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Sharing a chapter each day, I would like to showcase my first romance novella
Undercover Lovers (The Tuxedo Affair). This book was released back in 2014
and is one of 4 other novellas which span various topics.
I hope you will read on and enjoy.
All of my books can be found at: www.lulu.com/hazeleyestiffany happy reading
Chapter 8
After all of the excitement, Steven and Jamie combed through
James’ office and found nothing on the couple. Jamie did
find some papers though that shocked her; papers about her
father, pictures of her when she was younger, photos of her
mother, and haunting photos of her mother with James.
“Shit, how could I not know about this?”
“Know about what?” Steven came over to stand beside
Jamie and look at what had her upset.
“I didn’t know that my mother even knew James long ago
like that. I mean, when I started working at the barracks, I
introduced them, but that was that. Neither of them said
one word about knowing the other.”
“From the looks of these pictures, they were more than friends.
Your mother was seeing our boss. Do you think she was
having an affair behind your fathers’ back?”
“My mother would never do such a thing. She said that
she loved and missed my father an awful lot while I was
growing up. But from the looks of all of this, it could be a
possibility. I want to go over to see James and put this to bed once and for all.”
“You tell me where to go and we will be on our way.”
“No, please let me drive. I want you to take it easy and I
need to go in alone to see him.”
“Fine, Hun, but I’m not broken.”
Jamie smiled and simply replied, “I know.” Before
pulling out, she called James and there was no answer.
She decided to go to his house anyway to check things out.
The drive to James’ house was laced with silence.
Steven could see that Jamie was in deep thought and he
didn’t want to disturb her. When they finally reached their
destination, the house was dark, and James’ car was nowhere to be seen.
“How is it that every time we need to speak to this man, he
is never available?” Jamie tapped her fingers in frustration on
the steering wheel.
“Where could he be? We didn’t pass him on the way here and
he doesn’t have a family, does he?”
“No family that I am aware of, though, at this very moment; nothing
would surprise me.”
Jamie drove back to the barracks and found that all was the same.
Her frustration turned into all out anger. “If we don’t find him soon, I swear
when we do, I am personally going to take his head off!”
“This is the time when you let me take over the driving.” Steven ushered
Jamie to pull over and they switched places. “Now, Hun, where do you think
James could be? Does he do anything in his spare time? Just think, is there
anywhere at all he could be that you would know of?”
“No. We never bothered outside of work. James has always watched out
for me, but only on the job. I only know where he lives because he had all of
us officers over for a party once. He had never been to the farmhouse at
least that is what I thought. From the looks of the pictures though, he s
spent a lot of time there when I was a kid. I don’t know why I can’t remember that.”
“Well, he couldn’t have gotten, too far. Let’s go back to the farmhouse
for now and you can try his cell again from there.”
“Alright, that sounds like a plan.”
Arriving at the farmhouse, Jamie took in the house and the land and
gave a big sigh. “Has my whole life been a lie?”
“If James doesn’t give you direct answers when you can finally reach
him, I swear I will beat the answers out of him.”
The couple settled inside and Jamie went to the study and started
pulling out old papers and photographs. Her birth certificate stood out
to her now, more than ever, and she frowned. “You know, I am named after my father.”
“I thought his first name was Gary?”
“Gary Jamie Conway.”
“I bet he got picked on a lot for that.”
Jamie smiled at the thought of the father she never got to meet.
Her heart fell though once she got farther into the stack of papers she was going through.
“What’s wrong?” Steven came in closer.
“It’s a picture of dad and his mom. Look at the name on it.”
“Gary Jean Conway. What the hell?”
“James Portfree. Jamie Ann Conway. Abigail Jean Conway.
My mother used Gary’s last name for us, but does this mean that James is my father?”
Steven hugged Jamie to him and she started to weep.
“My whole life has been a lie! The man, who I considered to
be my hero, wasn’t even my flesh and blood! I see now that I don’t
even look like him. This whole time I have worked for James and he
has never let on. I don’t understand.”
“Come now, let’s go lie down for a bit and get you calmed down.” Steven
helped Jamie to bed.
“She lied to me,” Jamie sobbed, “she lied to me.”
Around eight o’clock, Jamie tried calling James again. A busy signal
gave her hope that at least he was home. About fifteen minutes later, she
tried again, and James answered in a huff.
“Who the hell is it?!”
“It’s Jamie and I want to know what is going on? You owe me answers, James!”
“I don’t owe you anything, Conway! You and Steven are fired!
You bring your stuff in tomorrow morning and then, that is that!”
“I can’t bring my stuff in to a barracks that might as well not even exist!”
“What the hell are you talking about?”
“I have been already been to your place earlier this afternoon, and
have been trying to call you to let you know that Jason and Jennifer
shot and killed everyone in the barracks this afternoon. Steven and
I are lucky we made it out alive.”
“I’m sorry, I was out of town, and this is all news to me.”
“Well, I also found out some news myself just a few hours ago.”
“What was that?”
“That you’re my father!”
“Did you hit your head in that accident, Conway? Because I have
no clue what you are talking about.”
“Don’t you lie to me, James, I saw the files in your office; I saw the
pictures of you hugging and kissing my mother. So, it is high time you tell me everything.”
“I owe you nothing. You are both still fired. Good-bye!” James slammed the receiver down.
“Fuck!” Jamie threw her phone and it smashed after connecting with the wall.
“Let’s go.” Steven started for the door.
“I’m not going over there right now.” Jamie sat down and rested her head in her hands.
“Then I will go alone, that bastard is going to pay for what he has done to you.”
“Let it go, Steven.” Jamie started sobbing again.
“Look how messed up you are right now and you want me to
just let this all go? How do you expect me to do that when it kills
me to see you this way?”
“James is not worth the fight that would take place and the chance
of someone getting physically hurt. It will all be dealt with, but not now.”
“This is insane. I never knew that taking a job like this could be so out
of hand. The case, this new turn of events, falling head over heels in love
with you; I really think I am losing my mind here.”
“Want a beer?” Jamie got up and walked out to the kitchen.
“I think we would do great with a six-pack right about now.” Steven
saw Jamie’s smile then and knew he hadn’t lost her completely.
The pair drank and talked while sitting out on the old porch. Howler
rested nearby and kept watch over the property. Steven had never felt
at home as much as he did here in this moment. Though Jamie was still
upset, she too found herself enjoying a moment of peace. If only their
moment of peace could last forever.