Lucky Stars (Ghosts and Reincarnation #5)(125)

His hand dropped, he moved around her and sat at the head of the table.

Belle, temporarily in Jack and Belle Land where no one else existed, came back into the room and glanced at her audience.

Joy, Yasmin, Gram and Mom were engaged in sipping coffee, slathering toast with butter and forking eggs into their mouths. They were veterans of Jack’s loving demonstrations and didn’t notice a thing.

Olive was glancing between the two of them and seemed to find her readings of Jack and Belle, post-accident, heartbreaking loss of unborn child were acceptable but she was keeping an eye out. And yes, Belle barely knew Olive but she could still read that with a look.

Cassandra was looking amused but this look was directed at Angus.

Then she said (bizarrely), “So Joshua.”

“Lass, no’ even,” Angus (bizarrely) flashed back.

Belle’s Dad was staring at Jack.

Then he said, “Dude,” as if this one word spoke volumes.

Jack’s eyes went to Belle’s father and he asked, “Jensen, to which ‘dude’ at this table are you referring?”

“You,” Dad replied.

“And?” Jack prompted.

“Seriously,” Dad answered on a grin though that wasn’t really an answer, it was clear her father thought it was.

Jack’s brows went up then his gaze came to Belle as if she could interpret.

“Don’t ask me,” Belle murmured and Jack looked back at her father.

“Jensen, would you care to elaborate?”

But her father apparently did not care to elaborate because he looked at Mom and remarked, “Is it me or do English dudes speak funny?”

“‘Elaborate’ is hardly a funny word, Jenny,” Lila spoke up.

“Do you say ‘elaborate’?” Dad asked Gram but before Gram could respond, Dad went on, “I don’t say ‘elaborate’. Jesus, I don’t know anyone who says ‘elaborate’. I don’t even know what ‘elaborate’ means.”

“I say elaborate,” Olive put in.

“You don’t count, you’re English,” Dad retorted.

“Jack means explain, Dad,” Belle decided, unusually unwisely, to wade in.

“Well, why doesn’t he just say ‘explain’?” Dad demanded to know.

“Jack’s sitting right there, Jenny, don’t talk about him like he isn’t even here,” Mom scolded. “It’s rude.”

At her mother’s words and the look on her father’s face when he heard them, with lots of experience with this type of situation, Belle’s stomach plummeted and she muttered, “Oh dear.”

At the same time Gram mumbled, “Uh-oh.”

And Jensen Abbot didn’t contradict Gram and Belle’s years of experience.

Therefore, as if he didn’t have an audience, most of whom he’d known less than twenty-four hours. And as if he wasn’t the guest at the rather opulent dining room table in an imposing castle owned by his daughter’s criminally handsome, unbelievably rich, unmistakably famous boyfriend who he also had known for just a hint more than twenty-four hours, Jensen’s voice rose.

“Woman, tell me you didn’t just call me rude.”

Mom as well (and as usual), instantly forgot her audience when she returned, “Jenny, I did because you were.”

“Rachel –” Gram tried to intervene but Dad put his hand up, palm toward Gram, the whole time he did this his head was twisted to Mom.

“I’m not rude. I’m never rude,” Dad told Mom. “That’s the best thing I gave our daughter. Consideration.” Dad moved his glare to Belle. “Isn’t that right, baby girl?”

Before Belle could speak, her mother did. “Jeez, Jenny, Jack’s sitting right there and you went on and on about how he talks and then spoke about him like he wasn’t in the room.”

“Mom –” Belle decided to give it a go, knowing she’d fail but she tried anyway.

“Give your Mom and me a second, girl,” Dad said, as if he hadn’t just, seconds earlier, tried to drag her into the discussion. He was again looking at Rachel when he demanded, “Take it back.”

“Don’t be childish, Jenny,” Mom scoffed and Dad’s face went red.

Gram looked at the ceiling and Belle bit her lip for. They knew this heralded an escalation in hostilities.

“I’m thinking that sex-a-thon should have been longer,” Yasmin muttered to Cassandra and Cassandra laughed quietly.

Clearly not hearing the byplay, Dad shouted, “Don’t call me childish!”

“I’ll call you whatever I want!” Mom shouted back.

“Jensen, Rachel, look at me,” Jack demanded in a way that both their eyes moved to him immediately.

Belle caught a look at her grandmother’s face, Lila was gazing at Jack expectantly and her expression said, “This is going to be good.”

Belle looked back at Jack when he ordered, “Take it somewhere else.”

“But –” Dad started to protest.

“Now,” Jack ordered.

Dad’s eyes went wide before he recklessly commented, “You’re young enough to be my son.”

“True, but barely,” Jack replied. “However, this is my table and you’re sitting at it. Rachel was not kidding when she said you don’t embarrass Belle. Since you didn’t listen to her, I’ll repeat it and you better listen to me. You don’t embarrass Belle. If you do, you’ll find yourself not welcome at this table. Understood?”