Part 26 (1/2)

Cooper stopped typing and glanced over his shoulder. His blond hair was mussed, he hadn't shaved in days. Jack had never seen this GQ Simon looking so rough.

”You look like you need a drink,” Cooper said, getting out of his chair. He was s.h.i.+rtless, and his jeans had more holes in them than his d.a.m.n driveway.

”I know about the pictures and the tapes of Donovan and Derek.” Jack's voice was rough, like sandpaper.

Cooper glanced up at him before opening the fridge and tossing him a cold beer. Jack watched Cooper pull back his tab and take a good long drink, but he didn't open his. He was too angry to drink.

”She told you?”

”No.”

Cooper was surprised. Jack could see that.

”Did you leak the story?” he asked through gritted teeth.

Cooper set his beer down onto the counter. ”Jack I've been here since the fundraiser and no I didn't leak the story. I've got hydro and water and that's about it. I've got my cell and the only reason I called Maverick back was because he threatened to out me if I didn't. I'm not ready for the world to know I'm Lee Holloway.”

”Who?”

”Never mind. It wasn't me. h.e.l.l, I don't even have internet. Nothing.” He shrugged. ”It wasn't me.”

Jack saw the truth in his cousin's eyes, and he pulled out a chair, setting his beer on the table. He had a good idea who it was.

”The story was leaked to the press when I was up at the cottage. .A story about Donovan and Derek, and it alluded to video and pictures of the two of them together. I just came from Derek, and he told me it was true.” Jack grimaced. ”Said he'd had s.e.x with Donovan, but that you had the evidence.” He glared across the room at his cousin. The thought of anyone seeing Donovan like that made him sick. ”Do you have it?”

Cooper ran his hands through his messy blond hair and sighed. ”I do.”

Jack was off his chair in an instant, long legs carrying him across the room until he stood toe to toe with Cooper.

”Calm down,” Coop said, hands in the air, palms up. ”Just listen before you go off half-c.o.c.ked and throwing punches.”

Jack let him back up and watched him closely. ”How the h.e.l.l did you end up with something like that?”

”A few years ago, Derek hosted a Christmas party as his place, remember? A lot of your staff was there. Tucker. Beau. You left, and I stayed for some more tequila. Derek got loaded and started going on about Donovan. Told me he was the reason for your breakup. Said he had evidence.”

Jack swore and ran his hand along his jaw.

”Look. I've never liked the guy. He's always had an unhealthy infatuation with you, and I never trusted him. I didn't know if he was bulls.h.i.+tting or telling me the truth, so I asked to see his so called evidence. The guy was c.o.c.ky as h.e.l.l and took me to his office. He poured me anther tequila and then popped in the thumb drive. I didn't see much, a few images, no video, but it was enough to know that what was on there would do damage. I took it and told him that if he ever mentioned it to anyone, I'd make him wish his life was over. I'd take everything. His wife, his nice cushy life and, most of all, I'd make sure he never had anything to do with you again.”

Jack bent over, hands on his knees. This wasn't what he'd wanted to hear. Maybe some part of him was hoping it was all a big misunderstanding, but this? This was real.

”She's pregnant with my kid.”

Cooper was shocked. At least that's how Jack was going to take the blue streak that fell out of his cousin's mouth.

”I gotta be up front with you, Jack. I warned her to stay away from you.” At Jack's blank stare, Cooper sighed. ”Look. You're family, and I thought she was bad news. At the fundraiser, I told her to stay away. That if I caught wind of her hooking up with you, I'd release the tapes. It was bulls.h.i.+t, but she didn't know it. h.e.l.l, I'd never wish that kind of political storm on you. But for her to risk that.” He shrugged. ”Maybe I was wrong about her. Maybe you mean a lot more to her than I was giving her credit for. What's she saying about all this s.h.i.+t?”

”I don't know.” G.o.d, Jack felt like s.h.i.+t. ”The whole thing's a mess.”

”What are you going to do?” Cooper asked. ”About Donovan?”

”Do you have it?” Jack asked, ignoring his cousin's question.

”I don't think you want to see that, Jack.”

”Have you watched it?” he asked, taking a step toward Cooper.

”No. The two images I saw were enough.”

”Do you have it?” Jack asked again, jaw clenched tight and mouth grim.

Cooper disappeared for a few minutes and when he appeared again, he had the thumb drive in his hands. He handed it over. ”I have a safe under the floorboards in my bedroom. n.o.body knows that I own this property, so I thought it was as good a place as any to keep it.” Cooper nodded toward his desktop. ”Use my computer I'm going to bed.”

Jack waited until his cousin was gone and even though he felt sick to his stomach, he inserted the thumb drive. When he was finished watching the material, he got up and would have put his fist through the wall-if it was drywall. As it was, the walls were made of plaster, and he was pretty d.a.m.n sure he broke several bones in his hand before he made it to the kitchen sink and vomited.

Chapter Thirty.

Donovan wrinkled her nose and shook her head as she re-read the instructions in the cookbook. What the h.e.l.l was sifting flour?

With a sigh, she got up from the table and glanced outside. Roger would be back from the mainland soon, and she'd promised a meal. Her. Useless as h.e.l.l, Donovan James was going to cook a meal for Roger and Mary.

She smoothed her hair back and tucked the wild waves behind her ears. It was humid, but she loved the warmth. She'd been cold since she arrived. Since Gravenhurst.

Donovan wasn't sure she'd ever be warm again. She closed her eyes as a wave of nausea set in and waited for it to pa.s.s. This was something new. She'd been back on the island for nearly two weeks and had only experienced nausea the last few days. It was real. The pregnancy was real.

She rested her hands over her bare stomach and smiled. ”Welcome to your life, whoever you are. It's going to be stupid, crazy ride.”

Okay. Focus.

There was the sifting of the flour. Donovan wandered back into the kitchen and, after chewing on her bottom lip for a few moments, decided that maybe they didn't need this fancy apple dessert after all. Maybe cut up fruit would do.

Her eyes brightened. Just like the fancy fruit trays in all those hotel rooms she stayed in when on tour.

She set to work and cut out the watermelon Roger had brought for her the week before. One of four, it was the only one left. She giggled and patted her stomach once more.

”Guess you like watermelon huh?”

Once that was done, she carved out the pineapple and tried her d.a.m.nedest to make it look like something. It was leaning a bit when she placed it in the middle of the watermelon, and she decided that it looked like a bird. A phoenix to be precise. How metaphoric. Out of the ashes and all of that.

She cleaned grapes, strawberries, blueberries and raspberries and filled in the s.p.a.ce around her phoenix. After that she cut up the watermelon and placed it as artfully as she could and when she was done, took a step back.

It looked pretty d.a.m.n good.

She flew across the kitchen and opened up the large fridge and then placed her creation inside. Next, she checked on her marinating steaks (so the marinade was out of a bottle-she wasn't telling anyone that) and took out the vegetables for her salad.

She had three kinds of onions, a red pepper and mushrooms. Somehow the colors had seemed right when she was in the grocery, but now she was rethinking the whole salad thing too.