The Millionaire's Tainted Legacy

Never Too Late

Caylee watched with interest as JB walked across the room to Eleanor.

"Ellie Bancroft," he said, just staring down at her face. "As beautiful as ever. You live here in this big house on an island all by yourself?"

"Chloe is staying with me for now," she said, gesturing to the young woman who was watching them with interest. "She's finishing her studies at the university. And of course Tito will be moving in soon. But if you're asking what I think you are, my husband Bradford passed away several years ago."

"I'm sorry," JB said, but in Caylee's opinion he didn't look sorry at all.

"I lost my wife some years ago as well. My second wife."

"Well, I didn't think you stayed single all those years since Noreen died." A tender look came over her face. "She was one of the kindest, most amazing people I've ever known." Then her look sharpened. "Heard you married Alice Chamberlain."

Caylee almost gasped, the expression on Eleanor's face was so accusatory. Alice passed away a few years after Caylee's mother had married into JB's family, so she didn't really remember her well, other than a kind of a sweet grandmotherly type who had doted on Jack.

"You got married!" JB said, his comeback sounding just as accusatory as the look on Eleanor's face.

"What, you thought I'd just wait around pining after you for years? I made my feelings clear."

"It was too soon," JB protested. "I was still grieving Noreen. I was afraid if I made a move on you then, I'd end up hurting you just because I wasn't ready."

"So are you ready now?" Eleanor asked, and this time Caylee did gasp. She looked over at Tito, who had this dazed expression on his face that pretty much matched the one Jack was wearing.

"Damn right," JB said. Then he closed the gap between them, pulled Eleanor to him, and kissed her.

Eleanor was up on her toes, her body pressed to JB's, her arms moving around him to hold him tightly. This, Caylee realized, was one hell of a kiss. It actually made her think about how much she wanted to get Tito alone.

When they broke apart they continued to look into each others' eyes.

"You were so young," JB said, lifting his hand to trace the side of her face.

Eleanor gave a short laugh. "Well I'm sure not young anymore."

Then she seemed to become conscious of her surroundings again, and so did JB.

He took a slight step back, then said in a gruff voice. "What are you all standing around gawking at? Let's eat!"

* * *

The whole story came out over lunch. Eleanor's aunt and uncle had a house on Sag Harbor when she was growing up, and she used to spend summers there.

"Used to follow me around like a little pest," JB said.

"I had a mad crush on him," Eleanor explained with a laugh. "Oh course, he was five years older and wanted nothing to do with me."

Caylee imagined the two of them sitting on the same dock - or an earlier version of it - staring out at the same water, where many years later Jack and Bailey had fallen in love as children.

"Five years is a lot when you're teenagers," JB said. "I didn't see you that way."

"Good thing," Caylee commented. "If you had, when you were 18 and she was 13, you might have been arrested."

"I wasn't there as much when I was in college," JB said. "I had other things to do with my summers than spend them with my family in Sag Harbor. I don't think I came back for more than an occasional weekend until after I graduated and started work at my father's investment firm. That's where I met Noreen."