Chapter 17
JACK
“Where have you been?” Gracie looks suspicious when I come in from the garden.
“Just fixing up a few things.” I shrug, kicking my boots off by the patio doors and stepping inside. “How are you feeling?” I check, for the fifth time today. According to my calculations, she should be due her period any day now.
“I feel fine, just nervous,” she admits, doing that cute, twisty thing she does with her fingers whenever she’s unsure about something.
“Well, it’s a little late to be nervous; our little one is probably already getting settled in there.” I place my hand on her flat stomach and smile at the thought.
“Your little one.” She forces my hand away, and I shouldn’t be surprised by that familiar sting that follows her words; I’m long past denying that I’m developing feelings for the girl.
What I have to focus on is finding a way to convince her to stay.
“And I told you about doing that, the staff might see.” She looks around cautiously.
“So what if they do?” I laugh at her.
“It’s just best to keep these things quiet. You're acting as if I’m already pregnant and we won’t know for sure until after the wedding.”
“You are already pregnant, and there's no way I’m waiting till after the wedding for confirmation of it. The wedding’s still a whole week away.”
“Jack, how many couples do you actually think get lucky on their first try? You shouldn’t be pinning your hopes on this happening so fast.” She fiddles with her hands again. Adorable.
“We could settle this and take a test now. I have a whole bunch of them upstairs,” I suggest, resting my shoulder on the door frame and crossing my legs.
“Jack, I’m not even late yet, and I feel no different to how I usually do.” She shakes her head and starts pacing the floor again.
“Is that what you're nervous about, not being pregnant?” I try to hide my amused smile.
“What? No—” Her response is far too defensive to believe. “I’m nervous about standing in front of hundreds of people next week and pretending to marry you.” She growls under her breath, stepping closer with a crazed look in her eye.
“Relax, all this stress isn’t good for the baby,” I remind her, pressing one palm back to her stomach and taking her cheek in the other.
“And you aren’t pretending, we really are getting married.
Does that put your mind at rest?” I smile sarcastically, and instead of slapping me like I expect her to, her face turns curious.
“You smell different.” She starts to sniff at my body, then takes my hand and places my fingertips under her nose. “You smell like herbs. What have you been doing out there?” She looks down at the mud on my jeans and the freshly ripped hole in my t-shirt.
“I told you, just fixing some stuff.” I wipe my hands on my jeans and check the smell of them myself.
“I thought you had staff for that?” She looks confused.
“I do, but there are some things I want to do myself. Come on, you have your final fitting with Pandora, she’ll be here any minute.” Taking her hand, I drag her through the house.
“Where are we going?” She starts tugging back.
“To take one of those tests. I need to fucking know,” I explain, and she brings us both to a halt before I reach the stairs.
“No, Jack, I can’t. It’s all too much. Can we please just get the wedding out the way first?
I need to deal with one thing at a time.
” I hate how scared she’s looking. I’ve noticed how she’s been off the past few days, being all jumpy and acting suspicious.
I’ve been optimistic and put it down to her hormones changing, now I’m hoping that she’s not having second thoughts.
“What’s wrong, Gracie girl?” I ask, taking a seat on the stairs and patting the step beside me.
“Nothing’s wrong, I’m just overwhelmed.” She tries so hard not to show any more weakness.
“You can’t lie to me. Something’s up, and I want to know what it is.” I rest my elbows back on the step behind me.
“Why? Can’t I just be having a bad day?” She tries playing it down again.
“Never when there's a chance you're carrying my child,” I whisper in her ear.
“Jack, I’ve told yo–”
“If I don’t know what the problem is, I can’t fix it,” I interrupt her before she tells me not to get my hopes up, again.
“For God's sake, Jack. You can’t fix this, no one can!” she yells, getting more and more irate.
“My mum always used to tell me that there's no problem that can’t be fixed.”
“I’ll bet she also told you that a problem shared is a problem halved.” Her sarcastic little smirk has me smiling, but it doesn’t distract me.
“Tell me what's troubling you.” I slide my fingers between hers and grip her hand.
“I spoke to Polly a few days ago, and she told me that Jonah has a date for his hearing; it’s in three months’ time. Three months and he could be out, Jack,” she sighs helplessly.
“Okay, I get why you're worried, but the girls are going to be fine; security at the apartment is tight, and if it will make you feel better, I’ll increase it. I can have someone with them at all times.”
“You’d do that?” She wrinkles her forehead, like the suggestion surprises her; has she not learnt anything these past two weeks?
“I’ll do more than that, I'll have the security here updated, and I’ll look into the judge who’s making these decisions. Alex knows all the ones that are bent.
“Jack, I appreciate all that, but Jonah is…He’s crazy, and he’s angry. He’s not going to let me get away with what I did.” I glance around the hall to check we’re alone before turning my body into hers and taking her other hand.
“Then I’ll take care of him,” I tell her quietly.
“What do you mean, you’ll take care of him?” Her face screws up with more confusion.
“I mean…If by some miracle he gets released, I’ll kill him.” I know I'm taking a risk making her this kind of offer, but I can’t have her worrying, not at what could be such a crucial time.
“Jack, you couldn’t. I would never ask–”
“Before I was a duke, there were things I did. Things I’m neither ashamed of or regret because the people I did them to deserved it. The way I see it, Jonah is one of those people. He’s a threat to you; I won’t have that.” I can see the shock in her eyes as she pulls her hands away from mine.
“You're serious, aren’t you?” She narrows her eyes.
“I’ve scared you.” I retake her hand, wishing I’d have kept my mouth shut.
“No…you haven’t scared me. I just…I underestimated you,” she admits.
“Which is why you should believe me when I say, you are already pregnant.” I can’t resist touching her stomach again; I feel constantly drawn to it these days, perhaps that's what's got me so convinced.
“I told you—”
“Around thirty percent of couples conceive the first time.” I give her some actual statistics as I stroke her there, proudly.
“It’s nice to know you’ve been doing some research.” She gives me that same excited little look she gets when I’ve come inside her; she’s going to love how it feels to carry my child. I’m going to make sure of it.
“I wish you wouldn’t be so excited. What if I’m not?” She bites her lip.
“Then, we’ll try again next month. I have you for a whole year, remember?
” My own words hurt when they remind me that she’s not here by choice; yes, she's here of her own free will, but only because I made her an offer she couldn’t refuse.
“If it’s going to make you feel better, we’ll take the test after the wedding,” I decide to compromise, “But you have to promise to stop worrying about this whole Jonah thing. I want positive vibes only for my little heir.”
I reach down to kiss her tummy, and she lets me, letting out the sweetest little laugh before her body goes rigid and she quickly stands up.
“Cecelia.” She smiles awkwardly, looking past my shoulder and turning red.
“Frolicking on the stairs, how classy.” Cecelia looks at us both like we’re out of place here.
“The perfect place to frolick.” I smile as I drape my arm around Gracie’s shoulders. “What brings you to this part of the house?”
“I also have a meeting with Pandora; she called me to reschedule since she’s coming here anyway.
I may not agree with your nuptials, but that doesn’t mean I won’t dress appropriately.
” She trots off into the lounge, and when I look at Gracie, we both burst into laughter.
The way she clutches the banister as she giggles has me falling a little harder.
“That’s more like it.” I tuck the strand of hair that’s fallen over her eyes behind her ear, and when her laughter stops and fades into a beautiful smile, it physically fucking hurts because I know it’s only borrowed.
“I should probably go get ready.” She turns serious on me, like she can sense what I’m thinking.
“Better had.” I go to kiss her, but back out and stroke her arm instead, moving on past her to head upstairs for a cold shower.