The Truest Thing - Hart's Boardwalk

His grin turned flirtatious. “Well, thank you.”

“Those are some good genes,” Ivy added.

Sebastian laughed, and it sounded a little embarrassed now. “If I’d known I would spend the meal being complimented by beautiful women, I would have arrived earlier.”

“Oh, I like him,” Iris decided, making us laugh.

My laughter was cut off, however, when a wave of nausea rolled through me.

Oh no.

I took a breath, trying not to be obvious about it … but the tide rose anyway.

“Excuse me.” I shot from the table and hurried to the back hall to the Greens’ powder room. Seconds later I was on my knees, throwing up my meal in the toilet bowl.

Groaning, I wiped my mouth with toilet paper and then flushed it all away.

“Emery?”

I looked up from the floor to find Iris in the doorway.

“I think I ate something bad yesterday,” I promptly lied.

She nodded. “I knew you were looking pale.”

“I’m sorry, Iris. I need to go home.”

“Ira will take you.”

“No, I brought my car. I don’t want to have to come back for it.”

“Ira will get it to you.”

“Iris, I can drive myself home.”

Her eyebrows rose.

I’d never used that tone with her. “Sorry.”

“Don’t be sorry.” She crossed her arms over her chest. “I like you assertive.”

I smirked and pushed to my feet.

Once I’d said goodbye to the concerned Greens and Sebastian Mercier, I felt guilty for feeling so relieved about getting into my car. But I just wanted to be alone.

Feeling exhausted and looking forward to curling up in bed, the last thing I expected when I pulled up to my driveway was to see an unfamiliar truck already sitting in it. I looked from the truck up to the porch and another wave of nausea hit me.

Oh my God.

Jack.

Jack was back.

Today of all days.

I trembled as I got out of the car, watching as he strode down the porch steps, a wary look on his face. He looked like himself again. Like the Jack I’d known when I first moved here.

Driving a truck, wearing a flannel shirt, worn jeans, and construction boots.

Our eyes locked, his soulful as ever.

I didn’t trust that look.

As attracted to him as I’d always be, as much as I’d always care what happened to him, Jack Devlin had finally, truly broken my faith in him.

“What are you doing here?” I skirted past him, making sure we didn’t touch, and hurried up the porch steps. My keys shook in my hand as I opened the screen door.

“Em.” I heard his footsteps behind me and whirled to glare at him.

My expression stopped him in his tracks. I knew I had to tell him I was pregnant. But I wasn’t ready to. I’d barely had time to digest the news myself.

“I’d like you to leave.”

He scowled. “We need to talk. It’s been seven weeks.”

“Oh, I’m well aware.”

“Didn’t you get my note?” He looked confused. “I told you I wanted to give you space—”

“Jack.”

He shut up.

“Get the fuck off my porch.” I unlocked my door and let myself in, slamming it and the screen door behind me. I’d caught the look of shock on Jack’s face just before I turned my back on him.

It wasn’t satisfying.

None of this was.

I was exhausted.

Emotional.

Drained.

I flopped down on my sectional, kicked off my shoes, and curled into a ball. The tears leaked from my eyes as I listened to his truck pull out of my drive.

24

Jack

Jack backed out of Emery’s driveway but he didn’t take his new truck very far. He parked on Main Street and strode along the boards to Cooper’s Bar.

Agitation pumped through him.

Worry gnawed at his gut.

Fear made him feel a little sick.

Leaving Emery the way he had was a massive mistake. When Cooper called to check on things, his old buddy had tried to tell him things weren’t right with Em. But Jack had been so sure giving her space to figure things out was what she needed.

Oh, clearly, she’d figured them out. And she wanted not one thing to do with him.

He winced remembering that angry coldness on her face and in her words.

Jack had never heard Em talk like that. Never to him.

Fuck.

Every time he thought he was doing the right thing, it was always wrong. He was always hurting the people he least wanted to hurt. But that morning, weeks ago, when he turned up at the mansion to deal with his mom, he saw Rosalie Devlin truly broken for the first time. She’d endured a lot in her marriage, but discovering the depths of darkness within the family, the hurt inflicted on her kids, hurt Ian had used against them, broke her.

She’d railed on about being a terrible mother, about not protecting them. How the whole town was talking about her. How she’d never be able to leave the house again for the shame of being such a mother. When she’d finally fallen asleep under their careful watch, Jack knew he had to get his mom out of town. Being here was no good for her. It was Rebecca who suggested they get in contact with Rosalie’s brother.