The Cursed Cross (Cross 2)

8 - Avoiding

If Jimmy received the irate voicemail from anyone else, he would laugh and make plans to double down. His heart stopped when he heard her voice and her passion made him hard standing on the curb outside of a restaurant waiting for a driver other than Georgie. He had a boner from Tate Kane yelling into the phone.

Anything she asked for he would give her, except her wish for him to back down from Dawson. When Baxter reminded him about the anniversary of the asswipe humiliating Tate, he was more determined than ever to make him pay for hurting someone he loved.

James Sinclair had the capacity to love. Any rumors to the contrary were false. Outside of familial love, which included Baxter and Ivy, he only loved one person. It hit him like a cupid's arrow stuck painfully in his ass. The night he fell for Tate was the most horrific night of his life. A month in Dover to recover had cemented his bond with his uncle.

After the car dropped him at home, he sipped his scotch. Like a masochist, he kept listening to her message just to hear her voice. For the trillionth time, he wished Grant was still here. They would go for a ride, galloping across the field, and then they would talk while trotting back slowly. When he rode with Shaun, they dismounted and sat by the stream to talk, but he and his uncle had stayed on horseback.

He looked into his glass and sighed. The golden malt wasn't tea leaves. Charles hovered as if he sensed his mood. The voicemail joined the tattered paper he kept in his breast pocket. Even Charles knew to check for it before sending his suits out to the cleaner. One day, the older man found it and left it in front of the picture of the McManus family on his bureau. It stood by his box of cufflinks with an old Sinclair family picture when there were still four of them.

Reaching into his pocket, he took out the soft paper. He could print a fresh copy, but this was the one he read from that day. Discreetly, Charles stepped out of the parlor.

Every eye in the silent church had been on him as he tried to clear the lump from his throat. His voice started soft, but somehow grew stronger. He felt a hand on his shoulder as he stood alone and spoke to a church full of people paying their respects to the great man.

Many of you knew Grant McManus as a smart, fair man and leader. Others as husband to Sarah or father to Shaun. I knew him as Uncle Grant. When I was a child, he was larger than life. As I grew, all the memories and lessons I learned from my uncle helped me become the man I am.

He had tried to be amusing. No one laughed, but Baxter smiled. Jimmy had looked out and seen him next to Ivy.

Some of you might not think that's much of a compliment, but outside the boardroom, I learned from Uncle Grant that family comes first. Family for Grant was dinner together, a ride through the meadow, sitting beside Sarah quietly reading, playing with his granddaughter, or talking to his daughter daily. I know because I spoke to him most days too. I was never too busy or important to need my uncle. The problem is, I still need him. Losing a loved one is hard, but never saying goodbye is brutal. As much as I lost, I can't quantify Aunt Sarah's loss. And Shaun's and Tansy's. Every day, I plan to strive to be a little more like Grant.

Grant would always protect those he loved, but never in the Sinclair way. His uncle would be disappointed if he knew half the things Jimmy did. Still, he had some plans to see through. Two were for Tate and the other for Shaun. The Seattle deal was in the preliminary stages. His plan was to ask for forgiveness from his uncle afterwards.

With Shaun secured as his date for the cancer benefit, Jimmy donned his tuxedo. He needed a drink after his conference call with Dickie Dawson. The man should come with a headache warning. Every time he thought of Tate as a part of that family he cringed.

Dickie was adamant about expanding into the Northeast. Without national name recognition, the chance of his stores surviving in Stowe, Vermont or North Conway, New Hampshire seemed unlikely, but Jimmy let him talk. If it were a serious venture, Jimmy would have his business consulting team on the ground to maximize his investment. His people would not traveling to Colorado. Instead, he would make some trips to show how dedicated he was to Dawson Sports. He made a fist, as he expected coming face to face with the son. If he mentioned Tate, Jimmy would blow the whole deal. A big question was whether her loyalties were to family and the thread that held them together, or to the cheater who left her and let Jimmy eat wedding cake and drink champagne. He adjusted his trousers.

His Tate, the one he grew up with, would never turn on him. Jimmy had spent countless hours wondering what his life would have been like if her birthday turned out differently. It was in the aftermath that he developed his need to succeed at all costs. Perhaps it was his way of running from the memory of that moment. He shuddered with his pants comfortable again.

Before, he was the typical wealthy kid. He drank his father's booze and dated pretty girls, but none seriously. Kissing Tate was a selfish move. He wanted to be first. They were both too young. Both went away to earn degrees. Tate returned for law school as he was finishing up his masters. At twenty-three, Jimmy was ready to make a name for himself. Looking back, he should have pursued her then, before he hardened into a man she could never love. Too much water under the bridge, or rushing by in the stream in Dover in springtime before the summer drought turned it into a trickle. If Tate had a trickle of affection for him, maybe. In the meantime, he needed to avoid her and her wrath.

When the car arrived, he slipped into the backseat to greet Shaun. They bantered about cousins marrying. Although his mask was firmly in place, he didn't need it with his cousin. She would always love him, just as he would love and protect her. At the event, protecting meant giving her a push. When Shaun met her tutor friend in the line for drinks, Joshua Roche offered Shaun the date she had won in the auction. Jimmy liked the guy and negotiated for Shaun to dance with him. Every conversation led to her cheating ex, and she deserved to spin in a real man's arms.

After Jimmy kissed his cousin's forehead, he looked up to see Tate glaring at him. Her anger didn't affect her beauty. He knew better than to meet her anger in public. She might drop him to the ground. Somehow he doubted she would show the same restraint on him as she had for Leonard the summer before.

When Shaun danced with Roche, he went to the bar. "This is a surprise."

Baxter laughed. "Us at a bar together? Hardly. Your cousin looks happier."

"It's a process. Your sister is mad at me."

Baxter nodded. "She made it quite clear. I appreciate you taking care of things. The jerk called her. Thank goodness she's too smart to take him back."

Jimmy made a fist. He would intervene forcefully and let Tate hate him more. "Shaun knows better. At least I think she does."

He reached the table just before Shaun walked back with Roche to exchange phone numbers. A horseback ride was a perfect date. Jimmy wondered if Tate had ever ridden. To take his mind off the impossible, he spun Shaun around the dance floor under Tate's constant glare. Determination in her stare reminded him of a lioness ready to pounce. The minute the music ended, he pulled Shaun off the dance floor. "Let's go."

Jimmy didn't look back and sighed when they reached the car. Shaun said nothing about their escape, but his cousin was smart enough to wonder who he was avoiding. His list of enemies was long, but he had no problem facing all but one.

With enough projects to keep him busy, Jimmy planned to skip the Boston summer season. Let Tate cool down. Maybe she would forget about Dawson by the time Jimmy finished toying with his family's business. Besides, Jimmy's own family needed him.

Another parallel sceen from Bet on You. I wrote the scene of Jimmy and Shaun running without knowing why. Thanks for voting ⭐️