37. Jack
Chapter thirty-seven
Jack
L ina: Plan’s changed. Maggie is exhausted, so I’m bringing her to my place for some cheese and crackers. Want to pick her up here so she doesn’t see the house?
Jack: Yes. I’ll be there soon.
***
“Oh, Mike! Be careful lifting that all by yourself.” Mike’s slight groan at lifting the side of a table caused his careful wife to scold him, and Alvita’s warning tone stretched across the length of the house.
“Don’t you worry, Vita. I’m perfectly capable of lifting this all on my own.
” He struggled to lift the one side without scratching the wood floors.
I hurried over to lift the opposite side of the table, aiding him as we moved it behind the couch.
This was where several photos and memorabilia of Maggie’s would be displayed.
I had never planned anything like this in my life.
Sure, I could organize seventy horses by their grain, mallet size, temperament, and age without looking at a single document, but planning a birthday party slash life-changing event was a little out of my league.
I had already been in contact with the caterers, chair rental company, florist, and my life-savers, Mike, Alvita, and Lina, several times today.
If this was anything close to what a blown-out wedding would be like, I was glad Maggie and I hadn’t gone through with anything before coming out here.
A fake marriage felt much easier to pull off than actually performing the act of matrimony.
But fake wouldn’t be her memory of our marriage for long.
“Thanks, bud.” Mike clapped my shoulder as he walked toward the refrigerator. “It was just an off day today. I used up most of my strength in the game this morning.”
Alvita chuckled softly and shook her head while she unfolded the white tablecloths that had just arrived. “Such a macho man.”
I couldn’t help but let a wave of relief and calmness fall over me in their presence.
I never had this parental dynamic growing up.
Alvita was the loving surrogate mother I never thought I needed in my twenties, and, while Mike was technically my client, he was an excellent stand-in father figure to substitute for my long-distance father.
The way they bantered with each other…it made me hopeful for Maggie and me’s marriage.
One that I could only hope she would let last forever.
I wanted her to tease me about being a macho man when I couldn’t admit I was aging with my body.
I wanted to take care of the puppy she swore she would watch over all the time, but forgot about as soon as horses came to mind.
I wanted to sit on a porch swing with her and gaze out into the yard where our kids played tag with the dogs, the horses grazing in the background.
I wanted my entire life with Maggie.
“Jack!” Alvita called a few steps away, breaking me out of my fantasy future. I whipped my head in the direction of her voice. “The doorbell rang. Twice.”
“Oh,” I shook my head to clear the fog and started toward the front door.
She smiled. “Excited, are we?”
“More than you know.”
The door swung open before me, revealing the two men I didn’t think I could get out here on such short notice between the Pennsylvania and Florida polo seasons. I grinned at their timely arrival.
“Jack, boy, it’s good to see you.” I was pulled into a hug by the family I missed most in my absence, comforted by his familiarity.
“You, too, Dad.” I stepped back. “I’m so glad you guys made it.”
Richard Rynne smiled and shook my hand. “Thank you for inviting us out here for this.”
I nodded. “Of course. You both missed the fake one. I wasn’t going to let you miss the real thing.”
My dad perked up. “So, does she know?”
“Which part?” I asked.
Maybe a surprise birthday party was predictable, but nothing else I had planned would ever cross Maggie’s mind.
I smirked. “Because she doesn’t suspect a thing.”
***
I arrived at Lina’s cottage promptly at five, glad she had taken Maggie back to rest for a while.
It was going to be a long, tiring night, and I wanted her fully alert for tonight’s events.
She had a pretty high social battery, but as her pregnancy progressed, she opted for earlier bedtimes and shorter times outside the house.
Knocking at the door with a dress in hand, per Lina’s instructions, I waited in the cool air, a chill descending my spine.
I hoped it wouldn’t be too cold for the guests to spend part of their night outside.
Lina opened the door with a smile, turning her head to look at my breathtaking future wife, who sat on the couch with a steaming mug between her palms. God, she was so beautiful.
Her dark hair flowed freely in loose waves across her shoulders.
Those emerald eyes gleamed even brighter with the sun reflecting off them through the windows.
Her plump bottom lip caught between her teeth as she gazed at me in confusion.
How lucky was I to have this woman for the rest of my days?
“Jack? What are you doing here?”
I held out the dress in my arms and pointed toward the hallway, where I assumed the bathroom was. “Picking you up for your birthday dinner,” I said, like it was the most obvious thing in the world. “Go change, beautiful. We have a reservation at Minolo’s.”
She gasped. Without another word, she grabbed the dress and scampered to the bathroom.
Minolo’s was the Italian restaurant Maggie had wanted to try for months after a five-star review from one of her clients.
Problem was, it was always booked out weeks in advance, and we never knew when exactly our workdays ended.
As it turned out, one of my clients, whose horses I managed, was close friends with the owner.
It helped having some strings here in Golden Meadow.
Even though he did me a favor, I would’ve spent any amount on getting my wife the best for her day.
“So…” Lina kicked her foot forward and stared at the ground. She spoke quietly. “Is the operation going smoothly?”
I chuckled, matching her volume. “The operation?”
“Yes, the operation .” She mimicked my low tone of voice. “This is a very intricate plan involving someone else’s life without their knowledge. I think that constitutes using the term ‘operation.’”
Shaking my head to mute my laughter, I looked her in the eye. “It’s a go.” She chuckled. “The other operatives are there getting everything else in shape.”
Lina saluted.
“Felix should be there soon to help. The caterers are coming in about thirty minutes.”
Now, any playfulness in her expression was gone, replaced with a grimace. “Okay.”
“What is that?”
“What is what?”
“You did that when Alvita brought his name up the other day. Do you have something against him?” I asked out of genuine curiosity, though I wouldn’t hold it against her if she thought poorly of him. It wasn’t an unpopular opinion of Felix Aguado.
She quickly shook her head, ditching any negativity on her face. “Nope! Just haven’t gotten to know him much, that’s all.”
My brows raised with a disapproving look.
I knew she was lying, but I left it alone.
As if on cue, Maggie emerged from the hallway, stealing my breath like she always did.
While her hair and eyes looked exactly as they did a moment ago, the white, ankle-length dress Lina and I picked fit her like a glove.
Every shapely curve was enhanced, every accentuation of her body elevating my heart rate.
Her bump only raised the possessive animal inside of me that wanted to keep her to myself, to glare at anyone who thought she was anything but mine .
The straps on her shoulders—that would no doubt have to be shielded with a jacket due to the cold—made my fingertips itch to touch her skin.
The dress’s pearly shine reflected the sunlight coming through the windows.
I wanted to take a picture. Make it last forever.
I touched my left pocket to make sure her gift was safely secured within it.
“Ready to go?” she asked with the dainty innocence with which she always carried herself.
I cleared my throat, realizing I was speechless, and nodded.
This fucking woman .
Lina’s lips turned up as she bounded for her friend, wrapping her into a tight hug.
“You look incredible, Maggie. Go have the best birthday night.” Maggie hugged her back.
Her eyes closed as gratitude fell over her features.
Lina was no doubt the woman she needed over these last few months. I was grateful for her, too.
“Thank you so much for everything today, Lina. I can’t even begin to repay you.” Maggie pulled away, the two still gripping each other’s forearms.
Lina waved a hand in dismissal. “Absolutely not. I want nothing but your friendship and dirty barn jokes.” They both laughed. “Okay, okay, go. I’ll see you later.” I was afraid her words would give tonight away, but Maggie just replied with a smile before turning to me.
I reached out my hand, and she took it with grace. As we walked out the door, Lina shouted after us, “Goodbye, my beautiful Hennicke’s!”
I almost went back inside to shake her.
“I can’t believe you got us into Minolo’s!” Maggie gushed as soon as I pulled onto the main road. “How did you do it? I’ve been trying to get in there for months .”
“Derek Stride, one of my clients, knows the owner and pulled a few strings for us.” I smiled, proud that I could do this for my wife. “Plus, I told him it was your birthday, and he had to give us this whole package deal thing.”
Maggie giggled. “You and your connections. You know, if we weren’t in the polo industry, some may think you’re part of the mob.”
“Yeah, the German mob in the middle of Pennsylvania.”
“It could happen.”