She stepped back suddenly and put her face in her hands. She felt the tingling sensation coming over her. Her brain was on overload and pushing the panic button for a restart. "Jack," she whispered, frantic.
He ran and caught her just as she fell.
* * *
Jane slowly opened her eyes. "Jane?" her husband called. She slowly came back to earth. Jack was holding her in his lap.
"Are you all right? How do you feel?"
"I'm okay," she said weakly. "I thought the man standing in the kitchen was you." She shook her head. "Am I losing my mind?" she asked, her voice quivering with emotion.
He cupped her cheek in the palm of his hand to calm her. "I should have warned you," he whispered. "I wanted it to be a surprise."
She looked up at him, confused. "Wanted what to be a surprise?" she asked.
"I have a twin brother."
Another face that looked exactly like Jack's face came into view. "Surprise," he said.
"Twins," she said. She groaned and closed her eyes. She was beyond embarrassed and knew that the blush on her face would reveal her mortification.
"It's all right," Jack comforted her, as he helped her to sit up.
Jack's brother offered his hand. "I'm Matt."
She shook it. "Jane."
"Nice to meet you, Jane. I've heard a lot about you, but apparently my brother hasn't said one word about me."
She smiled. "Well, he mentioned a brother. Just not an exact replica."
Matt grinned and said, "Let's help you up off that floor."
Both brothers hooked a hand under Jane's arms and pulled her up slowly. Jack helped her into a kitchen chair. "Feel better now?" he asked, concerned.
"Much."
She glanced at Jack and then to Matt. Their faces were identical besides the two-inch scar Matt bore above his right eye. She was thankful that Matt's hair was considerably shorter than Jack's and that she had at least two things to rely on to tell them apart.
"I wondered whose car was out in the driveway," she said as the brothers sat down at the kitchen table with her.
Matt said, "That's my rental car." He glanced across the table at Jack. "I haven't been home in months. And then when I get back, my baby brother is married."
"Baby brother," Jack scoffed. “I was born two minutes after you.”
Matt playfully punched his brother in the arm. Then he turned his attention to Jane. "I just had to see what kind of woman could make my brother finally settle down." He flashed a big grin.
Jane smiled as Jack reached over and grasped her hand in his. He raised her hand to his lips and kissed her knuckles. "Well, obviously she had to be amazing." He looked at her with dazzling eyes. He was absolutely smitten, and Jane felt the same way about him. "It's been quite a whirlwind, but I'm happy."
"We're happy," Jane added.
Jack smiled at her and kissed her hand again. "We're happy," he agreed.
Matt watched them. "All right. Enough with this mushy, lovey-dovey crap," he joked. "Let's celebrate my homecoming."
CHAPTER 12
JACK POKED A fork into the steaks and turned them on the hot grill. They sizzled loudly. His brother opened the sliding door and joined him outside.
"You have some view," Matt said while looking out over the big yard and mountains in the distance.
Jack stepped back from the grill and sat down on one of the patio chairs. Matt sat next to him. Jack said, "Yeah. I don't miss the big cities we grew up in at all."
Matt silently agreed with a nod. "You know, you've changed everything for her." Matt hesitated. "And I can see why, Jack. She really is amazing. And that kiss…" He winked at his brother. "Wow!"
Jack glared at him. They had had a turbulent past when it came to women, and he knew that was part of the reason they had strayed apart over the years. "We're married, Matt. I want you to remember that."
He cocked a brow. "Like I would forget?"
Jack shook his head. "This isn't like in college when you stole all of my girlfriends."
"Stole?" Matt scoffed. "I can't help it they liked me better, bro."
Jack rolled his eyes. "That's what you think."
"That's what I know," Matt quipped.
He smiled. "I've really missed having you around, you know. After you left college, I was on my own for quite a while. It was tough."
"I feel the same way." They sat in silence for a while until Matt finally stood. "Well, I'm going to go see if the missus needs any help."
Before Jack could protest, Matt disappeared through the door. Jack frowned. He knew his brother better than anyone did, and he knew what Matt was capable of. He stood and walked over to the grill. His brother would be leaving after dinner and staying at their mother's home for a few days. Then he would be out of Jack's life again for probably another year or two. Jack took great relief in that, although it surprised him that he would feel that way about his own brother.
* * *
The smell of the steaks sizzling on the grill wafted through the screen of the sliding door. Jane stood at the kitchen counter preparing salads in three decorative bowls. Matt came through the door and asked, "Need help?"
She glanced up at the scar above his eye just to be sure before she said, "Sure, Matt." She pointed to the tomatoes on top of a cutting board. "Those need cut up, if you don’t mind."
He grinned. "I don't mind at all."
As she put lettuce in all three bowls, she looked over to Matt. "Would you mind me asking how you got the scar above your eye?"
He shook his head. "Jack threw a rock at my face when we were kids. Nearly blinded me."
"You're lucky his aim wasn't better."
He chuckled. "Yeah, I am." As he moved the knife down to cut the tomato, he pulled back suddenly. "Damn!" he cursed.
Jane turned and saw that Matt had cut himself. She carefully led him to the sink and turned on the cold water. Grabbing his hand, she held his finger under the water. The blood washed away quickly. "Let's see the damage," she said. She turned off the water and held his hand inside of her hers. She inspected his finger carefully. It was cut, but only bleeding a little. "I'll get you a Band-Aid." She walked to the other side of the kitchen and retrieved a box of bandages from the cupboard.
"I think this is why I order out most nights," Matt joked.
Jane laughed and took his hand into hers once more. She carefully wrapped the Band-Aid around his finger. "There. You'll live," she said, looking up at him.
He stared at her with hazel eyes that matched her husband's. She felt herself stir a little, but quickly suppressed the feeling. He was not Jack even though her mind insisted on tricking her.
"Thanks," he whispered.
"Everything all right in here?" Jack asked as he entered the kitchen.
Jane quickly pulled back from his brother and smiled. "Yeah. Matt just cut his finger."
Jack furrowed his brow and nodded slowly. "Steaks are almost done." Then he disappeared onto the back patio.
Jane went back to the task of making the salad, taking over the tomato cutting duty.
Matt went to the fridge. "Mind if I grab a beer?"
"Not at all. Help yourself."
He leaned his back against the counter and cracked open the beer. As Jane sliced through the tomato, she could feel Matt's eyes on her. At first, she thought it was her imagination, but she could feel his gaze like a magnetic pull. When she glanced over at him, sure enough, his eyes were glued on her. He grinned and quickly said, "Well, I better go see how my brother is making out with those steaks."
Once he left, Jane sighed with relief. There was something about Matt that made her uneasy. She knew that she was afraid of making the same mistake of kissing him again or showing him affection, but then there was also something else deep down that made her feel uncomfortable towards him. She couldn't quite put her finger on it, but the idea pooled at the back of her brain.
* * *
Over dinner, Jack and Matt bantered back and forth. Ja
ne quickly learned that Matt was a police officer and currently living and working in Philadelphia.
"I tried to make it through medical school," Matt confessed.
"But you didn't," Jack added quickly.
Matt rolled his eyes. "No. No, I didn't."
"But, hey, my brother went on to bigger and better things."
Matt smiled. "Thanks, bro."
"You won't be saving lives in the operating room like our father, but, hey, it's still a good job," he joked.
Matt's smile faded quickly. "Yeah, yeah. Life-saving doctor over here taking after our old man." He took a swig of beer. "Like mom could ever let me forget that," he added quietly.
Jane detected the bitterness in Matt's voice. Jack had told her about his father dying a few years ago and that he had been the one that drove his ambition to become a doctor. Jane attempted to lighten the mood in the room by saying, "I think that being a police officer is nothing to look down upon. And you might not be saving lives in an operating room, but you do save lives and risk your own life every day."
Matt looked at her and grinned. "Thanks, Jane."
She glanced at her husband, who was staring down at his plate. He was not amused. She decided to try another attempt at making conversation. "How long are you going to be visiting, Matt?" she asked.
"Well, I'm going to crash at our mom's house for a few days." He hesitated. "I have been thinking about moving closer to the area, though."
Jack's head snapped up. "You didn't tell me you were thinking of moving here."
"Well, there's a house in foreclosure just a few miles from here. It's on five acres of land. Prime real estate."
"So you've been looking at houses already?"
"I looked online at a few places, yeah. I thought while I was in town I would check them out."
Jack's lips were pinched in a tight line. He set down his fork and stared across the table at his brother. "What about your job in Philly?"
"Well, I thought about putting a transfer to the Bedford Valley Police Department." He shifted in his seat uncomfortably under Jack's stern gaze. "The house would be an investment. And the cost of living is so much cheaper here." Matt glared back at his brother. "Something wrong with me living near you, Jack?"
After a long pause, Jack said, "No, not at all. I just didn't expect you to be moving anytime soon."
Jane stared at both of them. Jack was not acting like himself, and she knew Matt was the cause of that. "How about dessert?" she asked in an attempt to break the tension.
Matt murmured, "Sounds great."
Jane stood and walked to the fridge where a store bought cake was inside. She cut three pieces and took them back to the table. Everyone ate in silence as the tension once again overwhelmingly grew in the dining room.
After he finished the dessert, Matt leaned back in his chair. "Everything was absolutely delicious." He glanced at the clock on the wall. "I should be heading over to mom's place."
Jane stood and cleared the plates. Matt and Jack walked to the door, and Jane followed them. "Thank you for visiting, Matt," she said. "You're always welcome here."
Matt smiled. "Thank you so much, Jane." He gave her a quick hug. Then he turned to his brother. "Jack. I'll call you."
"Sounds good. See ya, Matt."
Once Matt left, Jack sighed deeply, running his hands through his hair. Jane watched him carefully. "What was all that about?" she asked.
He shook his head slowly. "Matt can just be so competitive sometimes. He's been like that since we were kids. When we were in college together before he dropped out, he insisted on stealing every single girl I ever tried to date. He did that all through high school too. He has always wanted everything I've had."
Jane snaked her hands around his back and hugged him tightly. "So you think he'll try to steal me away from you." She smiled against his chest. She had never seen Jack so jealous before.
Jack held her and rested his chin against the top of her head. "I just don't want to lose you," he whispered.
"You'll never lose me." She pulled back from him and stared into his eyes. "I love you."
"I love you more." He leaned down and kissed her deeply.
CHAPTER 13
MONTHS PASSED, AND Matt made the transfer from Philadelphia to Bedford Valley. Jack vowed to work through their differences and mend the relationship between him and his brother. Week by week he felt like they were growing closer and closer, as they had been when they were kids before girls came into the picture. He found that Matt was very protective over Jane, and he gradually began to realize he could count on Matt if anything bad were to ever happen to him.
Jack fished his BlackBerry out of his pocket. He fumbled to juggle his briefcase, the phone and a bouquet of roses that he had bought for Jane moments ago for their one-year wedding anniversary. He glanced at the time on the BlackBerry and cringed. He was running late for the dinner that Jane was preparing. His appointment with the travel agent had run a little long.
He pushed a button to speed dial the house phone. Little did Jane know of the vacation he had planned — two weeks with just the two of them vacationing in Hawaii. The plane tickets were nestled safely in his briefcase.
Jane picked up on the second ring. "Hey, sweetheart," Jack said.
"Hi, Jack. Where are you?" Her voice was laced with concern.
"Don't worry. I'm just running behind. I had to stop and pick up…something." He didn't want to ruin the surprise.
"Well, dinner is going to be done in a few minutes."
"Great. I'll be there as soon as I can."
"I love you," Jane said.
Jack closed his eyes. Would he ever get tired of hearing that? "I love you more," he said before ending the call. He put his BlackBerry into his jacket pocket.
As he cut through an alley to the parking garage, rain spit down from the dark clouds in the night sky. His feet moved a little faster as he made his way to the car. He put his briefcase on the roof and reached into his pocket for the keys.
Suddenly, he was pushed from behind and crammed into the driver's side door. He felt a sharp object jutting into his side.
"Your wallet!" the man behind him said through gritted teeth.
"Back pocket," Jack said. "There's money in it. Take it!"
The thief kept one of his elbows jammed into Jack's spine as he searched his back pockets. His fingers grabbed the wallet, and he stepped back, examining the contents.
Jack stayed in place, afraid to move. "You have all my money. Now please take it and go."
The man moved closer to him. "I haven't taken everything yet."
Jack watched in the reflection of the car window as the man raised the knife. Jack moved quickly out of the way, and the man thrust the knife into the side of the vehicle. Jack stumbled and fell, dropping the bouquet of flowers beside him. The thief was on top of him in an instant.
With all of his might, Jack tried to fight his attacker off. The man was tall, husky and had a long scar that ran from his forehead to the corner of his top lip.
With one free hand, the thief hit Jack in the mouth. As Jack attempted to recover from the strike, he felt the blade of the knife sink into his side. He cried out in pain. The man stabbed him again and again.
Then as suddenly as the attack had begun, it ended. The thief was gone, and Jack was left alone bleeding on the concrete of the parking garage. He coughed and felt the blood sputtering out of his mouth. He knew he was mortally wounded and needed help as soon as possible if he wanted to live. His fingers reached into his pocket. He tried to grasp his phone, but his fingers were too numb and weak to get a good grip.
He collapsed onto the concrete. The roses he had bought for Jane were strewn around him. He struggled to keep awake, and all of his thoughts were of Jane. He couldn't leave her alone. She needed him too much.
In the distance, he saw people running towards him.
"We're going to call for help," a voice said.
"Hang in there," another said
.
Jack tried to talk, but blood was gurgling in his throat. He took one last gasp for air before closing his eyes.
* * *
Jane glanced at the clock. Jack had called her exactly one hour ago. The ride home should have only been fifteen minutes. She picked up the phone and dialed his cell. The call went straight to voicemail. She frowned and pushed the off button on the phone.
She glanced at the immaculately set dinner table before her. It had taken her all afternoon to get ready for their romantic dinner together. The rack of lamb was warming in the oven, but she knew it would be dried out and ruined if he didn't return home soon.
She stood and folded her arms across her chest. For the first time that she could remember, she was really mad at her husband.
A car pulled in the driveway, and she walked to the front door. She opened it and saw Jack walking up the sidewalk. His head was down. He had nothing in his hands, and she wondered where the something that he picked up was. "There you are," she said. "I was getting really worried."
Jack looked up at her, and his eyes were brimming with tears. "Jane," he said.
She cocked an eyebrow and stared at him scrupulously. The scar above his eye caught her attention. Jack was not home. It was Matt who was standing before her.
"Matt," she confirmed. "What's wrong?"
"It's Jack."
She felt her heart hammering against her ribcage. Horrible images flooded her mind. Was he in a car accident? Was he hurt? "What happened?" she asked, her voice just above a whisper.
Matt grasped her and pulled her into his arms. She swallowed hard. The news was bad. "Is he hurt?" she managed to ask.
"He's…He's gone, Jane. Jack's dead."
Jane's worst fear had come to fruition. She could literally feel her entire world around her come to a crashing halt. "No," she said, incredulously. She wouldn't believe it. She couldn't believe it. As she tried to push him away, he held her tighter. "No!" she cried. Tears sprang in her eyes and flowed down over her cheeks freely.
Matt held her fast. "I'm here," he whispered. "I'm here. It's okay."
After a few moments, she stopped trying to fight him. Her fingers slowly grasped his shirt, and she held onto him for dear life. She needed him more than he would ever know. She buried her face against his shirt as she sobbed.
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