Jack’s eyes crinkled at the corners, and she knew he was trying not to laugh. “It is not funny, Jack Avery. My fiancé bought me a fake engagement ring.”
“Would it make any difference if I told you it was an excellent fake?”
“No! I’m going to pinch his nipple off.”
That must’ve been all Jack could take because he doubled over laughing. “You looked like he’d slapped you with his dirty underwear when he said it was cubic zirconia.”
She shoved him away. “I repeat. It. Is not. Funny. The little weasel lied to me. He said it was a family heirloom. He teared up when I put the fucking thing on. I actually felt sorry for him.” She kicked the air. “I’m such a fool.”
He lifted her face to his. “No, you’re not. You just didn’t care enough to get it checked out.”
She stopped her fit and looked at him. “You’re right.”
That one admission was enough to calm her down. She shook her fist at the sky. “Well played, Doug Divan, well played,” she said with mock admiration.
He wrapped his arm around her shoulders. “Don’t worry, killer. You’ll get him next time.”
Oddly, that made her feel better. “Okay, where to? I’ve got an extra hundred dollars burning a hole in my pocket.” A hundred dollars. Doug had made her think the ring was worth thousands of dollars. Dick. If she was honest, it wasn’t that Doug had given her a fake ring, it was that he’d pulled one over on her. She hated that. In all likelihood, her father had been in on the joke. She’d get them back one way or the other.
“What devious plan are you cooking up?” He pulled a lock of her hair. “No time for that. We both need some clothes and to find a way to rent a car. I am not getting back on that bus.”
Good thing too, because the bus had left them far behind. After they’d realized she had her engagement ring, Jack had got a refund for their tickets and bought the mom and little girl’s fare to see their soldier.
He was like that—generous and kind. Luanne knew that now. He would tell you he was no one’s champion. In fact, he’d told her that very thing. But, like it or not, Jack Avery was a hero. A reluctant hero to be sure, but a hero all the same.
Why was he so determined to not show that side of himself in his normal life? She remembered the arrogant, condescending jerk who’d showed up on Scarlett’s doorstep eighteen months ago. If he’d shown even an ounce of this kind of chivalry toward Scarlett, their whole relationship would be different. Instead, he’d bullied his way onto Scarlett’s land, and home, all the while pouring on that fake charm. Not that his sweet talker ways weren’t genuine. They were, but now that she knew him better, they seemed…not his true nature.
“Where should we go first?” His red-velvet voice cut through her thoughts.
That dimple in his chin nearly did her in. Good lord, he was handsome, and that combined with his heroic ways was a combo she could barely resist. Not to mention his kindness toward her. He’d been sincerely furious about how she was treated as a child. Only Scarlett had ever been so mad about all of that.
Granted, he’d been a little overly dramatic by saying she’d been abused. She hadn’t been abused. No one had ever hit her or screamed at her. She was given nearly everything she wanted, especially after she’d gone to live with Gigi. Okay, maybe she hadn’t had the attention of the adults in her life until it suited them, but you could hardly call that abuse. It was just bad parenting.
Jack snapped his fingers in front of her face. “Hey. Where’d you go?”
“What?”
“You kind of checked out on me. You okay?”
“Oh, sorry.” She could feel the prickly heat of embarrassment creep up her neck. “Let’s get clothes and—thank you, Jesus—new underwear, first.”
“What? Wearing two-day old undies isn’t your idea of fun?”
“Oh, I ditched my undies back at the hotel room. It’s been commando all the way today.”
A low growl rumbled up from his chest. “Woman.”
It was a warning, and it sent little zings of pleasure zipping around her body.
She patted his arm. “Not now, Jackie. We’ve got shopping to do.”
“Alright. But no thrift store clothes for you this time. I know how to treat a lady. It’s Wally World all the way.”
“You’re too kind.”
“Nothing’s too good for my dumplin’.”
She laughed and shoved him aside. “Shut up, you idiot.”
Chapter 19
Jack steered the car down a country road. The snack mix he’d eaten slithered around his belly like snakes on a hot rock. Renting the car had been his biggest coup. Honestly, he hadn’t thought he could pull it off, since he hadn’t had an ID or credit card, but he’d turned on the charm and out the door they went with a four-door sedan.
“You will arrive at 2354 Amethyst Lane in five minutes,” the voice from the GPS said.
Damn it. He didn’t want to do this. In fact, he wasn’t going to do this. He had no obligation to anyone to put himself through this shit.
“Jack, I’m so proud of you for going through with the plan to meet your family. I don’t know if I could do it. It’s very brave of you, and you know how it pains me to say that.” Luanne lowered the visor and checked her hair in the rearview mirror.
Damn it. What was he supposed to do now? No way could he turn tail and run now that she’d said that. He tried to laugh it off, but was pretty sure he sounded like a donkey in severe pain. “Um, thanks.”
His fingers flexed around the steering wheel and the tension from his hands crept up his arms as he followed the winding country lane. The headlights cast an ominous glow, illuminating big trees on either side of the road. It looked like the climactic scene of every B-movie slasher film he’d ever watched. The one where the hero and heroine march to their doom. The irony wasn’t lost on him.
What was he doing here? This was a harebrained idea, based on a letter from a total stranger, about an anonymous father he never knew existed. This was the most out-of-control stunt he’d pulled since he and his high school buddies streaked naked down Main Street at three in the morning.
“You okay, Jack?” Luanne shifted in her seat to face him.
He couldn’t lie to her concerned face, so he focused on the road and pulled to a stop at the end of the drive. He rested his forearms on the steering wheel and let his hands drape over the top. “Not really. I don’t think I can do it, Lou.”
She rubbed little circles on his shoulder. “You can, I know you can.”
When he couldn’t stand it anymore he turned to her. Her little gasp proved he wasn’t hiding his emotions very well at all. “I know I can do it. But why am I doing it? Seriously, a letter from the partner of a man I don’t know who, allegedly, is my biological father. This man probably wouldn’t recognize me if I walked up and slapped him. And his family? I’m pulling up to their house at eight o’clock at night to what? Say hi?”
“It sounded like they knew about you, so it probably won’t be a huge surprise. But it’s up to you. If you can’t handle it, then you can tell me.”
The silence in the car pressed in on them. He knew what she was doing, daring him, putting him on the spot to make him squirm. She also knew he wouldn’t back down from a challenge. Damn her. He couldn’t decide whether to kiss her or kick her out of the car. “No, we’re going in, but let me do the talking. They’ll probably have no idea who I am.”
“Alright. If you’re sure.” She wiped a hand over her mouth, no doubt trying to hide her victorious grin.
Whatever.
They’d come this far—what was another twenty feet? He unfolded his long body from the car and smoothed back his hair while he surveyed the property. It looked like a typical country house—two stories, with steepled windows and a big wraparound porch. He noticed some outbuildings to the side of the house, but they were hard to see in the dark. A cat rose and stretched on the front steps of the house. The rhythmic hooting of a nearby owl matched t
he thrumming of his heart. What would he find on the other side of that door?
“Man, it’s downright chilly out here. It’s got to be thirty degrees cooler here than at home.”
He tore his gaze from the front of the house to look at her. “What?”
“Nothing. I was trying to distract you. It obviously didn’t work, sorry.” She took his hand and squeezed it. “I’m with you, Jack.”
He squeezed back. “Alright, Thumbelina. Let’s do this thing.”
They climbed the steps together. The musky, sweet smell of the flower bushes lining the porch did nothing to calm his nerves. The cat ran for cover under the stairs. All the while she never let go of his hand. It wasn’t a couple kind of thing or sexual in any way, it was purely for moral support. He almost laughed. Of all the people he’d expect to have his back in this situation, Luanne Price wasn’t even on the list. But here she was, ready to go to battle with, and for, him.
The old screen door squeaked when she opened it. He took a big breath—now or never—and knocked. A feminine voice scolded the yapping dog from the other side of the door, then a tall, dark-haired woman with the same dimple in her chin and the same brown eyes as his opened the door.
“Hello, you don’t know me, but—”
“Jack.” Her hand went to her chest. “Mama, come quick. Jack’s here.”
If Luanne hadn’t been standing slightly behind him he would’ve fallen.
From somewhere in the house another female said, “Jack? Jack Avery is here?”
“Yes, Mama, and he is a sight to behold.” The lady at the door beamed at him.
An older woman with a long gray braid came to the door and before Jack could speak she threw herself at him. Her arms went around his waist and she pressed her face to his chest. “Oh, my word, boy, you are a sight. I knew the good Lord would bring you to us one day, I just knew it.”
If these people had opened the door naked and juggling pigs he wouldn’t have been more flummoxed. How had they recognized him? Where had they ever seen him before?
“Mama, let the boy in the house,” the younger woman said.
She stepped back and wiped tears from her face with the sleeve of her housedress. “Where are my manners? Come in, come in.”
They stepped out of the way so he and Luanne could cross the threshold. His partner in crime pulled him along, and he followed like a lost child. It was all he could do since his brain had short-circuited the minute mama started crying on his chest.
The living room was open, with hardwood floors, comfortable furniture, and smelled of fresh laundry.
“Sit, sit.” The younger woman removed a book and an afghan from the sofa. “Sorry, I was reading. Can I get you something to drink?”
He knew she was waiting for an answer, but he couldn’t form words. Thankfully, Luanne jumped in. “Sure. Some water?”
“Okay. I’ll be right back. Don’t start talking until I get back.”
What was his grandmother’s name? He’d seen it in the letter, but for the life of him he couldn’t remember what it was. He barely remembered his and Luanne’s name.
The younger woman came back into the room. “Here you are.” She handed them the water and sat on the love seat with her mother.
They all stared at each other for several long moments. Again, Luanne came to the rescue. “I’m Luanne Price.”
“Oh, my word. I’m Leslie, Jack’s aunt, and this is Mimi.” She smiled at Jack.
He finally found his voice, but it sounded like it had been shot full of holes. “It’s nice to meet you both.”
“Well, it’s nice to finally meet you too,” Mimi said. She grabbed Leslie’s hand. “I can’t believe you’re actually sittin’ in my living room.”
Frankly, neither could he. Surreal didn’t even begin to cover this bizarre scene. How had they known him? It was time he got some answers. “Mimi, Leslie, how did you know—“
“Jack.” Luanne had walked over to a side table with photos on them.
“What?”
“Come here.” Her voice was barely above a whisper.
He almost said no. Something about her tone made him want to run for the door. But he wasn’t a pussy and he needed to see what she was looking at.
The walk to Luanne was the longest of his life. Vertigo made it hard to stay upright when he got to her side and saw what she was seeing. It was his high school graduation picture. How? Why? Where had they gotten it?
He spun to the women, who were both crying. “Where did you get this?” Before they could answer he spotted the far wall, where there were three rows of photos, each row with six pictures. The first two rows were of children he’d never seen before, but the first six years of his life hung in the last row.
His hands went to his hips and he stared at the pictures. He turned back to his grandmother and aunt. “Ladies, I don’t mean to be rude, but somebody needs to tell me what the hell is going on.”
“Jack, we need—”
He put his hand up to silence her. “I need some answers, Luanne. My face is plastered all over the goddamned walls.”
“Jack.” Luanne’s tone was reprimanding.
The women glanced at each other, and Mimi nodded.
Leslie came to stand by him. “Your mother sent the photos to your father, and he shared them with us. I guess we didn’t think about how shocking this would be for you. I’m sorry.”
He waved off her apology as he examined the room and saw his whole life played out before him. “Why?”
Leslie put her hand on his shoulder. “Why what, Jack?”
“Why…” He swallowed. “Why all the secrecy? Why don’t I know him? Why don’t I know you?”
“Come sit down, boy,” Mimi said. “Leslie, get the good whiskey. This talk calls for more than water.”
Luanne was back at his side and holding his hand. “I got you,” she whispered, and led him back to the sofa.
Leslie came back from the kitchen with four glasses and a bottle of Maker’s Mark whiskey. She poured them all two fingers and passed the drinks around. Once she’d reclaimed her spot next to Mimi the older woman began to speak.
“I want you to know that I’m only telling you this because I got your daddy’s permission if you ever came calling. I don’t talk out of turn, even about my own children.”
“Is he…is he…dead?” The way she was talking he couldn’t tell, and he needed to know.
Leslie’s hand flew to her mouth, and Mimi shook her head. “No. He’s been very sick, but thank the good Lord, he’s doing better.”
“Okay. Good.” Jack let the burn of the whiskey ground him in the moment.
“Mitch was always a sweet, gentle boy, and he grew into a kind and gentle man. Lord, he was handsome. Every girl in his high school was after him. We were livin’ in Louisiana back then and that’s where he met your mama. She was the prettiest little thing, we all loved her, including Mitch, and she was crazy about him. Lookin’ back I think Mitch was tryin’ so hard to fit in, to do the right thing, and to be who we all expected him to be.” She sipped her drink, then wiped her mouth with the back of her hand holding the glass. “So, he and your mama got engaged. We were so excited. Your mama…well. You know how special she was.”
“Yes, ma’am. She was something.” The knot of emotion filling his chest made it hard to get the words out of his throat.
“Anyway, as we started to plan the wedding I could see Mitch become more and more withdrawn, and so did your mama. Finally, I cornered him and made him tell me what was the matter. Looking back, when he told me he was gay I don’t think I was surprised. And I’ll tell you something else, I love my son, and I don’t care if he loves men, women, or little blue aliens. He’s mine, end of story.”
Leslie snaked her arm around Mimi’s shoulder and squeezed. “You’re like that with all of your kids, Mom. That’s what makes you so incredible.”
Mimi swiped a lone tear from her round cheek. “I hated it for Robin. She did love your daddy so
methin’ powerful. But I’m the one who told him that he owed it to that sweet girl to tell her the truth and to not marry her. She would’ve come to hate him, and she deserved someone who could give her everything, and my Mitch wasn’t that person.”
She sipped her whiskey and then stared into the glass. “When she told him she was pregnant, it was the saddest day of their lives.” Her head jerked up and she looked into Jack’s eyes. “Not because they weren’t happy about you, but because they knew they wouldn’t be able to raise you together.”
“Mitch said he would marry her anyway, but she said no, and it was the right decision. Within a month, she’d married Ray Avery. Ray always had a thing for Robin, and they even dated a few months when she and Mitch broke up the summer before she got pregnant. Mitch wanted to be a part of your life, but he knew how hard it would be for you. He didn’t want to put that on you, and neither did Robin.”
Jack sat forward and rested his arms on his knees. “So she sent him pictures of me every year?”
“Yes, along with a letter of what you were doing. He lived for those letters and pictures. They made him happier than anything else in the world, but they also made him sad. He’d be lower than a snake’s belly for a month after they arrived.”
He didn’t know what to say to that. This whole situation was the last thing he’d expected. He’d thought he could waltz in here, charm his way around these people, and get the answers he wanted. Not to be met at the door with all of…this, and to be stripped bare in front of these strangers. He had to find his equilibrium, now.
He pulled on the casual mask he wore most of the time, but somehow it felt all wrong. Didn’t matter. He would walk out of here and no one would know how devastated he was by these revelations. “Ladies, you’ve given me a lot to think about. Do you mind if we table this discussion until tomorrow? We’ve come a long way, and we still have to find a place to stay tonight.” He rose to leave.
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