Jack of Hearts

by Christopher Greyson

  Jack turned to Alice. He could tell she was still trying to suppress a giggle, so he quickly changed the subject. “Do you mind giving me a hand with something before I go out with my dad?”

  “Sure. What?”

  “My parents’ alarm system. I want to make sure everything’s secure and they know how to arm it.”

  11

  Two by Four

  Jack stopped at the exit of the complex. “Where do you want to go?” he asked his father.

  “Take a left.” A mischievous grin spread across Ted’s face. “I’m starving. I missed lunch.”

  “Where are we going?”

  Ted’s smile widened even further. “Coffee. I told your mom that you and I were going out to grab a coffee and have a talk. Are you hungry?”

  “I thought you’re on a diet.”

  Ted looked over his shoulder as if Laura could hear him. “I am. But if your mother asks, just tell her we went for coffee.”

  “I’m not going to lie to Mom.”

  “I’m not telling you to lie. We’ll get coffee. You just don’t have to give your mother a summary of what I eat.”

  Ted gave Jack directions, and ten minutes later they parked in front of a little brick building with an enormous yellow sign.

  “The Waffle Palace?” Jack said. “If you want something to eat, Dad, I’ll take you someplace that has some healthier options—my treat.”

  “No thanks. Everyone from Orange Blossom Cove loves this place. They’ve given it five gold forks. I’ve been dying to try it, and your mother keeps saying soon, we’ll go soon. She hopes I’ll forget about it. But soon is now! This is great! We’ll get our coffee…and some eggs and bacon, too.” Ted rubbed his hands together like a little kid about to get dessert.

  “Dad…I told you. I’m not lying to Mom.”

  “Of course not. Just don’t say I ate anything. This diet she has me on is killing me, and I haven’t so much as cheated with a Tic Tac. I’m due.” He got out of the car. “Besides, you said you had something you wanted to talk about.”

  Jack clicked his tongue. He did want his father’s advice, and he’d been waiting for the right time.

  Looks like this is it. Soon is now.

  The waitress showed them to a corner booth. Ted waved off the menu. “I know what I’d like. I’ll have the two by four.”

  “Two pancakes, two eggs, two sausages, and two bacon?”

  “Yes, please.”

  Jack shook his head. “You’d better hope Mom doesn’t ask me.” He handed his menu to the waitress. “I’ll have a Western omelet and a sweet tea, please.”

  Ted said a quick grace, put his napkin on his lap, and picked up his fork.

  Jack laughed. “Dad, you look like you’ve been on a desert island and haven’t seen food in a year.”

  “That’s what I feel like. Your mother makes those personal trainers on TV look like teddy bears. She’s ruthless. She has all these programs on my phone that monitor everything I eat.” He held up his arm and tapped a band around his wrist. “It’s like I’ve been abducted by an alien fat farm. This electronic leash monitors every step I take and what cardiac zone I hit. It even tracks my sleep.”

  Jack chuckled. “Now you know how I felt at seventeen.”

  “It’s not funny.”

  “Dad, it’s just a fitness monitor. I told her to get you one.”

  His father leveled his fork at him. “This is your fault?”

  “We’re just trying to help.”

  “Are you the one who told her about that smart water bottle?”

  Jack grinned. “You never drink water.”

  “Did you know that stupid bottle sends a picture of a cute little plant to your mother’s phone? If I don’t drink enough water, the plant makes a frowny face, your mother feels bad, and she has me drinking like a camel until the plant’s smiling again. Then I make four to six trips to the bathroom in the next three hours.”

  “We just care about you, Dad.”

  “I know, and I love you for it. But I’ve dreamt about pancakes, bacon, and eggs for the last two weeks. I even stuck to the diet on the cruise. Try going by a buffet every day and not touching a thing. It’s not easy. One meal under the radar is not going to blow a diet. If I don’t get some grease in me, I’m going to sprout leaves.”

  Jack coughed to cover a laugh.

  “So.” Ted set his fork down. “What did you want to talk to me about?”

  Jack shifted in his seat. “Alice. I asked her to marry me.”

  Ted took off his glasses and started to clean them. “Okay… This was not unexpected. Aunt Haddie tipped us off that you two were heading that way. I assume she said yes?”

  “Well…” Jack cleared his throat. “I kinda assumed that she’d say yes, too. That’s why I asked her. But…she said no.”

  “She said no?”

  “Well, not exactly no.”

  Ted put his glasses back on and steepled his hands with his elbows on the table. “I’m not following. It’s a yes-or-no question, Jack. What was her answer?”

  “‘Not right now.’ But she said no because she said I should do it right.”

  “Do it right?” Ted repeated. “How exactly did you do it wrong?”

  Jack shrugged. “I don’t know. I just asked. You know?”

  Ted cocked an eyebrow. “You’ve got to give me a little more to go on. Let’s start with the where. Where did you ask her?”

  Jack fanned his hand out to the restaurant. “It was a place like this. Do you know that breakfast spot on Washington Street in Darrington? The Sunrise Cafe?”

  “I know it. I used to take your mother there. Did you meet Alice there?”

  “No.”

  “Does Sunrise Cafe hold some special connection for you two?”

  “No. We were having breakfast, and I realized she’s the one.”

  Ted pressed his hands down on the table and leaned in. “Please don’t tell me your proposal was something like, ‘How’s your pancake? Oh, by the way, do you want to get married?’ Was it?”

  Jack sat back. “I was in the moment.”

  “You didn’t just say that.”

  “I thought she would think it was spontaneous and romantic.”

  “Women love romantic and spontaneous when you pick them up flowers or make dinner reservations. When you’re talking about a lifetime commitment, they want a little thought and planning to go into it. They want you to make it extra-special, too.”

  Jack’s broad shoulders slumped. “That’s kinda what Alice said.” He picked up a sugar packet. “She was a little more animated about it, though.”

  The waitress brought over a coffee and a sweet tea. Ted gleefully added sugar and cream to his coffee.

  “Dad?”

  Ted held up a hand and took a sip of his coffee. A little smile spread across his face. “Sorry. I’ve been having it black and forgot how good a little sugar and cream can taste.”

  “I’m kinda freaking out here and looking for your advice, Dad. Can you focus on your beloved son instead of your coffee, please?”

  “Relax. You’ve got no reason to panic. She didn’t say no to marrying you. She just shot down your proposal. She also gave you sound advice. The first question you need to ask yourself, Jack, is if you’re ready to get married.”

  “I thought the first question is, ‘Do I love her?’”

  Ted took another sip and set the cup down. “You’ve already answered that one. Anyone can take one look at the two of you together and there’s no doubt about that. I’m talking about you being responsible.”

  The waitress brought over their food. While they ate, Ted ran down a list of questions he had for Jack.

  When Ted had one forkful left, he paused. “Hold on, Jack.” He gazed down at the fork. It had a piece of sausage skewered over a bit of pancake, and the last chunk of scrambled eggs sprinkled with bacon was on the ends of the tines. He closed his eyes and savored the bite.

  “I’ll bring you back tomor
row if you want, Dad.”

  His father shook his head. “No. I might complain about all your mother’s NSA-type monitoring of my dietary habits,” he grinned, “but I want to stick around a little longer for her.” He set his fork down on the plate. “Okay, back to you. You want to talk about love. It’s as sweet as maple syrup…”

  “Come on, Dad! I will never try to have a serious conversation with you in a breakfast joint ever again.”

  “This coming from a guy who just proposed in one.”

  “Touché.”

  Ted continued. “As far as marriage goes, it looks like you’ve got all your bases covered except one.”

  “What one?”

  “Are you two really ready? It’s a lifetime commitment. It’s a giant step you have to take together and keep on taking together every day. If one of you isn’t ready, it won’t work in the long run. You’re at a crossroads, Jack. You need to take time and do some soul searching. Be completely honest with yourselves and with each other. You need to ask yourself what’s right for Jack before you can truly commit yourself to Alice. And Alice needs to do the same thing. That’s what I meant about you being responsible. Marriage is a huge responsibility, and when it’s done right, it really is as sweet as maple syrup.”

  “Thanks, Dad.” Jack slid the glass of water closer to his dad’s hand. “Now take a long sip and make sure that plant won’t be frowning when we get back.”

  12

  The Battle Butterfly

  Jack hung up his phone as he took the exit off the highway. “Do you mind if we make another stop, Dad?”

  “Not at all. Where?”

  “You know how I’ve been trying to find anyone who knew Alice’s family? I think I found her—that’s who just called me. Her name is Amanda Holt. She was a friend of Alice’s mother and said we could swing by. She’s over in Kissimmee.”

  “I never realized Alice didn’t have anything to remember her family by.”

  “Her parents had no relatives and no will. After they died, Alice got placed in foster care.” Jack stopped at the traffic light. “This lady is my last hope.”

  “I really appreciate you meeting me, Amanda.” Jack sat on a white sofa in a modest living room. His father sat next to him.

  “I couldn’t believe it when you called. I always wondered what happened to little Alice. It was so sad about the Campbells.”

  “Did you know the family well?” Jack asked.

  “We were neighbors, and Ally and I were best friends.”

  “Ally?” Jack repeated.

  “Alice was named after her mother, so we called her mother Ally, and Alice was ‘little Alice.’ I was going through the end of my marriage, and whenever Ally was in town, she was my shoulder to cry on.”

  “In town? Was she away often?”

  “All the time. Work, mostly.”

  “I thought Alice’s parents owned a floral shop,” Jack said.

  “Alice’s father, Chris, ran it. Ally did some consulting work, so she traveled. Internationally.” Amanda said this with a mix of pride and awe. “But you couldn’t have asked for a better friend or mother. She really doted on those kids.”

  “That’s why I tracked you down. I was hoping you might have a picture, anything…”

  “Well, to be honest, after my divorce, I followed Cortez’s example.”

  “The explorer?” Ted asked.

  “Cortez burned his boats so there was no going back.” Amanda lifted her chin and sighed. “That’s what I did with most of my things after the divorce. I threw them all out.”

  Jack put his elbows on his knees and leaned forward. “You got rid of everything?”

  “Well. Not everything.” Amanda turned to the end table, picked up a cardboard box, and placed it on the coffee table. “I dug through my storage closet and found a couple of things you might be interested in.” She took out a framed photo. “I took this during our Fourth of July barbecue. I thought little Alice should have this.”

  Jack had to stop himself from snatching the photo from her hand. It was a picture of Alice’s entire family. Her father had one arm wrapped around her mother and the other around Alice’s shoulders. Climbing on her father’s shoulders were her two younger brothers. They were twins.

  Her father had short brown hair and emerald-green eyes. Jack was surprised to see that his wife was taller than he was. Alice’s mother was striking, and even in the picture she presented a grace of movement. Her skin was a light bronze, and there was something about her high cheekbones and sharp features that made Jack want to try to place her nationality, but he couldn’t. Her long, deep-brown hair was pulled back in a ponytail slipped through a baseball cap.

  “Ally was just gorgeous.” Amanda’s fingertip gently touched the glass. “She was beautiful inside and out. And these are Alice’s brothers, Andrew and Alex. They were six.” The twins were identical right down to their dirty-blond hair, huge grins, and missing front teeth.

  “How is little Alice?” Amanda asked. “She was only seven then. She must be a grown woman now.”

  “She’s great. I’m sure she’d love to talk to you. But I actually haven’t told her yet that I’m looking for this. I hit so many dead ends trying to find anyone who knew the Campbells, and I didn’t want to get her hopes up.”

  “Well, if she wants to, I would love to hear from her.” Amanda turned back to the box. “There’s one more thing I found. Ally gave it to me.” She removed a small jewelry box and held it out like a child presenting a surprise. “Ally’s wearing it in the photo. I’ve treasured this gift from my dear friend, but little Alice should really have it.”

  She opened the box, revealing a delicate silver-and-blue butterfly brooch. Jack looked back at the photo and saw the same brooch pinned on Ally’s chest.

  “Ally gave it to me at the barbecue. I had just gotten into another fight with my ex, and Ally…she just took it off and pinned it on me. She called it her ‘battle butterfly,’ and told me to wear it until I was through the worst of it. It was supposed to be a reminder that things were going to change and get better. Ally loved butterflies. Anyway, she made me believe that I could still have a life. Beautiful and strong, like the butterfly.” Amanda wiped away a tear. “She was like that. She’d give you the shirt off her back if you needed it. Would you please give it to little Alice?”

  “Alice will be… You have no idea what this will mean to her.” Jack cradled the box in his palm.

  “I really would love to talk to her. I’m heading up north at the end of the month. My sister is retiring, so I’m going to spend two weeks in Darrington.” She scribbled her name, a phone number, and an email address on a notepad. “Just let me know.”

  “I will.”

  “It was nice meeting you,” Ted said.

  “You too.” She turned to Jack. “Do you know if they ever caught the driver of the truck who killed them?”

  “I thought the other driver fell asleep and was killed in the accident.”

  “No. The truck was stolen. The other driver fled the scene. They never caught him.”

  As they walked back to the car, Ted looked over at his son. “Are you okay?”

  Jack slipped behind the wheel and put the jewelry box and photo in the glove compartment. “Alice never mentioned her mother working—let alone her traveling out of the country.”

  “She was young when she lost them. Kids remember things differently.”

  “Yeah, that’s the problem,” Jack said.

  “What do you mean?”

  “I mean, the car accident. How do I tell her she has something like that wrong? She thinks the other driver died. How do I tell her they never caught the guy who killed her family?”

  Ted took off his glasses and began to clean them. After a moment, he cleared his throat. “Very tactfully. That’s going to be a tough pill to swallow.”

  “Yeah.” Jack pulled the car away from the curb. “I think she’s going to need that battle butterfly.”

  13
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br />   A Bad Idea

  Alice sat at the kitchen table, waiting for Jack’s mother. Jack planned to go out with his father that evening, so Laura had suggested they have a girls’ night. Alice was expecting to watch Wheel of Fortune, bake a pie, or go through more photo albums. So when Laura came in wearing dark sweatpants and a black T-shirt, Alice was thrown off.

  Laura looked at Alice’s summer outfit and frowned. “You might want to change.”

  “Okay. What’re we doing tonight?”

  The doorbell rang. “Oh, good. They’re early. One second.”

  Laura went down the hall, and Alice followed.

  Ellie, Ginny, and Ruby marched in. They were all dressed in black too. They exchanged excited grins.

  Ruby looked Alice up and down and bit her lower lip. “Look at you.”

  “You’re in all white,” Ginny said.

  “You glow,” Ellie added, “and not in a good way.”

  All four women shook their heads in sync. Ruby spoke for the group. “You need to change, sugar. You’ll stick out like a Roman candle at midnight.”

  “Um, where are we going?” Alice asked.

  The four women exchanged impish winks.

  “Just pick out something dark,” Ginny instructed.

  “If you have to have a dash of color, be sure it’s muted and understated.” Ruby touched a dark-purple brooch fixed to her black turtleneck.

  “I’ll be right back.” Alice hurried into her bedroom.

  Lady lifted her head off the bed as she entered.

  “This is one girls’ night I have a feeling you’re lucky to miss, Lady.” Alice pulled on some black leggings, but the only dark T-shirt she’d packed was a dark-blue one with HOPE FALLS across the front in big gold letters. She put it on.

  When she stepped out of the bedroom, the women from the book club all frowned.

  “Can you turn it inside out?” Laura suggested.

  “Uh, won’t that look a little odd?” Alice eyed each woman, trying to understand.