Part 20 (1/2)

”I wouldn't worry about it.”

”I'm not.” But she was. He could feel it. Her shoulders were tense.

”Hey,” he whispered near her ear. ”How do you feel about French toast?”

”I think that might hit the spot.”

Jack got to his feet and pulled her up, but when she winced, he froze.

”My foot,” she mumbled.

Jack glanced down at her ankle which was purple and still swollen, though not as bad as the night before. s.h.i.+t. He'd forgotten all about it.

”I think you need to see a doctor.”

”No,” Donovan said, shaking her head. ”I don't...I'm fine.”

Something in her voice made him uneasy. ”A trip to the doctor isn't going to hurt you.”

”No, but that would be the best way for the media to find out I'm up here, and that's the last thing that I want.”

She glanced up at him. ”You just said you don't want the outside world finding its way into ours. At least not yet. Can't we just have a little more time to deal with everything before that happens?”

Everything. Like that d.a.m.n pregnancy test. And all the other s.h.i.+t. Thing was? It was the other s.h.i.+t that he was concerned about.

”At least let me ask Sabrina for a quick look. She used to be a nurse before the kids came along.”

Donovan nodded. ”Okay.”

The two of them were in the kitchen-Donovan propped on the counter as Jack busied himself making French toast-when the door banged open and two bundles of energy ran inside.

”Hey,” Harry shouted. ”You're alive! You're alive!”

Jack tossed him a strawberry and the little guy caught it.

”Of course I'm alive, silly,” Donovan said.

”But Harry tolded me that you might have got eaten by a big bear,” Morgan said, her eyes huge as she stared up at Donovan.

”Nope,” Donovan replied. ”I'm all good.”

”Yay!” Morgan shouted. ”Uncle Jack said a lot of bad words when you were gone.”

”He did,” Harry piped in. ”He said that one that starts with an F so many times that Mommy says we might be able to fly to Mexico once he pays the swear jar.”

”Did he now?” Donovan asked.

Jack shot the kids a look. The little traitors.

”I told you guys to wait for me.” Sabrina walked into the house and didn't stop until she had Donovan in a fierce hug. ”You scared c.r.a.p out of me.”

”Is c.r.a.p a bad word?” Morgan asked, twirling a long lock of hair between her fingers as she looked at her brother.

”I don't think so,” Harry replied. ”It means poo.”

Morgan giggled and Jack grinned at the two of them. ”Just don't say the S-word,” Jack said.

”What's the S word?” Morgan asked.

”It starts with sh-”

”Harrison Campbell. That's enough.” Sabrina shot them a stern look before settling onto Jack. ”You might want to put some clothes on while I take a look at Donovan's ankle.”

Jack glanced down at his boxers. Not exactly appropriate for company.

He turned the heat low, pressed a kiss to Donovan's cheek (to another round of giggles from Morgan and a big fat 'eeeing his way.

Jack took two steps out of his bedroom before he knew that wasn't going to happen. Coco was barking crazily. It was the kind of crazy that signaled company. He wasn't exactly sure if the s.h.i.+t storm had already found its way inside his house, but something sure as h.e.l.l was happening.

He glanced over the railing and swore.

Maverick was looking up at him, and if he was reading his cousin right, the guy wanted to kill Jack. Whatever. Maverick he could handle. It was the other two who concerned him more. Especially the small, pet.i.te thing.

His mother.

She was like a barracuda when it came to her kids and when Donovan and Jack's relations.h.i.+p had busted wide open, she'd been in his corner 100%. Jack was pretty sure that his mother would have gone toe to toe with Donovan if given the chance.

He sure as h.e.l.l didn't need her poking around in his business, because right now, he wasn't exactly sure what his business was all about.

”Jack, do you want to explain what's going on?” his mother said, eyebrow raised in that way that told him her hackles were up. She was preparing to fight, and Jesus, he was too d.a.m.ned tired to do it right now. Eden DuRocher-Simon had never had a problem voicing her opinion. And she would get into Donovan's face without a thought.

Thing was? Donovan was always up for a fight. She'd give as good as she got, but Jack wasn't having any of it.