Page 91 of Bourbon Kingdom
“By your silence, I’m assuming that’s not what you were expecting to hear.”
“It wasn’t,” I admitted. “I just thought she worked with you occasionally. I never thought she could have been your nanny. What was she like back then? Was she mean? Did she threaten you with a ruler too?”
Chuckling, Jett shook his head as he spooned some of the gumbo into his mouth. Once he swallowed, he said, “She was strict, really strict, but she was kind and caring as well. She made sure I did everything that was demanded by my dad, and then made sure I had fun by letting me hang out with Kace and do things my father wouldn’t normally let me do, like visit my mom.”
“Why wouldn’t he let you visit her?” I asked, as I put a spoonful of gumbo in my mouth. “Holy shit, this is good,” I stated with a full mouth.
“I told you it was good.”
“You would never guess by the way she’s so aggressive with that damn ruler; you would think she practices her intimidation skills day in and day out, but that broad can cook.”
“That she can.”
“So, are you going to tell me about your visits with your mom?”
Jett looked up from his bowl and shook his head no. “Let me save that story for a more intimate setting. Is that okay with you?”
Sincerity rang through his voice. It was hard not to agree with him when he spoke straight from his heart.
“Of course,” I agreed, not wanting to make the man open himself up in a public place. “So, tell me, did you get a lot of this kind of cooking growing up?”
“I did. Miss Mary was all about Southern cooking, but only when my dad was away on business trips. When he was home, we had to eat salads and basic meals that were approved by my dad. I looked forward to him going on business trips, not just because of the good food that came my way, but because I couldn’t stand the man, and when he was gone, it was like I could breathe in my own home.”
“Was he really that hard on you?” I asked, as I finished up my bowl.
“He was,” Jett nodded. “I had everything I ever wanted when it came to my dad, except for a childhood. I would spend hours in his office, listening to how he conducted deals. He would show me the ins and outs of his business, educating me constantly into becoming a tycoon. Unfortunately for him, I didn’t turn into the cutthroat man he wanted me to be. Instead, I went in the opposite direction, making him madder than I ever could have expected.”
“That must have been hard,” I said, as I placed my hand on Jett’s.
“Not really, it was the best decision I ever made, freeing myself from his pressing grasp. It took me a little bit of time to get settled, to land on my feet, but once I did, I took off and never looked back.”
“Is that why you’re so jaded at times?” I asked, wanting to know why he was always so closed off.
“It’s a combination of things, but my dad is a big factor.” Taking my bowl, Jett stood up and said, “It’s getting late, shall we get back to your place? I would like to talk to Diego before we call it a night.”
“You’re not going to lecture him, are you?” I asked, following behind Jett as he tossed our empty bowls into a nearby garbage can.
“No, on the contrary, I owe the man an apology.”
“An apology?” I asked. “For what?”
“Nothing that is of your concern,” Jett replied, while he grabbed my hand and tried to walk me toward his car.
“Oh, no you don’t,” I stopped. “You can’t keep things from me now, Jett. If you want this to happen between us, then you better start opening up.”
I could tell he was counting to ten in his head. This was new for him, divulging every last thing. He was a man who kept to himself and took care of business. He didn’t need to spread his problems around or cause drama. It just wasn’t the kind of man he was, and I appreciated that about him, but I was tired of being kept in the dark about things, so it was time for him to open the flood gates.
Finally, he lowered his head to mine and said softly, “The night you left me,” he took a deep breath and continued, “I was hurting; I was a torn man, and instead of keeping to myself, I took it out on Diego and blamed him for your departure. It’s about time I apologize for my wrongdoing.”
“Oh.”
I will admit I didn’t handle that night with the most finesse. I could have spoken to Jett differently. I could have explained to him what I had in mind, but honestly, I knew he wouldn’t let me go if I actually told him what I was doing, and at that point, I had to go, I had to do something to change the way we were living our lives, even if in the end, it did nothing but mess up the one good thing I had.
“Nothing you need to worry about, little one,” Jett said, as he grabbed my hand and walked me toward the car.
“But the reason you were mad was because of me, so I do kind of have to worry about it.”
“No, you don’t. I shouldn’t have reacted the way I did. Now, let it go, okay?” he said sweetly.
