Lucky Stars (Ghosts and Reincarnation #5)(173)

“It’ll be fine, baby,” Jensen soothed, holding her in his arms.

“But –”

“Rachel, my darling,” Lila stated, tearing her eyes from the top of the stairs and smiling at her beautiful, beloved daughter. “It’ll be fine.”

She watched her daughter draw in a breath.

Then she watched her nod.

Lila drew in her own breath.

Then she turned toward the drawing room, muttering, “I need a drink,” and thinking, as was her wont, dramatically, that not in all of history were truer words ever spoken.

* * * * *

Jack/Joshua

“Sleep,” he murmured to the three beings he held in his arms in the big bed.

“But –” Lewis started, lifting his head from Joshua’s ribs to look at his father.

“Sleep, son,” Joshua whispered.

Lewis held his eyes. Then he nodded and settled in.

Joshua pulled his family closer.

The storm outside had settled. The rain now fell in gentle, calming patters as Joshua Bennett held his family close.

Lewis’s head grew heavy on his ribs and Joshua as well as Brenna felt their son drift to sleep. He knew his wife knew this when her head lifted from his shoulder, her neck arched back and her eyes found his.

Joshua bent his neck and touched his mouth to the sweet one of his wife. And when he did, he noted it tasted no less sweet than he remembered, even centuries later.

As he pulled away, he felt Myrtle’s head had come up from his stomach and he looked down at his daughter.

“I knew, I just knew I always loved you, Jack.”

Joshua smiled through the shadows and whispered, “Sleep, Myrtie Mine.”

He watched his daughter smile.

Then she whispered back, “All right,” and settled in.

His eyes went to Brenna and he also happily took in her smile.

Then she settled in too.

Their weight heavy and beautiful on his body, he felt his girls drift off, the youngest, first, the older, second.

Not long after, Joshua Bennett’s eyes closed.

Hours later, the sun shining bright against his eyelids, Jack opened his eyes and found himself and Belle alone in their bed, Belle snuggled close in his arms.

Dog tags jingled on Belle’s side of the bed and Belle stirred.

His arms tightened.

She lifted her head, looked down the length of his body then her head swung to him. He noted her eyes were sleepy but that didn’t mean they didn’t hold wonder along with sorrow.

“They’re home,” she whispered.

“Indeed, poppet,” Jack whispered back.

He watched the tears fill her eyes.

When the sob hitched in her throat, he pulled her over him and caged her tight in his arms as she burrowed her face in his neck and cried.

Jack sighed.

Last one down.

Epilogue

The Perfect Plan

Jack

Mostly as guard, Jack stood on the steps of his ancestral home beside the relatively attractive, definitely pale woman who stood at his side but she still appeared to be shrinking away.

“My PA will contact you,” Jack stated. “Her name is Olive Mayfair. When she does, you’ll need to give her the number on an account that’s in your name only. Once you do, she’ll deposit money into it. It will be enough that you can comfortably set up a new life in a place of your choosing. However, if you’re with him, in contact with him or if this account also bears his name, you’ll be on your own.”

“I won’t leave him,” she muttered to the steps.

“That’s your choice,” he replied. “It’s the wrong one but it’s yours.”

She was silent.

Jack turned his eyes to the lane, willing the taxi to come down it.

That was when he heard the whispered, “He’ll come after me.”

Jack looked back at her. “He won’t.”

She pulled in breath and he actually noted the effort it took her to lift her chin but she didn’t catch his eyes.

His heart clenched when her eyes came to rest on his shoulder and she declared in a soft voice, “He will.”

“Trust me,” Jack stated firmly. “He… will… not.”

Her head jerked at his tone, her eyes flashed to his then she looked away.

Jack turned his gaze back to the lane and waited.

“Tell your Olive person to call.” He heard her mutter and Jack sighed with relief he felt for a woman he didn’t know, a woman who had harmed his Belle but still a woman who was broken.

“I will.”

“And tell… tell…” she hesitated then said quietly, “tell Belle that I didn’t… I’d had enough… last night, I wasn’t exactly my –”

Jack looked down at her. “If there’s anyone on this earth who understands your behaviour of last night, it’s Belle. Don’t worry. Heal and live your life. But, I will say, do it elsewhere. I will give you money to start a new life but that’s it. There will be no more. Further, I never wish to see you again. And you will not like the consequences if you ever see Belle again.”

She nodded immediately.

Jack sighed again, turned his head and finally, thank God, he saw the taxi coming down the lane.

Then, softly, he said, “You will heal. She did.”