She couldn't refute that.
"I was loyal to Mrs. Sloan," he almost begged her to believe. "I didn't diddle her out of a single penny. Besides, I only managed the hotel's and the Bed & Breakfast's accounts. It was Mrs. Steel who administered the money derived from the books, which was Mary Anne's main source of income."
"But I thought you said you handled everything."
"I was referring to the household and the island properties. You see, before I was hired, Mrs. Steel took care of all Mrs. Sloan's legal and administrative matters. I was supposed to relieve Mrs. Steel of anything that wasn't strictly her job as a lawyer, which I interpreted she had been doing more out of a sense of friendship. Nevertheless, given my inexperience, it was a gradual process. So, when Mary Anne died, Mrs. Steel was still taking care of the editorial income."
Kathy placed her hand on Jesse's forearm.
"I'm sorry. I do trust you. And you lightened my life when you said that you loved me. You didn't deserve my reluctance. Can I take it back?"
He smiled. His intense eyes glimmering in the semi-darkness.
"You can," he whispered, while his lips approached hers.