CHAPTER 24
IT WAS AROUND four o'clock when Jane finished getting ready. Her long dark hair was curled at the ends, and she had pulled half of it up and away from her face. She stared into the full-length mirror to check over her outfit one last time. She had decided to wear a little black dress with red-soled black pumps. In her closet, she retrieved a small black sequined clutch that matched, and she stuffed all of her essentials from her other purse into it.
She glanced at the clock before retreating down the stairs and out the door. Sebastian was leaning against his Ferrari. Jane stumbled in her step as he looked up at her. He looked brutally handsome in a casual black suit. The white shirt underneath was unbuttoned partway, and she could see his muscular chest beneath it.
He walked around the car and opened the passenger's side door for her. "Jane, you look incredible," he said.
"Thank you, Sebastian. You clean up pretty well yourself," she said with a wink.
He smiled a smile that made her heart skip a beat.
Once she was inside, he closed her door. She watched him climb into the driver's side. He stared at her for a few seconds before starting the engine. Jane grinned. "This is a really nice car," she commented.
"Buckle up, and I'll show you how it handles."
Jane did as he said. The car pulled away from the curb, and she was exhilarated by the way Sebastian handled the vehicle as they sped down the road. Jane gave him directions to Matt's house. "There should be a driveway coming up on the right," she said.
The car made the turn and started uphill on a long, paved driveway. The house slowly came into view, and it was much more than a house — it was a mansion. Matt had told her about the size of the house and land, but she was still amazed.
"I didn't realize the cops' salaries in this town were that padded," Sebastian muttered.
"Well, Matt told me he dabbles in the stock market."
"Ah," he said, as if that explained a lot.
As Sebastian pulled the car among the other dozen or so other vehicles, Jane recognized some of the cars as belonging to Matt's family. Her brow furrowed. She wondered why Matt would want to invite Sebastian to a family gathering.
Sebastian turned to her. "Anything wrong?" he asked.
She shook her head. "No. It's nothing."
He killed the engine, and both of them exited the car. Don, Matt's uncle, came barreling over. "Jane, how are you?" he asked.
"Great, Don. How are you?"
"Oh, you know how it is. Same old shit, different day," he joked. He glanced at Sebastian's car, and a long whistle escaped his lips. "Is that a new Ferrari Spider?" he asked.
"It is," Sebastian said.
As Don and Sebastian talked cars, Jane stared up at the mansion, admiring its grandeur. "Wow," she remarked. The gothic-style mansion was three stories and externally structured with granite and stone. The front of the home donned numerous large windows, which no doubt overlooked the impressive scenery of the countryside.
"Jane," Matt called, walking towards her.
"Hi, Matt. I can't believe how beautiful this place is!"
He smiled widely and put his arm around her shoulder. "Come. I want to give you the grand tour." He glanced over his shoulder. "Care to tag along, Sebastian?"
"Sure." Sebastian begrudgingly followed them.
* * *
After the tour of the mansion, the three of them returned to the vast dining hall. Margaret was smiling from ear to ear as she approached Jane and swept her into her arms. "Hello, my dear. How are you?"
"I'm fine. How are you?"
"Good." She glanced from Jane and then to her son. "You gave her a tour?"
Matt nodded.
Margaret turned her attention back to Jane. "It's lovely, isn't it?"
"Yes, very," Jane remarked.
Margaret reached over and pinched Matt's cheek playfully. "I can't wait to see it filled with my grandchildren." Then she winked at Jane.
Jane flushed. Why had Margaret winked at her when she talked about Matt having children?
Margaret glanced up at Sebastian. "I don't believe we've met."
"No, we haven't," he said. "Sebastian Alexander."
"Sebastian is Jane's neighbor," Matt said quickly.
"I see," Margaret said slowly. She had a telltale look in her eyes, and Jane knew in that instant that Matt had told his mother all about Sebastian, and Jane presumed it was nothing good. "Well, I need to freshen up, and I could just get lost in this house. Show me where one of the four bathrooms is, please," Margaret said, pulling Matt along with her.
Jane glanced up at Sebastian, and he had a serious look on his face. She had a terrible feeling creeping up on her, and she didn't know why.
"Is everything all right?" he asked her, whispering the question.
She pondered the question. "I just have a bad feeling about all of this."
"You're not the only one," he said so softly she wasn't sure she was supposed to hear it.
They walked into the dining hall and over to the massive oak table that seated twenty. There were small place cards with names in front of every chair. Jane found her name beside Matt's card. Matt was at the head of the table, and she was to his left. She watched Sebastian continue around the table looking for his name. He stopped, obviously finding his. She frowned. His chair was on the opposite side of the table and a few chairs down. She had been hoping that they would have been sitting together. Her instincts told her that Matt had arranged the seating placement, and he was purposefully trying to keep her and Sebastian apart.
Sebastian walked back to her and said sarcastically, "How convenient."
Jane smiled up at him. "I'll feign an illness," she said dramatically, "and then we'll leave early."
He looked up as Matt approached them. "You might not have to feign anything," he muttered.
Before she could say anything else to Sebastian, Matt said, "Dinner is being served in a few minutes. You two can take your seats."
Jane nodded. Matt was trying to keep her apart from Sebastian in any way possible. She could see that now. She sat down in her seat and felt awkward as Sebastian walked away, leaving her alone with Matt.
Matt politely pushed Jane's chair in and then sat down. He reached over and placed his hand over Jane's. "So you like the house?" he asked.
"Yes. It's really beautiful."
Matt smiled. "Good. That's all that matters."
Jane wanted to ask him what he meant, but the room quickly filled with people finding their seats. Margaret sat on the other side of Jane, and other members of the family filled the other empty seats.
Within a few minutes, a staff of people all in white began to bring the first course, a cream soup. The soup was delectable, and the table was full of conversation about who the caterer was.
Course after course was served, the next one better than the last, and Jane found herself glancing at Sebastian as the food was served. He would very gracefully take a small bite and then begin the meticulous task of moving things around his plate to make it look like he had eaten more than he actually had. At least it's not only my cooking he doesn't like, Jane thought to herself. She wondered why Sebastian would agree to a dinner party if he didn't like to eat solid foods.
Sebastian glanced up at her and smiled weakly. His eyes were so striking, she had a hard time turning away as Matt asked her, "How are you enjoying the food, Jane?"
"Everything is delicious," she replied.
Matt grinned in satisfaction.
After everyone was done eating, Matt tapped a knife to his crystal goblet to gain everyone's attention. After the chatter died down, he said, "I just wanted to, first of all, thank everyone for coming." He slowly stood. "Now on to the more important reason you are here." He swallowed hard and stared down at Jane. "As you all know, Jane first came into our lives as my brother's wife."
Jane shifted uncomfortably in her seat and plastered a fake smile on her face as all the attention turned to her.
&nb
sp; Matt continued, "She captured my brother's heart quickly, but she also captured the hearts of our entire family. Jane has a way of just making you love her the moment she looks at you." He smiled. "Now, sadly, Jack is no longer with us. But I know deep down he would want me to do what I'm about to do with all of you present."
Jane sat in her chair frozen as Matt knelt on one knee in front of her. He pulled a small box out of his pants pocket and opened it. A large diamond ring glistened under the lights.
"Jack would want me to protect you. He would want me to love you with all my heart and soul, and that is exactly what I intend to do."
Jane closed her eyes a moment. The memory of Jack proposing sent her head spinning.
"And that is why I asked everyone to be here tonight for our engagement party." He took Jane's left hand in his. "Jane, will you marry me?"
"I-I —," she stammered. Jane glanced around the table. Margaret was bursting with joy, tears streaming down her face. Everyone at the table had a smile on their face and tears in their eyes. Then she caught the glare of Sebastian. His blue eyes were bitterly ice cold. Her face fell, and she turned back to Matt.
A million thoughts ran through her head. She knew marrying Matt would be easy for her. It would be as if she was replacing Jack and have all the same family and friends. But she had loved Jack, and she didn't feel the same way about Matt. She refused to say yes to something she wasn't totally a hundred percent sure of.
She stood quickly and felt all the blood rush to her head. The room began to spin, and she stumbled back from her chair, bumping into an antique buffet table.
Matt stood and reached for her. "Jane, are you all right?"
She shook her head and stayed out of his reach. The tingling sensation hit her quickly. She searched the room for Sebastian, but he was no longer in his seat. Had he left her all alone?
Then she felt his hand at her elbow. "You're all right," Sebastian whispered in her ear. "I'm here. I won't let you fall."
Darkness consumed her, and she collapsed into his arms.
CHAPTER 25
JANE COULD HEAR voices. Matt said angrily, "I knew it was a bad idea. I'm so stupid!"
"It was a sweet gesture," Margaret said. "We were all happy to be a part of it. You didn't know Jane would have an episode."
"I should have known better. She can't take much excitement, and me proposing was just too overwhelming."
Jane's eyes fluttered open. "She's waking up," Sebastian announced.
Matt was at her side. "Jane. Are you okay?"
She stared at him. Was she okay? No, she was not okay. He had invited her to a party under false pretenses and then embarrassed her in front of his entire family and Sebastian. Sebastian. Her eyes found him standing in the back of the room. He looked angry or hurt or maybe both and everything in between. Jane slowly sat up. "I'm sorry. I just…got overwhelmed."
"That's to be expected, dear," Margaret said. "It's not every day someone proposes to you."
Matt took her hands in his. "I'm so sorry, Jane. I hope you can forgive me."
She nodded slowly.
"Do you need a glass of water, dear?" Margaret asked.
"No. I just think I really want to go home and lay down."
"I'll drive you," Matt said.
"No," Jane said quickly. The thought of being alone with him in the car scared her. She didn't know how to tell him her true feelings without hurting him. "You have guests here, Matt. I don't want to take you away from the party."
"I'll take her home," Sebastian offered. There was a bitter tone to his voice.
Matt nodded in agreement. "All right. But call me as soon as you get home, Jane."
"I will."
After saying her goodbyes to everyone at the party, she followed Sebastian out to the car. He was in the driver's seat and starting the engine before she even climbed into the passenger's seat. The look in his eyes told her everything — he was angry.
As soon as her seat belt clicked in place, he whipped the car in reverse and sped down the long driveway. He hesitated at the bottom of the road. Instead of turning left, he turned right and headed towards the mountains. "Where are we going?" Jane asked, worried.
He didn't answer her. His hands were tight on the steering wheel, and his knuckles were turning white. The car zipped up the bottom of the mountain. The road was widely known throughout Bedford Valley as being hazardous and one that many people had lost their lives on.
Jane's seat belt cut into her as Sebastian drove hellishly fast up the road. The car's headlights cut through the darkness as they ascended. Every hairpin turn and curve, she closed her eyes, fearful that they would crash at any second. He was driving like a madman. "Are you going to tell me what your problem is?" she asked.
Again, he refused to answer her. His lips were in a tight line, and he just continued driving erratically.
"Stop the car!" she demanded. When he refused to stop, she screamed, "Stop the car! Stop the goddamn car!"
All of a sudden, the car veered into a pull-off spot at the crest of the mountain. The tires skidded in the gravel, and the car finally came to a stop in a cloud of dust. Jane unlocked her seat belt and jumped out of the vehicle. Sebastian climbed out slowly and stood a few feet away from her.
Jane's anger boiled over, and she stalked over to him, pushing him against the chest. He didn't budge an inch. "Are you crazy?!" she yelled. "What the hell do you think you're doing?!" He just stood there staring at her. She pushed him again and again, trying to get the anger out of her. Slowly her anger turned into tears, and she found herself sobbing.
Suddenly, Sebastian grabbed her and held her in his arms. She fought him at first, but he wouldn't let her go. He just held her. "I'm sorry," he whispered in her hair. "I'm sorry."
Jane looked up at him as he took her face into his hands. His lips crushed into hers, and all of her emotion went into that kiss. She could taste him mixed in with her salty tears. The kiss was so urgent, so demanding that it took her breath away.
When he pulled back from her, it took her a few moments to recover. "Do you want to marry Matt?" he asked, his voice demanding and raw.
She shook her head. "No," she answered honestly.
She watched as the rage in him gradually faded away. He slowly released her. "Get in. I'll take you home," he said as he walked to the driver's side of the car.
Jane stared after him. She couldn't believe he would kiss her like that and then not follow up with a reason or explanation. Calmly, she straightened her dress and climbed back into the vehicle.
Sebastian drove the car back down the mountain, only this time he obeyed the speed limit. He parked in front of his house, and they both got out of the car. Jane watched him as she stepped up on the sidewalk. He looked like he had a million things on his mind and a million things that he wanted to say. So when he said, "Goodnight," and walked into his house, Jane was stunned.
She stood on the sidewalk for a while thinking that maybe Sebastian would come back out to talk to her, but he never appeared from the house again. She finally headed home. The answering machine contained three messages, all from Matt. He wondered what was taking so long for her to get home. She rolled her eyes and called him quickly. "I'm sorry, Matt. I got distracted and totally forgot to call you." She wasn't really lying to him. She had definitely been distracted.
He breathed a sigh of relief. "I was so worried! I thought you were in a car wreck or something."
Almost, she thought. "Listen, Matt, I'll talk to you tomorrow. I'm just so tired."
"Sure, Jane. Goodnight."
She hung up the phone and ascended the stairs up to her bedroom. She stripped out of her dress and soaked in the tub for over an hour. The evening had been so vexing on her, and even though it was only nine o'clock by the time she emerged from the tub, she was completely exhausted.
She slipped into a nightgown and proceeded to pull the curtains shut. When she got to the last window, she could see Sebastian staring at her from his
bedroom window. They both stood there. She had so much she wanted to say to him, but it would have to wait for another day. She gave him a small wave before drawing the curtains closed. A conversation about what had happened would have to wait until the next day. She collapsed onto the bed, loving the way the soft sheets felt against her skin. Then she closed her eyes, and it wasn't long before she gave away to a deep sleep.
CHAPTER 26
JANE THUMBED THROUGH pages in a binder and sighed. Business had been slow for a Friday, and she had sent Ashley home hours earlier.
Someone entered the store, and she looked up to see Matt. He was in normal clothes, so she knew he wasn't on duty. "Hey, Jane," he said with a smile.
"Hi, Matt."
He looked around the empty store. "Can we talk?"
She nodded, knowing the dreaded talk was going to come at some point. "I'll get us a cup of coffee."
They walked over to the café side of the store, and Jane poured two cups of coffee. She busied herself with the cream and sugar while Matt drank his black. "I know yesterday was a shock to you," he said.
That's an understatement, she thought. Jane stirred her coffee and waited for what he was going to say next.
"I just thought you were ready to move on."
She sipped her coffee while gathering her thoughts together. "Matt, I just didn't think you wanted that kind of commitment from me. It really seemed to come out of the blue to me."
He wrapped his hands around his coffee mug. "Jane, I have loved you from the first time you kissed me in the kitchen. I have been waiting all this time for you."
Jane raised a brow. She was surprised by his admission. "Matt, I had no idea."
He nodded. "That's what I figured. I haven't exactly spelled it out in black and white." He hesitated. "But now that I have, what is it going to take for you to say yes?"
Jane mulled over his question. If she ever was going to end up with Matt, there was definitely one thing she needed from him. "Time," she said.
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