Lucky Stars (Ghosts and Reincarnation #5)(102)
Author: Kristen Ashley

“‘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?”

Instead of getting angry or embarrassed, Belle watched as her father’s eyes lit. They swung to Belle and he remarked, “I love it, little girl, you caught yourself a live one!”

Jack called Dad’s attention back to him when he repeated, “Jensen, I asked if I was understood.”

Dad grinned at Jack and said, “Dude. Sure. No embarrassing Belle. I’m not stupid. I got it.” Then, like an adolescent with attention deficit disorder (in other words, per usual), his eyes focused on the pots of jam and he asked, “Can someone pass me that marmalade? It’s the shit. Who said English food is crap? These sausages are f**kin’ great!”

As Belle watched Jack’s jaw get hard (again), Belle felt it welling up inside her and, even though she tried to hold it back, she couldn’t. Therefore, she leaned forward and grabbed his fisted hand which was resting on the table right when he opened his mouth to speak or, possibly, explode.

His head turned to her and she was softly giggling when she squeezed his hand and shook her head.

Through her giggles, she said quietly for his ears only, “Let it go, honey. Trust me, it isn’t worth it.”

At her words, for some reason the air instantly went velvet, his eyes grew soft and tender and his hand unclenched, twisted, caught hers and gave a squeeze before he let her go, let his irritation go and calmly poured them coffee.

Yes, Belle thought, watching him pour his coffee after he’d poured hers, the feeling was back.

Head over heels in love.

And that empty feeling that settled inside her in a way she thought it would never leave after the baby died started, slowly, but surely, to fade away.

“Now that the entertainment portion of the morning is over,” Gram announced. “Perhaps we can discuss more pertinent issues.”

“Yeesh,” Dad muttered. “How long ya’ll been here? Lila’s talking all English.”

“’Pertinent’, Jenny, means ‘important’,” Mom whispered back.

“Whatever,” Dad mumbled.

Yasmin snorted.

Belle ignored this because she watched Jack’s serious eyes lock on Angus before he announced, “Olive and I have work and so do you and Cassandra. Let’s do this now.”

“You got it, lad,” Angus agreed.

Jack looked to Lila. “How much does Belle know?”

Belle stopped reaching for the toast when Gram answered, “She knows Myrtle and Lewis were there when she fell, she knows they’ve disappeared and she knows all the readings have come back negative.”

Belle’s eyes scanned the table and she asked, “Is there more to know?”