Jack (Tucker’s Pride #4)

Chapter 3

Jack was ready to close the restaurant down for the day when he got one more order. Next week, they were going to do nights three nights a week and he was both looking forward to it and not. The staff was doing well now and seemed to be catching onto what to do very well, and he loved the rush of lunchtime people coming in to eat at his place. Just as he was reading over the order he’d been given, someone reached out to him. He was surprised that it was Taylor.

“I’m with Bailee. She’s the one who told me that I could contact you like this. I think we need to have a long talk about things like this, don’t you?” He explained to her, laughing, that they’d been really busy of late. “I know. I have my phone loaded with messages from my mom. Grandma does as well. How about you?”

“I didn’t check. When I left home this morning, I stopped by the store to get some flowers delivered. I loved the way they seemed to have brightened up your house when I was there.” She said that she needed to talk to him could he spare her a few minutes. “Yes, I can cook and work at the same time. If not, I’ll tell you.”

“Don’t tell Grandma, but I think my mom keyed my car some time over the last few hours. I was at a meeting with some of the women in your family, and when I came out to leave, the word ‘bitch’ was written in scratches on my car. I don’t know that it was her for sure but I don’t have any trouble with anyone else but her lately.” He asked her if she’d called the police. “I wasn’t sure that I wanted to get my mom in trouble, but I’m sure that she’s not going to stop with a little vandalism, do you?”

“No. If you ignore her, she’ll think that it’s all right with you and ramp up her getting back at you. Best to start off right away involving the police so that when it does get bad, they’ll have proof of how she escalated things.” She asked him if he thought that she would. “I don’t know, honey. You’d be better off answering that than I would. What do you think that she’ll do?”

“Honestly, I never thought that she’d do this to me. But things have changed for her, too. I have you, and I’m not at home where she can just call for me to come over and do what she wants.” Jack asked her if she was going to move back to the condo now that her grannie wasn’t dying. “I wish I knew to what extent she was still going to be around. Then I’d have a better answer for you. Bailee told me that the only one that would know for sure would be the Foster family. One of them is the grand witch and she would have a better idea as to what sort of magic the two of us have gotten.”

“That would be Parker. She and her husband are the most powerful witch and warlock there has ever been. I’ll contact them for you and have her come to meet you.” He pulled the steak off the grill and put it onto the plate that he’d been lying other items on as they came off the grill for the order. “Don’t be surprised if she just pops to where you are. Bailee would be used to it, but perhaps not you.”

“She’s here.” He laughed as she closed the connection. Bailee would be able to keep Parker from scaring Taylor too much and he was glad for her help. After finishing up the order, he began shutting down the grill and the prep table he’d been using. It was nice to have a job that he loved, he knew but he was missing time too in getting to know Taylor and her grandma.

The wedding plans were just simply meeting up at the court house to get it finished. He didn’t think it was rushing things, but sometimes, he knew that Taylor did. He didn’t have an opinion either way and was just glad that she was willing to meet him there to get their vows read and their marriage certificate filed. The sooner, the better he thought, what with her mother acting out.

He’d realized after talking to his older sister, Dakota, that Gilda was acting like a child more than an adult. It was as if what he’d been told all along. Gilda had had her every demand taken care of, and now that she was older, she expected the same thing to hold true. He didn’t blame her parents for leaving her when they had. It must have been hard on them having a grown woman that needed her nose wiped and her food prepared for her.

Dakota also talked to him about using his place as a base for her catering business. Dakota Luncheon had been a huge hit back home, her bringing in sandwiches or whatever they wanted into corporate business meetings and then cleaning up when it was over. She’d also been doing a few graduations too that would want someone else to take over the food end of a party.

“I’ll make sure that I’m not using your kitchen every day. I need to get my own building taken care of, but I wanted to see how well you were doing before I did that. You testing the water for me has given me a great deal of confidence that I didn’t have before.” He told her that he’d not gotten the nights opened up so far, but that was coming soon. “Good for you. I knew you were going to be a success. You just have a knack about you that tells people that you’re going to give them really good food.”

“Thanks. When do you think you’ll start?” She told him she had a luncheon on Thursday afternoon with canapés and desserts. “Are you going to use the things we have here? I don’t mind but if you do take something out, please make sure that you make a note of it. I don’t want to be without something when I think that it’s there.”

“I will. I’m mostly just going to use things that I can get for a discount at the local stores. I understand that you’ve been looking into finding smaller items like to-go bags that will help you. I have stuff like that already. We can share resources on that if you want.” He loved that idea and told her that. “Great. I’ll be in tomorrow morning to get everything ready to go by the time you come in for your lunch crowd.”

“We’re closed on Thursdays. I’ll come in to help you out if that’s all right with you. That way, I can get a good eye on what you will be doing and help you get it along so that it doesn’t cost as much in labor.” She told him that she was thinking of getting a nice truck to cart hot things in, too. “Great idea. I’ve been asked if we were going to do something like that at the county fairs and such. We can have some family fun together while we’re at it.”

After talking to his sister for a bit more, he was ready to go home. After getting the kitchen back to its usual neatness, he locked up and headed to his car. He was glad that he was looking around, something that he rarely did when he was headed home because he saw Gilda before she saw him.

Jack noticed that she was dressed in a sort of childish way. While she wasn’t a bad-looking woman, she did have these things about her that made him wonder if she was sane. The short shorts she had on where something that he was sure that someone about half her age wouldn’t be caught in, as well as the halter top that was a dizzying shade of orange and blue that made him slightly cross-eyed if she moved too quickly. Her hair was a tangled mess of a bun in the back, and her shoes, sandals, he supposed, were just flat pieces of foam that laced up her legs all the way to her thigh.

In that moment, he thought of his mother and how she had been dressed when she’d been called before Ronan as king. The same inappropriateness as his mother had been. He also thought that the two of them were alike in their wanting everyone to cater to their needs. Jack wanted to talk to his brothers and see what they thought.

He watched her as she roamed around the parking lot that his car was in. She stopped by it twice but didn’t bother it. When she looked around, ducking behind a large truck, he made himself known to her in the event that she was going to key another car, thinking that it was his.

“What do you think you’re doing?” She glared at him, and seeing her dressed as she was, it just made him laugh. “You don’t frighten me any. Get yourself away from here so that you don’t cause or get yourself into any more trouble.”

“Where is Taylor? And Henrietta? Someone told me that she wasn’t going to ever die. I demand that you give me whatever it was that they have. I deserve to live forever, too.” He told her that he didn’t know what she was talking about. “Sure you don’t. I want you to find my daughter while you’re at it. I know that she thinks that she’s going to be marrying soon, but I have a few rules that I’d like to go over with the two of you before that.”

“We’re going to be getting married soon, as a matter of fact, and if you were going to ask, no, you’re not invited. It’s going to be a small ceremony of just a couple of people.” Gilda told him she’d see about that. “You keep thinking that you’re in charge. What did you want Taylor for? She’s working in the event that you didn’t know that.”

“She’s always been stupid about stuff like that. Working when there was plenty of money to go around. I haven’t worked a day in my life. People just like to see me relaxed and happy.” She glared at him after a few seconds, and it made him laugh. “Don’t you want to see me happy…err…what is your name anyway? Not that I really care, but if I have to take you out of the picture, then I will. I’ve no idea why you think that you and Taylor have anything going on when she’s been taking care of my needs since her father died. He was about useless, too.”

“I’m Jack.” He didn’t tell her his last name on purpose. There is no telling what she’d do with that sort of information. He was slightly afraid of her. Gilda was unhinged, and there was no telling what she’d do if she got mad enough. “I can tell Taylor or Henrietta that I spoke to you if you want. I’m not sure where she is right now, but I know she had plans for the rest of the afternoon.”

“You tell them that it’s high time we had a meeting. I don’t like the way that I’m being treated, either. I should be first and foremost in their minds before anyone else. You tell them that I’m upset because things aren’t being done for me.” He nearly laughed but didn’t. Gilda really was unhinged. “And I’m telling you this right now. There will be no children when you think to be married. I’m going to be at your house all the time to make sure that she never forgets her birth control. Taylor doesn’t need children. She has me.”

“You think that will work, do you? How do you propose to be at our home daily when we have no intentions of inviting you there? We’re going to find us a nice place that you know nothing about and keep you out of our lives.” She lunged at him, and he did take a step back, knowing that she couldn’t reach him where he was standing but was hoping that she’d fall on her ass. When she fell against the car in front of her, he knew that she’d hurt herself. Instead of going to her aid, all he could think about was an injured bear and how it would attack. He got into his car and drove away. He didn’t have any more time to waste on the other woman. She was going to be the police problem as soon as he could get someplace that he could call them.

“I believe that she keyed my future wife’s car this morning and was looking for mine in the lot behind Jack’s, too. I’ll pay for any damage that she’s done in the parking lot now but I’m not going to be so generous if she continues to be out and about causing trouble.” Joey told him that he’d had to run her off this morning as she was hanging out at the Tucker Charity, looking for him. “I wondered how long it would take her before she would figure out that I’m a part of that as well. It did take a bit longer than I thought, to be honest.”

“I’ve been keeping an eye on Ms. Murphy too. Now, that is a classy lady. She’s been doing a lot for this town since I became a cop here. When she figured out that someone was tailing her, she told them it was all right to be with her but they weren’t to get hurt if they could help it. I love that woman.” He said that he did as well. “We know that Taylor is in her offices this morning and have been driving by there a few times a day. She always waves at us and doesn’t fuss at us for wasting tax payer’s money. I hear you’re going to be getting married to her soon.”

“Tomorrow morning at the court house. We just want to get it done so that there aren’t any more problems with her mother. I hope that works anyway.” He told him good luck with that. “Yeah, I understand that too.”

Heading to the offices where both Henrietta and Taylor were working today, he was glad to see that they were having a snack to keep them tied over until dinner. He sat down to join them just as they were getting themselves something to drink.

~*~

Taylor watched her mother as she walked up and down in front of the Murphy Building. She didn’t enter, for which she was happy but she did gesture towards the building and flip off anyone who came in or out of the building if she happened to be near enough. Grandma had told her that she thought that her mom was in a blind rage and that it would be better to let her stew rather than to try and figure out what she was pissed off about.

“Ms. Taylor? You have a call on line two. It’s the man that you had a meeting with this morning, and he missed it.” She asked if he had said why he missed it. “No. But he is upset that he doesn’t have a check in his possession for the amount that he said you owe him.”

“I’ll take it. Also, Jack is supposed to come in today. Can you show him where my office is?” She smiled and said that she could. Picking up the phone, she realized something else. “The recording is still on about how whoever calls is being recorded, correct?”

“Yes, and I reminded Mr. Chou of it as well when he started cursing at me. A heads up, ma’am, he’s spitting mad about something.” Taking a deep breath, she smiled so that she’d at least start out on her end in a better mood. Whomever he was talking to was being fired and her heart hurt for the other woman. She might even try to find her and rehire her from the bully. When there was a lull in his berating the other woman, she spoke.

“Mr. Chou, it’s Taylor Murphy Tucker. What is it I can do for you?” She waited a few seconds until he realized that she was on the line. “We had a meeting planned for this morning and you didn’t show. That’s not the way I do business.”

“Where is my money?” She asked him what money he was talking about. “The money that you’re going to pay me so that I don’t buy you out lock stock and barrel.”

“I wasn’t aware that my business was up for sale. It didn’t hit the paper where I’d think that sort of news would be. Perhaps you could explain it to me.” He screamed that she owed him for not giving him the line of credit that he’d asked for. “I suppose you would think that with our last meeting but I remember telling you that there wasn’t any way that I was going to give you any money to expand as you have no place to work on that as of now. You were to show me the land specs as well as the builders so that we can get started on that. As it is now, I’m not inclined to give you anything. I don’t like to have my day messed up because someone didn’t feel like coming to a meeting that we’ve set up.”

“I’ve been doing business with your grannie for a long time. She never wanted to have meetings with her. She would come out to where I needed her and then set things up for me while she was here.” Taylor reminded him, not for the first time, that she wasn’t her grandmother. “No, you’re not. She knew how to run a business. And you don’t have the first clue on how to treat someone when they want to make you money.”

“Mr. Chou, I believe my grandmother told you the last time she was with you that if you didn’t pay the note on time, we would not be doing business with you. I’ve told you this as well. You borrowing twenty-three million off of us doesn’t make us any money when you are already fifty-seven million dollars in arrears. That’s not even counting the leans that we have against your company and the late charges that you owe. You’re already in debt with us for over ninety million, and you’ve not made a payment in over six months.”

“I was going to get caught up with you when you came here.” She asked him if he was planning to use the expansion money to get caught up. “Yes. That’s the way things work.”

“So you’d use the expansion money that you told me you needed so badly because your lines were too slow to get partially caught up on the money that you already owe us?” He told her again that was how things worked. “I don’t think so. If you don’t expand like you said you needed to—and I agree with you—you’re never going to get ahead of the losses that you’re experiencing now. Me putting any of my money into your business would be like throwing gas on a fire. There will be nothing left for me when all is said and done. I’m afraid—and to be honest with you, I am afraid of your business failing. I’d be losing more money than you if I were to help you out like that.”

“So you’re not going to help me out?” She told him that she didn’t think anyone would be willing to help him out with the track record that he has now. “Where is your grandmother? Now her I can talk to. She knows when things need to be put in place to handle the flow of business.”

“My grandmother turned this over to me because she didn’t want to deal with your lies anymore about your business. I’ve done some major research on you, Mr. Chou, and I’ve found out that you’ve been turned down by every bank in town. Not only that, but you’ve been playing the races and losing more than you can afford. Your wife has left you when you drained your retirement dry and left her with nothing of the money that her parents left her. Even she thinks this is a bad idea.” He asked when she’d spoken to his wife. “Just this morning. She came to the meeting that you and I were to have this morning. She came here to convince me that doing business with you isn’t going to help at all but to make both of us lose money. And I hate to lose money.”

Her cell phone dinged, telling her that things were set up on the other end. Smiling, feeling good about the next steps that were going to befall Mr. Chou, she leaned back in her chair just as Jack came into her office with her grandmother.

“As of this moment, Mr. Chou, the police are there to take your building away from you for nonpayment. The IRS is there because you’ve not paid your taxes in the last fifteen years as well as the land and property taxes on your personal property.” He called her a cunt. “That’s not all that nice, you know. Good luck in the future with your business, Mr. Chou. It looks like I’m going to be getting some, if not all, of my money back sooner than I thought.”

“You’ve had him arrested then?” Taylor told her grandmother that his wife had brought in all the paperwork that she’d had at home about her husband and told her that he needed to have prison time. “That man could talk a big game, but he never had anything to back it up. That’s why I gave it over to you. I knew you’d not waste any time with his ass. Stupid man. Who did he think that he was dealing with?”

“Stupid women. His wife, now, if she’d come in for a loan, I would have given it to her. Perhaps not, but I would have thought it over a great deal.” Her cell phone rang, and she turned it off. “Speaking of stupid people. That was Mother. She’s been calling me about fourteen times a day now and leaving messages nastier than the last one.”

“She is going on about us not having any children and that she’s going to be at our home to make sure that you take your birth control every day. I didn’t tell her that it wouldn’t do any good. If you’re in heat or ovulating, nothing can stop me from impregnating you.” He explained how that would work. “I’m not saying that we start on children right away, but would you like a couple dozen?”

They all started laughing, and Taylor hugged him to her. She was so in love with this man that there were times when she thought someone should pinch her to make it all seem nothing like a dream. After going over the next day’s schedule, they headed to her grandmother’s home for dinner. She was going to have to talk to her grandmother about having Jack stay with them, him sleeping with her, but she’d not gotten around to it.

“I’ve been thinking. You should both move into this place on a permanent basis. It’s not like there isn’t enough room and I’d so love to have you both here all the time. When Jack leaves, it’s like a part of my heart goes with him.” Taylor looked at Jack and asked him if he’d like to stay there. “Oh, do say you will. I was also thinking that it might be a bit safer for the three of us if we were to stick together. There is no telling what that woman would do if she caught us unawares. My goodness, I just don’t know what’s come over her.”

“She’s realizing that her daughter is pulling away from her.” When Parker popped into the room, he stood up. After introductions were made, he then explained that he’d gotten in touch with her about the magic that was in the family. “You were right in assuming that Jack healed your cancer. I’m here to offer you immortality as well. Jack and Taylor already have it, thanks to them being mates.”

“Immortality? Is there such a—never mind you’d not say it if it wasn’t true. I don’t know what that means for someone as old as I am. Will I suddenly become younger? No, that’s not right.” Grandma looked at her and winked. “What would you say about having this old woman around all the time? I’ll assure you that I’ll not be in your bedroom in the morning to make sure that you’re not popping the wrong sort of drugs.”

“You’re a hoot. It would be a pleasure to have you around a bit more. But no, you won’t be younger, but you will benefit from the magic that will come with it. You won’t die, nor will you have the aches and pains of someone your age either.” Parker took her grandmother’s hands into hers. “You’re completely cancer-free, and it won’t be anything that comes around anymore, either. You can still get hurt, but you’ll heal a great deal faster. No colds, either. You’re going to be healthy as a person half your age.”

“And what happens if I decide that I no longer want to be around? Is that something—I’m not saying that I’m going to do that, but will I be able to die should I want to? I’ve been around for a good long time, Parker, and I might just be sick of living with the world.” Parker told her that she could take it away with just a snap of the fingers. “That will kill me?”

“No, you’ll age a bit, not quickly, but your age, whatever it might be, will catch up to you. You’ll more than likely die with your family surrounding you, and that would be nice, wouldn’t it?” Nodding, Taylor felt her own eyes fill with tears about what was being said to her grandmother. “However I would like to suggest with the things that are going around right now with Gilda, you might well need the extra bit of magic, at least until she’s gone.”

“You know she’s going to cause trouble then?” Parker said that she was too off her noodle not to be able to cause a great deal of trouble. “I worry about what I could have done when my grandson was around. He tried to tell me what she was like, and I didn’t listen.”

“It is his fault that things progressed more than they should have for him. And you were right in your thoughts that she drove him to his heart attack. Had she been a different person, or him a stronger man, they wouldn’t have lasted the first few weeks of their marriage. But complete blame lies with her parents. She was a willful child, and they allowed her to have anything and everything that she wanted. Not many people will know this but they were afraid for Henry to marry their child. They knew what sort of person she was and didn’t warn him about things that could have saved them both. Gilda should have been put in a home long before now. Or some kind of institution. She’s not right.” Parker looked at her. “You were but a child when she wanted you to take care of her. Since you knew no better than what she was when you were so young, you did what was necessary to make sure that you were well taken care of even if she didn’t. It isn’t your fault. I believe that had your father lived, he would have eventually left her and taken you with him. I doubt that your life would have been as good as it is right now, but I don’t know for sure. As the old saying goes, you are what you were raised to be. You should be commended on how you turned out, Taylor.”

After she left them, telling Jack and herself that the magic would only get stronger after they made love, Parker took her aside. After a quick hug, she looked her in the eye.

“Don’t let her bully you into anything. Jack will never love anyone but you, so if you leave him because you’re worried about him, remember this, if nothing else. You’re immortal. Both of you are.” She asked if she knew something more. “I do. Just bits and pieces, but don’t let your mother bully you into anything.”

“I won’t.” After she left them, her grandmother was talking to Jack. Interrupting just to make things clear, she smiled at her grandmother and Jack. “You’re staying here. And we’re going to have sex. A lot of it.”

Grandmother cheered and then laughed. Jack stood and bowed before her before pulling her into his arms and kissing her. Life, their life, was about to get much more exciting. They’d deal with her mom when the time was right. But for now, they had each other.