Jack and Jill Read online

  Jack and Jill on Fantasy Hill

  by

  Chaste Foxxe

  © Copyright February 2004, Judith Fox

  Cover art by Eliza Black, © copyright February 2004

  New Concepts Publishing

  5202 Humphreys Rd.

  Lake Park, GA 31636

  www.newconceptspublishing.com

  Girls who don’t wear glasses always get passes.

  Jill guessed it went something like that. Blind as a new born bat, she saw a blurred vision of a man across the room waving at her. But she hesitated to wave back. She didn’t do that sort of thing. Besides, maybe he was waving at someone else near her at the crowded party.

  She certainly didn’t want to meet another man. Jill knew it sounded vain. It wasn’t her fault she always had some man following her around. Some men hounded her trying to meet her. It didn’t even matter whether or not she wore her glasses. She snorted and placed her hand over her mouth. She had to stop the snorting habit. Where she had picked that habit up she didn’t know. She’d only started the silly habit since Jack--wait.

  She squinted her eyes and attempted a better look at the man waving his hand like a flag. He waved again.

  No resemblance. She looked the other way. There had to be a mistake. Or maybe he was another one of those men she’d heard about from the host. Eric was always trying to introduce her to someone.

  Jill chuckled to herself. Some men stared directly at her. Some looked the other way when she glared at them, pretending they hadn’t even noticed her. They were children and so obvious.

  She wasn’t worried. The last thing she needed was another man in her life.

  She’d been in a hurry to arrive here on time, leaving home without her glasses. Consequently, this evening, the men were soft looking, their outlines hazy. She could hardly see anything clearly if it was further than 8 feet in front of her. Quiet relaxing in a way.

  Jill was cornered by Mrs. Peabody chirping and talking at her with the usual weary monologue. It didn’t occur to her that she hadn’t heard a word. A man’s voice intruded behind Mrs. Peabody.

  "Excuse me for interrupting your fascinating conversation, Mrs. Peabody." Eric’s well-manicured hand was on her shoulder and his intruding head bent to speak softly into her ear. His voice was laudable to Jill.

  Mrs. Peabody’s reaction to Eric’s closeness resembled the appearance of a 1920’s heroine’s swoon at the sight of the Sheik of Arabi.

  "Oh Eric." Mrs. Peabody squeaked at him. "This is a wonderful party you’ve thrown. And what a brilliant idea to have a pre-Valentine’s day party. So original, you wonderful boy."

  Jill, in turn, acquiesced that Eric had the charm older women fell for like a load of manure. It was an attribute Jill detested. "Eric, you’re as smarmy as ever, I see."

  "Thanks, Jill." His sparkling wink at her might work if she didn’t know him better.

  "Lovely ladies, I want to introduce you to my friend, Jack Randall." Eric patted Jack’s back.

  "This beauty here is Mrs. Peabody, a patron of many of my parties."

  "Very pleased to meet you, Mr. Peabody." Jack kissed her hand. The four of them formed a circle while Mrs. Peabody giggled and fondled the emerald earrings on her earlobes.

  Jack turned to Jill, wearing his irresistible smile. "Hello, Jill. How are you?"

  Jill choked out in a whisper, "Jack."

  "Is that all you have to say?"

  Eric laughed in a short surprised clip. "What is this? Jack, you didn’t tell me you knew the beautiful Jill Cooper."

  Jack and Jill continued to stare at each other.

  "You didn’t ask." Jack took Jill’s hand and kissed it.

  The giggling came from Mrs. Peabody and the snort came from Jill.

  Jack smirked with a crooked smile. "It’s been a long time." He continued to hold her eyes with his.

  "Jack, I didn’t know--you look wonderful."

  "Wait. I remember now. Of course. It will be a year tomorrow since I last saw you. I mean really saw you. Sorry I can’t say I missed you, though."

  She thought his laughter that followed rang sharp and cruel. Her eyes clouded more. She never noticed before he could be cruel.

  "Jack, please, let me explain about...."

  "Oh, you want to explain something to me?" His voice grew higher, drawing people’s attention to them. "What could you want to explain to me?" His laughter cut at her. His eyes bore into hers. "We’re all listening, Jill. Go ahead."

  Jill held her hand to her throat. She felt stifled, as though she had swallowed something that wouldn’t go up or down. A seagull out on the tide water, trying to swallow an awkwardly shaped starfish halfway down her craw.

  "Jill? Are you all right?" Eric stepped towards her, holding her arm with his hand. "Come with me, I’ll get you some water." He glared at Jack. "What are you anyway? Some kind of a jerk? She looks like she’s seen a ghost."

  Jill held onto Eric’s arm and walked to some chairs near the French doors.

  "Oh dear, oh dear." Mrs. Peabody shook her head. "Perhaps I should go and help the poor dear."

  "So kind of you, but it will be fine." Jack patted Mrs. Peabody and gave her one of his charming you-will-do-what-I-want smiles. "She’s a good friend of mine. I’ll take care of her. Thanks anyway."

  Before Mrs. Peabody could finish the words, "Well, if you say so," Jack had left her in the crowd and proceeded directly to where Jill sat. She was looking down at her crossed arms, paying no attention to her surroundings—as if in a fog.

  If Jill had looked at him she would have seen the frantic longing in his eyes. He couldn’t get enough of being near her. It had been too long, and no matter what her explanation was for deserting him last year, he really didn’t care. He wanted her even more than he ever had. He told himself to simmer down. He could see he had shocked and scared Jill—and hurt her. He should have planned this better. But now he must show her that he was calm and that he held no resentment towards her. Surprisingly, it was important to him.

  Jack wasn’t aware that Jill had watched his interaction with Mrs. Peabody before he came towards her. Her mind was in a muddle of mixed feelings. She still held a strong attraction to him. It hadn’t gone away. Her first reaction of surprise and pleasure at seeing Jack had quickly turned into horror at his anger.

  He sat down on a wooden chair and pulled it near her. "Are you all right? You look so pale. I guess I should have announced my appearance to you."

  She couldn’t stand it. He smelled so wonderful. So wickedly tempting and hard to resist, evoking a combination of senses and memories that she knew were bad for her, but was equally unable to stop from crowding her mind. She couldn’t get her mind around his sudden appearance from her past—she’d put that all behind her. Or so she’d thought. Seeing him again made her feel inexplicably weak. She looked into his heated eyes, so close to hers, trying to compare this Jack with the one of a few minutes before.

  Get a grip, get a grip!

  "Yes, why didn’t you call me or come and see me. Announce yourself alone or written me a letter...." She waved her arm, encompassing the room. "…rather than crash a huge party full of people where you could embarrass me--and yourself if that’s possible." She felt herself sneering at him. She never made faces. What the hell. She had to let some it out. It was sink or swim. "You really are an ass."

  "That’s not nice." Jack laughed in a soft chortle. "You’re always so unpredictable, my sweet cherub. It’s one of the things I love about you."

  "Shut up." Jill felt sudden tears prickle her eyes, and she dabbed at them with a Kleenex from her purse. She glanced at his large hands and remembered the first time they had been together and how gentle his hands were. Now Jack tr
ied to help her with a napkin from the cracker and cheese tray. He wiped away a tear from her face.

  "Baby, baby." He kissed her cheek and she took a deep breath. Smelling the subtle scent that was completely his own thrilled her. Her blood raced as his eyes darkened.

  Jill heard laughter and looked across the room. She was horrified to realize some of the partygoers were staring at them. And she’d been crying…. She stood abruptly, and Jack stood, holding her arm in concern.

  "What’s wrong?"

  "Oh god! All these people are staring at us and getting an eyeful. Making up their own little stories and lies about us. It’s so embarrassing. I hate making a scene—I hate you making a scene. I’ll never forgive you. I know you hate me for disappearing. But this is … too much. I can’t handle it."

  She pulled free of his hand and ran to the open French door, standing in the darkness of the patio. Arms came winding around her, pulling her back against a impossibly hard, warm chest. "You are so gorgeous when you pout like that."

  She wrenched away and stepped down the garden path towards the fountain. No one was out here that she could see. Just as well. She and Jack had to talk. Now. She sniffled and dabbed her eyes, hating this onslaught of emotion when she wanted nothing more than to be clearheaded and reasonable. "Let’s sit on this bench over here. I need to tell you what happened. And then after that we can go our own ways and let the past rest."

  She looked up to see Jack staring at her in disbelief, his face shadowy in the half darkness.

  "Go our own ways...." He walked towards the bench with her, and as she sat down, he paced around the front of the fountain.

  The gurgling water dulled the real world of music and laughter in the house, and Jill’s head cleared. "So nice out here."

  She watched as Jack paced faster. She patted the bench beside her where she sat. "Come sit beside me."

  He eyed her and she saw doubt flicker across his face.

  "Come on, sit down." She tried again. "Please."

  Slowly, he nodded, and in two steps, sat beside her. They sat silently a few moments, growing accustomed to one another again. Jill marveled at how handsome he was. More handsome then ever. She still admired his dark eyes and curly black hair; his strong jaw line and that Romanesque hump on his nose. This could be a mistake--asking him to sit beside her so close. The night made her feel daring, lessened cold, hard reality. As a matter of fact, she thought it could be dangerous for her out here in the romantic dark, with the flower scented air, bubbling fountain, and soft music in the background. A beautiful setting for the love they used to share together. She sighed in sadness of their mutual loss.

  "A penny for your beautiful thoughts." He breathed close to her ear.

  Thrills shot through her body, making her dizzy with a flood of sensation. Her skin tingled as his arm slipped around her shoulder and pulled her closer to his chest. His leg pressed against hers, hot and hard. She wanted to melt at the heat of him. She shivered.

  He pulled the silk shawl she wore up around her shoulders. "There. Warmer now?"

  Too warm. Too hot, and it was all his nearness. She didn’t think it was a good idea to let him know how much he still affected her. She didn’t need anything except his body to keep warm. She shook her head.

  "No?"

  "Wait, yes, it’s better. Thanks." She looked away and smiled to herself.

  He leaned forward and took in the aroma of her hair. "You smell like the roses I used to send you every week. You feel the same too. Lush and provocative and mind blowing sexy."

  Her eyes were half closed listening to his voice. When he turned her head and his mouth captured hers, she yielded to drink in the taste of his tongue demanding hers. Their hands explored each other’s bodies while they kissed. Jill refreshed her memory, slowly running her hands up and down his well-muscled back. His hands were everywhere, and she felt out of control, unable to stop herself until a voice in the back of her head caught her attention. What are you doing? Don’t you think you should talk first before you lose it? You know what an easy lay you’ve always been for this guy.

  Her thoughts overwhelmed her while Jack kissed her ears, her eyes, her whole face. "No." She pushed him away, standing, and he fell back on the bench. "We need to talk," she said, fighting the heated arousal nipping at her senses.

  "What?" He looked at her with glazed eyes. "Why? I thought we were doing fine. At least it seemed to me. Kissing like that doesn’t happen every day to people."

  "I need to talk to you about what happened to our relationship in the past year."

  "Why? I thought we’d let things happen naturally between us." He rubbed his hair in frustration. "What’s the use of talking about the past?"

  She noticed pleading tone in his voice. "Why? Because even now you sound upset. I thought you’d forgiven me for leaving you."

  He massaged his temples and looked away from her toward the fountain. His frustration was palpable.

  She walked towards him to gesture with upward hands. "I knew it. It’s true. Don’t deny it. You’re angry. I want you to tell me the truth, or we can never have back the love we had before."

  Jack faced her and grabbed her hands, pulling her close to him. She nestled between his parted knees, so close to temptation.

  "You’re crazy. Why do I feel guilty? Hell. You left me in the lurch when I was at my lowest. Ma said you didn’t even say goodbye to her. You disappeared." He let go of her and threw his hands in the air, looking up then back at her. "Poof. You were gone. You didn’t even wait for me to come out of the coma. Two months, you waited--two months, Ma said." He bit off the words as if they left a bad taste in his mouth.

  The sudden silence hurt Jill’s ears.

  Jill turned from him and paced, as if that would calm the turmoil of her thoughts. His mother had always despised her. Faced with such an overwhelming opponent so close to him, how could she have ever thought Jack would believe anything she said? Finally, she gathered her thoughts into a semblance of coherency, determined to try and make him understand the truth.

  "Ma told you, did she?" She pointed a finger at her head. "Why don’t you use your own head? Think about it. Your precious Ma has never really liked me."

  "What? Don’t be ridiculous. She loves you like a daughter."

  Jill laughed, pain seeping into her voice. Jack lifted an eyebrow in puzzlement and disbelief.

  "Are you laughing at my mother?"

  "Oh, stop being so outraged. Your mother is not laughable. She’s pitiful. She doesn’t want you to leave her."

  Jack grunted with disgust. "I thought you had brains to match your beauty. But it seems I’m wrong."

  "I do have brains … and I had your heart. No other woman had been able to capture it, Jack. You were at the top of the hill, and no girl could get up there with you."

  Jack stood so still with shock, she thought he’d turned to stone.

  She grinned at him with a satisfied look, knowing she was getting through to him. "Your Ma was secure in her belief that you would never find anyone to replace her--until I came along."

  Jack shook his head, running his hands through his hair. After a few minutes, he stopped, as if all her words suddenly slapped him in the face with the truth. "Yes. But she thought I was too good for any woman. A typical mother. And when you came along, she knew you were the one for me…. Just as I knew."

  "She raised you to think that." Jill whispered in a raspy voice. "And it worked. Don’t you see?"

  "What do you mean?"

  "The accident you had falling on Fantasy Hill, while I was with you. It was a perfect mishap for your mother. She took it as a sign that she could blame me for it. Especially after you went into a coma."

  "No, not my mother."

  Jill clutched her long hair behind her neck. "Yes, Jack. I’m sorry, but while you were in a coma your mother made my life miserable."

  Jack shook his head slowly back and forth, over and over again.

  "Did she tell you how I came
to see you every day? Every day I hung over you, praying and talking to you. Pleading with you to come back to me. And every day your mother waited for me outside your room and never spoke to me. Only looked at me with hate," Jill lamented. "I wasn’t strong enough to withstand her hate. I broke and ran for it. I left town and never came back. I phoned and asked about you, but your mother only said you were getting better. She told me the doctor said it was best that I stay away from you as there were questions asked about how you had fallen. She said the police had insinuated that I had pushed you. I found out later that she had made up stories to tell me, probably to keep me away from you and Fantasy Hill."

  Jack shook his head, his features turning hard and angry. "Not true. Not true. Ma would never try to ruin my happiness. She’s always told me for as long as I can remember that she would always do what she … what she believed to be best for me … no matter what...."

  Sudden dawning twisted his face. "Oh god … Ma … she told me that you had told her you couldn’t stand the thought of the way I was or what I would become. That you didn’t love me enough to stand by and maybe wait for a lifetime for me to wake up. So you left."

  Jill stood with her arms crossed, holding her shawl close. "Why didn’t you ever come to find me? To find out the truth? To confront me?" As he stared at her, silent, she stamped her foot. "Tell me."

  Jack groaned. "Because I thought Ma knew best. She said you wouldn’t see me if I did find you. I believed her...." Jack sat on the bench and put his head in his hands.

  "Exactly. As I said, your Ma did an excellent job in raising her son to keep him all to herself in her old age," she whispered.

  Jack buried his face in his hands. The quiet gurgling of the fountain was all Jack could hear as he muddled in his brain the consequences of the accident on Fantasy Hill, exactly one year ago tomorrow, February 14 Valentine’s Day.

  What a fool he had been.

  What a jerk and an unbelievable idiot.

  His mother had been responsible for him when he was a boy. He was now a man and it was time he was responsible for himself.

  He had nearly lost Jill. Idiot. Think again. You may have lost her now.