by Hayden Wolfe
And in the meantime, he needed to go apologize to his mama for putting her through hell when he was stationed in a battle zone. No doubt she worried every second of every day he was gone. Now it was his turn.
Chapter 20
Long-distance relationships sucked. Especially long-distance relationships where email was the only source of contact. Jack paused Blaine’s song and tugged the earbuds from his ears. It didn’t matter if he couldn’t understand a word she was saying. Six weeks had passed since he’d heard her voice. He missed talking to her and seeing the tiny lines by her eyes when she smiled for him.
Dammit. He missed everything about Blaine. Only her plea for time alone stopped him from going to her.
Jack looked from his passport to the list of available flights. He couldn’t take the separation any longer. He was going to her. If she kicked him out, then he’d come home. At least he’d know where they stood.
The sound of the front door opening reached him. Nobody yelled out announcing their presence, however.
His family walked into his house all the time, any time they wanted. Calling out was standard practice. He did the same when he went to their places unannounced. You never knew what you might see otherwise. He wasn’t the only one who walked around in his underwear.
Jack glanced out the window of his front office. A dark red sedan pulled away from his house. He didn’t know anyone who drove a car. His friends and family owned trucks or SUVs. All except Ronnie’s classic sports car, and she wouldn’t be driving that anywhere come winter. The county didn’t plow out here.
With a flick of his hand, he closed his laptop and stepped into the hallway. A flash of platinum caught his eye. He pivoted and took in a sight he hadn’t expected to see in his home.
Blaine stood just inside the front door. Jeans hugged her fit and shapely legs. A loose T-shirt with the words “Pursue Your Happiness” stitched around the Pennsylvania state logo covered her chest. And the same canvas shoes she’d worn waitressing adorned her feet.
He’d never seen anyone more beautiful.
“Blaine.”
She brushed her hair back from her face. Her eyes held all the warmth he’d missed. He couldn’t give her the smile she deserved, however. It wasn’t because of the sight of the healing wound running from the middle of her cheek to her jaw, though that did leave his mouth dry. It was the small, lopsided smile gracing her mouth that cut at his soul.
He gripped the doorframe. Blaine had mentioned in one of her emails about carrying some long-term reminders of her attack. He’d assumed a scar. Not nerve damage. That was what her drooping smile meant, though. He was sure of it. He had some friends who’d survived landmine blasts.
Blaine set her purse on the small table where he kept his keys. “I hope me being here is a valid enough reason for why you couldn’t visit me. I already had this ticket purchased and wanted to surprise you.”
Her voice sounded the same. Rough and sexy, exactly as he loved it. Maybe he was wrong and her career wouldn’t be affected by the attack that still went unsolved. For her peace of mind, he prayed this was the case.
“Well, you’ve surprised me.” Jack closed the distance between them and drew Blaine into his embrace. She automatically wrapped her arms around him and rested the uninjured side of her face against his chest. Tension drained from him. “I’ve never been happier to see anyone in my life. I’ve missed you, Blaine.”
“I’ve missed you too, Jack. It’s been hard not to call. My doctor warned me to refrain from speaking, though.”
She’d mentioned that in one of her emails too. Plus, she’d been on a liquid diet for a couple of weeks. Doctor’s orders. Blaine wrote she was taking his advice to heart and following it religiously, doing all the exercises he prescribed.
Jack brushed his chin over the top of Blaine’s head. Her hair tangled in his beard, a sensation he’d missed also. “And they’ve given you the okay to start talking normally again?”
“Yes, I’ve been doing stretching exercises and talking a little here and there over the past couple of weeks. Finally, this last time I went to the doctor, they gave me the green light to resume normal activity.”
She’d been talking and hadn’t called him? He clenched his jaw before the question came out. She’d flown to America to see him. That wasn’t the action of a woman who didn’t want anything to do with him.
“Did you bring any suitcases?” Her answer to this question would give him the same result and not sound as accusatory.
“On the porch.” Blaine tipped her head back. “They’re heavy. I wasn’t sure how long I’d be staying, so I packed a lot.”
Jack brushed his lips over hers to hide the satisfaction on his face. He needed a few more insights into the reason behind Blaine’s silence before he let her in on how happy her words made him.
He eased back and turned her head slightly. A little over two inches, the gash from the throwing star stretched over her cheek and jaw. It had landed on an angle, more vertical than horizontal. A couple of inches higher or lower and Blaine might’ve suffered more devastating consequences, maybe even losing her life. A person could bleed to death a lot quicker than…
Jack shut down that train of thought before anger seized him. Blaine was here with him. A crooked smile would only make her more beautiful in his eyes.
With the gentlest of caresses, he skimmed his thumb along the underside of her jaw. “I want to get my hands around the neck of the fucker who hurt you.”
“They have to catch him first, but when the police do get him, you’ll have to wait in line. Avery wants first blood.”
Jack hadn’t spoken to Blaine’s brother since the day of the attack, but his opinion of Avery had reached a new low after speaking to him. “Are you going to give me the details about the attack? Or do I still need to trust in your brother to protect you?”
Blaine eased out of his embrace and moved to the open front door. The full-length glass storm door offered an unobstructed view of the road leading to his house while the deck off the back overlooked the lake. She leaned against the doorframe. “Can we talk while we walk? I’ve been on the plane for over half a day, and before that, I was locked inside my town house for weeks. I’m feeling a little restless.”
Without saying another word, Jack brought in the four heavy suitcases, along with her violin, and set the luggage near the stairs to carry up later. Then he yanked on sneakers and motioned Blaine onto the front porch.
“You’ve been inside because the person who attacked you hasn’t been caught yet, right?” he finally asked once they rounded the side of his house.
Blaine slid a cautious sideways glance at him. “Yes, but also to avoid having pictures of my injury plastered on the front page of newspapers. There’s been a lot of speculation over whether I’ll be able to sing the same way I’m known for. Some of the notes I hit are not easy. My publicist thought it best we not encourage the theories being circulated until I was ready to make a statement.”
“I never did ask about the people who support you. Your band, publicist, stylist…” Jack was sure there were more involved in putting together her shows and keeping her brand in the face of her fans but he couldn’t guess who they’d be. “Are they worried you won’t be able to sing again?”
Blaine shrugged. “I’ve been honest with them. They know what the doctors have told me.”
Jack linked his fingers with Blaine’s and led her to the worn path leading to the field out behind Kyle’s house. The common area was shared by everyone in his family, including his cousins. There were picnic tables, a volleyball court, and plenty of walking paths through the woods. His parents believed in pouring their money back into the land that had given so much to them.
“What have the doctors told you about your outcome?” Because he sure as hell didn’t know. A vague “wait and see” was the extent he’d gotten, except for the few details she’d shared today.
“Don’t be angry with me. I didn’t want to share any
thing until I knew for sure what I was facing. My band…” Blaine glanced at the ground. “They’ve been talking about going out on their own for a while anyway. This just gave the out they needed. They didn’t want to hurt me. We’ve climbed the charts together, you know?”
“They’re abandoning you? Isn’t that a little drastic?” Jack drew Blaine to a stop and tipped up her chin. He needed the insight her eyes offered. “You said you haven’t tried to sing yet. You have physical therapy to do.”
“What did Avery tell you about the attack?”
Blaine was changing the subject. The reason why left his chest tight. She looked fine. Her mouth correctly formed all the words she spoke. Her eye didn’t carry the lazy look he’d expect with severe nerve damage. Was there something else he’d missed?
Jack took Blaine’s hand and led her to the gazebo. Soft grass surrounded the wooden structure, providing a welcome bed for lying out at night and watching the stars. He’d done so as a kid. Sharing that experience with Blaine would be better. Later, they’d come back and do exactly that. Now, they needed the quietness of this place.
He released Blaine once they stepped onto the wooden floor of the gazebo, then moved to the back of the octagonal structure. This section offered a nice view of the few trees with leaves still on them. “It’s too bad you couldn’t have made it out here a week earlier. The valley was gorgeous with the leaves in full color. Most fell with the last storm we had.”
“I had a doctor appointment I couldn’t miss.”
She’d mentioned as much. Her doctor had given her the okay to resume normal activity. But she’d been talking on and off for a while. And hadn’t bothered to use one of those moments to call him.
Dammit. He was acting like an ass. Blaine was here with him. That was all that mattered.
“Jack.” Blaine stepped next to him and rested her palms on the railing. “What did Avery tell you about the attack? I know he called you. Did he relay everything? If not, did Iona? I asked her to keep you in the loop.”
“You talked to her?”
Blaine sighed. “A few words once I was able to speak a little. I knew she’d be worried.”
“But you didn’t think I’d be worried? Is that the reason I didn’t get a call?” Apparently, he was going to be bitter. Damn. It pissed him off when words left his mouth before he could consider their consequences. Too late to take them back.
Blaine dropped her chin to her chest. “I’m an open book to you. Isn’t that what you told me once?”
“Your eyes tell me more than your words do.”
“Are you sure about that?” She raised a brow. “I’m not, and I couldn’t take the chance my voice would give me away.”
“Give what away?”
“Everything. Nothing.” Blaine snorted. “I promised myself I wouldn’t talk to you until after my doctor appointments. No use stressing you out over things out of your control.”
Taking a deep breath, Jack closed his eyes. “I know we haven’t known each other long and we’ve spent more time apart than together, but I thought I’d made my point clear back at the airport.”
“What point?”
“If I want to share the ordinary, everyday things with you, I sure as hell want to share the bad times. The crazy times. The times that you feel so damn lost you don’t want to get out of bed. You know what I’m talking about. Everything. I want to share everything with you. Giving you this time alone was hard. Really hard. I can’t tell you how many times I looked at that flight scheduler and almost booked a trip. Only your words stopped me. You wanted time. I gave it to you.” He focused on her dipped head. She bit her lip. “But now you’re here. Talk to me.”
Blaine cut him a hesitant glance. Guilt hovered in her eyes. She quickly looked away. “Answer me, Jack. What did Iona tell you about the attack? Or Avery? What do you know?”
There had to be a reason Blaine kept bringing this conversation back to this point. Only one way to find out. He propped his body against the wooden support and crossed his arms over his chest. “Not much. Actually, not anything you didn’t mention in your emails.”
“Avery is beyond angry with himself over the attack.”
Jack was just as angry at her brother for failing Blaine. He understood the underlying reason for her comment, however. Standing up for family was a driving force he shared, even if they didn’t always deserve it. “I know you love your brother, but he should be angry with himself. He failed you.”
“Faulty equipment failed me. Not Avery. He had more security checks in place than I normally have at my shows.”
“Excuse me?”
“The event staff did everything Avery demanded of them, except guard the equipment they’d be using. Someone tampered with two of the metal detectors before the show. They appeared to work, but they didn’t. Fifty percent of the fans in the hall that night would’ve walked past those detectors.”
“Shit.”
“Exactly.” Blaine inched closer to him so their hips touched. “And there was so much chaos after I fell there was a chance he might’ve gotten away. Avery and Alex focused on me, not capturing the attacker. They thought I’d passed out because of some kind of drug on the blade, but it was the pain. It was…”
Blaine shook her head instead of finishing her statement.
He slid his hand around her hip and drew her closer. “The pain was mind-numbing. Your body took the only out it had to escape it. I know what you mean, angel. I’ve felt pain like that before.”
She rested her head against him. “When they got me to the emergency room, they ran a series of blood tests and did an initial exam, then I waited for what felt like forever in a room with Avery. The nurses wouldn’t give me anything for the pain, either. I was in and out of consciousness.”
“Because they were waiting for the blood work to come back. If that blade had been coated with something, they worried about giving you something that would react with it, right?”
Blaine was silent for so long, he didn’t think she’d answer. Finally, she shook her head and curled her fingers around his hand, holding him in a tight grip. “No. Not exactly.”
“Then why?”
“Because pain medicine is dangerous for women in my condition. So is anesthesia. I would’ve had to sign a waiver to get them, and I declined both, along with the treatment the doctor recommended, after hearing the possible risks. That’s why I didn’t get the proper treatment I needed to ensure I’d be able to sing again.”
Jack swallowed hard. “What condition is that, Blaine? What are you trying to tell me?”
“Do you remember that first day in the cabin?” Blaine turned her head and caught his gaze. “When we loved each other?”
Aw, fuck. Every muscle in his body tensed. He licked his lips. “Yeah, I remember.”
She stared at him for a long moment, then exhaled slowly. “I wasn’t on birth control, Jack.”
“You’re pregnant.” The words dropped from his mouth like a bomb. His whole world shook around him.
Blaine’s lopsided smile spread over her face. Her eyes brightened. “With twins. I just heard their heartbeats yesterday.”
Chapter 21
The shock in Jack’s expression was understandable. So was the anger sliding into his eyes. Blaine had just dropped a bombshell on him. She’d prepared for both reactions, but seeing the fury directed at her churned her stomach.
Blaine took a deep breath and willed her belly to behave. There was no bathroom close, and she refused to throw up off the side of this gazebo. “I recorded the heartbeats on my phone if you’d like to hear them.”
“Are they mine?” Jack cleared his throat. “The babies you’re carrying. Are they mine?”
Eyes closed, Blaine fought the hurt slipping into her heart. She’d prepared for this question too. She’d also hoped he wouldn’t ask it. “Yes. I haven’t been with anyone in a long, long time before you, and I haven’t been with anyone since.”
Jack cursed. He ran a hand o
ver his head and walked to the center of the gazebo.
She glanced at his strong back, then took in the view of the trees and their waning colorful display. Her eyes burned. She squeezed her eyelids closed and fought the tears. She would not cry. She would not cry. Blaine repeated the mantra. She’d had time to prepare for this talk. Everything would be fine, no matter Jack’s choice. She was strong and so were her babies. They’d be okay.
“I don’t want money from you, Jack. I don’t want anything you’re not willing to give. I came here because I wanted—”
Jack stepped behind her and hooked an arm around her waist. His palm settled on her belly. “I’m sorry, angel. I don’t know why I asked that. You told me you haven’t been with anyone in a long time. I believe you. I just…”
Blaine focused on Jack’s long fingers splayed over her stomach, right over her growing baby bump. Her vision blurred. She swallowed past the lump in her throat. This talk was proving harder than she’d expected. “You weren’t expecting this. I know. That’s why I didn’t want you to come all the way to Russia. I wouldn’t have been able to keep this from you, and I wanted to make sure the babies were okay before I said anything. No need to drop this on you, then say oops, my mistake. I didn’t want to mess with your mind that way. I was only a fling.”
“You were never a fling. I think I recognized that the second I looked into your eyes. You were someone who’d change my life, and you have in the most unexpected way.” Jack pulled her closer. He nudged her hair away from her shoulder with his chin, then kissed her neck. “In that regard, you’re absolutely right. I wasn’t expecting this, but that doesn’t give me the right to accuse you of something I know isn’t true.”
“I should’ve mentioned pregnancy was a possibility. We talked about STDs, but—”
“The furniture store arrived with your mattress. Then I got away from you the first moment I could without looking like an ass.” Jack made a rough sound and rested his cheek on her shoulder. He wrapped both arms around her. “Trust me. I considered skipping out once the delivery truck left, but I figured that’d be too obvious.”