Jax's Game: Book 1 of The Checkmate Series

Chapter 30

Friday afternoon, she sat with the beaten-up envelope in her hand again. She thumbed it as she flipped the envelope repeatedly, debating whether or not to open it. Harriet knew what it would say, 'Please give me money'.

"What is it?" She was pulled from her trance, and she looked over. Atticus leaned against the doorway in jeans and a cable knit beige sweater, beard was gone, and hair shorter.

"Got a hot date? You're all clean-shaven, and your hair is short now," she chuckled, placing the envelope down.

"No, thought to change my look. Now what is in the envelope?" he asked her, walking over and taking a seat in front of her desk.

"A letter from my dad, but I don't know if I am going to open it. He is probably going to ask for cash. I know he is asking me for money," she shook her head as she dropped it back into her drawer.

"Now, seriously, you got a hot date?" she questioned, smirking.

Atticus let out a loud chuckle as he crossed his arms. "No, no hot date. I just thought I'd change my look."

"Well, you look great!" she told him.

He rolled his eyes.

"I am serious! You can really scrub up. No longer Mr. Rough Rustic Man CEO Gentleman. If you showed up at a coffee shop wearing that with your cute little cable knit cardigan and blue jeans with your hair all combed back and clean-shaven, I would definitely give you my number."

He laughed. "Thank you, Harriet. Now hand me the letter. I will read it for you as you're so terrified of it."

Harriet shook her head and muttered, "No."

"Yes."

"Jax proposed."

He was taken aback, giving her a puzzled look as he processed her words. "One, that is very-"

"Soon? Yeah, it is."

"What did you say? I see no ring..." he trailed off.

"He didn't propose with a ring, we were dancing, and he just said, 'marry me'. I said, 'Ok'."

"Ok?" he chuckled.

"Just ok...then I tied him up and fucked him," she mumbled the rest.

"Lordly, woman, I do not need to know your sex life...give me the letter now." He raised his eyebrows at her.

Harriet rolled her eyes and handed him the envelope.

"Crash course...my father is in prison for drug dealing. He thinks he can win his case, so he needs a good lawyer. But he can't afford it, so he has been rotting there for the past twenty years or so. I will never help him get out as he killed my mother."

"Killed?" he sputtered with his arm resting on the top of the couch.

"Drug dealer father, junkie mother. I am the product of 'she couldn't pay cash anymore, so she paid him with her body'. My father always wanted me to be part of his life, but I met him once and I hate him. No remorse. He is just a good manipulator," she told him, leaning back in her sky-blue chair.

Atticus nodded, opening the envelope and taking the letter out. "Let's see what he has to say."

Dear Harriet,

I hope you are well. We haven't talked since you were nineteen, but I wish you all the best. I remember you came in with silver hair and a sad smile. I am sorry that you had to grow up without me or your mother, that is not fair to you. I wish I could have seen you grow up, but God chose otherwise.