Finally Yours (Love & Wine Book 1)

by Claire Raye

  I fall silent and take her in. She’s stunning and even though I can see the faint look of dark circles under her eyes, she’s still far prettier than the average woman.

  “Do you know where I can find him?” she asks again, seemingly growing impatient with my lack of response.

  I shake my head waiting for my mouth to catch up with my brain and willing it not to boldly ask who she is and what business she has with Jack.

  “He’s not here right now.”

  “Do you know when he’ll be back?”

  She’s very audacious for someone who has just shown up here unannounced, making it obvious that she and Jack have some history.

  “We’re closing in fifteen minutes, so you’ll have to come back another time.”

  “I didn’t ask when you were closing. I asked if you knew where I can find Jack,” she chides, a hand now going to her hip as she straightens up, looking even taller than she already is. Her eyes growing narrow as she now rakes her gaze over me.

  “I’m sorry, but whatever business you have with Jack will have to be done another time seeing as he’s not here and we’re closing.”

  It’s now me standing with hands on my hips but looking far less menacing and far less beautiful. She’s like Land Down Under Barbie.

  She lets out an annoyed huff and runs a hand through her long blonde hair. “Can I leave a message for him then?”

  “Sure,” I reply, knowing this is the perfect way to find out exactly who she is without turning into a version of Ellen’s nosy sidekick. I hand her a pen and a pad of paper and wait.

  It only takes her a few seconds to jot down her information and she hands it back to me.

  “I’ll pass the message along to him,” I tell her, possibly lying though my teeth.

  “Thanks,” she answers back, but her words are cold and she definitely isn’t thankful she ran into me. Without saying anything more, she leaves.

  I wait about a half a second before my eyes immediately dart down to what she’s written on the paper, and it’s then that I realize I’m holding my breath.

  Chapter Twenty-Nine

  Jack

  It’s almost five by the time Tommy and I pull back into Somerville’s.

  “You want to keep working tonight?” he asks as we head down the long drive toward the offices and sheds.

  “Nah,” I say, shaking my head. “Let’s pick it back up first thing tomorrow,” I say. “I’ve got dinner plans tonight.”

  “With Lauren?” he asks as he turns into the carpark.

  “Of course,” I say, glancing over as he switches off the engine. “Who else would my plans be with?”

  Tommy turns in his seat, arm resting on the steering wheel as he stares back at me, an unreadable look on his face that I’m sure means he’s about to lay into me again about my relationship with Lu.

  “Look,” I start, a hand up as if to preemptively stop anything he’s about to say.

  “Jack,” Tommy says, cutting me off. “What is it that’s going on here?”

  “What the fuck does that mean?”

  Tommy exhales, swallowing hard as though to calm himself down a little. “I mean, what exactly is going on with you and Lauren?”

  Now it’s me exhaling. “And how exactly is that any of your business?” I ask, wondering how the fuck we can go from being totally amicable in town to practically wanting to punch each other in face right now.

  “There’s stuff you don’t know,” he says, a weird look on his face, almost as though he’s happy about the fact that he knows more about Lu than me. “Stuff with…”

  “With Nate?” I cut in, an eyebrow raised.

  “You know about him?” Tommy asks, obvious surprise on his face.

  I nod, not bothering to elaborate.

  “So, you know how he…”

  Tommy’s words are cut off by someone knocking on the window behind me. I see Tommy’s eyes move to whoever it is, a look of confusion flashing across his face.

  I turn, everything somehow in slow motion now as I take in the person standing outside my door, the pissed off look on her face as she stares down at me, hands on her hips.

  “Fuck,” I mutter.

  “Who is that?” I hear Tommy ask, but I don’t bother answering as I open the door and get out of the car.

  “What the fuck are you doing here?” I ask, standing up.

  Mel moves closer, as though to kiss my cheek and I instinctively pull back. “Jack,” she says, a sadness in her voice that I just don’t believe.

  “What are you doing here?” I repeat, moving to the side so I’m not trapped between her and the car.

  “You wouldn’t answer my calls,” she says, fingers playing with her hair. “Or my emails.”

  I let out a humorless laugh. “What and you didn’t get the hint?” I ask.

  I hear Tommy get out of the car behind me and I know that as much as I don’t want to talk to Mel right now, I absolutely do not want Tommy talking to her or witnessing any of this either.

  Turning, I stare at him across the roof of the car. “You mind giving us a sec?” I ask, gesturing behind me. “I’ll catch you tomorrow?”

  Tommy’s eyes move from me, to Mel, then back to me again, an unreadable look on his face. Eventually he nods, his simple, “Sure,” doing nothing to relax my nerves or reassure me that he isn’t going to go straight to Lu and tell her about this.

  I nod and he turns and walks away, glancing back once as though he still isn’t sure what he’s doing is a good idea. When he’s far enough away, I turn back to Mel.

  “Listen, Mel,” I start. “You have no right to come here like this, no right to confront me about not answering your calls or…”

  “I’m pregnant,” she blurts out.

  My stomach immediately turns, bile rising in my throat as a thousand images flash through my mind, none of them good.

  “You’re what?” I say, the words catching in my throat.

  “I’m pregnant,” she repeats, hands moving to her stomach.

  My eyes travel down, resting on her hands clasped over her still flat stomach. “Well, it’s clearly not mine,” I say, swallowing the knot of tension. “You and I haven’t…”

  “It’s Aiden’s,” she says, as though that somehow explains everything.

  “Who?”

  Mel takes a deep breath, looking down at her feet before finding my eyes again. She offers a small smile, which I don’t return. “Aiden’s,” she repeats. “He was one of the fruit pickers.”

  I shake my head. “No idea who he is,” I say. “Or why the fuck this has anything to do with me.”

  “Jack,” Mel says, stepping toward me, a hand out as though to reach for me. My hands go up automatically, as though to stop her from coming any closer. She lets out a long breath, nodding once before continuing. “He and I were together only a few times,” she says. “And then he left, moved on when the season ended.”

  My head falls back as I suck in a deep breath, pinching the bridge of my nose. When I lower my head, I see Mel is watching me, a mix of sadness and apprehension on her face.

  “Why are you here?” I ask again. “Why do you think any of this has anything to do with me?”

  She moves closer again, slowly this time and I freeze, mentally willing her to stop, to back the fuck up and not come anywhere near me. Not to touch me. “I miss you,” she says now, her words barely audible. “What we had was good,” she continues. “And I miss that.”

  A hard laugh escapes me. “You miss me?” I ask, incredulous. Mel nods. “Right,” I say, my voice dripping with sarcasm. “And what we had was so fucking good that you had to go and cheat on me?” I continue. “With my best fucking friend.”

  “Jack,” she says, reaching for me again, her hand surprisingly quick and strong as it latches onto my arm. “I love you,” she whispers.

  I shake my head, pulling my arm from her grip. “No, you don’t,” I tell her. “You miss the idea of us, of someone being there for you,” I s
ay. “But you know what, I’m done with that. I was done the day I walked in on you and Matt.”

  Mel stares at me, a look of hurt and confusion on her face. “But that was a…”

  “Go home, Mel,” I say, cutting her off. “Just go home.”

  I turn now, not wanting to hear another word. My eyes move to the door to Lu’s office, where Tommy is standing, arms crossed over his chest as he watches us. I have no idea what he’s still doing here or worse still, how much of this he’s heard, but I don’t bother to stop and find out.

  Instead, I slide my hands in my pockets and head down the long drive, past the sheds and toward Lu’s house, unsure if I should head back to my place or head inside and see her.

  I’m not sure if she knows Mel is here looking for me or not.

  And I’m not sure how the hell I’m going to explain it anyway.

  By the time I reach the cottages, I’ve decided to head inside and take a shower, stalling a little longer while I try to get my thoughts and head together.

  “Hey,” Lu calls out and turning, I see her stand from the chair she’s sitting in on her front porch.

  “Hey,” I say, forcing a smile as I subtly turn and head toward her place.

  “You okay?” she asks, hands on the railing as she watches me take the stairs.

  I nod, not trusting myself to voice the lie. She watches as I walk up to her and pull her into my arms. I feel Lu’s hands slide around my waist and for a second, I can almost forget that my cheating ex-girlfriend has shown up here, pregnant with another man’s child and somehow still expecting me to take her back.

  For a second, I can almost believe it’s just Lu and me still.

  “Jack, what’s wrong?” she asks, pulling back a little. “You’re shaking.”

  I swallow hard, unable to look at her. “Yeah,” I start, swallowing hard. “It’s um, I…”

  I feel Lu’s hands slide up my sides, curling around my ribs. “Is it something to do with the woman who came looking for you today?”

  My head shoots up. “How…what…” I stammer, not sure which question I want to ask her first.

  Lu’s hands drop to her sides now, no longer touching me as she takes a step backward, the small gap she creates between us suddenly feeling huge.

  “She came into the office,” she says, eyes on her feet. “She was looking for you, was asking about you.”

  “Lu,” I murmur, reaching for her.

  She steps back again. “Who is she?” she asks.

  “Lu,” I repeat, reaching for her hand and pulling her back to me. “She’s no one,” I add, as I tilt her face to mine.

  Lu shakes her head. “She isn’t no one, Jack,” she says sadly. “She’s come all this way, all this way for you.”

  I take a deep breath, never turning away from Lu as I nod once. “I don’t know why she’s come here,” I say. “Truly, I don’t.”

  “Who is she?” she repeats.

  “She’s my ex,” I admit. “The one I broke up with months before I came here.”

  Lu stares up at me, her eyes sad as they search my face. “If you broke up with her, why is she here?” she asks, as though she can’t possibly understand. As though she actually thinks I’m lying to her about the status of my relationship with Mel.

  “Babe,” I whisper, stepping even closer, desperate for her to believe me. “I’m not with her. I haven’t been with her for a very long time,” I say, my words pleading. “And I have absolutely no desire to be with her now or ever again. It’s you I want, Lu,” I whisper, leaning down so my forehead rests against her. “Only you.”

  Lu’s head falls forward now, so it’s resting against my chest. I lean down and press a kiss to her hair, inhaling the now familiar scent of her shampoo.

  “She’s very beautiful,” she says, her words quiet.

  I step back, cup her face in my hands as I lift her eyes to mine again. “What did you say?” I ask, needing her say it again so I can make sure she hears my answer.

  “She’s very beautiful,” she repeats.

  “Lu,” I start, pausing as I lean in and press a soft kiss to her lips. “You are the only woman I see, the only woman I want to be with, okay?” I say. “And to me, you are the most beautiful woman in the world.”

  Lu stares up at me, her eyes filled with a sadness that breaks my heart. “Really?” she whispers.

  I smile now, leaning in to kiss her again. “Really,” I say against her lips. “More than anything,” I add, before deepening the kiss as I try to prove it to her.

  Later that night, we’re lying in bed, the darkness of her room occasionally interrupted as the light breeze blows the blinds, lifting them and letting in the moonlight.

  Lu lies against me, her body pressed into mine, her arm lying across my stomach. I trail a hand up and down her spine, neither of us saying anything, but neither of us able to sleep either.

  I feel her sigh against me, her hand sliding over my ribs.

  “What do you want to ask me?” I murmur, my lips pressed to her hair.

  “What?” she asks, lifting her head a little.

  I smile at her, brush the hair back from her face before she lowers it to my shoulder again. “What do you want to ask me about her?” I ask again.

  Lu says nothing for a minute or two, but I know that’s only because she’s trying to work out what to ask. Beside me, I can feel her heart, pounding in her chest as it lies pressed against mine.

  “Why did she come here?” she asks, repeating her question from before.

  I exhale, long and low as I push a hand through my hair, my eyes on the ceiling as I try to work out how to answer that question.

  “Honestly,” I eventually say. “I’m not really sure,” I start. “She says she wants us to get back together, but I don’t actually think that’s true.”

  “Why?” she asks, shifting a little so her chin rests on her arm, which now lies across my chest.

  “Why what?” I ask. “Why she wants to get back together or why I don’t think that’s true?”

  Lu shrugs. “Both, I guess.”

  I smile a little, my fingers brushing against her cheek as I stare at her. Despite the darkness, I can still make out her features, her wide blue eyes as they stare up at me, waiting.

  “I don’t think Mel knows what she wants,” I start. “And I think she often thinks it’s the things she no longer has, the things she threw away when she got bored or whatever.”

  “Is that what she did with you?” Lu asks. “Threw you away?”

  I chuckle, but it’s without humor. “Sort of,” I say. “Although I don’t think she actively tried to do that, she just fucked up and that’s what ended up happening.”

  “What exactly did she do?”

  My thumb smoothes across her cheekbone, my calloused skin rough against the softness of hers. “She cheated on me,” I finally admit. “A lot.”

  “Jack,” she says, lifting a little as she shuffles closer. “I’m sorry,” she says, a hand on my cheek now.

  I offer her a smile. “It’s okay, seriously,” I say. “We were never going to work out anyway.”

  “Why?” she whispers.

  I slide my hand down her spine and around her waist, pulling her up my body so her mouth is against mine. “Because she isn’t you,” I say. “And you are all I’ve ever wanted. Ever since I was fifteen years old.”

  Lu whimpers now and I silence any more of her questions with a kiss, my lips hungry against hers, desperate for her to believe me.

  She moves, rolling her body so it’s on top of mine, her skin warm, her heart still pounding in her chest, mirroring what’s happening in mine.

  “I want you, Lulu, only you.”

  Chapter Thirty

  Lauren

  It’s still early but the light from the rising sun is beginning to cast its shadows around the room as it filters though the slats in the blinds. But it isn’t this that woke me. It’s my obsessive tendency to focus on Jack’s ex-girlfriend and the reas
on she’s flown across the damn Pacific Ocean to find him.

  She’s the upgraded version of me, the better model with all the bells and whistles. She’s Lauren 2.0; the hot Australian version because hell, there must be something in the water there to crank out people who look like Jack and his femme bot ex.

  I have far more questions than I’m willing to let myself ask and I try to flush them from my mind as Jack stirs next to me.

  “You up already?” Jack asks, his voice hoarse with sleep as he reaches his arms above his head and stretches.

  “Yeah, I should probably get an early start with the party last night and everything.”

  I’m trying to be casual, but what I really want to tell him is that of course I’m up already. I’ve been up for the last hour wondering who the hell Melissa is and why she’s come and uprooted what has become my new normal.

  I never gave Jack the note she left him, not that it said anything, just her name and a phone number. It’s still folded up in the back pocket of my jean shorts waiting for me to be honest with him and hand it over.

  “You okay?” Jack questions, his hand sliding over my bare stomach as he rolls toward me. “I know you’re not so don’t tell me you are.”

  I shift away from him and climb out of bed. Grabbing for my shorts that are lying on the floor next to the bed, I pull the note from my pocket and hand it to Jack.

  I can’t look at him while he reads it over, but I hear him crumple it up and toss it over to the small wastepaper basket. It lands with a soft thud and my eyes are drawn to it.

  “That note is no use to me,” Jack announces, his tone now harsh. “I have no interest in what she has to say.”

  “But she wants to talk to you.”

  “I don’t care.”

  Jack is now sitting next to me on the bed, his arm slipped around my waist and my head falling softly against his chest.

  “I’ve told you everything,” he whispers into my hair. “I wouldn’t lie to you. You’re all I’ve ever wanted, and it doesn’t matter if she comes back a million times, the answer will always be the same.”

  I nod slightly and Jack shifts, his fingers under my chin as he lifts my face so I’m looking at him.