Fragments (The Broken Series Book 2) (15 page)

Kristina

I stared at Jack with my jaw hanging open.

I couldn’t believe that Jack had actually gotten Benjamin to go and see the baby.
 

“And that’s where he is now? In the special care baby unit?” I asked, incredulous.

Jack gave me a satisfied grin and nodded. “Yep. I left him holding her.”

“That’s amazing. How did you manage to persuade him?”

“I didn’t really do anything,” Jack said. “I just played on Benjamin’s politeness. I asked him to show me where she was.”

“And he took you there?”

“Yes,” Jack shrugged. “And once he was there, it wasn’t so easy for him to turn away.”

I was sure there was something more to it than that. Something else Jack wasn’t telling me. I loved the fact that usually he was so easy to read. He was unable to hide his emotions or his feelings.

As if I’d read his mind, Jack said, “I got a phone call from Rita Volder while I was back at the hotel.”

I felt my stomach twist. I hated feeling this jealous. I wasn’t being fair to myself or Jack.

I knew this thing between us couldn’t last, and I didn’t want to stand in the way of a life that could make him really happy.

“I see,” I said, trying not to look as miserable as I felt.

“I think she wants me to race for the Volder team next year.”

I couldn’t hide the fact I was dubious. “Are you sure that’s a good idea? I mean, after everything that happened with Dominic and the simulator?”

Jack sighed. “I don’t know, Kristina. It could be a terrible idea, but I do know that I’ll regret it if I never try.”

I nodded. I could understand that.

He looked at me for a moment and reached out to stroke my cheek, looking deep into my eyes in a way that made my blood heat up.

Then he broke eye contact, nodding down at the bag he had brought with him from the hotel.

“Did I bring everything you needed?”

I nodded. “Yes, thank you.”

I leaned over to pick up the bag and yawned. “I better take a shower. Hopefully, Kate will be awake in a little while.”

“I’ll wait here.” Jack sat down on one of the grey padded chairs, and I walked away towards the restrooms.

I looked back at him over my shoulder, and he smiled at me in a way that made my heart flip.

I was so annoyed at myself for feeling the way I did right now. I was the luckiest person in the world. My sister was getting better. Benjamin was bonding with his little girl, and Jack had flown all the way to the States to be with me, just to support me and be there when I needed him.

This life was far more than I deserved, so why did it feel like I was walking away from him - walking out of his life?

A week later, I stood staring around at everything in the nursery at the Easton mansion. Kate was coming home later that day, and I wanted to make sure everything was perfect.

Half an hour ago, Benjamin had left to go to the hospital and pick up Kate and his baby daughter. They had named the little girl Elizabeth, after my mother. I had shed a few tears when Kate told me. I think my mother would have adored her granddaughter.

Benjamin was frantic. I had never seen him in such a state. Who could have guessed that Benjamin Easton would have such a soft center? He was so controlled on the outside. I have to admit it reassured me to see this caring side of him.

Kate had already organized most of the things that needed to be done for the nursery before she’d become ill. My sister was the most organized person I knew. The walls had been decorated in a cream wallpaper with tiny printed images of nursery rhymes, and the carpet was a lush thick cream, too. I wasn’t sure how well a cream carpet would stand up to the onslaught of Elizabeth as she grew older. I guessed there would be stains on that pristine carpet before long.

As a last-minute check, I rifled through the linens and baby outfits I had purchased. I was so worried I might have forgotten something, but it seemed like everything was in place.

I smiled and reached for the little teddy bear I’d bought for Elizabeth. I purchased it online from a German company called Steiff. It was made from a soft, fluffy, white material and called “Baby’s First Bear.” I had triple checked that it was suitable for a newborn.

As I tucked the teddy bear into the crib, I heard a noise downstairs. I grinned. They were here!

I took the stairs two at a time. I was so glad they were home and safe. I flung my arms around Kate, kissing her on the cheek, and then I looked down at Elizabeth, cradled in her arms. She was sleeping, and her cheeks were pink.

“Where’s Benjamin?” I asked.

“He’s just getting the bags from the car,” Kate said. “Oh, God, Tina. I am so glad to be home.”

I followed Kate up to the nursery and watched as she tucked Elizabeth in the crib.

“Is Jack here?” Kate asked.

I shook my head. Jack had gone for a meeting to iron out some of the details in his new contract for Volder racing. I knew he was eager to get back to Europe. That was really the home of Formula One racing, and life would be much easier for him there. Every day I woke up thinking that would be the day Jack would tell me he was leaving.

“Jack should be back in an hour or so,” I said, just as Benjamin walked into the nursery.

He put his arm around Kate and gazed at his daughter in the crib. Kate tilted her head up to kiss him on the cheek.

I felt I was imposing on such an intimate moment. This was the first day they had their daughter at home together as a family after everything that had happened. I knew they’d want some time alone.

I left them to it. I collected a book from my room and took it down to the drawing room. I flicked through a couple of pages, but I couldn’t concentrate. I was still so worried about Jack. I tried to tell myself I was only worried because I didn’t think he was ready yet. But deep down I knew I was being selfish. I wanted to keep Jack to myself.

I think I must have read the same paragraph in my book five times when Benjamin suddenly burst into the room.

“You need to talk to your sister!”

I slipped the bookmark between the pages to save my place and set the book beside me on the sofa.

Benjamin paced the room before coming to a stop by the huge fireplace. He leaned against the mantelpiece, looking furiously into the empty fireplace.

“What’s the matter?” I asked. I couldn’t understand the dramatic change. I’d only left them half an hour ago, and they’d been all loved up.

“She won’t set a date.”

I frowned. “For the wedding?”

“Yes. She keeps pushing it back, and I don’t understand why.”

“Maybe you should just give her a little time. She’s been through a lot and she only got out of hospital today.”

“Exactly,” Benjamin said, banging his fist against the mantelpiece. “I want her to be my wife. I don’t want to delay it. I’ve nearly lost her twice. I don’t want to waste another minute.”

There wasn’t much I could say to that. So I just waited for him to work off steam.

“I don’t understand why she would want to delay it. I knew she wouldn’t be up to organizing anything, so I hired a wedding planner. All she had to do was check through the guest list, but she doesn’t even want to do that.” Benjamin shook his head in exasperation. “Why doesn’t she want to get married?” He directed the question in a demanding tone as if he expected me to have all the answers.

I shrugged. I knew my sister absolutely adored Benjamin, so I didn’t understand why she wouldn’t want to marry him either.

But then a thought struck me. “How many people are you planning to invite?”

Benjamin frowned as if he couldn’t understand why I was asking such a trivial question. “About two hundred or so. Why?”

I blinked. Two hundred!
 

“I think I understand now. Don’t worry,” I said and smiled at him. “I’ll talk to her.”

I found Kate in the huge master suite she shared with Benjamin. I could hear her muttering under her breath as I knocked softly on the door.

“Who is it?”

Her voice sounded frantic.

“It’s only me,” I said and poked my head around the door.

Kate was shrugging on her robe. She gestured toward the discarded items of clothing on the bed.

“Nothing fits!”

I grinned at her. “What did you expect? You’ve just had a baby!”

Kate slumped down to sit on the bed. “I know. I just hoped that something in my wardrobe might fit me in a flattering way. But everything is too tight, especially around here.” She gestured at her chest.

“That’s a good thing, isn’t it?” I winked at her. “I bet Benjamin isn’t complaining.”

“Are you kidding? Look at me. I’m frumpy and fat. He might not be complaining, but that doesn’t mean he likes it.”

“Kate, you look amazing. You’ve just had a baby. You’ve got to give it a bit of time. Women’s bodies don’t just snap back into shape after childbirth. Everyone knows that. You look fantastic anyway. I don’t know what you’re worried about.”

“Uh-huh,” Kate said, gathering up all the discarded clothes into a pile. “You haven’t seen me naked! My stomach is not a pretty sight. Trust me.”

I helped her fold the clothes. “Benjamin loves you. He won’t care about a few stretch marks.”

“Hmmm,” Kate said sounding unconvinced as she put a red dress on a hanger and walked towards the walk-in closet.

“Is this why you’re having cold feet about the wedding?”

“Oh, God,” Kate said and covered her face with her hands for a moment. “He wants a huge event. Like a social wedding of the year thing,” she groaned.

“And you don’t?”

She shook her head. “I can’t think of anything worse. Can you imagine it? All those snooty people looking down their noses at me.”

“I’m sure it wouldn’t be like that. Anyway, you’re just as good as they are. It’s nothing to do with anyone else. It’s just a day for you and Benjamin.”

“I don’t want to be a disappointment,” Kate said. “If that’s really what he wants, I will go along with it. I just feel so overwhelmed with the whole thing.”

I reached out and pulled Kate into a hug. “You need to talk to Benjamin about this. He will be your husband. You can’t have these silly misunderstandings messing things up.”

Kate ruffled my hair, something she always used to do when we were younger. “You’re right. When did you get so wise?”

I pulled a face. “Yeah, right.”

Kate picked up the last item of clothing from the bed and folded it in half. “I’ve been meaning to say…” She gave me a devilish grin. “There’s no need to keep up this pretense.”

“What pretense?” I asked, confused.

“You and Jack. There’s no need for you to have separate rooms, you know.”

I turned away and chewed on my bottom lip. I felt my shoulders sag. I knew Kate didn’t mean it, but she just reminded me of everything that was wrong with my relationship with Jack. It wasn’t anything about propriety or trying to hide the relationship. The fact of the matter was Jack didn’t want to share a room with me.

He said it was due to his insomnia and he didn’t want to keep me awake too. But I knew it was more than that. It was a way of keeping his distance emotionally: a reminder that this thing between us wasn’t permanent.

It was embarrassing talking to my sister about it. I felt ashamed to admit that I was just hanging around Jack like a little puppy dog desperate for any scraps of happiness he could give me.

If I had any self-respect, I would have ended this thing with Jack. But I wasn’t strong enough. I knew I would stay with him for as long as he wanted me.

To make matters worse, he could be so sweet sometimes, and I would almost believe he cared about me. Perhaps he did in his own way, but he still made it very clear that we didn’t have a future together.

“Oh,” I said. “It’s not that. We prefer to have separate rooms. It’s just a casual thing…”

Kate frowned as she looked at me. I knew she could see the pain on my face. She took my hands in hers. “I don’t want to see you get hurt, Tina. You’re still very fragile… After rehab.”

I pulled my hands away and folded my arms across my chest. It wasn’t right that Kate was worrying about me after everything she’d been through. The way she used my nickname, Tina, made me tear up. I was just so stupidly emotional at the moment.

I plastered a full smile on my face.

“I’m fine, honestly. You really don’t have to worry about me. Things are great.”

Kate nodded slowly, but the look of concern didn’t leave her eyes, and I could tell she didn’t believe me.

“Anyway, we’re not supposed to be talking about me and Jack. We’ve got a wedding to arrange! And you have to talk to Benjamin.”

Kate smiled. “Okay, but if you need to talk, remember I’m always here for you.”

I hugged my sister tight. “Always.”

Jack