Chapter 9

Jack

Unfortunately, the job of finding someone whose social circle you are a complete outside of is trickier than you might imagine.

I tried everything I could think of and finally settled for leaving voicemails for Elliot Winter. He was out of the country, his secretary told me a hundred times, without further explanation. Following that thread of thought, I tried to contact his wife, to no avail. She was also unavailable, though one afternoon, I called her studio and hit pay dirt. Her partner, Dominique, told me that both Elliot and Mia were in Italy, at their property there. I set my security team to find out the location and prepared to leave. She had to be there, simply because I was out of other options. Worst case scenario, I could have Elliot Winter tortured until he gave up her location, and I wasn’t ruling that out as of yet.

I boarded a private jet to Italy two hours after that conversation. I’m coming for you, honey, I told the imaginary Clara in my head. I’m on my way.

* * *

Clara

Ok, so maybe it had been dramatic to run away to Italy, but I couldn’t stay in the house with my mother one more night, and anyway, the vineyard was one of my favorite places to stay. I came so often, I had my own room and everything. Mia’s father had also set up a small jewelry workshop space for me, in one of the stables. He was sweet and kind, and I felt more embraced and at home there than I ever had in the Boston house.

I stopped checking my phone constantly. There was something buggy going on with it, and I was tired of looking at it. I didn’t know if Jack was back in New York yet, but I’d see him when I got home. I just needed a few days to process everything. Then, I’d put on my big girl pants and go and tell him that I was pregnant.

I walked the property endlessly, through the vines, and late summer sunshine. I swam in the pool and read, ate creamy mozzarella and juicy cherry tomatoes by the bowlful, and just basically avoided thinking about anything upsetting. Elliot was in contact with my mother, and I knew I’d hear any updates about our father from him.

At night, when the stars came out, I sat on the terrace with the smell of citronella candles wafting around me, put a hand to my belly, and spoke to it. The baby. The tiny bundle of cells growing inside me that was the proof of Jack and I’s love. Even if he did love me less than he’d thought… he would love our baby. I was sure of it. No son of Martha and William Dawson could fail to be anything other than a great father.

It had been a couple of days when Elliot and Mia announced they were going into the nearest city for a meeting. With the house to myself, I borrowed a white and red polka dot bikini from Mia and sat in the pool most of the day. I had the radio on, and vintage Italian love songs kept me company, as I floated on my back and wondered idly if I’d put enough sun cream on.

“You didn’t, but luckily, I can help with that,” a deep voice said. First, I had said that aloud? Secondly, I whirled around in the water to stare at the doorway to the house, with Jack Dawson framed in it.

Jack Dawson.

Here.

My heart flip-flopped in my chest. The sight of him was such a relief, my knees might not have held me if I hadn’t been floating.

“What are you doing here?” I heard myself say, like a character in every bad movie ever. Jack squinted into the distance, where the vines rolled away over gentle hills.

“Oh, you know, I was just in the area, and thought I’d do a wine tasting, maybe a tour,” he said playfully, as he strolled toward me. He was wearing jeans, with a button-down shirt with rolled sleeves to the elbows. He came closer to me, looping his fingers in his belt and rocking back on his heels.

“Are you coming out of there, or are you gonna make me come in?” he asked. I crossed my arms over my chest.

“That depends. Are you cheating on me with a very beautiful Japanese woman?” I asked him. He laughed.

“Do you really need me to answer that?” He slipped his shoes off. I watched him with consternation as he went to the stairs leading down into the water. “You’re really not coming out?” he asked again. I shook my head. It was safer to get my answers in the water, where he couldn’t come.

He shrugged, and put one socked foot into the pool, and then another.

“Jack! What are you doing?” I cried as he splashed down the stairs into the water. It covered his jeans and wet through his shirt. He came toward me, and there was nowhere to run.

“Don’t think a little water will stop me from coming for you Clara,” Jack warned. “You see, you told me you loved me, and I’m really not letting you go. My mother has already knitted you a doily for every surface in your house,” he laughed, as I splashed him. He advanced, and finally, his hands closed around my waist. He walked me back against the wall of the pool. I stared up at him, disbelieving for a moment that it was really him.

Jack, my Jack, come to find me.

“I am not cheating on you, and will never cheat on you. Every other woman failed to exist before you and ceased to exist after you. There is no one else that can hold my interest like you, Clara. I only see you, now and forever,” he said, pulling my body into his arms.

“Then why didn’t you call me?”

“You can ask your mother about that. After our little conversation earlier, I’m sure she’s getting a restraining order against me,” Jack said. I stared at him in awe.

“You spoke to Emily.”

“Spoke is putting it mildly, to be honest. I might have lost my temper a little. But hey, I’m Jack Dawson, and I hate people,” he reminded me. I nodded.

“That’s what they say,” I mused, as I processed everything he was telling me.

“It also behooves me to tell you that your father has made a sudden and miraculous recovery,” Jack said. Suspicion formed in my belly.

“No way… there’s no way, she wouldn’t,” I muttered, trying to believe it myself.

“Oh, she would and she did. But it doesn’t matter now,” Jack said. I was still trying to process the fact that my mother had lied about my father being ill. I was angry and relieved at the same time.

“Why not?” I asked, curious how he thought we would overcome her clear dislike of him.

“Because, we’re together now, and that’s that. Final. If I have to go to Japan for business, maybe you’d like to come with me next time.” He said, pressing a kiss against my temple and then moving slowly along my cheek. I was so relieved that he had come for me, so relieved it had all been tricks and manipulation. Jack had never stopped loving me, and maybe deep in my heart, I had always known he wouldn’t, after all, the same love burned brightly inside me, and it was impossible to ignore or forget. “And let’s fix this girlfriend nonsense. Come with me as my wife,” he said quietly. My eyes shot to his. There it was, nerves on Jack’s face. The man who had never seemed nervous about anything, suddenly apprehensive.

“Wife?”

“Yes, my wife. I’ve known I was going to marry you since you stepped onto that stage, and stared the room down. And just so you know this isn’t an impulsive thing…” he trailed off, his hand moving to his back pocket. He worked something out of the denim.

“This would be easier on dry land,” he muttered, as he finally freed an emerald green ring box, and presented it to me. “I have the ring and everything,” he murmured, cracking open the box to reveal an exquisitely clear, square cut solitaire. It was simple and stunning. “Now, rest assured this is sourced from Brazil, a company that works with-“

I kissed him, I couldn’t hold back one more moment.

His tongue was a sudden shock of warmth on my cold, wet skin, and I pressed myself against him, my legs coming up to drift around his middle. He pressed me back against the pool wall. The wet denim of his jeans rubbed against my inner thighs, and despite the cool water, I could feel his desire for me, hard and ready, pressing between my legs.

“Is this a yes?” Jack murmured, as he pulled back to take my hand, and slid the ring up my wet finger, tossing the soaked box onto the tiles behind us. I smiled and nodded.

“It’s not just a yes,” I murmured, “it’s a try and stop me,” I smiled, as he rested his forehead against mine, and let out a long exhale. “Were you nervous?” I wondered.

“Hmm, like crazy,” he said quietly. “I need you, Clara, I can’t live without you now. Of course, I was nervous,” he said. My smile turned into a grin

“Wow, you’ve got it bad, Jack Dawson,” I teased him.

“You don’t know the half of it. Now, what are the chances that I can fuck you right here before your brother appears?” he murmured, his hands lowering to dip inside my bikini bottoms. His fingers swept up and down my folds and tweaked my clit, already sensitive and needy for his touch.

“He’s not here, he went to the city,” I murmured, urging him on.

“I know. I spoke to him this morning,” he told me. I paused before I became too lost in his touch.

“You’ve spoken to Elliot?” I asked him.

“Of course, he’s your family, the only one worth keeping, to be honest. He’s a good guy. I think we’ll get along just fine,” he told me. Something tender and warm unfolded in my chest at the thought of creating a new family, one that was loving. Mia, Elliot, Jack and I… just like that, I remembered.

“Erm, about those business trips, I might be able to come with you for a while…” I said, unsure how to reveal something so huge. “About another seven months, for sure,” I continued, shivering under his touch.

“What happens after seven months,” Jack asked, intent on his task to work his hand under my tight bikini top, and free my nipples to his hungry gaze.

“I’ll have to get a letter from my doctor to fly, or go on a private jet, which you always do anyway,” I trailed off, as Jack raised his head to pin me with a look.

“What are you trying to tell me, Clara?” he said plainly.

‘I’m pregnant,” I almost whispered. Jack’s eyes narrowed.

“Say that again,” he demanded.

“I’m pregnant,” I told him, and he leaned down and captured my lips in a scorching kiss. I melted against him, drinking him in, starved of him for so long. “You don’t think it’s too soon?” I questioned.

“Too soon? Yesterday isn’t soon enough. Were you hoping to get rid of me at some point?” he teased.

“No, of course not.”

“Good, well… now you can’t… you’re stuck with me, honey. Mine forever.”

“Do you promise?” I asked him breathlessly, my heart overflowing with love.

“I personally guarantee it, Clara Winter. You’re mine, forever and a day.”