.

Jacob nodded, climbed in the car, and then drove way too fast over to Sailors.

He needed whisky.

And pleasure.

And tonight, perhaps a little bit of pain.