I, uhI didnt ask her.
You didnt ask her. You thought your sister might be pregnant and had somehow forgotten to mention it, and you didnt ask her. Jack shook his head. Youre an idiot, you know that? I hate to be the one to break this to you, Charlie, but Annie is twenty-six years old. I dont think shes a virgin anymore.
Charlie stopped moving. No, shes married. To you. And if I find out that she had to get married
Calm down. I didnt touch her. Well, no, I did touch her, but not enough to get her pregnant.
Charlie glowered at him. And just when did this touching take placebefore the wedding, or afterward?
Would it make you feel better if I said weve never been to bed together?
No. That would be downright weird. You are married.
Jack took a healthy swallow of coffee. Obviously he needed more caffeine, or he was going to say something stupid and mess up an important friendship. Jack didnt fool himself that he came first with Charlieor anyone else, for that matter. Including Annie. With the McClains, family came first. Always. And however many hours Jack might have spent in the McClain kitchen when he was younger, he wasnt really family.
Though he was Charlies brother-in-law now. Funny. That hadnt occurred to him before. He liked the idea.
Okay, so Im acting like an idiot. Charlie scraped his hair back from his face. I didnt really think youd gotten her pregnant. Youve got your flaws, but you wouldnt have left her to handle things alone if shed been carrying your child, no matter what kind of emergency came up with your job.
Thanks for that much.
She might have gotten pregnant by someone else, though. Someone who couldnt or wouldnt marry her. I thought maybe she told you about it, and you married her to give her child a father.
A peculiar feeling stole over Jack when he thought about Annie being pregnant by another man. It wasnt jealousy. At least, he didnt think it was, since it was nothing like the nasty twist of anger hed felt when hed heard that Annie might be interested in Toby Randall. No, this was a quiet feelingquiet, but not gentle. Not soft. A stinging gray feeling, like an acid fog. Have you taken to watching soap operas? Thats the screwiest idea youve come up with yet.
But its just the sort of thing you would do, Jack. Or are you going to tell me that if Annie were pregnant and unmarried you wouldnt offer to marry her?
Well Jack rubbed a hand over his face. Charlie was right. Hed do just about anything for Annie. That wasnt how it happened, though. Annie wasntisntpregnant. And his reasons for marrying her had been wholly selfish.
Yeah? So why did you two get married, then?
Jack didnt know what to say. He wasnt going to lie to Charlie. Hed already lied to Charlies sister, and that had felt bad enough.
When the inspiration to get married had first hit Jack, it hadnt occurred to him that Annie might want the empty trappings of romance slicked over the very real friendship they shared and the passion theyd just discovered. Hed thought she was too sensible to buy into all those pleasant lies about love that so many women wasted their lives on. On their wedding night hed found out hed been wrong.
They had been alone in the elevator, on their way up to the honeymoon suite, and Jack had been skimming his mouth across hers, teasing himself with a taste of the feast waiting for them. All of a sudden shed pulled back, her eyes serious and scared. Shed asked him if he loved her.
Jack had felt sucker punched. Hed taken a couple of seconds too long to answer. Oh, hed managed to smile and say what she wanted to hear, but his hesitation had hurt her. He hated that as much as hed hated lying to her.
Well? Charlie demanded. Is it that hard to come up with a reason?
I was hoping to think of a way to phrase it that wouldnt make you want to punch me. Jack rubbed a hand across the back of his neck. It felt odd. He was used to having hair there. Annie had accused him of having let the barber scalp him. He smiled. At least she noticed him. She didnt want to admit it, and she would have liked to push him back into his not-quite-a-brother place in her life, but she did notice him. And not as a brother.
Charlie eyed him for a moment, then shook his head. Maybe I dont want to know. If it has something to do with sex
You dont want to know.
Charlie scowled and moved over to where hed left his coffee. He took a sip, grimaced and set it down. Damned stuff is cold.
Serves you right for eating all the doughnuts. Why did you come hassle me so early, anyway?
Ive got a load of pipe thats supposed to be in California tomorrow and I wanted to talk to you before I hit the road. Which reminds mewhy did you tell me to keep an eye on Annie until I talked to you?
Jack frowned. Damn. I wish you didnt have to leave town right now.
Curiouser and curiouser. If youre looking for me to play matchmaker
No, its nothing like that. Jack ran a hand over the top of his head. No way to lead into this gradually, he decided. I think someone tried to kill me. Theres a chance that Annie is in danger, too.