CHAPTER FIFTY
Jack’s hand trembled from too much caffeine, sloshing the scalding coffee onto his hand and the floor. “Shit.” He turned around, searching for a trash can, and saw Ellie standing in the door of Stillwater Medical Center’s family waiting room. His burned hand lost its importance. “Hey.”
She walked toward him, eyes on the coffee in his hand. “You okay?”
Jack switched the Styrofoam cup to his dry hand and flicked the coffee onto the ground. “Yeah.”
Ellie picked up a thin paper napkin from the table, grasped his hand gently, and dabbed it dry. She noted his shaking coffee cup and glanced up at him in amusement. “Overdosed on coffee?”
Jack smiled for what seemed like the first time in weeks. “Yeah.”
Ellie tossed the napkin in the trash, took the coffee from Jack, and sniffed it. “Seriously?” She threw it in the trash.
“The Book Bank’s closed.”
“I should have thought to bring some.” She crossed her arms over her chest. “How’s Eddie?”
“Collapsed lung, broken left orbital bone. Five broken ribs. Sprained ankle from falling in the sand trap, we think.”
“And Brian?”
“A couple of black eyes, courtesy of Eddie. Chastised. Saying whatever we want to hear in hopes to get out of this mess.”
“Will it work?”
Jack shrugged. “I honestly don’t know. Have you talked to Susan?”
“Not yet. Is Brian going to jail?”
“Probably.”
Ellie sighed and glanced out the window. “Poor Susan.”
“Brian cooperated. I told him I’d do whatever I could to help.”
Ellie smiled up at him. “Thank you.”
They held each other’s gaze for a long moment. There was so much to say and never the right time to say it. “Are you busy tonight?” Jack said.
“Work.”
“Can you make time to talk? Maybe meet out at your lake house?”
“Jack, I’m not going to sneak around behind your wife’s back.”
“We won’t be. I gave her the divorce papers last night.”
Ellie straightened. “You did? But it’s only November.”
“I’m tired of waiting. And, with you being pregnant …”
“I don’t want you to do it because of that!”
“I’m not. What’s the difference between now and six weeks from now?”
“The holidays. Ethan.”
“What’s worse, Ethan seeing two people in a miserable relationship or two people who love each other? Frankly, I’d rather model the latter for him. With you.”
Ellie closed her eyes rubbed her temple. “This might be the worst scandal of my life, and that’s saying something.”
“What’s the scandal?”
She dropped her hand and looked up at him again. “Everyone thinks I’ve been dating Eddie for the last six weeks. Now, I’m switching to his brother? And I’m pregnant?”
“So, we tell the truth. We started seeing each other right after I arrived and stopped when my wife got back. With all this other shit going on, people won’t care in the least about our personal life.”
“Don’t count on it.”
“What are you saying? Don’t you think we’re worth it?”
Her expression softened. “Of course we are.”
Jack grinned. “So, tonight after work?”
“Tonight after work.” Ellie reached out and touched his uniform shirt. “What brought this on?”
Jack looked down. “I figured it was an easy thing to do to appease my critics.”
“Smart move.”
“Do you like it?”
“I don’t hate it. But, I like the suit better.”
“God, me too. I feel like one of the Village People.”
Ellie laughed and dropped her head on Jack’s chest. He pulled her forward and gently wrapped his arms around her. She did the same.
“You’re all bulky. Have you been working out?”
“It’s the Kevlar.”
A familiar voice interrupted them. “Don’t you two look cozy.”
Julie stood in the waiting room door. Ellie stepped away, but Jack put his arm around her waist and pulled her to his side. “Julie.”
“I knew it.” She sniffed. “You aren’t even his type.”
“Apparently I am.”
“You’ll bore him in a month. I’m bored looking at you two.”
“Give it a rest, Julie.”
“Do you even know which brother is the father of your bastard?”
Jack tried to move forward, but Ellie held him back. “Don’t. She’s trying to bait you.” Instead, Ellie stepped forward and stopped in front of Julie. “I want to thank you.”
“Thank me?”
“If you hadn’t been such a narcissistic bitch and left Jack and Ethan, Jack would have never ended up in Stillwater, and we would have never fell in love.”
“In love? He sure didn’t act like he was in love with you when he was fucking me.”
“Funny, that’s exactly what Eddie said about you.”
Julie laughed, but had an appreciative expression on her face. “Remember what I told you yesterday morning. Don’t say I didn’t warn you.”
“Warn you about what?” Jack said.
“Regression to the mean, darling.” She looked the two of them up and down, “I give it two years, tops.”
“Okay,” Jack said, stepping forward, “that’s enough. Ellie.” He put his arm around her and kissed her on the cheek. “I love you. I’ll call you later.” He grasped Julie’s arm. “You, come with me.”
Jack propelled Julie down the hall. “I cannot believe you are leaving me for her?”
Jack found an empty hospital room and ushered Julie inside. “You left me, remember?” Jack sighed. “Did you come here to check on Eddie?”
She crossed her arms. “Yes. How is he?”
“He’s got a long road to recovery.”
“Where is he going to do that? Here?”
“I haven’t thought that far. I’m sure when Mom gets here …”
“Your mother’s coming?”
Jack looked at his watch. “She should be here in the next hour or so.”
“Is she staying with us?”
“She’s staying with me. You need to be gone by the time I get home.”
“I’m not leaving.”
“You can go to our house in Emerson if you need a place to stay. I left some furniture for this eventuality.”
“Eventuality?”
Jack stepped forward. “I decided to divorce you the moment I saw you at that hotel with your little photographer friend. I’ve got pages and pages of documentation about how we tried to get in touch with you, and you never responded. I have every voice mail and text each of your boyfriends left last year. I have a dated picture of you with Ansel Adams. And I have the audio of you telling Eddie two days ago you wanted to continue to fuck him behind my back. If you even think of contesting this divorce, I’ll trot every scrap of it out and plaster it all over the news.”
“Ethan would never forgive you.”
“You forget, Julie. I’m the one who stayed. It carries more weight than you think.” Jack walked to the door. “You need to be gone. Today. Or I take the gloves off.”