Served Cold Part 19

A piece of black satin tied the th.o.r.n.y flowers together, and attached to that he'd affixed his old high school ring. What he'd once given to Ann.

"I know this is your favorite holiday."

"You remembered how much I love black roses."

"Not hard to remember, actually. You're the only woman I know who thinks they're cool, not creepy." He smiled but grew concerned to see her tearing up. "Ann?"

"Your ring?" She cleared her throat. "Kind of an odd present."

"Not really. It was always yours." He hadn't planned to do this in a garage of all places, but the words needed to be said, and he couldn't wait any longer. Time was not on his side with the witches in the house. Unable to hold it in any longer, he blurted, "I'm yours."

"Jack?"

He kissed her, then pulled back to see her. "Honey, I'm in love with you. I have been since the first moment I laid eyes on you."

"In fifth grade?" she rasped.

"Well, the first moment I laid eyes on you after you got b.o.o.bs."

She wiped a tear from her eye and snorted. "There's my Mr. Romance."

"After that first date, I knew. You were mine. It wasn't puppy love. Not a first romance or first s.e.xual experience that made me think you were it. I just felt it, in here." He brought her hand to his heart. "We never talked about what happened back then. And you know, I just don't care anymore. Terry Chapman doesn't matter. You matter, Ann. I love you."

"Oh my G.o.d." Riley's voice rang out from the doorway behind them. The door slammed shut before Maya could respond.

Just the two of them again, the way it should have been in all the years since they'd been apart.

"You love me?" Ann put the flowers on a shelf and gripped his hands in hers. "I-I love you too, Jack. And it scares me to death."

His heart felt overfull. "Trust me. I know."

She opened her mouth then closed it and frowned. "Terry Chapman? I haven't heard that name in years."

"Yeah, well, I'd rather not talk about him if it's all the same to you." He hated the thought that she'd gone to Chapman behind his back. "But f.u.c.k it. I have to know, then I promise we'll never mention him again. Why him? I mean, was I that bad in bed or something?" He felt his cheeks heat, but the not knowing killed him. If she admitted he'd been lacking, he could move on. After all, he'd learned a lot since high school.

"Wait. I'm still confused. Terry Chapman?"

"Ann, I know."

"Know what?"

He frowned. She seemed genuinely confused. "I know about you and Terry, that you slept with him."

"Are you insane?"

"What are you talking about? Everyone knew. Selena told me-"

"Selena?" Ann's eyes darkened. "That b.i.t.c.h."

"Hold on." The truth started to emerge. "Selena told me she'd seen you and Terry making out at the bonfire before homecoming. Tim and Darren confirmed it. Are you saying they all lied?"

"h.e.l.l yes, they all lied! Why didn't you ask me about him? I would have told you as much."

Dumbfounded, he barely noticed when she let go of his hands. "Really? You never slept with him? That's why we broke up."

"We broke up because you were seeing Selena on the side."

"I only went out with her because you were doing Chapman. Wait, wait." He clutched his head, his whole world turned around. "So you never cheated on me with Terry?"

"No. I didn't." She planted her hands on her hips, and dear G.o.d, he believed her.

"Holy s.h.i.t." He wanted to strangle Selena then toss the remains to Ann for real retribution. "I'm so sorry. I thought..."

"But why?" Her eyes pooled, bewitching, bewildered. "I loved you so much. I was devastated when you broke up with me-for her of all people. You were so cruel about it."

As if it were yesterday, he remembered the scene in the school lunchroom. "d.a.m.n. I thought-"

"If you had asked me about it back then, we could have talked. We always used to tell each other everything. Why didn't you ask me?"

His face felt hot. "Because I was afraid."

"Of what?" She took his hand, and his heart raced like crazy.

He was embarra.s.sed to admit it. "Afraid I'd driven you to him. That it was my fault. h.e.l.l, Ann. You were the only girl I'd ever been with. s.e.xually."

"I know." She gave him a wan smile.

"I never seemed to last that long, and the guys always talked about how to be better in bed. About how the girls measured us by how we performed."

"I never did that."

"I didn't think you had. But Terry had a rep for being a real stud, and everyone knew he was into you. Then Selena and a few guys kept talking about him and you. And there was a rumor you were done with me and wanted him instead. I was embarra.s.sed. I thought I was a stud, and it turned out you thought I was a limp d.i.c.k."

"I did not."

"G.o.d, I get it now. I was ashamed and p.i.s.sed, so I thought I'd embarra.s.s you instead. I had no idea... If I see her again, I'm going to-"

"No. Let it go." She moved into his arms and hugged him, and he felt like everything might just work out. "All this time I never knew. I mean, we were so happy and the world was ours." She paused and quieted. "Then you threw me over. I thought you'd been cheating on me."

He pulled back to stare at her. "Ann, I never looked twice at anyone else. If I hadn't been more interested in saving my pride, I would have known you would never cheat on me."

"Certainly not with Terry Chapman." She grimaced. "He was a pig. One of Selena's throwaways, I think."

"That a.s.s. So you never cheated. I was good in bed even back then?" His voice lilted like a question, and he wore a grin so wide he felt the joy to his toes.

"For the record, I never cheated. You were a major stud, but nowhere near as good as you are now."

"Good. You keep thinking that." He kissed her, wanting her right now.

She put a hand on his chest and ended the kiss. "And you and Selena...?"

"Are you kidding? I thought I sucked in bed. You think I wanted to sleep with her and have it confirmed? We dated in public to rub your nose in it. And no, I'm not proud I did that, but at least I never f.u.c.ked her." He shivered. "Thank G.o.d."

"Well, she is on marriage number three."

"Four, actually." He shook his head. "Yep. Karma's. .h.i.tting her hard. But I don't think she's noticed."

"Not as hard as Maya's going to want her hit her when she finds out what she did."

He grinned. "Those two really hated each other."

She tugged his cape. "So I get to keep you, the flowers and the ring?"

"They're all yours. The flowers are new, but the ring and I have always been yours."

They kissed, and he knew he'd never look at Halloween the same way again. There really was magic to be had under a full moon on All Hallow's Eve. Even in a musty garage.

Chapter Sixteen.

Maya sneezed from the dust she'd kicked up. "I can't believe he didn't just hire someone to move him."

"Are you still b.i.t.c.hing?" Riley sighed and carried another box into the dining room of Jack's new place. "I'm glad you guys finally got everything out in the open," she said to Ann.

"Yeah." Ann hadn't mentioned why Jack had believed Selena, but that he'd had cause to believe his guy friends who'd lied. No sense in wounding her man's pride.

The past week had been a magic all its own. They'd spent time at her place, but once he moved in to his, they planned to alternate sleeping arrangements. It helped that he lived so close-and that they lived apart. Their relationship had progressed too fast, and Ann needed time to process. Separate abodes gave them some distance, while only being a five minute walk from each other.

"Hey, where's the party?" A familiar voice asked.

Ann watched with amus.e.m.e.nt as Dex and Anson arrived in ratty jeans and sweatshirts.

"Time to move some junk," Dex said.

"Not junk. My personal treasures," Jack corrected. Items he'd had in a storage locker until now. Ann didn't think he had that much, but her friends had complained so much she'd have thought he had enough to fill a mansion, not a small cottage. As it was, the place had come fully furnished, and they moved only his clothes, books and sports equipment in.

"Great timing, guys," Maya snapped. "We're just about done with all the heavy lifting."

Dex grinned, unrepentant. "Awesome. That means pizza without having to work for it."

Anson arched an imperious brow at Riley. "Might want to watch those precious hands. Your bakery needs you. I need you." He winked. "Having you next door gives my builders a reason to keep coming back every day. Place smells good, I'll grant you that. You should expand if you want to show a profit though. I could help you with the financial planning."

Ann would have considered that an olive branch of sorts if he hadn't offered his help in such a patronizing tone. She understood why Riley loathed him.

"Should you be outside in the light, Anson?" Riley asked sweetly. "Your kind is known for turning to ash under the sun."

Maya snickered, and Dex coughed to hide a smile.

Ann and Jack exchanged a sigh. "I'll go get the linens box," she said.

"Right." Jack hotfooted it toward the garage. "I'll go, ah, do something away from them so I'm not called to the witness stand later."

She laughed. "Funny guy. Come help me in your bedroom when you're done."

He kissed her. "Be right back."

There were four more boxes in the storage van, and she grabbed the one marked linens, leaving the one labeled weight equipment for the Black cousins. While Anson and Riley squared off and Dex watched on with glee, Maya joined her in the bedroom.

"You know, Riley's right." Maya helped her move boxes of clothes around so they had a clear path to Jack's new closet. "Anson is an a.s.s."

"It's his tone."

"Makes me want to punch him." Maya b.u.mped Ann with her hip. "I know I bet against you, but I'm glad for you and Jack. All in all, he seems like a good guy."

"He is." Ann smiled, so in love it hurt. "But we're going to do things right and take our time. No rush."

"Yeah. Leave the revenge to the professionals." Maya cleared her throat and lowered her voice. "So are you going to tell him about the baby?"

"I-"

"What?" Jack asked from the doorway, his face pale. "Revenge? What baby?"

"s.h.i.t." Maya looked like she'd just stepped in a pile of it. "I'm sorry. I meant-"

Ann blew out a breath. She hadn't planned on telling him about the miscarriage. Ever. What good would it do but hurt him and her all over again?

"Maya, can you give us a minute?" Ann asked.

"And some s.p.a.ce," Jack added. "Tell the guys and Riley I'll pay you back later."

"Sure, sure." Maya darted out of the room and closed the door.

Ann and Jack watched each other while the sounds of their friends leaving reached them. After a second car departed, she sat on the bed, not sure where to start.

"Ann?" He stood, his arms crossed. Defensive, worried, upset. "Is there a baby?"

"Yes and no." She sighed. "It happened so long ago."

"So you're not pregnant now."

"No." She watched him carefully.