She heard his chuckle and looked out the window toward the sea.
And Belle Abbot, worrier extraordinaire, felt at peace.
Chapter Fifteen
All Right
Jack
Later that evening, Jack drove Belle back to The Point.
She’d called him that afternoon to inform him that they could not, again, spend another highly enjoyable evening alone together in her quiet cottage. A cottage which was simple, inviting and subtly feminine all of which, Jack thought, was very Belle. A cottage where he found almost instantly he was completely at ease.
Instead, Belle was under strict orders from Lila to come home that evening.
They had, in the overwhelming fullness of their reconciliation, forgotten to call home, not that it even once crossed Jack’s mind. He was not used to being accountable to anyone for his whereabouts.
Also, as said reconciliation had been intense and thoroughly engrossing, they hadn’t heard Belle’s phone ringing in her bag or Jack’s which was muted by his clothing.
Therefore Lila and Rachel had spent the evening wondering where they were and not liking being engaged in this activity.
This was what they learned upon arrival at The Point that morning.
Lila, followed by Rachel then, far more slowly (because she was likely only lending moral support or being polite) followed by his mother, confronted them in the hallway when they walked through the front doors.
It had been short and to the point.
“Belle Ursula Abbot,” Lila said in a severe voice, addressing her like she was ten years old and Belle’s hand went to her mouth.
“Holy heck,” Belle muttered under her hand, her eyes adorably huge with guilt then she took her hand away and breathed, “I forgot to call.”
“That you did,” Lila declared then stomped away.
“We’ve been worried sick,” Rachel added then she stomped away.
Belle and Jack looked to Joy.
“I told them not to worry,” Joy said casually.
Jack and Belle made no reply.
When they didn’t, Joy smiled and asked, “Did you two have a nice evening?”
“We were also having a nice morning,” Jack returned.
“That’s lovely,” Joy’s smile deepened, “Have you eaten? Do I need to call Elaine?”
Jack assured his mother they’d eaten and she’d given them another smile and wandered away.
Now they were on their way to The Point at Lila’s command.
In other words, they were in trouble and being punished.
Jack found it entirely unacceptable that he was a thirty-eight year old man escorting his thirty-five year old pregnant girlfriend home because they’d spent the night having unbelievably great sex and forgot to call thus they pissed off her grandmother.
He was not used to doing anything other than what he damn well pleased.
He’d been doing exactly what he damn well pleased for over twenty years.