Bittersweet Irish Cream Ch. 12

At room 502, he knocked first, then opened the door. Mina and the girl in the bed both turned to look at him. She was small, barely looked 16, had wild, strawberry blonde hair and lots of freckles.              

Jack said, "Hey Mina, I was looking for you. Henrietta wants you to-"

But he was cut off when the girl exclaimed, "Jack!"

He paused and looked at her, trying to figure out who she is and what game she was playing. He walked into the room and said, "Hi," with a straight face.

Mina asked the question they all wanted to know, "How do you know Jack?"

The girl said, "He works at the B&B. I told you that's where I'm staying. Tell her Jack. Tell her that's where I'm staying with my parents." Her eyes welled up with tears and they practically begged him to lie for her.

He took a moment, then turned to Mina. "Yea, she is staying there with her parents. The Byers, right?"

The girl's eyes went wide at first, then she closed them and exhaled. She looked relieved. Mina's eyes narrowed to slits. "Jaaack...." she said warningly.

"It's ok Mina, let me talk to..."

"Claire, remember? I'm Claire and my sister is Nicole." She turned to Mina. "He always gets our names mixed up." She smiled widely at her.

Mina glared at her. "Riiiiiight." She turned back to her brother. "What are you doing, Jack?"

"I'm going to sit for a minute with Claire, that's what I'm doing. If that's ok with you. It's still visiting hours, right?" Jack asked.

Mina sighed. "Yes. You can sit with Claire, but only for the next hour. I'm off at 8 o'clock and I'm taking you with me."

"Yes ma'am." He saluted her, making Claire laugh. She rolled her eyes and left the room, closing the door behind her.

Jack turned to Claire in the bed. "Soooooo.... how do you really know me?"

Claire said, "You don't remember me, do you? It was a long time ago so I wouldn't expect you too. But I remember you. And EJ, and his dad Mr. Ethan."

"So you stayed at the Inn? How long ago?" Jack asked.

"Four years ago. I was twelve, my sister was eight. You really don't remember anything? We played soccer in the backyard and then you asked my mom if you could take us out because we were bored and she let us go with you and EJ to your family orchard and we climbed apple trees and Nicole ate so many apples she threw up but then we played softball too."

She rushed through her words trying to get Jack to remember, which he did. "Ooooooh wow! Yes! I called you Claire Bear and you told me never to call you that again, but your sister said to call her-"

They said at the same time, "Beary Nikki" and laughed.

"Wow," Jack said. "That was a long time ago. EJ was still two."

"Yea, he was such a cute little kid. I thought he was your son, but then we met Mr. Ethan, the owner-"

Jack finished for her, "-and we made smores together at the firepit: You and Nicole, me, Ethan and EJ. Even your mom finally came out and joined us. Yea, that was fun."

Her eyes started welling up again. "I remember thinking, this was the best place on earth. It was the first time I felt like a kid. I just wanted to be a kid." The tears started falling from her eyes.

Jack sat down in the chair next to the bed. "Claire, where are your parents?"

"Millbury. Massachusetts. But I can't go back there, I can't go back there, don't make me go back there. Not with this baby. They don't know I'm pregnant."

Jack looked at this skinny kid with the protruding belly and said, "There's no way they don't know you're pregnant."

Claire sniffed. "They don't. My dad didn't even know I was pregnant and my mom thinks I got the abortion. They don't know. I've been hiding it all fall and winter. But it's time now and I had to get away so I could have the baby and they would never know."

Jack was stunned. "So you hid a pregnancy for eight months? Why? Who's the father?"

Claire looked down at her hands and they were shaking. She said, "I can't tell you."

Jack asked softly, "Why not?"

"It doesn't matter, you won't believe me. No one believes me." Then she put her hands in her face and started crying.

Jack sat back in his chair. He could already feel himself getting upset as he had a feeling what had happened to her. He texted Ethan: It's going to be a while. Don't wait up. I'll be back in the morning.

Then Jack texted Mina: I'm staying here with Claire overnight. Can you arrange it for me?

Ethan: Ummm ok, sure. You ok?

Mina: Jack! WTF are you doing?

Jack to Ethan: Yes. I am ok. She is not. I'm going to try to help her.

Jack to Mina: I will tell you everything I find out. But you have to let me talk to her without distraction. I think she was hurt by someone she knows.

Mina: *shocked face emoji* Got you.

Ethan: It's what you do best. :)

Jack turned his phone off and stood up. He said to a crying Claire, "I'm going to hug you now. If you don't want me to touch you, just say so and I won't. But I would like to hug you. Can I?"

She removed her hands and looked up at him, nodded. He moved close to the bed with open arms and she fell into his chest and cried uncontrollably while he held and comforted her for as long as she needed. Jack let her tell him her story. She had never told anyone the whole story, he could tell and he would not interrupt her, but let her continue on her own time.

"I kept thinking of this place. The last time I felt like a little girl. Climbing trees and playing hide and seek. I thought about how happy EJ seemed here. And I want that for this baby. I want the baby to be happy here. With you."

Jack's eyes went wide. "What do you mean, with me?"

Claire finally looked at him. "Will you take the baby, Jack? When it's born, can you take it and take care of it like you take care of EJ?"

Nothing stunned Jack like hearing her real reason for being in his town. "Claire. I....I....I can't just.... It doesn't work....like that."

"Yes it does," Claire said factually. "I read about it online. I'm the birth mom and I get to choose the adoptive parent. I choose you. I can get a lawyer and everything. My parents have money, lots of it. I can't go home with this baby, Jack. I don't know what I was thinking, having a baby that's going to come out looking just like him. I can't do it. You have to take this baby!" Claire was getting louder and hysterical.

"Ok, lets slow down, how about-"

But he was cut off as Mina and another nurse came into the room. "Everything ok in here?" she asked.

"Yea. We're just talking," said Jack.

Mina gave Jack a knowing look, then said, "Claire, this is Joanna. She is taking over my shift for you, and will be your night nurse. I'll be back in the morning by 8am. Jack, Joanna said you can stay as long as you need to, as long as you stay quiet." Joanna went to check Claire and the baby's vitals.

Jack nodded. "Thanks, Sis."

Claire said, "Oooooh she's your sister! That's why she knew..." her voice trailed off.

"Yes. That's how I knew all about the Inn where you are supposedly staying," Mina said. "You're getting discharged tomorrow so unless you can produce some parents to pick you up, I'm calling social services."

Claire looked horrified. Jack said with an innocent face, "Oh I didn't tell you, that's why they sent me here. To pick Claire up and bring her back to the Inn when she gets discharged."

Mina scowled at him. "Seriously Jack, this is going too far."

He came over and wrapped his arms around her. "It will be fine. Trust me." He kissed her cheek. She was unconvinced but relented.

When they left, Jack sat back down in the chair. "Ok. First, let me tell you that I believe everything you've told me." Jack patted her arm. "You did the right thing by telling me. What happened to you was very very very wrong. You are not to blame. You are not at fault. You are not wrong." She nodded again.

"Secondly..." He let a few moments pass, then said, "Can you tell me who it was that hurt you, Claire?"

Claire didn't speak for a few moments. Then whispered, "Uncle David."

Jack let her confession linger in the air. Then he asked softly, "Is Uncle David your real uncle or a friend of the family?"

She didn't speak for a full minute and Jack waited. Then she said softly, "He's my dad's best friend. And business partner."

Jack nodded. Inside his blood was boiling. "Okay," he said calmly. She started crying uncontrollably again. Jack stood up again and held her.

Jack stayed awake all night and watched Claire sleep, her monitor and the baby's monitor beeping along. Eventually turned back on his phone. First he went to the B&B's website and scrolled down to the Employee Intranet section and entered his credentials. He went to "guest" and searched "Byers". It came up immediately: Craig Byers, Four guests, two rooms, three nights, a Thursday to Sunday.

He looked at the dates. It was toward the end of July when was working at the Inn and taking care of EJ but before he and Ethan got together romantically. He tried to remember the dad but realized he was never there. He remembered the mother whose hair was a deep auburn, and rarely came out of the room, and her two strawberry blonde little girls, who seemed so sad, especially the oldest one.

They looked like they wanted to have some fun, so Jack got permission from their mother to take them to the orchard and they spent the whole Saturday there, went back to the Inn and he put up a tent in the backyard where they slept under the stars. On Sunday they were so sad to leave again, the oldest was in tears. Claire. Yes, he remembered Claire's sad tears as they were driving away.

Jack googled his name. Craig Byers of Worcester, Massachusetts, was the co-CEO of Vital Coalition Corp LLC, a conglomerate that buys up smaller companies and either sells them for parts or takes them under their wings to improve. The other CEO was David Vitalis. According to their bio, they were college roommates and started this company together. On the personal side, Craig had a wife and two female children, David had a wife and three boys. They looked like normal, average, very rich business men. Not a rapist and his denier best friend.

Jack tasted blood and realized he was biting the inside of his cheek. He put his phone down and closed his eyes, took a couple of deep breaths. Two things were certain: One, he was going to make sure no one ever hurt Claire again. And two, he was going to make sure Uncle David paid for what he did, if it's the last thing he did.

~~~~~

In the morning Joanna came to take her vitals again and they did an ultrasound. "Baby is doing fine. Do you know the sex?" she asked.

"No and I don't want to. It's not my baby," Claire said.

Joanna was startled by her remark but said, "Ok."

When she left, Jack pulled his chair closer and sat down. He asked her, "Did you come all this way to have someone adopt your baby, Claire?"

"I came all this way to leave my baby with you," Claire said definitively. "I just didn't know how to get to Rockville from the bus station in Providence. Then I started feeling cramps so I took a cab to the hospital first."

"You can't leave your baby with me, Claire," Jack said. "But if you want my help to find it a good home, here in Providence or Rockville, I can do that."

Claire shook her head. "It has to be you. I saw how you took care of EJ. You're the perfect dad. And if you have a girlfriend or wife now, I know she is perfect too because you choose her. And the baby will live this perfect life, far away from me or him."

"Claire, I am married. But not to a woman. I married Ethan. The owner of the Inn. I own it now too," Jack told her.

Claire's mouth dropped. "You're gay!?"

Jack said, "Yes."

Claire closed her mouth, then said matter of factly, "Well that explains it. How nurturing you were with EJ. It's because you're gay that makes you a good dad."

Jack laughed despite himself. "Well, I would like to think that it's more of my personality than my sexuality, but ok."

"So EJ is your son now?" she asked.

"Yea. Who should be on his way to school shortly." He looked at his watch. Jack was typically the one who walked him to the school bus.

Claire smiled. "That is so cool. I feel like he was yours already anyway."

Jack smiled too. "You know Claire, I did too."

"Wow. Mr. Ethan was hot. Good job nailing that down." She gave him a thumbs up.

Jack blushed and chuckled. "Ok now we're getting way off topic..."

"I think you both are great dads. This baby is going to be happy with you," Claire said dreamily.

Jack started again, "Claire, we can't-"

Claire cut him off. "Can I be in Room 4 again when I get discharged? I really liked that room, it had the view of the pond and the hills behind it. So pretty. I have money!" She reached over to her purse and pulled out a wad of $100 bills.

Jack was shocked. "Did you rob a bank before you got here?"

Claire was equally shocked. "No! I used my savings from my job at Forever 21. And well...I kind of took my mother's bank card and pulled out $3000 but I'm going to pay her back, I promise!"

Jack groaned. "Claire..."

"I needed the cash, and my $800 wasn't gonna get me here," she whined.

"Where do they think you are?" he asked.

"At my Aunt Isabel's house in Scranton, Pennsylvania. They left me at a bus station, but I got off in Boston and took another couple of buses here. I'm sure they know by now I never made it."

"So tell me what your plan was?" Jack asked.

She let out an exasperated sigh as if she was tired of repeating herself. "I was going to come here, deliver the baby, leave it with you and EJ at the B&B, then go to Pennsylvania to live forever and pretend like I was never pregnant."

Jack nodded. "Ok, can we modify that plan just a bit?" Claire glared at him. "Stay at the Inn until you give birth. Then you can make a decision about whether to put the baby up for adoption. Or you might surprise yourself and want to be the baby's mom. Either way, we'll get you to your aunt's house in Pennsylvania, with or without the baby.

"Regardless of what you decide, I will support you. But I cannot take your baby, Claire. I will help you find a good home for your baby, I promise you that. There are a lot of good families here and the baby will still have a good life. A great one. But it won't be with me."

Claire sighed. "Okay," she said softly. Jack looked at her thinking she looked so small and helpless, younger than 16 but so much older in so many ways. His heart was breaking for her.

Mina came in with papers in her hand. "Ok Claire, you are free to go. You are fine and the baby is fine. She is measuring at 34.5 weeks so you have about five more weeks to go before you meet her. Due date is March 10th. In the meantime, plenty of fluids, stay off your feet and take your prenatal vitamins daily. Schedule your appointment downstairs in the lobby."

Claire didn't hear anything after "she." She said softly, "It's a girl?"

Mina said, "Oh! You didn't know! I'm sorry if I ruined the surprise."

But Claire was crying again. "It's a girl, Jack. You see, I can't take her back with me. You know why, right? He'll hurt her too. You have to take her!" He patted her back.

Mina was confused. "Wha...what? What's happening here?"

Jack shook his head. "Nothing Mina, Claire is just trying to figure out what she's going to do next." He turned to her. "Let's get your stuff, I will make you some breakfast at the Inn, then you'll get some rest, in room 4."

~~~~~

Ethan was changing bulbs in the front hallway when Jack came in with a very pregnant redheaded teenage girl. Ethan cocked his head and said, "Something you want to tell me, babe?"

Claire exclaimed, "Mr. Ethan! Wow you haven't changed a bit. Still hot!"

Ethan found himself speechless, not wanting to accept a compliment from an obvious child. Jack chuckled and said, "I'm going to check Claire in. Room 4 still available?"

Stacy was at the desk training Livy, a new front desk clerk. She said, "I was just about to reserve it for someone else."

"Well put them somewhere else. Claire needs a place to rest up for the next five weeks. And she is requesting Room 4."

Stacy looked confused. "Okaaaay. And how will Claire be paying for this?"

"Comp the room, it's fine," he said to her.

"Jack, it's Valentine's Day weekend coming up next week. We need all the rooms we have," Ethan said.

Jack turned to Ethan and said, "It's fine. Comp the room."

They stared at each other as Stacy looked to Ethan to confirm. Although Jack technically owned it too, Ethan still very much managed the day to day of the Inn, although less so that he had been focused on the opening of the residential apartments. Much to Stacy's disappointment of having to take orders from her high school friend.

Ethan turned to Stacy and said, "You heard him. Comp the room." She looked skeptical but did it and gave Claire a key.

"Is there still breakfast?" Jack asked.

"Yes, I haven't cleared any trays yet," said Stacy.

Jack turned to Claire. "Do you want to eat in your room or downstairs?"

Claire looked giddy. "I want to eat downstairs. Like a real guest!"

Jack laughed. "You are a real guest, kid. Go freshen up and I will have a plate waiting for you downstairs."

She smiled widely and hugged him. It was the first time since he laid eyes on her that he saw her truly happy. She bounced up the east wing.

Ethan came off the ladder and raised both eyebrows. "So we are harboring 16-year-old runaways now?"

"I will tell you everything. But she needs a safe place right now and to her, this is the safest place on earth," Jack said.

"Do we know her?" Ethan asked.

"She was here a few years ago with her family, she was only 12 at the time," Jack said. "Her dad was on business and left his wife and two redhead kids here."

Stacy chimed in. "I remember them! That mom was a flake, I think she was on pills. She used to send the kids down for breakfast by themselves and they had to bring an extra plate up to the room for her. I honestly think I saw her twice, when they checked in and when the husband came to check them out."

Jack nodded. "That's the one. Remember I took the kids to the farm for a day?"

"Oooooh ok. Yea I think I remember that," Ethan said, thoughtful. "Vaguely though. So why is she here now?"

"Long story. Right now I need to make her a plate, and take a shower. Probably a nap too."

~~~

Jack woke up from his strange dream about being chased by two little girls through Frazier Orchards, one with long red hair and one with long jet black hair. He couldn't see their faces, but he could tell it was all in good fun as they were laughing and trying to keep up with him.

He opened his eyes and found himself laying on his stomach holding onto the pillow he was laying on, and Ethan was sitting in the bed next to him on his laptop working. "What time is it?" he asked groggily.

"Almost 2:30pm," Ethan said, without looking at him.

Jack sniffed, watched Ethan for a bit. "What are you doing?"

"Inventory for The Starling Residence. Trying to see what we need for the open house and Move-In Day. Then I have to write up a job description for the building manager position."

Jack continued to watch him as their cat, Catty, hopped on the bed. He turned onto his back and motioned for the cat to come to him, which she promptly did. She purred her way to his chest and sat there waiting to be petted by Jack.

He stroked her fur and asked, "Where's Claire?"

"In her room the last time I checked on her. Probably asleep by now."

"Ok."

"So you gonna tell me what's going on?" Ethan asked.

Jack started, "Mina called me yesterday to say-" But Ethan interrupted him by reaching over and touching his groin area, then pulled his hand back and went back to typing. Jack looked at him amused.