by Jane Linfoot
Her usual smile had been replaced by a grave stare, but her hand landing lightly on his bare forearm sent a thousand shivers exploding through his body.
‘If you say so, Cherry.’
Phil shot Bryony a glance filled with admiration. ‘She’s totally right, guys. Brilliant insight. Of all of them, this is my personal favourite too.’
Jackson took in Phil’s blunt chin on a level with Cherry’s breast, and swallowed a grunt of disgust.
‘Thank you, Phil.’ Bryony acknowledged Phil over her shoulder, gave the smallest toss of her hair, and then she sauntered away to examine a cluster of smaller photographs, leaving Jackson blinking.
‘Impressive observation there.’ Dan shuffled up to Jackson, and lowered his voice. ‘Although to me it looks a lot more like love than insight. Instead of blasting me for setting you up Jackson, I think you should be thanking me.’
‘You have to be joking, Dan; Cherry’s been like a proverbial ice queen ever since you blundered in this morning. If she ever was interested, she’s backing off big-time now.’
Dan gave a grunt, and gave Jackson a slap on the back that left him reeling.
‘Lovers’ tiff, you’ll get over it. I know these are all firsts for you, Jackson, but believe me, the make-up sex will more than make up for the pain.’ He shot Jackson a sheepish grin as he consulted his Rolex. ‘And sorry to break up the party here, but we need to be moving on. There’s a camera crew waiting.’
Jackson gave a sigh. With Cherry in this mood, who knew what was going to happen there.
Chapter 43
Two hours later, arriving in an empty car park ten miles across the city, and as they were getting out of the car, Jackson pulled Bryony to one side.
‘How are you feeling, Cherry?’
She pulled a face. ‘I’ve been better.’
‘I’m so sorry about the mess up over the papers. There are times when Dan needs a pillow putting over his face and this morning was one of them, but overall he’s worth his weight. And neither of us meant to plot things behind your back, least of all advantages from Brando. Dan’s been such a good friend to me, he just gets over enthusiastic at times. He doesn’t mean to be half the pain he is.’
‘Whatever.’ Maybe this wasn’t down to Jackson, but feeling used wasn’t pleasant.
‘If you knew how he’s slogged to heave my name out of the gutter, you’d understand why he was so excited this morning. He’s already got a lot of work for both of us in the pipeline apparently.’
‘How come?’ She wasn’t about to sound enthusiastic. She didn’t want to be bought off with offers of work.
‘He’s a human whirlwind, he rarely sleeps, and he’s got phenomenal contacts, but mostly it’s down to your raw presenting talent. No one’s going to think you got there by anything other than your own efforts when they see you at work. Dan will help you prove yourself in your own right, if you just let him. Hard to believe, but Dan is a managerial genius. He’ll make it up to you I promise. And I’m sorry about what happened, okay?’ Jackson gave her hand a squeeze.
‘Thanks for apologising.’ She met his eye fleetingly, then dropped her gaze. That was the best she could offer right now.
Jackson gave a deflated sigh. ‘If you’re sure you’re up to it, shall we go and get this ride done?’
Ten minutes later, Bryony decided it was time to dig her heels in. And those would be her metaphorical heels, given she’d once again been talked out of her five-inch high Christian Louboutins, and into toes-in-the-air cycling shoes. No idea how she kept allowing this to happen, but now it had, she needed to take a stand. Not that she was feeling stroppy exactly, but today’s events hadn’t left her at her most cooperative. She turned her back to the bikes leaning against the wall, put her hands on her hips and faced the crowd of guys in front of her.
‘If you lot think I’m getting on the back of a tandem with Jackson again after the whole YouTube fiasco, you’re mistaken. I’m very sorry, but you can forget it.’
A sea of hopeful male expressions sagged in front of her.
‘No problem, we’ll ride separate bikes – it’s only one minor shot after all.’ Jackson stepped in immediately, to smooth the situation. ‘It’s very helpful of Cherry – I mean Bryony – to agree to join in at all.’
‘We are all very grateful to you, Bryony.’ Dan carried on. ‘And we’re only suggesting the tandem because it will be great for both of you, career wise.’
Something told her she was getting the kid glove treatment here.
It was hardly Jackson’s fault that she had her lifelong struggle trying to prove herself without falling back on Brando’s influential name and reputation. But she was also confused herself. True, it hurt to know she’d been thrown into the camper van with Jackson, yet again, simply because of her name. But in the dappled light of the summer afternoon, after what Jackson had said today, it seemed like that was the least of her problems. This weekend she’d thrown caution to the wind, and let herself go for the first time ever, and she’d landed in the strangest of places, under Jackson Gale’s wing. And despite the unexpected nature of the place, she loved the way it felt. But the whole point was, it was all a fantasy, and it was only wonderful because of the certainty it wasn’t going to last.
His bit part in her all-time dream had thrown her completely, but she could have taken that in her stride if he’d been heading off at top speed on his racing bike, never to be seen again. Whereas, as things were, she couldn’t handle any of it. And she could barely admit it to herself, let alone talk about it to Jackson. It was making her short-tempered and cranky, which was why everyone was acting like she needed careful handling, when really all she needed was for the weekend to end so she could shoot off back home and hide.
And here were Jackson and Dan, not just pouring oil on troubled waters, but hosing it on by the tanker-load. The last thing she wanted was to be difficult. She’d dealt with too many prima donnas to become one. She needed to take a lead here, to be strong, independent and pro-active. She took one deep breath.
‘I’m fine to ride the tandem, so long as I’m on the front and in control.’
Her words came out in a rush, and Dan took all of a nanosecond to seize on her offer.
‘Fabulous. Why we didn’t think of that before?’
‘I’m not sure.’ Jackson’s brow furrowed. ‘The tandem isn’t that easy.’
‘I’ll be fine.’ It was a flat, quiet stretch of road, and at least this way she got to operate the brakes.
Dan backed her up. ‘How hard can it be? We’re talking fifty yards, max.’
‘No, Cherry, I’m sorry, I’d rather not risk it.’
All these guys, too much testosterone, and Jackson was reluctant to hand over power. After this morning, she needed to prove, at least to herself, that she still had a grip on the situation. This way too, on the film, she would look like she was decisive, in control, and calling the shots. That might shut Brando up too, given that her phone was practically on meltdown with the texts he’d been sending – and she’d been ignoring – since he’d seen this morning’s papers. One little bike ride that looked like it might solve a whole lot of problems, and all she had to do was to hold her nerve, steer and pedal. For once she was with Dan on this one.
‘I’ve let you be in charge all weekend, Jackson.’ She flashed him a loaded glare. ‘It’s my turn now.’
From the smoulder in Jackson’s eyes, she guessed her silk scarves and total submission point had hit home.
‘Good point, well made.’ Dan was in again, although she had to hope he had no idea what the heck he was talking about.
‘You’ve got me there, Cherry.’ Jackson gave a grimace, then taking the tandem by the handlebars he wheeled it around. He took a moment to adjust the front seat. ‘Come on, climb aboard, Captain. Looks like I’m taking a back seat today.’
‘Okay, great, one last time along the road.’ The camera guy’s shout followed them as they did yet another lap around the car p
ark.
‘Not so bad handing over control, is it Jackson?’ Bryony resisted the urge to send him a smirk over her shoulder. Despite her hands shaking so much she could hardly hold the handlebars at the start, thanks to Jackson’s calm, reassuring instructions, posted straight into her ear, her confidence had grown and she’d nailed this one. As she headed towards the road, her heart was soaring.
‘All clear, keep on going, keep the curve wide.’
Jackson’s measured instructions were keeping her on track, and as she steered onto the carriageway her mouth stretched into a huge smile.
‘Great, now wave as you come past, Jackson.’ Another shout from the cameraman, and she was waving too.
‘No, not you, Cherry.’ Jackson’s shout was urgent. ‘Holy crap, get hold of the bars.’
‘Whoops. Shit.’ She’d lost her line. The front wheel clanged off the kerb.
Then the world tipped, and the last thing she knew was the ground whizzing towards her and an almighty thump as her head smashed into the tarmac.
Chapter 44
‘Really, apart from my wrist and a bit of a headache, I’m sure I’m fine.’ An ambulance ride, and what seemed like an age later, Bryony screwed up her eyes, and yet again caught a glimpse of tubes and screens, and the pink painted plaster of the wall behind her head. ‘I was woozy before, but that was the pain and the smell of antiseptic and lying so flat.’
A woman, this one wearing a pale-blue smock, smiled down at her. ‘We’ll get you off this board as soon as we can, I promise.’
‘Thanks, that would be great.’ Bryony attempted to return the smile, and winced as she rearranged her wrist. She needed to get out of here before Brando got wind of it.
‘In the meantime, I’m your radiologist and I’ll be looking after any scans and X-rays you need.’ The woman smiled again, and adjusted her clipboard. ‘So, Bryony, we ask all young women – any possibility you’re pregnant?’
‘No, definitely not.’ Categorical ‘no’ to that one.
Beside her Jackson leaned back, and let out a long, low sigh.
‘So, date of last period?’
‘They tend to be irregular.’ Bryony racked her brains. She’d finished just before the weekend in Scarborough. ‘Six weeks ago. Seven maybe.’ Out loud, it didn’t sound so good.
Jackson shifted on his chair next to her.
‘Okay. Just to check. Have you experienced any nausea, or vomiting recently? Morning sickness?’ The nurse sent her an apologetic grimace. ‘Sorry, but we have to ask.’
Morning sickness? ‘No way.’
Jackson leaned in and rested an elbow on the stretcher edge. ‘You were sick earlier on.’
‘Thanks a bunch for that, Jackson.’ Whose side was he on? And how the hell had this spun so fast into an inquisition? ‘That was different. It wasn’t morning sickness, it was almost afternoon.’
‘Okay.’ The nurse raised her eyebrows, and sighed as she made a note. ‘Anything else, are your breasts swollen or tender?’
Bryony opened her mouth, then shut it again. Was this really happening?
‘Maybe. A bit. But it’s probably just my period coming on.’
‘They definitely have got bigger, Cherry.’ Jackson tapped his chin with his thumb. ‘Two cup sizes wasn’t it?’
The nurse stepped back. ‘Fine, I’ll just check with the Doctor. Give you two a minute.’
‘These people are so ridiculous sometimes.’ Bryony tried to toss her head, but given the restraint, she had to make do with grinding her teeth.
‘You don’t think…?’ Jackson began, then trailed off.
‘I’ve fallen off a tandem.’ If she said it firmly enough she could stop her mind from racing, stop it putting one and one together and making three. ‘I’m an RTA, not an ante-natal case. I came here to get my wrist in plaster, not to get pregnant.’
It was mind-blowing, scary and crazy, all at the same time. She didn’t need to look at the flickering figures on the monitor to know her pulse was racing.
‘She might be right?’ Jackson stood up, sat down again, then fumbled with the sheet they’d draped over her, found her good hand and rubbed her knuckles. ‘How wild would that be?’
Wild? What kind of word was that? ‘She can’t be right, I’m not…’ She couldn’t even make herself say the ‘p’ word in relation to herself. ‘End of.’ And when did her voice become a strangled shriek? Strapped down, flat on her back, was no way to fight this.
‘Okay, don’t get your sling in a twist.’ As his face broke into an anxious grin, his cheeks sliced, and sent the butterflies from her stomach to her thorax. ‘Look on the bright side. If you are, at least your mom won’t have to freeze your eggs.’
Despite his low laugh, his fingers had locked around hers, and he was holding on. Holding on so tightly, that by the time the nurse in blue came back with a doctor, Bryony’s whole hand had turned numb.
Chapter 45
‘Thanks for bringing the takeaway.’ Jackson, bum propped on the bonnet of Dan’s car, opened the box, stared down at the burger and decided to leave it where it was for now. Somehow the monumental slab of a hospital building that overshadowed them took his appetite away.
‘No worries. It’s lean steak. I wasn’t sure about the fries.’ Dan gave him a punch on the arm then slid in to sit beside him. ‘How’s Bryony?’
‘Pregnant.’ Jackson tested saying the word out loud. If it bounced back off the tarmac and hit him in the face, he couldn’t have been more gobsmacked than he was when they found out.
Dan raised his eyebrows. ‘I know that, but I meant generally, more immediately…?’ At least Dan hadn’t said the word back to him.
‘She’s in theatre now, they’re knocking her out to realign her wrist.’ Jackson let out a sigh. ‘Thanks for coming back again, I should never have let her on the front of that tandem. It’s all my fault.’
‘We’re all to blame for that, and we’re lucky she wasn’t hurt more badly. I thought you might use the support, as well as the food.’ Dan held up his own burger, and took an enthusiastic bite. ‘I wondered if Brando might have arrived to muscle in?’
Jackson pulled a face. ‘So far we’ve been spared that. I imagine he’ll be raging, and quite rightly too. I haven’t looked after Cherry as I should have, not in any area.’
Dan gave a grimace. ‘How’s she taking the baby news then?’
Jackson flinched as that major word slipped out so casually. Cherry’s initial expression of wild-eyed shock had quickly morphed into ghostly silence and he had no idea whether her increasing pallor was down to the accident or the unexpected discovery. They were in this together, they’d have to talk about it sometime, but tonight they’d somehow run out of words.
‘Very loud denial at first, then stony silence after the scan. You know Cherry, she never likes to be proved wrong.’ Jackson raked his fingers through his hair.
‘How about you?’ Dan gave him a searching stare.
Jackson poked at a chip and stared into the middle distance. ‘Let’s say I’m fighting an indescribably strong instinct to run for the hills.’
‘Understandable.’
Was it? How could it be? It was the worst instinct a man could have, and yet Dan sounded unperturbed.
‘Actually, it’s worse than that.’ Jackson frowned, and focused on the small groups of people standing by a side door to the hospital, chatting and smoking. This morning his life had seemed rosy and exciting and wide, and suddenly, at a stroke, one nurse asking an innocuous question, and it had narrowed down to nothing. This was easier to say when he was looking away. ‘I’m not sure I can do this at all.’
‘Hey, come on…’ Dan flopped an arm across Jackson’s shoulder. ‘It’s completely normal to feel that now because of the shock. Every guy in the world who finds he’s going to be a dad for the first time is shitting themselves. It’s the biggest deal there is, it has to be up there as one of life’s scariest moments. But the good guys all come through Jackson, you can do it,
and what’s more, you will. And like everything else in your life, you’ll make a damned good job of it too.’
‘But the whole pay-off of me giving up the racing was supposed to be the freedom.’
‘You can take kids anywhere you know. They’re pretty transportable, at least they are until they’re teenagers and that’s a long way off.’
‘I guess I’m not exactly thrilled at the idea of pushing a baby buggy around the Pacific Rim.’
Dan frowned. ‘Just a detail, but you do know a buggy won’t run on a beach?’
Jackson looked nonplussed. ‘Why the hell not?’
‘The wheels get stuck in the sand, you have to carry them.’ Dan gave a sniff. ‘One person at the front, one at the back, it’s no big deal, but you need to know, if you’re planning a beach trip that is.’
‘Holy crap Dan, I’m hardly at the planning stage; I’m talking hypothetically here.’
‘What part of the Pacific Rim are you thinking of, anyway? It’s a very wide area.’
‘No idea. I saw it on a restaurant menu, it sounded good.’ Jackson shrugged off Dan’s incredulous stare. ‘Don’t look at me like that, you’re the one who taught me the importance of a good sound-bite.’
Now he was sounding like he hadn’t thought this through at all.
‘At least you weren’t thinking of heading off there on your own.’ Dan narrowed his eyes, and took another bite of burger. ‘So great you’re thinking of traipsing round the Pacific, and tucking into that bottomless of ice-cream. But the biggie is, who’s there with you, holding the bucket?’
Jackson gave a grimace. ‘Cherry. Every time.’
‘There you go.’ Dan sent him a triumphant grin. ‘I knew you’d fallen for her. There had to be more to you giving up on your career than wanting to be free, and consume ice-cream. It was the thought of spending every day with her that made you give up, wasn’t it?’
