When Georgia stood up, all the men stood as well. "If you will excuse me, I am tired. Good night." She only slightly glanced at Austin before she walked away.
He watched her go and then sat back down. Austin tried to pretend her leaving so abruptly didn't matter, until he noticed Laura watching him. "What is she upset about?" he asked.
"Why have you distanced yourself from us?" Laura asked. "You haven't come to the house since I got out of rehab."
"I haven't distanced myself. Georgia is doing just fine. She no longer needs me."
"Of course she needs you. She's worked very hard to take the burden off your shoulders, and the least you can do is take some it off of hers."
Austin wrinkled his brow. "What burden?"
"You told her if she accepted the inheritance she would be lifting a great burden off your shoulders."
Austin closed his eyes for a long moment. "I didn't mean it that way."
"Perhaps not, but that's the way she took it. She works long hours to learn and understand what is required of her. She would do anything for you."
"Except let me apologize."
Laura shook her head. "She doesn't want you to apologize - she wants you to forgive her."
Michael raised an eyebrow and looked at Jackie. "He's more stubborn than you are."
"I'm not stubborn, Michael, I am just…" Jackie tried.
"I know what you are just," Michael interrupted. "You're just afraid to admit that I'm the lovable, short guy you secretly adore."
She dropped her gaze and stared at her dinner plate. "If I take off my shoes, will you ask me to dance?"
Both of Michael's eyebrows shot up. "Really?"
"Well, if you don't want to."
Michael nearly knocked his chair over getting up. "I want to, I want to."
Jackie giggled, slipped her shoes off, took the hand he offered her, and walked with him to the dance floor in the next room.
Austin laughed and then turned to Laura and asked, "Should I go up and talk to her?"
"Not tonight, dear. She has a splitting headache. Let her rest."
*
The next morning, Austin slept later than he intended, and by the time he called the desk, the rest of them were gone. It was apparent Georgia wasn't going to talk to him in Florida either, so he took a taxi to the airport and caught a flight home.
*
Inside the Tampa jail, Laura sat on the visitor's side of the thick, bulletproof glass that separated her from her husband of over twenty-five years.
"Did you kill my father too?" Laura asked after she picked up the phone.