Page 27 of Sharing Forever in Hope Creek (Hope Creek #2)

‘Yesterday’s fainting highlighted how little I know about this whole “having babies” business,’ Jack said. ‘Before I fell asleep last night, I ordered a whole lot of books online and I intend to read every single one from cover to cover so I’m not as ignorant.’

‘Oh no!’ Callie groaned. ‘You know the saying that a little knowledge can be a dangerous thing?’

‘When we get back to Melbourne, I’m going to get you an appointment with the best obstetrician in town.’

While pleased that his words showed his commitment hadn’t altered, this was taking things too far. She pulled away from him and turned around so she could look into his eyes and loop her arms around his neck.

‘Jack, I appreciate your concern but I have an obstetrician already and she’s lovely. She also comes highly recommended by my GP whom I trust.’ She suspected that while she might enjoy being pampered a bit by Jack, he could take the whole thing too far and try to wrap her in cotton wool.

‘Okay, I don’t want to be domineering, but I do want to make sure you’re getting the best of care.’

‘I am.’

‘But maybe you need to ease off at work a bit? The doctor in Lancaster did say that you shouldn’t spend too much time on your feet and you should get plenty of rest.’

Was that what all his worry was about?

‘You think I need more rest?’ That comment made her laugh, and she let the nail of her forefinger trail teasingly around his nipple as she raised an eyebrow very pointedly. ‘Whose fault is it that I didn’t sleep much the night before last?’

‘Yours,’ he shot back. ‘It’s entirely your fault because you’re utterly desirable and I can’t leave you alone, but I promise I’ll be less demanding now I know your health is at stake.’

‘Oh pooh!’ she declared. ‘The doctor didn’t say anything about not having lots of sex. Don’t you dare let up or I might die from wanting you.’

‘You’re good for my ego.’ Jack laughed and the rich sound filled the room. The manly sound was almost out of place in her very feminine bedroom with its white and lilac frilled curtains.

‘I love hearing you laugh,’ she told him before she probed, ‘I don’t want to pry, but I’ve thought you’ve been bothered about something ever since you got that text late on Saturday night. Is everything okay?’

‘I …’ Again she felt uneasy when he stopped and shook his head. ‘You worry too much.’

‘I’m sorry. Maybe I shouldn’t be asking, but—’ Being brave she voiced her inner fears. ‘You speak about the future in one breath, but seconds later I feel there’s a distance between us. Are you having second thoughts about our relationship?’

‘Absolutely not.’

Callie was a bit taken aback by the vehemence in his tone. ‘Then—?’

‘Then nothing, Callie. Everything is fine and there’s nothing for you to worry about.’

His words worried her even more. They bordered on irritation mixed with dismissiveness and perhaps she was being overly sensitive, but she felt diminished by them—as though he’d told her not to worry her pretty little head about it.

Confusion rolled in and settled like a heavy mist, obscuring her visibility and making her path unclear. Where was the open communication between them that they had both agreed was vital to their relationship?

If he couldn’t confide his concerns to her, where did that leave them?

Her imagination conjured up a whole lot of distressing scenarios.

Has he found out about my past?

Has his sister voiced her disapproval and, if so, does that matter to Jack?

A sharp few knocks on the bedroom door broke through the tension.

‘Jack, you’re needed outside.’ Jim’s tone was stern.

Callie frowned as Jack answered, ‘Be right out, Jim.’

‘Come out to the living room,’ came the abrupt command.

‘Something’s up,’ Callie said. She had rarely heard Jim so authoritative.

As Jack started to get out of bed to dress he said more quietly to Callie, ‘I thought they were okay with me staying the night?’

She pulled a face. ‘I thought so too, but something’s upset him.’

Jim’s tone and terse words coming so soon after Callie’s doubts about her relationship with Jack added to her sense of disquiet. This was turning out to be a very strange morning.

She was about to jump out of bed when Jack reminded her to get up slowly.

Pulling on a pair of boxers and jeans he said, ‘Lie there and eat your cracker then get up slowly if you must, although whatever it is I’m needed for, I doubt it will take long and then I’ll come back with a cup of tea for you. ’

‘No.’ He had to stop shutting her out and he had to stop making decisions for her—even if they were well intentioned. ‘I’ll get up slowly. Wait a tick, then we can both go out and see what this is about.’

Less than five minutes later, Callie had eaten the cracker. Jack was fully dressed but she just slipped on her pyjamas and dressing gown. Although he took her hand in his as they left the room and made their way to the living room, Callie couldn’t supress a feeling of foreboding.

Callie frowned as she saw Rick and Gary sitting in the living room with Jim and Margaret.

Nobody looked comfortable. The police officers were both in uniform and their expressions were so serious that Callie’s chest hollowed out as trepidation fingered its way up her neck and threatened to choke her.

Stop it! she berated herself. Everything is okay.

‘Are you sure I can’t get you a cup of tea?’ Margaret was asking.

‘No, thank you, Margaret,’ Rick replied.

As soon as the officers saw Callie and Jack, they stood stiffly. Rick looked away and Gary cleared his throat, which only wound Callie’s nerves tighter.

‘Gary. Rick,’ she greeted them cautiously. ‘What’s up?’

‘Callie,’ Gary acknowledged while Rick nodded. ‘Mr Marshall, we met at the wedding.’

Mr Marshall? It had been Jack on Saturday night.

‘I’m Sergeant Houghton and this is Constable McMahon.’

The use of their official titles made the fine hairs on the back of her neck stand to attention. Her stomach lurched and she had to breathe deeply lest the cracker reappear.

‘I believe it was Jack, Rick and Gary on Saturday night,’ Jack told them as he moved closer and extended his hand to each of them in turn.

‘Unfortunately, this is official business,’ Gary said.

‘What’s this about?’ Jack’s voice remained even, but his shoulders tensed.

‘We believe you had a heated meeting with Andrew Thompson from Hope Creek Vineyard yesterday afternoon.’

‘I met with him at the vineyard,’ Jack answered with a frown.

Callie’s heartbeat picked up as her gaze swung from the officers to Jack. He’d said he was going back to the vineyard for a meeting but he hadn’t told her what the meeting was about—or that it had been heated.

‘Brianna, his secretary, has said you made threats against him.’

What? Callie couldn’t believe what she was hearing. ‘Jack? What’s going on?’

Ignoring her, Jack told the officers, ‘I believe my warning was that I didn’t intend that he would get away with the criminal activity I’d discovered he was involved in.’

‘Criminal activity?’ Callie felt her features fall and she took a step away from Jack. ‘What are you talking about?’ Why hadn’t he said anything to her?

‘I wasn’t going to mention it to you until I’d reported it to the police,’ Jack told her.

Gary took a notebook from his shirt pocket and flicked through a couple of pages.

‘Brianna’s told us she returned to the vineyard unexpectedly and heard raised voices in Mr Thompson’s office.

She said that he appeared to be visibly shaken and asked her to stay behind on a fabricated pretext.

She said that, after you left, he told her that he wanted her to stay so you’d leave because he was afraid of what you’d do. ’

The fingernails of Callie’s right hand scored into the palm of her left hand.

‘Jack?’ she croaked out. Unable to credit he’d been physically threatening in his business dealings, she was desperate for an explanation from him. Desperate to believe this was all some terrible misunderstanding and that the father of her child wouldn’t threaten or resort to physical violence.

Gary continued, ‘Brianna’s stated that you threatened him saying that he was “going down” and that you said you would make certain he “paid”. Is that correct, Mr Marshall?’

Callie’s vision blurred and she reached out and grasped the back of a chair. What on earth had made Jack threaten Andrew Thompson and what did he mean by those threats?

Hell.

Just what had Andrew Thompson done and how had Jack been intending to make him pay?

Callie’s brain screamed in denial.

Surely Jack was a respectable businessman?

Surely he was nothing like her father or the people her father had worked for?

But he was super wealthy. Had his money come from shady deals?

‘Unbelievable,’ she heard Jack mutter from beside her.

‘Did she also tell you that I said that Thompson was deluded if he thought he was going to get away with what he’d done?

’ Jack’s hand sliced through the air. ‘I was intending to see you to report what I’d found out.

’ Then he asked indignantly, ‘Is he pressing charges against me for harassment? Is that why you’re here? ’

‘No,’ Gary told him. ‘I wish that were the case.’

‘Then—?’

Callie held her breath.

Rick cut across Jack’s question. ‘We received a call from Steve, the winemaker at the vineyard, when he arrived at work early this morning.’

‘Andrew Thompson was found dead, Mr Marshall,’ Gary said.

Callie and Margaret both gasped.

Jim swore.

‘He was murdered,’ Rick added.

Callie barely registered Jack’s sudden pallor as the mention of murder triggered an almost complete mental shutdown for her.

Murder.

The word pounded her brain like a medieval flail.

As the situation rammed home, Callie whispered out a denial through a tightened vocal tract. ‘No!’

She turned and stared at Jack as though she was seeing him for the first time.

The muscles across her shoulders felt as though they were about to snap when her mind’s eye superimposed her father’s features over Jack’s.