Page 3 of Jack

“He and the kids are planning a garden for next year. They were out there a couple of days ago digging in the dirt so that they could plant peas. Peas, of all things. While home, back in Ohio, we barely had time to grocery shop, much less put a garden in. But here, with all the things that we’ve gotten, not only can we grow our own things, but there isn’t as much pressure to help make ends meet that way. I don’t know what we would have done if Grannie hadn’t had us over for dinner a few times a week. I think that was all that kept us from going under.” He told her that was why he had lived in the big house. It afforded him the ability to eat and have gas money. “And now, look how far we’ve come thanks to Denver. All he did was get out and talk to a few people and we’re all living well and happy. And Jack, I’m very happy.”

“So am I. Very much so. And you’re so right. All this is due to Denver. And him being Leap Leader has made a difference in your lives as well. Hudson just didn’t like it, did he?” She said that he stressed about it all the time. “I can see him doing that. Stressing when there was no reason for it. However, I also know that he is more relaxed than I’ve ever seen him since he’s given it up, too.”

“Denver is doing a good job. And the fact that he had Ronan and Brook in his corner helped a great deal. I don’t think that he’ll have any trouble once they start pulling away more. Or not. Pulling away, I mean. They seem to be as much a part of our family as anyone else who was born to the Tuckers. Do you miss them?”

Caught off guard by the question, Jack asked her if she meant their parents. Nodding, he had to think about it. It was something that he’d never given a great deal of thought about before.

“I don’t think that I can give you an answer to that without sounding like a jackass. But you can’t really miss something that you’ve never had before. They were never really a part of our lives. By the time I realized that they weren’t coming back, I think that I’d only spent a few years with them with any sort of awareness. I do remember times, but nothing that I could tell you a date on, like her and Dad being selfish about dinner. They’d horde up the meat, usually steak, while we’d have a bread sandwich. You know what that is, don’t you? A slice of bread between two more slices. We had those a great deal until I started making our meals. I believe that’s where I got my knack for cooking, being desperate for a real meal. After they left? I don’t know that it was a lot better but at least there was food on the table all the time.”

“Hudson would tell me such horrible things about his parents and what they did to you guys. Just dropping you all off at your grandmother’s was just something that he realized was the best parenting thing they ever did for you.” Jack agreed. “I so love your family, Jack. Hudson tells me all the time that they’re my family as well, but I can’t help but be thankful for the lot of you living where you had. I don’t think that they would have been as nice as your grandparents were about me being his mate.”

“Because of you being human, you mean.” She nodded. “I hate to say this, but he might be right. They were so superior to anyone around them even though they didn’t have a pot to piss in, so the saying goes.

A woman came into the restaurant just as they were getting ready to close up for the day. He only did lunches through the week until he could get used to having people around, and so far, everyone was loving it. But the woman only stopped to speak to Beatrice, one of the staff and led her to the room where Hudson was working with Mrs. Murphy. Once the door closed behind them, Ivy said that she was ready to go. That having this time with him had given her a better outlook on life.

After she left, he went into the kitchen to make sure that things were turned off and cleaned up. He had a good crew, he realized once again and he was going to have to do something for them and all their hard work. Leaving a kettle on the stove on simmer, he made sure that there were cups and other things that they might need before they were finished up. He looked up just as a woman, the one from earlier, came into the room.

“Grandma sent me in here to get some tea and cookies. She called them scones, but I don’t think that is really what she…she has a great deal of money, did you know that?” She looked stressed, so he didn’t move toward her, afraid that she’d maybe freak out more. “A great deal of it…can I take the tea into them? Your brother, you look like him. He said that you could go after this, and he’d make sure things were put back when he was finished. She’s leaving it all to me so that I’ll take care of…it’s a great deal of money.”

“You said that. Twice now. Are you all right?” She nodded, then shook her head. “Yeah, I’m getting that feeling from you as well. Why don’t you have a seat and I’ll take this into them. Give yourself a little time before you go back in there.”

She sat down. Like she’d been just waiting for someone to tell her that’s what she needed to do. When he asked her again, she looked up at him with glazed eyes before nodding and then shaking her head again.

“Yeah, all right then. You stay here, and I’ll be back. If it’s all right with you, I won’t mention that you’re having a stress attack. Unless you want me to.” She told him not to mention it. “Okay. Well, I’ll be back. Did you want some tea? Something to eat? I have leftover salad fixings that I can make up for you.”

“No. I think I’m all right now.” He nodded, still not sure. “I am. I promise you. I was just shocked, well, that’s an understatement. Grandma said she was…you know what? I’m fine. I’ll take in the tea stuff and help with serving it. Just the initial shock of learning that she had billions of dollars startled me, I suppose you could say.”

He didn’t say anything but kept an eye on her as she loaded up one of the new smaller trays that he’d gotten the other day. When she was gone, Jack let out a breath that he’d been holding and sat down himself. Christ, she had made him stressed, and he didn’t even know who she was.

After locking up, he headed home. He’d not even been close to the woman, but she was all he could think about. Deciding to take a shower, he stripped down and thought about what he was going to wear while around the house. When the exact set of clothing, an old t-shirt and jersey shorts, appeared on him, he leaped back. Hitting his head on the doorframe and knocking himself out. His last thoughts were that he’d met his mate and hadn’t even realized that.

Chapter 1

Jack was still sitting in his kitchen when the sun was coming up the next morning. If asked, he couldn’t have for the life of him said a single thing that he’d been thinking about. Or, for that matter, if he’d thought of anything at all. His mind was full of fluff right now, and he didn’t know what to do about it. He’d met his mate. And other than the fact that she was going to inherit a great deal of money—billions from her grandmother, he didn’t know another thing about her.

She’d said billions. He was sure of that. While he had money, a great deal of it too, he thought, he didn’t have anywhere near the billion-dollar mark and was afraid of what that might mean for him. Billions of dollars was something like the Fosters had. Not some little lion that—well, he was a full-grown man, but a billion was well beyond more than he would have thought that he’d get in his lifetime.

He needed to figure out where to find her. Or, at the very least, her name. When he thought about it, he’d not even known the name of the woman that his brother was meeting with last night in his restaurant. Not that it would help him overly much if she was her grandmother on her mother’s side. Then there was the—standing up, he decided to get his ass in gear before he got himself in trouble. With whom he didn’t know, but he wasn’t going to mess things up before he even got to meet the woman.

It took him an hour to get in touch with Hudson. Being a stay-at-home dad, he didn’t answer the phone very often and he was afraid to bother him with their link in the event he was in the middle of something with the kids. Jack thought for sure that he was making too much of this, but he didn’t know what else to do.

“I think that Georgie has a meeting with her today sometime. Her name is Taylor. Last night, when I met her, I could have sworn that the two women were mother and daughter; they acted that close, but they’re actually great-grandmother to great-granddaughter. Why did you want to know?” Since he knew that he’d find out sooner or later, he told him what had happened last night when he met the girl. “Mate? You’re kidding. I hate to say this to you, Jack, but she’s going to eat you alive. She’s hard and brash. But she loves her grandmother.”

“Gee, thanks. When she came into the kitchen, I didn’t realize it as I never got close to her in the kitchen until I got home and took a shower, and my clothing just appeared. That’s a sure sign, isn’t it? She’s the only stranger I met yesterday who would have had me getting that sort of magic where I can change. Do you know where she lives?” He was babbling and making disjointed statements that made him sound stupid, something else he’d never done before meeting his mate.

“Actually, I do. She lives in the same condo complex that you live in. But she won’t be there. Her grannie asked her to move in with her for a few days so that she could go over some contracts. Your mate is wealthy already, but when her grannie passes, she’ll be right up there with Ronan and his family.” He said he didn’t care about that but wanted to know why he thought that she would eat him alive. “I don’t know, Jack. You’re sort of timid. Not a sap but just someone that has to be pushed into things.”

“I’m just cautious.” His brother laughed. “Well, laugh it up, big brother. I know that I’m going to be better at meeting my mate than the rest of you were. Especially you. Didn’t you and Ivy fight right up until you were married? And I remember some harsh words before your oldest was born, too.”

“That’s when things smoothed out. We are both competitive people, and I realized that once she started taking on cases, she was smarter than me, too. I don’t remember the last time we had a spat, to be honest. I love Ivy with all that I am.” He told him that it shows, too. “I want you to be as happy as we all are, Jack, so keep that in mind when things get heated. She’s smart too, don’t forget that.”

After talking to his brother, he made his way over to the condo that his brother told him that she lived in. He’d been right. The place was in the same subdivision he lived in, yet there was no one home. Jack made his way to the address that he’d been given him for her great-grandmother. Returning to get his car, he was slightly nervous about finding the house and where the address was. It was in the posh end of town.

As he drove down the tree-lined street after turning on the one that he needed, all he could think about was how big the houses were. Counting down the house numbers, he just knew that the house that he was looking for was going to be not only the biggest one on the street but also the most beautiful.

Pulling into the gated drive had him asking for permission to enter to talk to Taylor. The man at the gate said he’d have to check but would get back with him. It seemed like hours before he came back and told him where to go. He wished he’d have changed into a suit, then decided that he was fine, like he was in jeans and a nice shirt and tie. As soon as he got out of the car, he was greeted by a gardener who told him where Miss Taylor was.

He watched her pulling carrots out of a long row of similar-looking greens. Her feet were bare, and she had on the ugliest straw hat he’d ever seen. But it suited her as did her working in the garden. Getting her attention, she pulled off her gloves and stuck them into her basket, overflowing with fresh fall vegetables. He introduced himself to her and reminded her that she’d seen him last night.

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