absolutely no good at small talk. And her presentation earlier had covered all the business details she could possibly bring up. Whatever he had to tell her, he could do so right here in this office. “I’m afraid I just can’t do that, Mr. Jord—”
“Cabe.”
She took a steadying breath. “I can’t steal away for lunch today, Cabe.” She glanced at Nora, willing her to help. Instead, Nora threw her overboard.
“Nonsense. Of course she can. There’s nothing pressing on her calendar this afternoon. And she hardly ever eats a real lunch. Usually a granola bar at her desk as she continues to work.”
Cabe’s smile dripped with satisfaction. “It’s settled, then. Do you have a preference where to eat, Jenna?”
She could only shake her head.
He led her gently to the door. “How about Nawlin’s, that sidewalk café on Newbury, then? It’s a pleasant enough day to eat outside and I’ve missed their sandwiches.”
Like it mattered. As if she’d be able to taste anything. She’d be lucky if she could keep it down.
“That’s fine.” Only it wasn’t fine at all, and her stomach did another little flip to prove it.
The queasiness hadn’t subsided at all ten minutes later when Cabe pulled a chair out for her at the quaint outdoor café on one of Boston’s swankiest streets. The lunch crowd milled and bustled around them. Two food trucks parked nearby had lines several feet long. All in all, a perfect day to enjoy a leisurely meal outside. If only she could enjoy it.
Their food came out in no time. She was picking at her Caesar salad when things went from bad to catastrophic. Cabe was going to try to make small talk. And his first choice of topic: the absolute last thing in the world she wanted to get into right now.
“So, Jenna. If I recall, you have an older brother.”
She had to discuss her broken, dysfunctional family, with none other than Cabe Jordan.
“Yes. Sam. You two must have been in a few of the same classes.”
“It was just the two of you and your mom, right? How is she, by the way? Do I recall she hadn’t been feeling well for a while?”
Jenna’s blood froze in her veins and she lost her grip on her fork. It fell to her plate with a clatter so loud the sound echoed through the air. Of course he must have heard rumblings over the years. Stories about Amanda tended to get around.
Cabe stopped eating and stared at her.
She stammered for a response. There was no good way to talk about her mother. “Yes. Yes, she’s doing better.” Such a lie.
Cabe stopped eating. “I’m so sorry, Jenna. I hope it isn’t anything too serious.”
She so didn’t want to go down this path. Any topic but her mother. Anything but discussing Amanda and her problems in front of this perfect man who grew up with the perfect family in his perfect home. But what choice did she have? He waited for an answer, staring at her expectantly.
“Uh...she actually is ill. In a way.” She took a deep breath. “My mother’s been having a hard time the past few years. Trying to kick a drug and alcohol problem.”
Cabe blinked at her. Clearly, he hadn’t seen that coming.
“She’s trying really hard,” Jenna added. Another lie.
In fact, her mother had just shown up at her door last night, asking for money for “groceries.” When Jenna had insisted on taking her to the market herself, Amanda had grown violent, shattering a vase on her hardwood floor before storming out. She’d wanted groceries of the more liquid variety. It had been the last thing Jenna had needed as she’d been trying to finish up her presentation for today. Thanks to Amanda’s visit, she’d been up most of the night due to the upsetting interruption.
“I’m sorry to hear that,” Cabe said in a gentle and soothing voice.
“I’m sure you’re a tremendous source of support for your mother,” he continued. “She’s lucky to have you.”
Though her mother didn’t see it that way. In Amanda’s eyes, Jenna always came up short. Even though if Jenna hadn’t stepped in on numerous occasions, Amanda would no doubt be in jail. Or worse.
“I’m doing what I can to help her.”
Cabe cleared his throat. The look he gave her was so understanding, so gentle that it made her breath catch. “It’s quite admirable that you’re trying to help your mother.”
Oh, heavens. What could she say to that? She didn’t have a choice but to help her mother. Otherwise, she and her brother would be left to deal with the cleanup.
“Thanks.”
Several moments passed in awkward silence. So awkward that she wanted to give the waitress a hug when she interrupted to fill their glasses.
Jenna watched her leave before hesitantly turning her gaze back to Cabe. He gave her an unreadable look. Curiosity? Admiration?
She didn’t and couldn’t care. What did it matter what Cabe Jordan thought of her or her broken family? In a few days, he’d be gone from Boston and hopefully he wouldn’t return for another three to four years. He would just go back to being nothing more than an electronic signature at the bottom of her office emails.
But for now, she still had to get through this godforsaken lunch with him sitting right across from her.
He’d never understand, Jenna thought as she pretended to eat. Even under the best of circumstances, she’d never be in league with people like Cabe or even his parents, who had always been so sweet to her. Cabe had probably never had to hide from a drunken tirade or had to clean up after a parent who’d barreled in at three in the morning then promptly gotten sick all over the carpet.
She and Cabe Jordan may have grown up in the same town, but they were from two different worlds.
CABE PUSHED HIS plate away with half his sandwich still untouched. He’d lost his appetite. Clearly, Jenna had none, either, since she did nothing more than move lettuce around her plate.
He couldn’t help but wonder. Maybe Jenna indeed did have some involvement in the jewelry theft. Was her mother in that much trouble that Jenna may have needed a large supply of cash to help her? Cabe didn’t want to believe the worst, but his manager of security had been adamant that Jenna may indeed know something.
Damn. That would change things. Though wrong and criminal, if Jenna was guilty, she hadn’t done it for herself but for her mother. She’d practically just admitted that she would do whatever she could to help her parent.
He’d decided back at the office that he wouldn’t ask her about it there. Not in front of her friends and colleagues. So he’d taken her to lunch instead.
Now he just wanted to know the truth. He wanted to tell her he could help. That in
