Lucky Stars (49 page)

“Really?”
Rachel asked curiously, twisting so her front was plastered against Jensen’s and her arms went around his waist. “What happened?”

“I’m sure we’d all like to know but perhaps you two can cotton onto the fact that there are other beings in the universe so that everyone can meet Jensen,” Lila broke in and Jack chuckled again.

“This isn’t funny,” Belle whispered at his side and he looked down at her.

“Poppet, you’re wrong,” Jack whispered back, a grin on his face and it didn’t leave even when he bent his head to touch his grinning lips to her pursed ones.

Introductions were made including Jack meeting Angus and Cassandra. Then they moved, everyone settled in the morning room and Joy ran out to see to refreshments.

“How you getting on, lass?”
Angus boomed gently when they were all seated.

His question was for Belle but strangely his eyes were on Jack.

As were Cassandra’s.

“I’m okay, Angus,” Belle answered, busy with pressing the hem of her skirt over her knees, her head bent and she didn’t notice Angus wasn’t looking at her.

“You?”
Angus barked at Jack and Jack inclined his head.

Angus was studying him intently and Jack didn’t like it.

Jack had no way of saying anything, not in company, so he held the Scotsman stare and he didn’t laugh when Jensen declared, “It’s all going to be okay now ‘cause
I’m
here.”

Belle’s head came up and she smiled at her father.

“Oh
lordy
,” Rachel muttered. She was cuddling so closely with Jensen in the corner of the couch opposite Jack and Belle that she was nearly in his lap. Then her eyes came to Jack and she said, “I hope this place is fortified. Jensen can be a bit wild.”

Jack opened his mouth to speak but Jensen beat him to it.

“That gives me an idea! Let’s have a party!”

“Jenny, we’re not having a party,” Lila decreed.

“Woman, we’re
havin
’ a party.” His gaze swung to Jack and he attempted to enlist reinforcements. “Jack, my man, you agree we could use a party,
doncha
?”

“I’m not sure we’re ready for a party,” Jack replied and Jensen’s brows drew together.

Then he informed Jack, “Dude, when things get heavy, a party’s the only way to go.”

“Daddy,” Belle said quietly, “I’m not really in the mood for a party.”

Jensen’s gaze went to his daughter, his brow
unfurrowed
, his eyes went soft and he gave in immediately, “All right, baby. No party.”

At that moment, Jack decided he liked Jensen Abbot.

Rachel popped out of her chair and pulled Jensen up with her then she wrapped her arms around his waist and suggested, “How about a one-on-one party, you and me, right now?”

“Oh my goodness gracious,” Belle whispered.

“Now you’re
talkin
’!
” Jensen shouted.

“Holy heck,” Belle breathed.

“We’ll be back in an hour,” Rachel told the congregation with no embarrassment whatsoever and she led Jensen out of the room.

“More like twelve,” Lila muttered under her breath then called after the departing pair, “See you at breakfast!”

They heard Rachel’s giggle and Jensen’s laugh as Joy rushed back in.

“What’d I miss?” Jack’s mother asked excitedly.

“Well, we’re
not
having a party and, apparently, Jensen and Rachel are off for a twelve hour sex-a-thon,” Yasmin answered. “Other than that, you didn’t miss much.”

“Ah,” Joy sat in the corner of the couch Jensen and Rachel just vacated and went on dreamily, “Young love.”

“Joy, they’re both fifty-five years old,” Lila told her.

Joy looked at Belle, winked and amended, “Ah, young-at-heart love.”

Belle smiled at his mother and Jack realised as his chest squeezed in a mixture of pain and pleasure, he hadn’t seen her smile at all since the accident but today, with her father’s unexpected appearance, she’d smiled several times

It was then Jack thought that perhaps he should have let Jensen have his party.

Suddenly Angus stood up and demanded, “Bennett, a word.”

Belle went tight at his side and Jack tipped his head back to look at the Scot.

“Is it necessary you have your word now?” Jack asked calmly.

“It was necessary I have it three weeks ago. But now’s going to have to do,” Angus shot back.

Belle’s tight body got tighter and Jack felt his jaw follow suit.

“Is something wrong?” Belle asked.

Angus’s face softened when he looked down at Belle. “Nothing’s wrong, lass.”

“But –”

“Just want a word with your man,” Angus went on.

Jack felt her body get as tight as it was that morning when it felt like it would shatter at the slightest movement before she asked, “Is it about the third ghost?”

“Let’s not worry about ghosts for now, shall we?” Joy said hurriedly and Jack’s gaze cut to his mother.

She knew something, something that concerned her greatly, a reaction she was trying to hide.

Jack instantly made his decision.

He gave Belle a squeeze and a kiss on the side of her head before he said, “I’ll be back in a minute.”

Belle’s eyes never left him as he stood, her expression was anxious and her cheeks had lost the healthy glow her father’s visit had returned there and were again pale.

He leaned over her, taking her chin between his thumb and forefinger and he pressed a kiss against her lips then whispered, “I’ll only be a minute, poppet.”

“Okay,” she whispered back.

His eyes sliced to Angus then he led the way to his study.

He closed the door and saw Angus standing, legs planted wide, arms crossed on his barrel chest when Jack turned to the room.

“You got whisky?” Angus asked.

“It’s ten thirty,” Jack replied. “Can you wait until an appropriate hour to have a drink?”

“It’s not for me, lad, it’s for
you
.”

Jack did not think that boded well.

“Speak fast, McPherson, I need to get back to Belle.”

“What you need to do, Bennett, is to quit molly-coddling her. She’ll find her way.”

Jack’s patience, not exactly in a healthy state, instantly frayed at this man he did not know in the slightest having the gall to tell him what to do.

Therefore his voice was low and obviously angry when he replied, “I met you fifteen minutes ago and you barely know Belle. Don’t think –”

Angus cut him off by saying, “My wife was with child when she was knocked over by a car.”

Jack felt as if he’d been punched in the gut, hard, thus he made no reply.

Angus continued, “My wife survived. My child did no’.”

Jack clenched his teeth and he still made no reply.

Angus went on, “I molly-coddled her, like you’re doing. I did it for months. I lost her those months and I feared she’d no’ come back to me. I eventually had to take a job and when I did, she had to be responsible for herself. When I got back, she was better. I took the hint and tried to be normal.” Angus strode forward, stopped two feet away and put his big hand on Jack’s shoulder. “The grieving process is the same for everyone, lad.
You’re doing Belle no favours by no’ helping her move to the next stage.
The time has come and gone for molly-coddling. It’s time now for normal.”

For some reason, Jack found himself sharing, “We’re moving back to The Point today.”

Angus smiled a crooked, highly demented smile that made Jack question his sanity even after Angus just displayed he had a grip on it. “That’s good news, lad. Good news.”

Jack was finished and therefore asked, “Are we done?”

Angus dropped his hand.
“’
Fraid
no’.”

“Finish it,” Jack demanded.

Angus took a step back and asked, “You sure you don’t want that whisky?” When he caught Jack’s hard look he hurried on, “Cass and I been working while all this was going on.”

Jack stared at the man before informing him, “You should know I’ve never seen Myrtle and Lewis and I don’t believe they exist. I’m humouring Belle, my mother and Belle’s family. I have little interest in this.”

“You might change your mind when you learn Belle is Brenna Addison Bennett reincarnated,” Angus replied.

Yes, Jack decided, Angus McPherson was definitely mad.

And Jack didn’t relish the idea of a madman living in his home with his family.

Therefore, Jack’s voice was ominously quiet when he asked, “Pardon?”

“Belle’s Brenna reincarnated. Cass hasn’t had a chance to confirm if you’re Joshua but we’re guessing you are.”

“That’s absurd,” Jack bit out.

“It’s the truth,” Angus shot back.

Jack crossed his arms on his chest and he scowled at the Scot.

“Cass felt it the minute she touched Belle,” Angus stated. “Seeing as so much was going on, you didn’t shake her hand when you met her. To confirm it, she needs to touch you.”

“Perhaps I should be
more clear
,” Jack replied. “When I said I had little interest, I meant I’m not participating in this farce.”

 
Angus leaned forward. “Think about it, lad. We know your story with Belle, the women have shared it. And we know
you
. A body can’t escape
you.
You’re all over the papers, all over the magazines. We know your history, most especially with women. Then, one night, you meet this girl and within hours you know you want to spend the rest of your life with her? Doesn’t that strike you as odd?”

Deciding he was done and it was time to get back to Belle, Jack shook his head and started toward the door saying, “This is none of your fucking business.”

“You and Belle are connected,” Angus called after him.

Jack stopped, hand to the doorknob and turned back, “Yes, we are. But there’s nothing odd about it.”

Angus hadn’t moved from his spot. “No, you’re right, it isn’t odd. It’s beautiful. But when I say you’re connected, I mean in more ways than you can imagine. It’s rare and it’s exquisite when it happens and it’s happened to
you
. You and Belle are connected supernaturally. You belong together. You’re destined for one another. You felt it immediately and don’t stand there and tell me or yourself you didn’t.”

Suddenly, Jack remembered the first time Belle’s eyes fell on him. He remembered it felt like a sledgehammer had hit him in the gut.

And he remembered being extremely irritated that, when she was introduced to him, she hadn’t offered him her cheek to kiss and this made him so annoyed, he’d forced that on her.

And he remembered, practically the moment he met her, he’d manoeuvred her into his arms and, only moments later, he’d had the irrational desire to kiss her.

And, lastly, he remembered, in the dead of night, only hours after meeting her, when she was standing at his side in his shirt next to his dogs that he already considered her
his
woman and he remembered he felt
a possessiveness
unparalleled in his entire history with the opposite sex.

Therefore, bearing in mind that his history with the opposite sex was considerable, he had to admit that all of this was more than odd. He’d never thought about it, never questioned it, it was simply the way it was.

However, now, he was forced to think of it and his eyes narrowed on the Scot.

“I see it’s coming to you, lad,” Angus muttered.

Jack moved back into the room.

He hated doing it but he had no choice but to prompt Angus, “Go on.”

Angus only nodded once then said, “When I say reincarnated, I’m not talking about what people think I’m talking about. What I mean is, Brenna Addison and Joshua Bennett’s souls carried the spirits your and Belle’s souls carry. It isn’t that you’re Joshua and she’s Brenna. You’re you and she’s Belle. But you both carry this spirit, a trace of life on this earth that never dies even when its host does. It lives on with one purpose. It’s always seeking its mate, yearning for it and is only at peace when it finds it.”

The idea was ludicrous.

Jack didn’t share this thought but he knew his face showed it because Angus sighed and suggested, “How about we give that time to sink in?”

Jack wanted to advise him not to hold his breath but Angus wasn’t done.

“The thing with this is, these spirits, these traces, these bits of life, they seem to be anchored to The Point in some way. Not anchored here for good and ever because, if they were, Belle wouldn’t have Brenna’s trace. But the action is anchored here. What needs to happen is anchored here. Cass and I don’t think it’s been that way through eternity. We think something has anchored those traces here, brought you both here. We think they’re here because they have to be for Myrtle and Lewis.”

“So, what you’re saying is, Belle, being at least a trace of their mother come back to The Point, can set them free.”