The Millionaire's Intriguing Offer

Mitsy Is Not Pleased

"I don't need to tell you," Adelaide said gently, "that you should have told him who you were right away. Or at least before you got so involved with him."

"I know. I know." It had taken all through breakfast for Bailey to tell her story, and now the three of them were sitting at the table having another cup of coffee. She felt a sense of relief to have gotten it all off her chest. But no closer to knowing what to do next.

"So you tell him now," Harlan said. "It doesn't seem that complicated to me."

"I tried to tell him but he wouldn't listen. He thinks I was trying to commit some kind of fraud."

"Oh for heaven's sake, he must have peas for brains," Adelaide said.

"It was all my fault."

"That's enough of that," Harlan said sharply. "Seems to me it was this young man's fault for never answering any of your letters, and not showing up all those years ago when you needed him. His fault, and that nasty mother of his who called the police and had you taken away like criminal."

Adelaide tilted her head and narrowed her eyes thoughtfully. "I wonder," she said.

"What, Mom?"

"I always thought it was strange that a girl who'd been living in the Northeast somehow wound up with social services and a foster care placement here in Iowa."

"I'm sure Catherine pulled some strings to get me as far away from Sag Harbor as possible. She didn't want me showing up there again."

"Well if she did, then we owe her for that," Harlan said. "Because of it we got you." He reached across the table and patted her hand.

"So you never saw him at all the time you went back there?" Adelaide asked.

Bailey shook her head. "No. I managed to stay out of sight for a couple days, watching for him. I even snuck in the kitchen once and grabbed some of Ms. O'Sullivan's biscuits and a wedge of cheese and a fancy water bottle. I watched the dock, but he wasn't down there and he didn't go out on his sailboat and I didn't see him walking around the house."

"You think he wasn't there?" Adelaide asked.

"Later I realized he must have told his mother about the letter, told her I was coming, and she convinced him to stay at their house in Connecticut so she could deal with me. But what I don't understand is why? I thought Jack was my best friend." Now a single tear spilled out of her eye. "He's the one who betrayed me, and now he's treating me like I did something wrong."

"I've half a mind to get on a plane to Miami myself and tell him what for," Harlan said, his voice gruff with emotion.

"That's a nice thought," Adelaide said, "but I have a better plan."

* * *

Bailey still wasn't picking up her phone or answering texts, and Jonathon was getting more annoyed. How were they supposed to clear this up if she refused to communicate with him? He might have been a little harsh in Sag Harbor, but that was no excuse for how she was behaving now.

Fine. He'd stopped at her apartment, and when she didn't answer his knock, used his key to open the door and call out to her. The apartment was silent and no lights were on. It had the feel of being empty, and he didn't go in. Since he didn't imagine she was in there hiding under the bed, she apparently wasn't home. That left one place where she would be.

Mitsy at least picked up her phone.

"Jonathon? I'm surprised to hear from you."

"Let me talk to her, Mitsy."