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Jack said nothing, just watched, because trouble hadn’t just arrived, Janey was in trouble, a whole lot of it, and he’d dealt with enough to know.

‘Why don’t you ring them?’ Janey challenged. ‘And tell them I’m here? Then you can get back to your nice night.’

‘You know I have to ring them,’ Nina said. ‘If I don’t they’ll soon be here to check after last time. Janey, if I am to have any hope—’

‘We’ll go to my place.’ It was the first words he had spoken since Janey had arrived.

‘Jack …’ Nina was furious. ‘You’re just making things worse.’

‘Come on.’ He ignored her. ‘Pack some things.’

‘Jack, can I have a word please?’

She had more than a word, she had several heated ones, but Jack stood firm.

‘Janey needs to talk to you—she needs some time with you.’

‘She doesn’t want time with me—every time that I speak to her all she does is walk off,’ Nina said.

‘Because you get too upset.’

‘Of course I get upset! Jack, she came to my office today, moaning about Barbara. She was jealous that Blake was coming here tonight. I knew she was planning trouble …’ Nina closed her eyes. ‘I have to support Barbara in this. If every time she tries to discipline her, Janey comes running to me, things aren’t going to get any better. I’ll speak with Barbara and suggest that if Janey gets the basement sorted then she can come and spend Sunday night with me.’

‘She won’t and you know it,’ Jack said. ‘If you send her back now, or they put her in a temporary placement, she’s just going to be a whole lot angrier at you. Now, let’s go to my apartment and from there we can sort things, but any minute now you’ll have the department knocking, especially if they found her here last time.’

He was right, so Nina grabbed a few things and a few minutes later her little family was sitting in Jack’s car, Blake beside himself he was so delighted, Janey angry and silent. Nina just quietly panicked, embarrassed by the chaos of her life and unsure this was the right thing to do.

‘We need to ring them.’

‘And we will. We’re not fugitives.’ He turned and smiled at her. ‘You’ve got access to Blake, Janey’s nearly sixteen, you’re her sister …’

‘Could this get you into trouble?’

‘No.’ He shook his head. ‘I’m doing what I think is right and I’ll tell that to anyone who asks. I am not having her taken back just to run away again.’ He glanced in the rear-view mirror and met the hostile stare of Janey. ‘We’ll be there soon.’

As expected, she didn’t reply.

His apartment was huge, but not designed for children. Blake was at his most annoying, running around, while Janey just sat silently on one of his lovely white sofas. All Nina could think was that they were all so out of place in his perfect life.

Even Jack was wondering what on earth to do with them. Yes, there were spare bedrooms but somehow a luxurious bachelor pad wasn’t really conducive to talking, not with a messed-up teenager anyway.

He didn’t do the family thing, had never had the family thing himself. The only time he’d done anything remotely family-like had been … And it was then that Jack had an idea and he turned to Janey.

‘You’re to ring Barbara and tell her that you’re safe, that you’re with your sister, and that you’re going away for the weekend.’

‘Jack!’

He turned to an angry Nina. ‘And you’re to ring back Janey’s worker and tell her the same,’ he said to Nina’s rigid face. ‘She’s not in any danger, she’s with her sister who has access, so just tell them that you’ll bring Janey in on Monday morning to the office.’

‘So they can send me back.’ Janey looked at him.

‘I don’t know,’ he admitted. ‘But running away isn’t helping things.’

Janey just turned her head away and carried on staring out of the window and then did the same in the car as they left Manhattan.

Of course he’d have a place in the Hamptons, Nina thought darkly as the car drove through the night.

They stopped for provisions and she was glad that he didn’t embarrass her by offering money, just suggested she get a few warm things. She bought some food too as Blake raced around the aisles of the store and Janey just walked silently beside her. As they stepped out into the parking lot she half expected Jack to be gone, but of course he wouldn’t do that, Nina knew. He’d probably drop them off at his mansion and then belt it back to Manhattan.

Still, she was grateful to him.

His stern words had helped her handle the department and this small window of time with Janey might mean that hopefully, hopefully she could get to the bottom of things.

‘Wow!’ Blake was wide awake and admiring the huge houses they passed. ‘Is this yours?’ he asked as they slowed down.

‘Nope.’

‘This one?’

‘Nope.’

And then Jack indicated, they turned into a small street and Jack parked.

‘We’ll have to walk from here.’

It was a tiny house on a large block and they couldn’t park in the drive because it was covered in thick snow.

It was actually funny trying to get to the door. Jack put Blake on his back and even Janey laughed as, up to their knees, they waded through snow and he deposited them inside and then went back to the car and got all their bags.

They were all soaked and the house was colder inside than out.

They walked into the lounge and Jack lit a fire that had been prepared and reminded himself to leave a big tip for the cleaning lady who came in and aired the place regularly. They all stood shivering as the fire took. ‘There are a couple of heaters I can set up in your rooms …’ He looked at Blake and Janey. ‘I’ll go and check things out. Janey, can you make something to drink?’

Nina followed him, dragging the heaters into the small bedrooms, and she looked around. ‘I was expecting a mansion.’

‘Disappointed?’

‘No, it’s lovely, just cold.’

‘Yeah, well, not for long. I’m just waiting for planning permission then the bulldozers will be in.’

Once the heaters were on in the kids’ rooms he showed her the main bedroom.

‘You’ll freeze,’ Jack said.

‘I’ll be fine.’

They went back through to the living area and Janey had actually done as she’d been asked and made everyone a drink. By the time they’d finished, it was terribly late and Blake was falling asleep on the sofa. When Nina returned from taking him to his bed, Janey was already heading off to hers.

‘Janey, wait,’ Nina called, but Janey wasn’t hanging around to talk to her.

‘‘Night.’

They sat in the lounge and when finally they were alone, Jack closed the door and spoke to her.

‘Are you sure you want to do this?’ Jack said, and she sat there silent as he spoke on. ‘Are you absolutely sure that you want full custody?’

She looked at Jack and she knew it was their death knell, knew that it would be the end of them, and even though it hurt like hell, yes, she was sure and she nodded.

‘Because if I go into bat for you …’ Jack looked at her ‘… you’ll get it. I always win.’

‘Not always,’ she said. ‘You didn’t win with Sienna.’

‘That’s because I privately thought you were right,’ Jack said. ‘If I hadn’t there would have been no way Sienna would have gone home to the care of her mother.

I just want to be completely sure that this is what you want.’

‘Yes,’ Nina said. ‘I want my family together.’

‘Then we’ll sort it out, but right now you need to back off from Janey and stop trying to get her to talk to you.’

‘I need to know what’s going on.’

‘She’ll tell you when she’s ready. Right …’ Jack stood. ‘I’m going to drive back.’ They headed out to the hall. ‘Will you be all right without a car?’

‘I don’t have a car anyway.’ Nina smiled. ‘I’m sure I can work out how to call for a taxi.’

‘I’m sure you can.’ He gave her a kiss, but not a long one as it really was terribly late now. ‘I’ll pick you up on Sunday afternoon.’

‘We’re taking up all your weekend,’ Nina apologised, her hands loosely together behind his neck.

Jack wasn’t quite so tired now. ‘You could take up a bit more.’

He watched the smile at the edges of her mouth.

‘I don’t want you freezing …’ Jack moved to her ear.

‘It is terribly cold,’ Nina admitted.

‘Then it’s the least I can do.’ Jack smiled.

They had never undressed more quickly, though Nina kept her underwear and T-shirt on to take off once they were in bed and they dived under the covers. Jack turned to her.

‘You smell of garlic.’

‘It was supposed to be a deterrent.’

‘Not for me.’

She wriggled away, but he pulled her back. ‘We have to keep warm.’ He pulled at her T-shirt. ‘Skin on skin,’

Jack said, and he peeled off all her clothing. ‘That’s how you prevent hypothermia. I did mountain rescue once.’

She laughed.

‘I didn’t really,’ he admitted.

But it was exactly how it felt.

As if they were happily trapped on a ledge, waiting, while not wanting the cavalry to arrive, freezing cold and staying warm by the favourite method of all. Afterwards she thanked him for his help with her family and for how he’d handled things tonight.

‘I know I try too hard with them,’ Nina said. ‘You know what it’s like with family …’ Then she remembered their earlier conversation. ‘I thought you all got on?’

‘That’s what they want people to think,’ Jack said. ‘We’re hardly going to air everything in public but, no, I really couldn’t care less about them.’

And he said it so easily, was just so matter-of-fact as he dismissed his entire family, and just a few moments later Nina realised he was asleep. She lay there half the night thinking about the wonderful family he cared so little about and fully realised the impossibility of him ever really caring for hers.

CHAPTER TEN

‘DO YOU COME here a lot?’ They lay in bed in the morning, before the day had started, and she looked at the man who had brought her family here, who had given them a chance to get away from things properly.

He turned and gave her that devilish smile. ‘It depends what this morning brings.’ And she simply smiled, except Jack did not. He didn’t really want to talk about his time here, but realising all she had trusted him with last night, maybe it was fair to be a bit more open than he would be usually.

‘I came on holiday here when I was younger, stayed in a house close to here.’ He didn’t actually tell her it was the same house.

‘Do your family have a property here too, then?’

‘They have a property nearby but, no, I came here with a school friend and I stayed with his family.’

‘Good?’ Nina asked.

‘It was great,’ Jack said. ‘Best summer of my life. We didn’t do much really—just the beach most days. I bought this place last year when it came on the market and I thought it was too good to pass up. I’m getting plans drawn up. I want to build up and get the view …’

‘And get heating.’

‘Oh, yes.’ They lay in silence for a moment and then Jack turned and looked at her very serious face, could almost hear her worrying about what to say to Janey, how to approach things with her sister. ‘You need to relax.’

‘I know.’

‘You get too tense.’

‘Thanks, Jack,’ she snapped, but she knew he was right. ‘I don’t know what to do today—I mean, she’s hardly going to want to build a snowman.’

‘There’s loads to do here.’

‘Like what?’

‘Outdoor ice skating,’ Jack said, ‘and there’s a whale tour, it’s supposed to be fantastic.’

‘How do you know?’

Jack would rather face the freezing morning than deal with that topic. He’d already said far too much, way more than he usually would, and so he pulled back the blankets and climbed out. ‘I’m going to get the fire in the lounge going and then sort out breakfast.’ He shook his head as she went to climb out. ‘Stay there,’ he offered. ‘I’ll bring you in a coffee.’

Jack set to work building the fire and then he headed off to make coffee, and as he returned with two mugs, he nodded to Janey, who was huddled on the couch. ‘Still here? I thought you’d be out the window.’

Janey gave a reluctant half-smile. ‘Yeah, well, I didn’t fancy freezing to death.’

‘Did you want a coffee?’ Jack asked. ‘I just made some.’

Another shrug and then a nod and when she told him she took it the same as Nina he handed her Nina’s mug and then went and made a fresh one, then headed back into the bedroom.

‘Janey’s up, but not Blake.’

‘She’s up …’ Nina went to pull back the blankets, but Jack very deliberately sat down on her side of the bed.

‘Leave her.’

‘But it might be a good chance to talk to her, before Blake gets up.’

‘Which is why she’s probably sitting on that couch waiting for the door to open,’ Jack said. ‘She was waiting for a lecture from me or an, oh, so casual talk from you. Just let her relax …’

‘It’s so hard, though.’

‘Which is why it’s good you’ve got the whole weekend. Look, I’ll head back soon and you guys can just have some time—she’ll talk when she wants to, Nina.’

‘And if she doesn’t?’

‘Then she was never going to.’

He’d been working with children a long time and was actually very good with adolescents, his slightly aloof, completely unshockable stance giving them confidence. More than most, Jack understood that things weren’t always as they seemed—was never blindsided by the persuasive words of the parents.

They drank their coffee and then headed out, only to be met by the delicious smell of breakfast coming from the kitchen. Nina realised that had she got out of bed the minute Jack had told her that Janey was up, had she dashed to the living room for the essential talk, then this might never have happened. Blake and Janey, standing in the kitchen and serving up a delicious breakfast of pancakes and sausages and eggs from the ingedients that Nina had bought from the store last night.

‘This looks lovely.’

‘I’m starving,’ Jack said, and watching Janey serve up he reminded her that Nina was a vegetarian. ‘No sausages for your sister.’

‘It’s …’ She felt Jack’s hand squeeze hers, realised she must not make too much of a fuss. ‘I’ll set the table.’

Jack helped, and not just with the cutlery.

‘Janey is nearly sixteen,’ he pointed out. ‘She should be making breakfast, Nina.’

‘And she is.’

‘And you should be allowed to say you’re a vegetarian and that you don’t eat sausages.’ He looked at her. ‘You would have eaten them, wouldn’t you?’

‘Of course not.’

‘Liar.’ Jack grinned. ‘You’d go against every one of your principles just to please her. You don’t have to be her mum.’

‘I know that. But she needs more than just a big sister.’

‘No,’ Jack said. ‘She just needs you to be you and she needs to take on some of the responsibility too. What were you doing at that age?’

He left her for a moment to ponder and when he returned with orange juice and glasses she answered his question, because at fifteen years old her part-time job in the hardware store had made a vital contribution to the family.

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