Highland Fling (20 page)

It was as if he’d lost all sense of reason. Must have been that home brew of Iain’s.  He wouldn’t normally have made love to someone without checking, then again, he wouldn’t normally have made love to anyone other than Kim.

Oh God. Kim! Jack felt as if his head would explode. This was all just so unbelievable. Only two days ago, his life had seemed so simple, so straightforward, now it was like he was on a runaway train full of explosives and every so often, one went off, one by one until the whole bloody thing blew up in his face.

He closed his eyes and it was Lizzie’s face he saw. He remembered the last time he’d seen her in the kitchen when she told him that Kim was the reason for her separation from her husband. It all came flooding back to him. Lizzie had used him! How had he managed to forget that part of this saga? How stupid was he? She’d even told him it was nothing more than a one night stand.

It hadn’t felt like a one night stand though and he tried to remember exactly what had happened that morning. Before that phone call, everything had been wonderful. He was happy – and so was Lizzie. He hadn’t imagined that. Neither had he imagined the things they’d said to one another the night before. It had been more than just a fling, he was sure of it and maybe the only reason Lizzie had said the things she had today was because he’d said he was going back to Kim.

On and on it went, over and over in his head until, by the time he finally reached St. Thomas’ Hospital four hours later, he felt he was the one in need of medical attention.

The guys went with him. They wouldn’t leave until they were sure everything was really okay but even when Kim’s mum met them in the corridor as she was getting herself some coffee, and told them Kim was fine, Ross still insisted on staying. The others made their way to the nearest pub after giving Jack express instructions to call them if they could do anything at all and to join them later for something to eat. Jack didn’t think he could face food but he agreed, just so that they would go.

Jack hesitated before he went to see Kim. He needed to be fully in control of his emotions when he finally faced her. Ross was almost as bad as him and Jack sent him off to get coffee, he had to do this alone. Jack forced a smile to his face and pulled himself up straight then marched to Kim’s bedside. To his utter relief, she was sound asleep.

Jack hung around alternating between pacing up and down and sitting beside her, willing her to open her eyes. Nothing settled him and when his stomach started rumbling from hunger he decided he may as well meet the others for some food. The company might do him good. Ross had hardly spoken a word to him for the last half hour. Ross seemed to want to stay but Kim’s mum was there and she promised to call Jack if Kim woke up so he and Jack headed for the pub.

A good meal and a pint of beer made Jack feel better and an hour later, when he headed back to the ward to see Kim, he was feeling as if things might not be quite as black as he’d painted them. He had a good job, good friends and a lovely fiancée. Soon he’d be married and ... and Lizzie and Laurellei Farm would be firmly in the past. Locked away in a box in his mind marked “things that might have been”.

Kim still wasn’t awake and her mum told him there really was no point in him hanging around. He should go home and get a good night’s sleep. Jack got the distinct feeling that she was trying to get rid of him and he wondered why. She was obviously distressed – she had a right to be, Jack reasoned. Maybe she just wanted some time alone with her only daughter. He could understand that. Mrs. Mentor promised she’d call him if there was any change or when Kim woke up.

Jack went back to the pub; he couldn’t face being alone with his thoughts after everything that had happened. He didn’t leave until eleven and by then, he had phoned Laurellei Farm six times even though he had no idea what he was going to say. He was both glad and annoyed that the phone went unanswered.

In the taxi home, Jack vaguely wondered where Ross had gone. He had left without saying good bye, which was a bit odd but then, Ross had been a bit odd for a while now and Jack realised that he really should ask his friend if there was something worrying him.

Ross was usually the life and soul of the party but, thinking about it now, since Jack had got back from Hong Kong, Ross had been decidedly off par. Jack had been so consumed with his own doubts and fears that he hadn’t even thought about his friend. Tomorrow, before he visited Kim, he’d go to Ross’s and have a man to man talk with him.

Jack settled back against the seat of the cab and peered out of the window. The streets were half empty for just after eleven on a Saturday night but it was quite cold out so most people would be inside the pubs, bars and restaurants.

The cab pulled up at a set of traffic lights and Jack’s eyes settled on a couple standing by the side of the road. The guy was tall, about Jack’s height, blond and, Jack thought, looked like he’d stepped from the pages of a magazine advert. The woman was petite, not much above five feet and a few inches probably, and had the most amazing brunette air, almost exactly the same as Lizzie’s. Jack stared at them and over the juddering of the cab’s stationary engine he thought how incredibly like Lizzie the woman looked.

Jack was only a few feet away in the cab and he saw the man’s arm tighten around the woman’s waist as he planted a quick kiss on her head. She seemed to be balancing against him, one small foot lifted slightly off the pavement, her head resting on the man’s chest. He said something that Jack couldn’t hear but it made the woman raise her eyes to the man’s face.

The traffic lights changed from red to amber to green. As they did so, the woman laughed and shook her head and her brunette waves bounced around her shoulders. Jack twisted on the seat of the cab as it drove away from the couple. Peering out of the rear window he saw a cab pull up in front of them and watched in disbelief as the man swept the woman up in his arms and placed her gently on the seat then dashed around the other side and got in beside her.

To his astonishment and horror, Jack realised the woman didn’t just look like Lizzie, the woman
was
Lizzie! And even though he told himself again and again that it couldn’t be because Lizzie was miles away in Scotland, the woman’s silent laughter and the unanswered phone at Laurellei Farm, taunted Jack’s brain for the duration of his journey home.

Chapter Twelve

Ross knew he had to talk to Kim. When he’d heard about the accident from Phil he felt as if his throat had been slit. Horrific pictures of her twisted, mangled body instantly flicked through his mind and he almost blurted out everything then and there. Almost, but not quite.

Phil said Kim was okay and Ross regained his composure, he knew once he’d said it, there would be no going back and he was glad that he could delay it for a little while longer. But that was all he could do. The shock of thinking Kim might be seriously hurt was a real wake-up call and clarity finally dawned.

No matter how much it may hurt Jack and no matter what happened from here, the truth must come out. There was no way Ross could just stand by and watch Kim marry Jack.

Ross loved Kim, had probably always loved her, even before she had started dating Jack. He had seen her a few times when he’d gone to meet Phil after work at Brockleman Brothers Bank and once, he’d considered asking her out, but she seemed to be with some guy so he’d held back.

Ross was in New York on a business trip when Kim had started dating Jack and he couldn’t help but feel that if only he’d been in The Mucky Duck that night, (The Black Swan was its actual name but the regulars all affectionately called it The Mucky Duck) things might have turned out differently.

For two years, Ross put his feelings on the back burner and watched Kim and Jack’s relationship develop, always hoping it would come to nothing, but when Kim announced after Christmas, that they were engaged and were getting married in March, it were as if Ross had been struck by lightning. Ever since, he’d struggled to keep it together.

Then, almost six weeks ago, Jack went to Hong Kong for three weeks and Ross took Kim out for a drink and that, as they say, was that. Ross couldn’t hold back anymore and two years of lust and longing and love burst out of him like an eruption of a long dormant volcano.

Guilt inevitably set in and Ross vowed it wouldn’t happen again but his flesh was weak and almost every night for three blissful weeks Ross and Kim made love – until Jack came back.

They’d talked about telling Jack but Ross knew it would destroy their friendship and he thought it would devastate Jack. He couldn’t do it and so he ended things with Kim and tried to fade into the background but that hadn’t worked. All he could think about was Kim and his resentment grew and festered until it felt as if his heart was rotting away.

Ross realised if he didn’t say something now he would probably stand up at the church and yell out that he objected, that it should be him marrying Kim and not Jack! Marry Kim, Ross hadn’t thought about that. Did he really want to marry her? Even as he asked himself the question he knew the answer. Yes, he most definitely did.

When they had arrived at the hospital and the guys went to the pub, Ross stayed with Jack, hoping to get a chance to see Kim. It hadn’t worked though, Jack sent him for coffee and Kim just slept. Kim’s mum was constantly by the bedside and Jack paced up and down like a bear with a sore head.

Finally, Jack decided to go to the pub and Ross went too – but Ross didn’t stay. When Jack came back after his second visit to the hospital, saying Kim was still sleeping and he’d see her tomorrow, Ross decided this was his chance. He’d gone back to the hospital and found Kim slowing waking up.

‘I really need to talk to Kim alone Mrs. Mentor,’ Ross said sheepishly.

Mrs. Mentor glared at him. ‘So, you’re Ross,’ she said.

Ross was taken by surprise. ‘Um, yes. I’m Ross.’

‘Well then, yes Ross, you really do need to talk to Kim. I won’t call Jack. You two need to sort out this sorry mess.’ She turned to Kim and squeezed her daughter’s hand, ‘I’ll be back before visiting hours end love and don’t you take any nonsense from this one, you hear me. I’ve told you what I think and whether you heed it, is up to you, but this is your life and your happiness we’re talking about, so you decide what you want and everyone else can go hang.’

Mrs. Mentor turned back to Ross and poked him in the chest. ‘As for you, young man, you need a good kick up the back side. You either love my daughter or you don’t, only you know the answer to that, but if it’s yes, then stop being a wimp and do something about it – or you’ll have me to answer to.’

She raised her hand and for one dreadful moment, Ross thought she was going to slap his face. He probably deserved it. To his surprise, she took his chin in her hand and gave it a little shake, then, she smiled and left him alone with Kim.

Ross took Kim’s hand in his left one and stroked her bruised face gently with his right. ‘Are you okay?’ he asked.

‘Do I look okay?’ she said, a little testily.

He bent down and brushed his lips against her forehead and when he stood up, Kim thought she could see tears at the corners of his eyes.

‘Compared to the horrific images that had been driving me crazy all day, frankly, you look wonderful. Shit Kim, at first, I thought you were dead!’

‘Well, that would have made things easier for you wouldn’t it?’ she snapped.

‘Easier for me? What the hell d’you mean, easier for me?’

‘Well, then you and Jack could carry on being best buddies and he would never know about us, would he?’

Ross let out a deep sigh. ‘Don’t even think like that Kim. I’ve been going crazy with worry all day, Christ, when we got here, I almost barged Jack aside and told him you were mine.’

Kim eyed him between swollen lids. ‘Almost,’ she said, ‘but you didn’t.’

‘No ... but I will. This has made me realise one thing Kim. I really do love you and there is no way I can just stand by and watch you marry Jack – or anyone else for that matter.’

A tiny smile hovered on her cut lip. ‘Ross, do you mean it? Really?’

Ross nodded. ‘I mean it. Really!’

Kim swallowed a lump in her throat and tears slid down her puffy cheeks. ‘There ... there’s something you need to know.’

Ross wiped at her tears with his thumb. ‘Don’t cry Kim. Everything’ll be okay now, I promise. I’ll talk to Jack. Don’t worry. I’m sure he’ll understand but even if he doesn’t, I don’t care. You and me’ll be together no matter what.’

Kim shook her head and sobbed. ‘He won’t and ... and you won’t want me when you know.’

Ross furrowed his brows. ‘Of course I’ll want you! What are you talking about Kim? When I know what?’

‘I’m pregnant – and I don’t know who the father is!’

For the second time that day, Ross felt as if his throat had been cut.

Jack opened the door to his apartment and threw his weekend bag on the floor. He’d unpack later. Right now what he needed was a drink – a strong one, and he headed to the drinks cabinet and poured himself a large, single malt. He held the crystal tumbler to his mouth and gulped down the contents, then poured himself another.

Grabbing the bottle by its neck he trudged to the sumptuous sofa and dropped on to the black plump cushioned seat. He poured another glass full and tossed the contents down his throat as if it was water. His features tightened and he clenched his jaw, gritting his teeth.

On Wednesday evening, when he and his mates had boarded the Caledonian sleeper, the only thing troubling him was a niggling feeling that he wasn’t quite as happy as he should be, at the prospect of his impending marriage.

Now here he was, at eleven thirty-five on Saturday night drowning his sorrows with his finest 20 year old single malt – and not even that tasted like it should.

On Wednesday, on his way to Scotland to spend a long weekend of fun and relaxation on his stag party, he’d been engaged to a woman he thought he loved.

By Saturday, he’d slept with a married woman, realised he didn’t love his fiancée, decided to call off his wedding and was dreaming of the possibility of a future with another man’s wife.