“I think –” Belle started but Jack moved to Belle’s side and curved his arm around her waist, bringing her close and kissing her temple above the cut.
Then his mouth moved to her ear and he said gently, “Belle, love, show your father the living room and then, please, make some coffee.”
“But –”
Jack gave her waist a squeeze. “Please.”
Her eyes searching his, she took in a breath, wet her lips and finally nodded.
She turned to her father and invited, “Come on, Daddy.”
As Belle took her father to the living room, Jack went to the bedroom, dressed in jeans and a t-shirt and then walked into the living room where Jensen Abbot was staring out the window.
Belle’s father’s eyes came to Jack the minute he entered the room and he watched Jack close the door.
The door barely clicked in its frame when Jensen demanded, “Don’t make me wait, man.”
Jack turned and crossed his arms on his chest.
“Three and a half weeks ago, at my home, Belle fell down the stairs.”
“Jesus Christ,” Jensen bit out then his eyes narrowed. “How?”
“Pardon?” Jack asked.
“My girl ain’t clumsy. How’d she fall down the f**kin’ stairs?”
This was, Jack thought, a f**king good question.
One he had not thought to ask as he’d been preoccupied with seeing to Belle and dealing with losing his child.
“I don’t know. We haven’t spoken of it,” Jack answered.
“Well, when she gets in with the coffee, we’ll be f**kin’ speakin’ of it,” Jensen threatened and Jack walked toward him.
The way Jack did it, Jensen rightly pulled himself up to his full height.
“You won’t mention it,” Jack declared.
“What the –”
“I wasn’t there,” Jack explained away what he had the uncomfortable feeling was Jensen’s implication that Belle didn’t fall down the stairs but that Jack had some hand in her injury. “I was flying from London to Cornwall at the time. No one witnessed it. She was found unconscious at the foot of the stairs.”
Jensen relaxed a bit and asked in a less hostile tone, “Did she trip?”
“I don’t know but you won’t mention it,” Jack stated inflexibly.
The hostility was back when Jensen asked, “Why the f**k not?”
“Because she was pregnant when she fell and she’s not pregnant now.” Jack watched the blood drain from Belle’s father’s face and he softened his tone when he went on, “She’s not handling the loss of our child well, Jensen, and I need you to handle her with care.”
Jensen’s eyes grew wide. “Your child?”
“Our child, yes,” Jack replied.
He looked away and pulled a hand through his hair.
Jack thought upon meeting him that he, like Rachel, looked years younger than he must be.