Free Sweet Seduction (The BAD BOY BILLIONAIRES Series) by Judy Angelo

he
really was.  Or did they?  “What else did they say about him?”  Sam narrowed
her gaze as she watched Meg, trying to see if she was hiding anything.
    Her stepmother shrugged.  “That’s pretty much it. 
Just that he looks like he’s alone, it looks like he’s grieving, and he must be
a widower.  Oh, and one other thing.”
    Sam’s heart jerked and she held her breath.  That
other thing – was that Jake’s greatest secret?
    “They said they're working on a list of girls they're
thinking of trotting out to introduce to him.  They’re thinking of throwing
some kind of barbecue at the park and inviting him.”  Meg wagged a finger at
Sam.  “So if you have any designs on the man you’d better move fast, honey, 'cause
if these old biddies have their way you’ll soon be in for a lot of
competition.  Get crackin’.”
    Sam expelled her breath and Meg must have sensed her
sadness because she rolled her chair forward and touched her hand.  “I know, I
know,” she whispered.  “He’s resisting and it’s driving you crazy.”
    Sam frowned.  Had Meg been studying mind reading or
something?
    “I know people, Sam, and men?  They're my specialty.” 
Meg patted her arm.  “When a man is grieving it’s the hardest thing for him to
talk about how he’s feeling.  He’s got to be tough all the time.”
    Sam nodded slowly. Meg was making sense.  So far.
    “The problem is, it makes things worse for him.  With
all that sadness bottled up inside he can’t heal.  He can’t move on.  I bet he
hasn’t even said goodbye to his wife.”
    “Said goodbye?”  Sam was frowning again.  Now this was
where Meg’s line of reasoning began to break down.  The man must have gone to
his own wife’s funeral.  Wouldn’t that have been enough of a goodbye?
    “Sam, trust me on this,” Meg said.  “If he’s still
grieving that means he hasn’t really said goodbye.  He may have been there when
she was laid to rest but he never let go.  Not really.  There’s something
holding him back.  Isn’t there, Sam?  You can tell me.”
    “Why…yes, there is.”
    Meg put up her hands.  “I knew it.  He feels guilty. 
Nine times out of ten that’s the reason they can’t let go.  But let me tell you
something,” she leaned forward as if sharing a dark secret, “if that man is
ever going to love again he will have to say goodbye.  And since he probably
doesn’t know that, it’s going to fall on you to tell him.”
    “But…how do you know all this?”  Sam stared at her,
confused.  Meg had spoken as if she’d been right there in Jake’s house,
observing him and taking notes.  This was all so weird.
    "Well, you haven’t denied anything I’ve said so
far, have you?”  When Sam didn’t answer Meg chuckled.  “A lot of it was just
speculation but I was right, wasn’t I?”
    Sam could only nod.
    “Okay, so now you know what you have to do.  Talk to
him and after that I don’t want to see you with a long face around here. 
You’ve done enough moping to last all year.”  With that, Meg got up and gave
her a quick hug.  “Now let me go check on your father.  It’s way too quiet in
that kitchen.”
    Sam raised an eyebrow.  “He probably fell asleep.”
    Meg responded with a grunt.  “You know him well.”
    When she was gone Sam stared at the computer screen.  She
was giving serious thought to Meg’s suggestion.
    The problem was, that conversation would require a
whole lot of courage.
    ******
     
    Jake was back in Long Island and it was all because of
Samantha Fox.
    He’d been surprised when, after several days of
silence, she’d called him on the phone.  He’d been more surprised when she
brought up the subject of his wife.  And then she’d floored him with the most
bizarre suggestion he’d ever heard.  According to Sam he needed to say a proper
goodbye to Jessica.  Only then would he be able to heal.  Most important,
though, he was to ask Jessica’s forgiveness.