Loving Jack (19 page)

She was learning about Jack Landry, entrepreneur. Grace had been mentally stuck in the past with Jack Landry, player extraordinary. A real life and the happy ending she wanted with Jack was looking more and more like a reality.

It was time to get back to New York now. She made her decision to take the partnership at Artifex after a long discussion about her concerns over them working so closely. While they would be running the company as a team with Rachel they wouldn’t really see each other in the office unless a meeting was planned. Otherwise Grace’s duties as CFO didn’t involve Jack’s duties on the creative end. He was frequently out of the office. Rachel was the one who’d become the in-house anchor of the company. Jack went out to meet with clients and drum up new commercial business. As long as they were both able to leave their personal life outside of the boardroom there wouldn’t be a problem.
 

It was now time to put their plan into motion. She would go back and begin separating herself from her life in New York. There was a lot to do. They decided a month would be long enough for her get the majority of it done. Any loose ends could be handled from Seattle.

Jack held her hand and toyed with her ring the entire drive to the airport. He was quiet. That morning he’d admitted he was afraid she’d get home and change her mind. Or Luke would somehow talk her out of this drastic and sudden life change. She thought it was sweet that he was so anxious for her to return. She was sure Luke was going to have a lot to say on the subject. But she couldn’t live her life for Luke. He’d be upset at first but he was her best friend. He would settle down once he knew she was happy and ready for the next phase of her life.
 

Grace’s flight was called and she stood. Jack kissed her sweetly once and took her hand. He brought her hand to his mouth and kissed her ring.
 

“Hurry home to me, Grace. I love you.”
 

“I love you, too. I’ll be back before you know it. Then you’ll be stuck with me,” she joked and placed a kiss on his chin.

“I can’t wait.” He hugged her tight one last time.

Grace boarded the plane and settled in for the long flight. She smiled to herself thinking of Jack’s parting words. Hurry home. Her home was now with Jack. Where she’d longed to be for far too long. She was close to making it a reality. The only sticking point was Luke, her best friend. She didn’t want to lose him in the deal. Things would work out though. Luke loved her and she loved him. Nothing would ever change that.

NINE

Grace fidgeted in her seat and checked the time again. She was early for once. Usually Luke had to wait for her when they had their weekly dinner night together. He would order for both of them and they’d share whatever he ordered. They’d been doing this for so long that he knew what she liked from any restaurant in Manhattan. She’d been back in New York for a week but she’d been putting off talking to Luke about her move to Seattle. Why, she wasn’t sure. That’s the lie she kept telling herself. She knew exactly why. Jack’s comment about Luke’s feelings for her had Grace reviewing their entire relationship.

When Grace thought about all of the times Luke had been there when she needed him it made her wince. He was her best friend and her biggest supporter. He’d held her while she sobbed over losing Jack and he’d encouraged her every step of the way through her career. Luke was her steady, her solid, and she loved him. But she’d been so busy avoiding getting hurt again that she’d never stopped to examine their relationship. It was terribly one-sided. He never talked about his girlfriends. He’d mention having a date but never tell her how it went afterward. He focused on her when they were together. Selfishly, Grace had enjoyed being the center of his attention. She felt like a horrible friend.
 

When Grace accepted the internship in New York City, Luke had been so proud of her. It had come as a shock to Grace when Luke followed her to New York. Luke wasn’t meant to be a city dweller but he believed this was the best place for him to start up his business. He came from a family of farmers. He’d been raised in the fields and had run wild in the country until he went away to college. Living in the city was nearly suffocating for Luke at first. But he’d adjusted to the closeness and pace of things as his business took off. He was a busy man who made a living as a consultant whose clients hired him to overhaul their businesses in order to make them more profitable. He was a marketing whiz with a business degree and a love of numbers. He took failing businesses and turned them around. He took successful businesses and made them grow. The man was a genius and she envied his passion for the job.
 

Luke entered the restaurant and a smile blossomed over his face as soon as he saw her waiting for him. He cut a dashing figure in his suit and it was as clear now as it had been when they were in school that Luke took pride in his appearance. More than one pair of feminine eyes followed his progress across the room. Grace rose from her chair to greet him. Luke hugged her warmly and kissed her on the cheek as he always did.

“Welcome home, Grace. Thank goodness you’re back. My Friday nights have been miserable without you.” He waited for her to resume her seat before settling in the chair next to her. “I’m starving! Did you order?”

His grin was infectious. Grace always felt wonderful when she was with Luke. He was the only thing she was going to miss about New York and she was dreading telling him about her decision to move.
 

After the waitress took their order and left the table Luke took her hand as he always did and demanded to know about her trip to Seattle. Grace was careful to give him her right hand. The elegant engagement ring resting on the fourth finger of her left hand suddenly weighed a ton. He hadn’t noticed it yet so she tucked her hand under the table. She could tell he was anxious by the way his whole body shook slightly due to the motion of his foot under the table. It was a nervous habit of his to shake his right foot like that. It was just like Luke to focus entirely on her. Delaying the inevitable, Grace turned the tables for once and insisted he tell her how business was while she was away. Luke’s smile dropped but he obliged her. They talked about his latest client and his plan of attack to turn the struggling business around. When he finished they sat there staring at each other.

She took a deep breath before plunging in. “I’m taking the job in Seattle.”

Luke blinked a few times but said nothing. Her fingers tightened around his but his expression remained blank.

“It’s more than just a job. It’s a partnership in a booming company.” She paused, waiting for a reaction. Nothing. “I’m miserable at Stein and Watson. I knew before I left for Seattle that I had to make a change one way or the other. The thought of accepting the junior executive position makes me want to curl up and cry.”

“I don’t know what to say.” Luke looked away. “Of course I want you to be happy.” His eyes returned to her looking bleak. “Do you think it’s smart to uproot your life so suddenly? I agree that you need a career change. You need to find time for a life. You need more than just work, but until now you’ve refused to think of anything else. You’re just so driven.”

He gripped her hand with both of his and stroked her knuckles with his thumb. “Sweetheart, why don’t you try to find another firm or a different position all together? Hell! You could work for me! I can’t pay you the kind of wages you’re used to making, but I can bring you in making enough to be comfortable while you decide what you want to do next. Maybe a year of working a good old nine-to-five job would do you some good. What do you think? I’ll be the best boss you've ever had. You can make your own hours. In fact, I have a position that would allow you to work from home most of the week. What do you think?” He smiled broadly, finding a solution to her problems easily.

The hopeful expression on his face made her heart throb. She was going to miss him so much. Too much. This was going to be even harder than she’d anticipated. She’d never imagined Luke would offer her a job to keep her here. He was problem solving. That’s what Luke did. Now that she was open to making a change, he was going to look for a way to make that happen while keeping her in New York.
 

Grace ran a hand through her gold-red hair and sighed. Luke stiffened and released her hand.

“What the fuck is that, Grace?” Luke’s warm brown eyes blazed back at her with anger. At first she wasn’t sure what he was referring to, until he looked down at the hand now resting on the table top.

Grace cleared her throat uncomfortably. “That’s the other thing I needed to tell you.”

Luke gripped his side of the table with both hands until his knuckles turned white. His jaw was a rigid line of displeasure. There was hurt and anger in that look.

“Jack and I spent a lot of time together and . . .” she tried to explain but Luke cut her off.

“You’re going to marry the two-timing, no he was actually more like a four-timing, son of a bitch!” Luke’s voice was raised in anger. He had never, not once in over seven years, raised his voice to her. People at near-by tables turned to look at them. Grace flushed red.

“I’m still considering it, Luke,” she told him in a hushed tone that expressed her displeasure at his outburst. “I haven’t said yes, yet,” she continued.

“That’s bullshit and you know it!” he yelled again. Luke was quickly losing his temper. Grace was shocked.

“It’s not bullshit. And I don’t like the way you’re talking to me,” she snapped back.

“Hell if I care how you feel anymore, Grace Yates. Or should I call you Grace Landry? You aren’t wearing that monstrosity for the hell of it.” He nodded toward her hand that was now clinched in confusion and irritation in her lap.

“He asked me . . . but it was too soon. We’ve only been together for a couple of weeks. He knew it would be too soon for me. I’m still thinking about it. But he asked me to wear the ring until I make up my mind,” she explained.

“He knew it was too soon, but he asked you anyway? It’s only been a few weeks but you’re wearing his ring? Do you hear yourself?” He shook his head. “He may as well have pissed on you to mark his territory. That’s why he wanted you to wear the ring.”

Luke stood and dug his wallet out of his jacket pocket. “You’re lying to yourself if you think you haven’t already made up your mind to marry him. Be honest. Would you be moving across the country to work with him every day if you didn’t know you’d be together? Would you be able to handle standing by while he dated and went about his life? You couldn’t handle it in college. I didn’t blame you. I can’t image you’d enjoy it now.” He sneered at her. He actually curled his lip like something smelled badly.
 

Luke fished a few twenties out of his wallet and dropped them on the table for the waitress. He turned on his heels and walked away. Was he just going to leave? Why was he so angry? Grace was stunned by his attitude. She stood and watched him go. Everyone was looking at them. She knew Luke didn’t like Jack. He’d been the one to watch her make a fool of herself in school. He’d been the one to dry her tears. It stood to reason that he would be against the idea of marriage at first. Luke would want her to be happy. They were best friends. He would get past his dislike of Jake once he saw how content she was, right? She didn’t understand this rage.

Luke reached the door and stopped with his back to her. Slowly, he turned around and returned to the table. He came to stand next to her and the hurt in his eyes nearly broke Grace. He was truly hurting. Why?

“I’ve loved you for seven years, Grace Yates,” he told her.

“I love you, too,” she said and tried to touch his arm but he backed up a step.

“No, Grace. I’ve been in love with you. I waited for you to get over Jack. I didn’t want to be your rebound mistake. Then when I thought you were past Jack I waited for you to see how good we are together, how much I want to make you happy. I waited for you to see that I’m the man who’s always there when you need me. I’ve always had your back. I came to this godforsaken city for you. I refused to enter any serious relationships, because all I wanted was you.” The confession fell between them like a stone. She stared at him slack jawed.

“I . . . you never told me. I didn’t know,” she said lamely.

“I never told you because I feared losing our friendship. I knew if I told you and you didn’t feel the same way things would never be the same between us. I’d rather be just your friend than lose the closeness we share. But this is too much. That man crushed you. In doing so, he crushed me. Seven years go by and I thought you were over him. I thought I had a chance, if only a small one and that was enough for me. I held on. I was so blind. He calls and you run to his side. He crooks his finger and you change your entire life. After just days you’re wearing his ring. I’ve been waiting for you to return my love . . .” a tear suddenly tracked down Luke’s cheek, “for seven long fucking years. I can’t do it anymore.”

 
Grace wanted to take him into her arms but she knew he wouldn’t allow it now. “I do love you, Luke,” she sputtered.

He glared at her left hand with glassy eyes. “No, you don’t. Not the way I need you to.” He looked her in the eye again. “I’m done. I can’t do this with you again. I can’t wait any longer.” He took a backwards step toward the door. Defeat and resignation were stamped on his handsome face. Grace didn’t know what to say or how to make this better. She never wanted to lose Luke. Never. “I’ll always love you. Please, don’t ever forget that, Grace.” He stepped back another step and looked her over, as if committing her every feature to memory. “Be happy, Grace. That’s really all I’ve ever wanted for you.” With that he turned and left the restaurant at a fast clip.