Chapter Six: A Word to the Wise
Tad had come to talk to Jack about the threat of organized crime in Pine Valley. He told Jack that the "accident" that almost claimed the life of Greenlee and
Carlos was, in fact, a well organized and orchestrated assassination attempt. He wanted Jack to be aware of the situation, which needed to be handled delicately
in order to avert disaster.
After they talked, Tad cautiously broached the topic of Erica. At first Jack hadn't wanted to talk about her. But, now he seemed calmer and more willing to open
up. He explained why they had fought. They discussed her ruse with David Hayward. Tad shared Jack's concern that perhaps Erica was in over her head. In
Erica's defense, Tad agreed that Erica needed to feel that she could trust him too.
"Well, I can't say that I blame her.", Tad had said. "You want to protect her. I get that. But, don't you see that she wants to protect you too? The problem is
that you are both too damned stubborn to be the first person to give in. Jack, you need to put an end to this. You can't let this situation with Hayward
continue. You know that creep will exploit this situation without a shred of guilt. And, by the time Erica catches on, it'll be too late for her. More importantly,
it'll be too late for the two of you."
Jack knew that Tad was right. "So, now that you've identified the problem, tell me, what is the solution?" Jack asked the question rhetorically. But he was
surprised that his friend had an answer.
"You really can't see the forest for the trees, can you? Here, let me do a little deforestation for you. You want to protect Erica. She wants to protect you.
You love her. She loves you. You want David Hayward out of the picture. It's simple. Marry her."
Jack responded to Tad's suggestion with laughter. But, Tad was not laughing. "Jack, Erica already has an alibi for the night of Cambias' disappearance. There is no need for her to continue this insane ruse with Hayward. If anyone asks, she can tell them that she had a foolish fling, that she discovered that Hayward is the biggest jerk in all of Pine Valley and she has seen the light. Trust me on this, no one who knows Hayward will question any of that."
Jack considered his friend's words. "Look, Jack, don't rule it out before you think about it, okay?" Jack nodded, escorting Tad to the door. He would give it
some consideration, but he made no promises.