Loving Jack
Nora Roberts
Hot Ice
Sacred Sins
Brazen Virtue
Sweet Revenge
Public Secrets
Genuine Lies
Carnal Innocence
Divine Evil
Honest Illusions
Private Scandals
Hidden Riches
True Betrayals
Montana Sky
Sanctuary
Homeport
The Reef
River’s End
Carolina Moon
The Villa
Midnight Bayou
Three Fates
Birthright
Northern Lights
Blue Smoke
Angels Fall
High Noon
Tribute
Black Hills
The Search
Chasing Fire
The Witness
Series
Irish Born Trilogy
Born in Fire
Born in Ice
Born in Shame
Dream Trilogy
Daring to Dream
Holding the Dream
Finding the Dream
Chesapeake Bay Saga
Sea Swept
Rising Tides
Inner Harbor
Chesapeake Blue
Gallaghers of Ardmore Trilogy
Jewels of the Sun
Tears of the Moon
Heart of the Sea
Three Sisters Island Trilogy
Dance Upon the Air
Heaven and Earth
Face the Fire
Key Trilogy
Key of Light
Key of Knowledge
Key of Valor
In the Garden Trilogy
Blue Dahlia
Black Rose
Red Lily
Circle Trilogy
Morrigan’s Cross
Dance of the Gods
Valley of Silence
Sign of Seven Trilogy
Blood Brothers
The Hollow
The Pagan Stone
Bride Quartet
Vision in White
Bed of Roses
Savor the Moment
Happy Ever After
The Inn BoonsBoro Trilogy
The Next Always
The Last Boyfriend
eBooks
The O’Hurleys
The Last Honest Woman
Dance to the Piper
Skin Deep
Without a Trace
The Donovan Legacy
Captivated
Entranced
Charmed
Enchanted
Cordina’s Royal Family
Affaire Royale
Command Performance
The Playboy Prince
Cordina’s Crown Jewel
The MacGregors
Playing the Odds
Tempting Fate
All the Possibilities
One Man’s Art
For Now, Forever
The MacGregor Brides
The Winning Hand
The MacGregor Grooms
The Perfect Neighbor
Rebellion & In from the Cold
Night Tales
Night Shift
Night Shadow
Nightshade
Night Smoke
Night Shield
The Calhouns
Courting Catherine
A Man for Amanda
For the Love of Lilah
Suzanna’s Surrender
Megan’s Mate
Irish Legacy Trilogy
Irish Thoroughbred
Irish Rose
Irish Rebel
Best Laid Plans
Loving Jack
Lawless
Summer Love
Boundary Lines
Dual Image
Nora Roberts & J. D. Robb
Remember When
J. D. Robb
Naked in Death
Glory in Death
Immortal in Death
Rapture in Death
Ceremony in Death
Vengeance in Death
Holiday in Death
Conspiracy in Death
Loyalty in Death
Witness in Death
Judgment in Death
Betrayal in Death
Seduction in Death
Reunion in Death
Purity in Death
Portrait in Death
Imitation in Death
Divided in Death
Visions in Death
Survivor in Death
Origin in Death
Memory in Death
Born in Death
Innocent in Death
Creation in Death
Strangers in Death
Salvation in Death
Promises in Death
Kindred in Death
Fantasy in Death
Indulgence in Death
Treachery in Death
New York to Dallas
Celebrity in Death
Anthologies
From the Heart
A Little Magic
A Little Fate
Moon Shadows
(with Jill Gregory, Ruth Ryan Langan, and Marianne Willman)
The Once Upon Series
(with Jill Gregory, Ruth Ryan Langan, and Marianne Willman)
Once Upon a Castle
Once Upon a Rose
Once Upon a Star
Once Upon a Kiss
Once Upon a Dream
Once Upon a Midnight
Silent Night
(with Susan Plunkett, Dee Holmes, and Claire Cross)
Out of This World
(with Laurell K. Hamilton, Susan Krinard, and Maggie Shayne)
Bump in the Night
(with Mary Blayney, Ruth Ryan Langan, and Mary Kay McComas)
Dead of Night
(with Mary Blayney, Ruth Ryan Langan, and Mary Kay McComas)
Three in Death
Suite 606
(with Mary Blayney, Ruth Ryan Langan, and Mary Kay McComas)
In Death
The Lost
(with Patricia Gaffney, Mary Blayney, and Ruth Ryan Langan)
The Other Side
(with Mary Blayney, Patricia Gaffney, Ruth Ryan Langan, and Mary Kay McComas)
The Unquiet
(with Mary Blayney, Patricia Gaffney, Ruth Ryan Langan, and Mary Kay McComas)
Also available . . .
The Official Nora Roberts Companion
(edited by Denise Little and Laura Hayden)
THE BERKLEY PUBLISHING GROUP
Published by the Penguin Group
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This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents either are the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously, and any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, business establishments, events, or locales is entirely coincidental. The publisher does not have control over and does not have any responsibility for author or third-party websites or their content.
LOVING JACK
An InterMix Book / published by arrangement with the author
PUBLISHING HISTORY
Harlequin Books edition / December 1988
InterMix eBook edition / July 2012
Copyright © 1988 by Nora Roberts.
Excerpt from Lawless copyright © 1989 by Nora Roberts.
All rights reserved.
No part of this book may be reproduced, scanned, or distributed in any printed or electronic form without permission. Please do not participate in or encourage piracy of copyrighted materials in violation of the author’s rights. Purchase only authorized editions.
For information, address: The Berkley Publishing Group,
a division of Penguin Group (USA) Inc.,
375 Hudson Street, New York, New York 10014.
ISBN: 978-1-101-56954-2
INTERMIX
InterMix Books are published by The Berkley Publishing Group,
a division of Penguin Group (USA) Inc.,
375 Hudson Street, New York, New York 10014.
INTERMIX and the “IM” design are trademarks of Penguin Group (USA) Inc.
Contents
Cover
Also by Nora Roberts
Title Page
Copyright
Dedication
Chapter One
Chapter Two
Chapter Three
Chapter Four
Chapter Five
Chapter Six
Chapter Seven
Chapter Eight
Chapter Nine
Chapter Ten
Chapter Eleven
Chapter Twelve
Special Excerpt
About the Author
To Kasey Michaels,
because Jackie is a heroine she’ll understand.
Chapter One
The minute Jackie saw the house, she was in love. Of course, she acknowledged, she did fall in love easily. It wasn’t that she was easily impressed, she was just open, wide-open, to emotions—her own and everyone else’s.
The house had a lot of emotion in it, she felt, and not all of it serene. That was good. Total serenity would have been all right for a day or two, but boredom would have closed in. She preferred the contrasts here, the strong angles and arrogant juts of the corners, softened occasionally by curving windows and unexpectedly charming archways.
The white-painted walls glittered in the sunlight, set off by stark ebony trim. Though she didn’t believe the world was black-and-white, the house made the statement that the two opposing forces could live together in harmony.
The windows were wide, welcoming the view from both east and west, while skylights let in generous slices of sun. Flowers grew in profusion in the side garden and in terra-cotta pots along the terraces. She enjoyed the bold color they added, the touch of the exotic and lush. They’d have to be tended, of course—and religiously, if the heat continued and the rain didn’t come. She didn’t mind getting dirty, though, especially if there was a reward at the end.
Through wide glass doors she looked out at the crystalline waters of a kidney-shaped tiled pool. That, too, would require tending, but that, too, offered rewards. She could already picture herself sitting beside it, watching the sun set with the scent of flowers everywhere. Alone. That was a small hitch, but one she was willing to accept.
Beyond the pool and the sloping slice of lawn was the Intracoastal Waterway. Its waters were dark, mysterious, but even as she watched, a motorboat putted by. She discovered she liked the sound of it. It meant there were people close enough to make contact but not so close as to interfere.
The water roads reminded her of Venice and a particularly pleasant month she had spent there during her teens. She’d ridden in gondolas and flirted with dark-eyed men. Florida in the spring wasn’t as romantic as Italy, but it suited her just fine.
“I love it.” She turned back to the wide, sun-washed room. There were twin sofas the color of oatmeal on a steel blue carpet. The rest of the furniture was an elegant ebony and leaned toward the masculine. Jackie approved of its strength and style. She rarely wasted her time looking for flaws and was willing to accept them when they jumped out at her. But in this house and everything about it she saw perfection.
She beamed at the man standing casually in front of the white marble fireplace. The hearth had been cleaned and swept and was a home for a potted fern. The man’s tropical-looking white pants and shirt might have been chosen for precisely that pose. Knowing Frederick Q. MacNamara as she did, Jackie was sure it had been.
“When can I move in?”
Fred’s smile lit up his round, boyish face. No one looking at it would have been reminded of a shark. “That’s our Jack, always going on impulse.” His body was rounded, too—not quite fat, but not really firm, either. Fred’s favorite exercise was hailing—cabs or waiters. He moved toward her with a languid grace that had once been feigned but was now second nature. “You haven’t even seen the second floor.”
“I’ll see it when I unpack.”
“Jack, I want you to be sure.” He patted her cheek—older, more experienced cousin to young scatterbrain. She didn’t take offense. “I’d hate for you to regret this in a day or two. After all, you’re proposing to live in this house by yourself for three months.”
“I’ve got to live somewhere.” She gestured, palm out, with a hand as slim and delicate as the rest of her. Gold and colored stones glittered on four fingers, a sign of her love of the pretty. “If I’m going to be serious about writing, I should be alone. Since I don’t think I’d care for a garret, why shouldn’t it be here?”
She paused a moment. It never paid to be too casual with Fred, cousin or not. Not that she didn’t like him. Jackie had always had a soft spot for Fred, though she knew he had a habit of skimming off the top and dealing from the bottom.
“You’re sure it’s all right for you to sublet it to me?”
“Perfectly.” His voice was as smooth as his face. Whatever wrinkles Fred had were carefully camouflaged. “The owner only uses it as a winter home, and then only sporadically. He prefers having someone in residence rather than leaving it empty. I told Nathan I’d take care of things until November, but then this business in San Diego came up, and it can’t be put off. You know how it is, darling.”
Jackie knew exactly how it was. With Fred, “sudden business” usually meant he was avoiding either a jealous husband or the law. Despite his unprepossessing looks, he had constant problems with the former, and not even a prepossessing family name could always protect him from the latter.
She should have been warier, but Jackie wasn’t always wise, and the house—the look, the feel, of it—had already blinded her.
“If the owner wants it occupied, I’m happy to accommodate him. Let me sign o
n the dotted line, Fred. I want to unpack and spend a couple of hours in the pool.”
“If you’re sure.” He was already drawing a paper from his pocket. “I don’t want a scene later—like the time you bought my Porsche.”
“You failed to tell me the transmission was held together with Krazy Glue.”
“Let the buyer beware,” Fred said mildly, and handed her a monogrammed silver pen.
She had a quick flash of trepidation. This was cousin Fred, after all. Fred of the easy deal and the can’t-miss investment. Then a bird flew into the garden and begin to sing cheerily, and Jackie took it as an omen. She signed the lease in a bold, flowing hand before drawing out her checkbook.
“A thousand a month for three months?”
“Plus five hundred damage deposit,” Fred added.
“Right.” She supposed she was lucky dear cousin Fred wasn’t charging her a commission. “Are you leaving me a number, an address or something so I can get in touch with the owner if necessary?”
Fred looked blank for a moment, then beamed at her. It was that MacNamara smile, charming and guileless. “I’ve already told him about the turnover. Don’t worry about a thing, sweetie. He’ll be in touch with you.”
“Fine.” She wasn’t going to worry about details. It was spring, and she had a new house, a new project. New beginnings were the best thing in the world. “I’ll take care of everything.” She touched a large Chinese urn. She’d begin by putting fresh flowers in it. “Will you be staying tonight, Fred?”
The check was already stashed in the inside pocket of his jacket. He resisted the urge to add a loving pat. “I’d love to hang around, indulge in some family gossip, but since we’ve got everything squared away, I should catch a flight to the coast. You’ll need to get to the market pretty soon, Jack. There’re some essentials in the kitchen, but not much else.” As he spoke, he started across the room toward a pile of baggage. It never occurred to him to offer to take his cousin’s bags upstairs for her, or for her to ask him to. “Keys are there on the table. Enjoy yourself.”
“I will.” When he hefted his cases, she walked over to open the door for him. She’d meant her invitation to spend the night sincerely, and she was just as sincerely glad he’d refused. “Thanks, Fred. I really appreciate this.”
“My pleasure, darling.” He leaned down to exchange a kiss with her. Jackie got a whiff of his expensive cologne. “Give my love to the family when you talk to them.”
“I will. Safe trip, Fred.” She watched him walk out to a long, lean convertible. It was white, like his suit. After stowing his cases, Fred scooted behind the wheel and sent her a lazy salute. Then she was alone.