Two long minutes he stood, frozen in time, before he showed signs of climbing the stairs. When his hand touched the bannister, Jolene could hold back no longer.
“Daddy?”
Trace whirled around to face her. “I didn’t hear you come in, Jolene. Nearly scared me out of my skin. Did your evening improve after we left?”
He thought she’d just returned to the Inn and had no idea she’d been eavesdropping. “It was okay. Took a taxi home.”
“Well, I’m off to bed.”
“What were you doing down here?” Jolene enquired.
He seemed to struggle with an answer, then blurted out, “You’ll never believe me, but my beautiful Barbie snores – ever so gently – but it wakens me sometimes. Thought I’d stroll around the Inn for a few minutes and wear myself out so I can drop off without waking her.”
“If all the dancing we did tonight hasn’t knocked you out, a little stroll around the Inn won’t put you back to sleep.”
Jolene watched him squirm. When his foot touched the first step, she knew it was now or never.
“Trace Sumpter; you are lying to me, your grown daughter. Why did you meet with Sheki at this late hour? Surely you’re not a fan of her outlandish magazine?”
He chuckled, but the laughter never reached his eyes, and Jolene saw the beads of sweat break out on his forehead. “But Barbie is. I was hoping maybe to acquire a lifetime subscription and give it to my wife as a gift. I soon found out that the woman is unapproachable and does not have a charitable bone in her body.”
Jolene placed her hands on her hips and appeared dubious. “You can afford to pay for a lifetime subscription to any magazine Barbie reads. The lies are getting so deep my knee-high, cowgirl boots will soon be plodding through the sludge.”
Trace sighed. “Did you overhear something?”
“You tell me,” Jolene said not willing to show her cards yet.
“You mustn’t say anything, but I spent some time with the woman a while back. I’d prefer Barbie not know.”
“That’s the secret? Sheki was one of your flings?”
A look of relief flooded his face. “Yes. You won’t tell our secret, will you?”
His eagerness to grab hold of her assumption solidified his guilt. His deceit rung in her ears and Jolene’s heart grieved. They’d always enjoyed an upfront relationship and he chose now to willingly jeopardize the trust they’d built. She watched him mount the steps, much slower and lacking the confidence Sheki had displayed. Jolene leaned against the wall and wiped away a trickle of tears.
She startled at the voice. “You’re right not to believe him.”
Jolene spun her head around to see Craig. “Are you eavesdropping?”
“Got kicked out of my suite. Trevor Dristoll found me wandering around and put a cot in some back-storage room for tonight. They’ll figure out another alternative in the morning or I might just stay there. At least it’s peaceful with no bossy women to order me around.”
“You have every reason to be restless, but regardless, you still require sleep. Wandering the Inn in the middle of the night will not knock you out,” Jolene said.
“I heard the advice you gave your father on the subject,” Craig said. “I was hungry for some nibbles and the kitchen always keeps packaged cookies in the dining room for starving guests.”
“So, back to your statement: Why should I not believe my father?” Jolene asked.
“I saw you come in,” he simply replied.
“Ah, so you heard both late-night conversations. I see it clearly now,” Jolene’s voice raised. She’d enough for one night. “Maybe you should concentrate on your girlfriend problems and leave my family alone.” Before she crumbled under the pressure, she needed to escape to her room. “Good night, Craig.”
He didn’t attempt to stop her and she felt his eyes on her back until she slipped into the hallway that led to her suite. She closed the door tight and locked it before heading to the shower. Hopefully, she could wash the deceit down the drain and awaken to the hope of a new day.
But she was wrong. The next day, despite the festivities planned at Heritage Inn, the air hung heavy and it seemed all participants avoided one another. When she joined the group that gathered to decorate felt stockings that would hang on lines by the fireplace, she noticed her father lingering by the door. When Trace spotted her, he turned away to whisper in Barbie’s ear and then they left. Craig and Selene did the same, but not before the possessive woman clutched his arm tighter and cast a scornful keep-your-hands-off warning in Jolene’s direction.
So much for Craig’s integrity. Obviously breaking-up was not on his mind today.
Sheki did not make an appearance, except to the registration desk for the password that gained access to the internet. The woman was a workaholic and either hadn’t learned to relax or just chose not to. None of it mattered. The whole lot of them could drown in their lies for all she cared.
Jolene focused on the craft materials on the table in front of her and tried to visualize her contribution to the wall of stockings. Tomorrow night they would each receive one, filled with random gifts from other guests, purchased at Pineville’s yard-sale prices on the town streets tomorrow morning.
In the afternoon, Jolene dressed in her exercise shorts and ran along the beach, which encircled a huge area of town and surrounding area. When she saw the resort again in the distance, she dropped on the wet sand exhausted and unable to continue. The water
