Chapter 25

Azalea’s POV.

I got out of the car and kept looking at Lynn. I can’t leave her in the car, oh man. I helped her out of the car. I got down to Lynn’s level and looked at her, gently caressing her face.

“You have to behave, ok? I know they have horses and everything, but you need to promise me you’ll be good,” I asked her. Lynn just nodded and pouted. I knew she was a well-behaved girl, the country life just made her a little too excited.

“Yes, Mommy,” she replied with a steady nod.

“Thank you so much, baby girl,” I smiled and kissed her cheek. I rose to my feet again and right on cue, the grand front doors opened up.

“Miss Azalea, it truly is wonderful to see you again,” Roberts commented. He was dressed in his usual suit, I suppose. This must be his uniform to work around this place. Last night when I came here, there weren’t that many staff members, but right now I saw many of them walk around. They were all doing some sort of chore. Jakob had a fully staffed home. Outside, there were many tending his property, keeping the beauty of it.

“Hello, Mr. Roberts, lovely meeting you again,” I said politely because he was not the one I was mildly angry with. “Where’s Jakob? I need to talk to him about this,” I asked and showed him the card.

Roberts studied the card from a distance and his eyes then widened, like he could tell exactly how I felt about receiving this card.

“Oh right,” he nodded and clasped his hands together. “I’ll go get him then,” he promised and turned on his heels.

Roberts walked to one of the rooms. Lynn looked around the room like I had done when I first got here. I stared at the family portrait again, that woman and little girl. The little girl looked a lot like Lynn. In the painting, the little girl’s hair was a mixture of ginger and brown, and her green eyes sparkled exactly like Lynn’s when she saw horses or chocolate chip pancakes. I wonder where that little girl is now.

Finally, Roberts returned with Jakob following behind him. Jakob looked a lot better now. His eyes immediately went to Lynn and it was as if his world brightened again.

I stepped forward, “Mr. Jakob.”

“Please, just call me Jakob. To whom do I owe this pleasure?” Jakob asked. He looked as fresh as ever and seemed as though he had his life put together. It was a stark contrast from the man I had to drive home last night.

“Stay here, ok,” I told Lynn who just nodded. She was far too busy staring out of the window to care.

I walked closer to Jakob so our conversation wouldn’t be heard by others.

“Jakob, there has been some misunderstanding. I don’t want any of this,” I began to say as I handed back the card to him. I did not want him to think for one moment that I did all of this for some cash. “I was paid for the bottle you broke, I was given a thank-you bouquet. That is more than enough,” I stated, more than proud and humble with what I was given at first.

“Azalea, I don’t understand,” Jakob frowned, looking at the card in his hand. “I want to give you this, so you can take care of yourself and your daughter,” he then said and handed the card back to me with his eyes shifting between Lynn and me.

“I can take care of my girl myself,” I scoffed, not accepting his card. I didn’t need to be someone’s charity. I had been raising Lynn perfectly fine.

“I know you can, but I also knew that I must’ve stolen you away from her when you had to drop me home, so I just wanted to repay you for that,” Jakob spoke in a much more serious manner. There was something so oddly soothing about the way he spoke and the wisdom his words carried. I still couldn’t figure out why this wise man would spend his evenings at the club then.

“Time spent with your child is the most valuable thing in the world and nothing will ever match that,” Jakob stated, his eyes saddening with his words. I could tell that he spoke from experience, which led me to believe this was all about that little girl in the painting. Did she grow up to never stay in contact with him?

“Again, Jakob, I cannot accept this,” I cleared my throat and pushed his hand with the card back.

“Then please stay for lunch. My staff shall prepare whatever it is you and your daughter desire,” Jakob then pleaded, seeming quite desperate.

“Hello sir, who are you?” Lynn ran up to him, hands on her hips as she looked up at the man.

“Hey there, I’m Jakob Tattlington and what is your name?” Jakob said smoothly, extending a hand to her.

“Lynn,” she replied and shook his hand.

Did he just say Jakob Tattlington? As in the Jakob Tattlington, owner of one of the largest dairy farms in the country? And that was only one of the farms he owned. There were several others that he had purchased over the years, and it is led to believe that he played a big role in the agriculture sector.

The house, the cars, the wealth, the stable– this all made sense now.

“Lynn, can you go look at the horses through the window for a moment?” I asked her, needing a moment alone with Jakob right now.

“Yes, Mommy,” Lynn nodded and ran off to look at the horses through the window. Roberts was right there and only smiled at the little girl.

“You’re the Jakob Tattlington?” I asked, impressed and amazed right now. How did I not know this? He never let it be known that he was such a powerful man.

“You weren’t aware?” Jakob frowned.

“No, I never put a face to the man before,” I admitted.

“It’s a pleasure to meet you then,” he smiled. “That lunch?” he then asked.

“I’m not sure I can accept that,” I said with all the honesty I could find within me. I just couldn’t accept that offer, right?

“She can have a tour of the stables, of the entire property, and she can play wherever she pleases,” Jakob offered, noticing just how much this would mean to Lynn.

“Jakob, that’s too much,” I sighed and turned to look at Lynn. She had such a twinkle in her eyes and happiness on her face that I hadn’t witnessed before.

“Please?” Jakob pleaded yet again and damn it, it was hard to tell old people ‘no’.

“I can’t,” I first said about the lunch, then softened my gaze, “But we can stay for a bit.”

I gave in purely because I can’t remember the last time Lynn was so happy. So, Jakob had accepted that offer and seemed far happier with that. The garden, the fountain, the cabana, all of it. He saved the stable for last and had his worker prepare a pony for Lynn.

He conveniently had an array of helmets and one fit Lynn perfectly. I knew how badly Lynn wanted this, so I didn’t rob her of this chance. I helped her on the pony myself and gave her all the instructions needed, even when there would be a guy holding onto her and the horse as they walked together. I still didn’t want to take any chances.

“Was this like on the Belt for you, Mommy?” Lynn asked with glowing enthusiasm from her.

“On the Belt?” Jakob asked confusedly as he looked at me.

“Mommy worked on a belt,” Lynn continued to expose me.

“You did?” he asked and seemed quite intrigued.

Damn it, Lynn.

“Yeah, I used to work on a Belt a couple of years before Lynn was born,” I explained as vaguely as possible.

“How long?”

“A little over six years? I grew up on the Belt and learned to handle the horses and water flow management,” I finally gave in. I just hoped he wouldn’t ask which Belt because he would not get that information out of me.

“That’s incredible, you have experience in the field then?” Jakob asked.

“Yeah, between that and management which I’m taking classes for,” I replied, eyes trained on Lynn.

“That’s impressive, Azalea,” he complimented me and I couldn’t help but smile. There was something so great about people admiring your hard work.

After the pony ride, Lynn was tired and the time had come for us to head back home. Jakob seemed saddened by the fact that we had to leave but understood.

“Azalea, can I treat you and Lynn to dinner?” he then asked, yet again desperate for that connection.

“Jakob, I don’t think I can,” I confessed and watched as his smile flattened into a thin line.

“May I ask why?” Jakob now asked with a huge frown on his face.

“Because I brought a man to his home last night, a man who was in a state that I didn’t want around my child,” I explained. He was drunk and in an odd state last night. He was an alcoholic and while he seemed sober now, I still didn’t want to take any chances.

“You’re protecting her,” he realized.

“You have to understand—” I wanted to explain how impressionable Lynn was, but he just smiled and seemed to understand.

“I do. I promise I will get sober,” Jakob said with determination. “Can I treat you to dinner then?” he then asked.

“I suppose yes,” I admitted. Perhaps he could be a friend of ours.