13. Jack #2
“If you can go on about trust and being there for each other for an entire monologue, I sure do worry about what kind of bullshit you’re going to tell our kid. You’ll lie to me about being fine, and I’ll be left clueless about where your head is.”
There wasn’t a moment of hesitation. Those were her feelings, and she spelled them out, clear as day.
It was a kick to the fucking chest. I couldn’t lie to Maggie, and she knew it.
But I couldn’t give her what she wanted.
I couldn’t be transparent about my concerns. It was only going to stress her more.
“Maggie, what do you want from me?” My voice sounded unfamiliar, desperate.
She closed her eyes and took another breath. She wouldn’t know I caught the glimmer of a tear before her eyelids hid it. She wouldn’t know it fucking killed me to see it, either, but if I didn’t keep her at an arm’s length, I would let her down.
“I want to go to this dinner, fake the hell out of this marriage because that’s all it will ever be, and go to bed.
And I want you to be honest with me about how scared you are.
” She turned away, but I grabbed her arm before she could leave and pulled her close enough to me, so our lips were only inches apart.
Her backside was pressed against the dresser, and I was pressed against her .
“Maggie Hennicke,” I spoke in a harsh whisper.
She shivered at the sound of her new—fake—last name, eyes hungrily meeting mine.
“If you want to prove this marriage is real for even a second, then you need to believe it with your mind,” I caressed her soft tresses, letting the silk run through my fingers like water.
“Body,” I slid my hand down to her shoulder and slowly dragged it toward her collarbone. “And soul.”
Her green eyes darkened as her chest rose and fell heavier than it had a minute ago.
“Oh, Jack. You have no idea what a good actress I am.” She leaned in closer than either of us could handle and let her lips hover below mine.
I closed my eyes, preparing for the curse she was about to put on me, before her soft lips dragged across my cheek to my ear.
“See? I could make anyone think we’re destined for each other. Even you.”
Her whisper sent a shiver down my spine, causing me to back off. My blood was rushing to my cock. I was light-headed. I wanted her.
But she pulled back. “I’ll be waiting in the truck.” Maggie’s voice returned to normal as she turned and left the room, seductive eyes tempting me as she glanced back. If that was any indication of how the rest of the night would go, I was in for one hell of a ride.
***
“Hennicke! It’s so good to see you, boy!” A tall, silver-haired, Latin man pulled me into a hug after opening his front door. His white and blue gingham shirt was showered with cologne, causing me to disguise a cough with a chuckle.
“Great to see you, Mike. It’s been, what, four years?” I pulled out of the embrace to face him.
“Yeah, something like that. It was when you were a scrawny little college freshman getting your sea legs in the real polo world.” He stuffed his hands into his pockets.
“And look at you now,” Alvita, Mike’s wife, greeted as she popped out from behind him. Her Jamaican accent and motherly tone made me feel more at home in the presence of my new boss. “Oh, and is this your beautiful wife?” She rushed to hold Maggie by the shoulders and introduce herself.
“Yes, this is Maggie Ry-Hennicke,” I corrected myself, noticing Maggie was still uncomfortable with the sudden shift in her last name. “My beautiful wife.”
She shot me a small, quick smile before returning her attention to Alvita, who was eager to welcome her. “I’m Alvita. It’s so nice to finally meet you.”
“Well, come, come inside.” Mike motioned us through the front door into his expansive foyer and living room.
“We’ve got dinner ready at the table, so go ahead and take a seat.
” His massive grin reminded me to keep a smile on my face, despite how unhappy I was about my standing with Maggie.
The four of us entered the white and gray dining area with a clear glass table, a sparkly chandelier, and flickering candles.
“Would either of you like a drink?” Alvita asked over her shoulder as she made her way into the butler’s pantry.
“Just water, please,” I replied, Maggie echoing, “Same here, thank you,” and Alvita
turned to retrieve crystal glasses from the cabinet. I liked that she didn’t question our lack of alcohol, even though four champagne glasses sat on the table.
I pulled out a chair for Maggie, and a small smile graced her lips again before she sat
down. Maybe I was winning some brownie points. Or maybe this was all part of the game.
I took the seat next to her and reached for her lap to grasp the hand I knew was already shaking. She squeezed mine in return.
“So, Mike, tell me about Golden Meadow.” I wanted to lead the conversation before either of them could ask about Maggie and me.
“Oh, where do I start? I couldn’t tell you enough about this beautiful place.
Alvita and I are so happy out here. Since we’re not too far from Sheridan, it’s peaceful and quiet with the community just thirty minutes away.
The town has grown quite a bit in the last few years, which has increased the club’s revenue, but it still has that small-town charm.
We have public games every Sunday now, lessons, clinics, the whole deal.
And not to mention, the Big Horn mountains are a beauty to look at. ”
Alvita nodded. “The serenity of this place is unmatchable. You two need to check out the trails around the club as well. They wind around all of the properties in the club and spit you out at the base of the mountains, where there is another public trail you can ride for miles.”
“That sounds incredible,” Maggie chimed in, then turned to me. “We’ll have to check them out once I can ride again.”
My arm fell against the table, making the clank of my utensils hitting each other rather loud. Shit. I didn’t want her to bring it up so quickly, but her grip on my hand told me she just wanted to rip off the Band-Aid.
“Ride again?” Alvita looked between us with a curiosity that lacked expectation or judgment.
“I’m, uh…” Maggie glanced at me before I dipped my head. We had already foreshadowed it. May as well tell them now before people start asking questions. Her faux smile tightened as she turned back to Mike and Alvita, her hand clutching mine in a death grip. “I’m pregnant.”
Alvita broke into a huge smile, revealing her blinding white teeth. “Congratulations! You two are expecting!” she exclaimed, reaching for the au gratin potatoes across from me. “Are you excited? Do you know the gender yet?”
Mike placed a soft hand on his wife’s forearm and chuckled. “Vita, give them a second.” She smirked at her husband before shooting a wink our way.
I looked over to Maggie, attempting to hide my pained expression, but she simply nodded and smiled bigger than what was believably real.
“We are so excited. Everything happened so fast, but in the best way possible. We’re waiting to find out the gender, but I’ll be scheduling my doctor’s appointments within the next few weeks. Do you two have any kids?”
Good. Steer the conversation anywhere but here.
Mike shook his head. “No kids here. We chose horses to be our kids.”
It was a surprise, considering their house could fit a dozen more people than just the two of them.
“Anyway,” Alvita picked up her champagne flute and swirled the golden liquid.
“Tell us about how you met. It was such a shock when Mike told me that little Jack Hennicke was now an adult and married ! Imagine my surprise now that I hear you two are having a baby.” A chuckle escaped her mouth as if this were the most normal conversation in the world, not a string of made-up lies to save our reputations.
“Well…” Maggie stuttered, glancing at me for help.
“We’ve known each other for years.” I looked back at her with a longing I wasn’t so sure was fake or not.
“I lived two doors down from her for as long as I can remember, and we both came back from college looking for the next move for our careers. Since Maggie didn’t have a string of horses, she came to work for my dad and me in exchange for some chukkers on our horses, and a pretty nice paycheck.
” I threw a wink her way, and she rolled her eyes.
Maybe I was getting back on my pretend wife’s good side.
“The classic falling for the groom story. It’s inevitable. You spend enough time with someone for so long, you can’t not fall in love with them.” Mike laughed, and Alvita put a knowing hand on his shoulder.
“Calm down, Michael, let the lovebirds tell their story.” Even she couldn’t help the small laugh and huge smile that grew on her face.
Pride swelled in my chest at my convincing story.
It was difficult to watch them look so in love, even after thirty-something years of marriage.
It was something I knew I would never have, or at least, not in the uncomplicated way they did.
Whether it was Maggie I ended up with or not, she would still be a massive part of my life forever.
But the thought of someone else entering the equation made my blood boil.
“So anyway, long story short, we got closer as time passed, and eventually I fell in love with her. Of course, it took a little convincing to show her that I wasn’t the player I used to be.”
“That’s the polo player in you,” Mike interjected, raising his glass.
Yeah, the polo player still in me is the reason Maggie and I would never work.
A nervous laugh left my mouth as I continued trying to sell our story. Maggie ran the pad of her thumb across my hand, encouraging me. I moved my gaze to her.
“She lifted me out of that part of my life. She brought me back to life, and it sucked that it took twenty-something years to realize it. So, I did everything I could to get her to trust me. I tried to make her feel loved and cared for and everything in between. I gave her everything I had, and sometimes it’s still not enough.
But I’m trying .” I really fucking was. And I would do anything to prove it.
Maggie’s eyes widened, and a look that I couldn’t quite depict crossed her face.
Her green irises held a knowingness, a forgiveness that warmed my skin.
She stayed frozen for no more than three seconds before clearing her throat.
Her gaze lingered on me. “Well, he finally proved that he was worth everything he gave, and I eventually fell in love with him, too. We decided to elope because we didn’t want a big, fancy wedding.
And before we knew it, a baby was coming along.
We figured Wyoming would be the best place to start our new lives together. ”
I watched Maggie tuck her soft waves behind her ears before gauging the reactions of the two people across the table. How did she do it? Did she mean to look into my eyes the way she did, with love and longing and worry?
“That is just a beautiful story.” Alvita blushed.