Page 81 of Forbidden Kisses
He didn’t want to feel sorry for Tammy, either. In fact, he wanted nothing to do with Tammy. He was standing by his belief that Grace wouldn’t be here if it wasn’t for her mother. “Do you ever listen to a thing that people say?” he asked, unable to help himself. His voice wasn’t raised or angry. In fact, he was surprised at the calmness in it. “Do you even care about what other people want?”
Tammy’s expression dropped. “Jack,” she said again.
Just hearing the sound of his name on her lips irritated him. He remembered a time when he’d called her stepmom. A time when he’d been proud of her and had relished his name on her lips. He’d considered her like a real mom to him.
“I said I’ll sit outside while you visit with Grace,” he said firmly but calmly. “That way I won’t say anything that I’ll regret.” Not that Tammy wouldn’t deserve every word.
“Jack?”
He stopped walking. This time it wasn’t Tammy’s voice. Joy flooded his chest, washing out all the anger and bitterness. He turned back and met those dark brown eyes, so warm and full of life. “Grace.”
“She’s up. That’s what I was trying to tell you,” Tammy said.
Jack flicked his gaze toward her. “You couldn’t pick up a phone and tell me that sooner?”
Tammy huffed. “Well, I didn’t have your number. And Krista and Abby have been out on the boat all day.”
Grace frowned. “On a boat? TheLone Wolf?” she asked weakly.
“The tournament that you were so dead set on winning,” her mother said, looking down at her.
“The one youforcedher to enter,” Jack said firmly.
“I didn’t force her.”
“They did the tournament without me?” Grace asked, interrupting their exchange.
Jack stepped back toward her. “They did itforyou. I just spoke to Noah. They caught something, maybe a big something.”
Grace smiled. “Really?”
Jack nodded and sat in the chair beside her. “I’m sorry I wasn’t here when you woke up.”
“It’s okay.” Grace slipped her hand in his. “Mom was here.”
Jack clamped his lips tightly.
“And she didn’t force the tournament on me, Jack. I wanted to do it.”
“Because of something she did,” he said, working hard to keep his voice neutral. “But let’s not talk about that right now. How are you feeling?”
Grace swallowed. “Honestly? The two of you together is kind of stressing me out a little.”
Jack looked up at Tammy. She’d probably been here for hours. It was his turn now.
“If you don’t mind, I kind of want to be alone,” Grace said. “I’m really tired.”
“Do you need a nurse?” Concern tightened Jack’s chest. The doctor had said she’d be fine, but what if they missed something?
“No, I’m fine. I just can’t listen to another argument between you two.”
“We weren’t arguing,” he objected.
“It sure sounded like it to me. And not just now. You two have been arguing like a couple of children while I lay in this bed on pain meds. It felt like a horrible dream, and now that I’m awake and can ask you to stop, that’s what I’m going to do.” Her voice rose and shook with anger.
“I didn’t realize you could hear us,” he said.
“Does it matter?”
