“He did, yes ma’am,” I answered automatically, Texas-boy proud.
“He’s the only reason I was prepared at all for those Congressional hearings,” she said with a laugh. She then eyed me shrewdly, and I knew not to underestimate her statute or keen discernment. I was surprised when she laid a hand on my face and patted lightly. It was a gesture Ellen and Rita both did from time to time, and I had begun to associate it with some sort of maternal affection. She really did think the world of Jack. “I think you are good for him, from what Ellen and Rita tell me. And, I may have caught a glimpse of you two earlier. You put a smile on his face, it seems.”
I looked with a smile and surprise glance to Jack’s mothers, and they just nodded and returned the smile.
“I hope so,” I told the woman. “He’s something when he smiles,” I said with a wink.
Justice Katz laughed a deeper laugh than her petite frame would have one believe was possible. She seemed satisfied with my answer, or more like, I felt I passed some sort of test.
“I do like him,” she said to Rita and Ellen. “You were right.” Then just like that, she and her husband were being pulled away to meet and mingle with someone else.
Ellen and Rita thanked me for coming over, and I hugged them both warmly and Quinn and I made sure they didn’t need anything else at the moment. Once they too were pulled away, I quirked an eyebrow at Quinn.
“That last long enough to save you?” I asked, but his answer was lost to me as the corner of my eye caught that familiarsomethingagain.
Was it someone’s laugh?
The way someone walked?
Something was drawing me, with the faintest trickle of warning wanting to creep up the base of my neck with alarm bells.
Quinn’s lips were moving, but suddenly, I couldn’t hear anything but the ringing in my ears, high enough now to block out all other sounds. I could not,wouldnot let this happen here. I wasn’t the kind of guy to make a scene or even be in one, and that wasn’t going to change tonight. Not being attached to Jack’s family.
“Quinn,” I managed, low and strangled, trying to keep my voice quiet and also trying to quell any emotion from my face. My hands felt like ice when I touched his wrist to get his attention. My heart raced, beat so fast it joined the ringing in my ears. I noticed I had Quinn’s attention, and whatever was on my face, he looked shocked to see it.
“Need Jack,” I whispered to him, still scanning the crowd, waiting to see the flash of what I knew I had seen before. “Where’s Jack, Quinn?” I asked again, low and urgent. If I could just touch Jack, I knew I would be able to breathe again.
“By the bar, P,” he said, and I could tell he was concerned, but I had no time for it. I needed Jack’s grounding and comforting presence right then as much as I needed the air that refused to get drawn into my lungs. I nodded stiffly and started making my way where he had pointed.
Quinn was right, Jack was over by the large bar, set up on the periphery of the room - there were several in the large space, encouraging the attendees to mill around and mingle. He was watching me, I guessed watching my interactions with Justice Katz earlier, as I walked toward him. Jack had both elbows back on the bar, with a relaxed, easy grin on his face. That is, he did until I started walking toward him.
As soon as I was close enough to lock eyes with his green and blue ones, I felt myself release the breath I was holding. I kept walking toward him as he stepped forward, meeting me away from the busy bar, and away from the crowd.
My hands went to his hips, not to pull him toward me, the way I had done a million times, but to ground me where I was. Jack was the most real thing in my life, and I needed that reality right now. My face was to the black curtains that hung down theouter edges of the ballroom like a uniform backdrop, while Jack placed his hands on my shoulders and looked out to the crowd.
I placed my nose on his neck, running it to his ear as I always did when I reconnected with him. I felt part of myself relax and that comforting gesture. Our mouths were close to each other’s ears, as if we were telling each other about the people we had just talked to, or sharing an old story.
“Jack,” I said, and my voice had that same strangled sound.
“Jack, my parents are here.”
Jack
I could feel the slight shake in Perrin’s body from how tightly he was holding himself. I could damn sure hear the same tremors in his voice. One moment I was watching him charm my former boss, and the next I saw Quinn gesturing him toward me.
The Perrin that walked toward me had absolutely no expression on his face. It was eerie, because Perrin was one of the most expressive people I knew. I loved that about him. But, as he walked in my direction, catching my eyes like an anchor, he showed nothing, not the slightest tell even for me. He was pale and stiff, and his eyes looked haunted in a way that twisted my gut.
He didn’t crash into me, but of course he wouldn’t. His Texas-nice etiquette no doubt had exactly zero allowances for that kind of reaction, although gathering him in my arms was exactly what I wanted to do.
“S’okay, Perrin,” I said, reassuringly, and I felt a slight nod against my cheek.
“I’ll explain it all later, Jack,” he whispered against my ear. “I’m sorry. I just . . ..”
“Don’t say sorry to me. Not ever,” I assured him. I knew these conversations were stacking up, but there was nothing to do about it now but be with him. “When was the last time you talked to them?”
He let out a breath. “Ten, well, over ten years, I guess,” he breathed.
I had about a million questions about why there was the estrangement with his family, why they were even at this event. Well, the last one wasn’t that hard to imagine.I knew he came from wealth, so I could easily assume it was the type of wealth that had a foundation and charitable arms of its organization - not unlike the Manns. And I also knew before, and from seeing people recognize Perrin that night, that he had a heart for children and volunteer work; still, there were a lot of pieces for him to connect for me. But, right now, he was in the same room as his parents, and that definitely was not welcome for him. The questions could wait until later.
