Page 23 of Two Hearts
Hedidknow her.Or…he thought he did.So she’d taken a few karate lessons or a self-defense course at college.So what?And according to Jack’s know-it-all buddy, she’d played some team sports, as well.He could see why she might have wanted to keep all that to herself.Hell, her mother was intimidating at best, terror-inducing at worst, and she was pretty clear about what she saw as acceptable and what she did not.She would have thrown a fit if Grace had told her about the sports thing.
So it had been a secret, and Grace had carried that over to Jack—for some reason decided to keep it from him, as well.Maybe she thought he wouldn’t approve or something.He didn’t know.And yes, it was a revelation to him…but it didn’t change what he already knew about his wife.That she was sensitive, well-bred, a lady through and through.
He had never wanted this kind of garbage to touch her.Now it was.
“I’m sorry, Grace.”
She shook her head.“We messed up,” she said.“Both of us.”
But it was worse than that.Jack knew it was.Oh, she was dealing with it all well and good right now, but he knew.
He’d been born under this star.He’d been destined for police work.He’d always known that he would follow in his father’s footsteps.But Grace hadn’t been born to this.Nor had Jack’s mother, and it had damn near destroyed her.
One day, after a particularly stressful week, Jack’s mother had quietly suffered a breakdown.And it had scared Jack to death.His dad retired after that.He sat Jack down and told him that being a police officer’s wife was too hard on a fragile woman.That it was his job that had driven Mom over the edge, and that he wouldn’t let that happen again.
Jack’s mother had spent a month in a hospital.His father had taken a job as a night watchman.But the trauma of that time had stayed with him.
Damn, he didn’t want to see the same thing happen to Grace.But it wouldn’t.Because this sham of a marriage wouldn’t last that long.Maybe Jack had fooled her into thinking he was up to her standards for a little while, and it had been a beautiful fantasy.But it was over.She had seen the truth.There was no more to be said.
Once Jack got his wife’s sister and her best friend back home, safe and sound, he would more than likely have to pack up his fake possessions and head back to his real life.His apartment over the bar.His crass friends and their poker nights and football games and pizza and beer.
He wouldn’t miss the spit polish all that much.
Butdamn,he was sure going to miss Grace.
They skirted the swamp as they headed back to the highway, but despite Grace’s efforts with the light, they saw nothing.Then they waited in a turnaround for the troops to arrive.And they did, by the dozens.Carloads of them, with spotlights and motorboats.JW filled them in, and Jack was left without much to do but wait for the information to come in on their felon.That and…talk to his wife.
“We’re going to need to tell your parents what’s happened,” he told her as men scurried around like ants, talked into radios and leaned over maps.
She lowered her head at once.“They’ll blame me.”Then, shaking it slowly, “Hell, they should.It was all my fault.”
Jack cupped her chin, made her look up at him.That face of hers, tilted up toward his like that, made him shiver.“You never told me,” he said.“Why did you follow me out here tonight?”
She closed her eyes.“You got a phone call in the middle of the night,” she said.
“So?”
“So…you whispered, ‘Why are you calling me here?’And then you sneaked downstairs to call them back.It was pretty obvious you didn’t want me hearing that conversation.”
“Well, I didn’t.But I still don’t see what…” Jack stopped there, and his stomach lurched.“You thought it was a woman, didn’t you?My God, Grace, you thought I was sneaking off to meet some woman?”
She pulled away from him.“Well, what was I supposed to think?It was so obvious you were keeping secrets, Jack.And there were all those late nights.And the way you are with me when we…” She bit off the rest, but Jack saw it, saw it clear in her eyes.
“Damn,” he whispered.“Baby, if you only knew.”He shook his head slowly.
“McCain?”JW called.
Jack turned, hating like hell to leave things that way with Grace right now, but knowing he had no choice.Hell, it was starting to rain.A fine mist, coming down, gently coating them without them even noticing or feeling the drops.JW handed him a cell phone, and Jack snatched a notepad out of his pocket as the female officer on the other end read him off a list of names, addresses and other pertinent information that might help in tracking Hope and Charlie’s kidnapper.Jack wrote quickly, filling two pages, top to bottom.
Then he flipped the phone shut and took his wife’s hand.“Now we can get to work.We’ll call your parents on the way.”
She nodded, started to pull free of him, to head to her side of the car, but on impulse, Jack held on.When she turned to ask why, he pulled her close.“I never cheated on you, Grace.Never even thought about it.”
The mist on her face made her skin shiny and moist.“Do you believe me?”he asked her.
She nodded.
“No, you don’t.And I know why.”Jack let his hands slip lower, cupping her rounded backside, and pulling her tight to him.Then he arched against her just a little, leaned down and kissed her, briefly, quickly, and not nearly the way he wanted to.But even then, he tasted her lips, closing his around them, and suckling just a little.She went stiff with shock.He’d never kissed her like that.Not even on their wedding night.When Jack let her go, she just stood there, staring at him, blinking in the misty rain.
