Chapter 504) The One Who Got Away

I cannot guarantee you sunshine, but I can promise to stand beside you no matter how hard it rains.

^{~ M. Spenser}

San Sequoia
"The Coneira" 
(Connor, Keira and little Christian Cameron-Vatore's home)

Even out here, with the patio doors shut, the party sounds filled the air like light whispers of the fun, good times and food to be had inside, but he chose to remain out here, by himself, undisturbed and alone with his heavy thoughts, until the inevitable happened and someone approached. Unlike the usual gentle nudges by various party guests for him to come inside and try to join in, the new arrival remained silent.

He afforded himself a quick side-glance, but then kept his eyes trained on some random spot in front of him. Jack hoped his message would be clear, but it was ignored by the slender, almost waifish seeming blonde man dressed in the finest fabrics, even a total fashion noob wouldn’t be able to miss.

The man dressed in precious fineries now cleared his throat.

“You built this, didn’t you?” he said, meaning the brandnew playground in front of them.

“Hmm hmm, with Connor and my son. Not done yet. Need more supplies, but gotta measure it all out first, and it needs a few more coats of sealant. By the time he’s old enough to use it, it’ll be a haven for Connor’s little Christian for many years to come.” Jack’s voice sounded hoarse and croaky, since he hadn’t used it much today. Like most days, especially of late.

“It’s fantastic already, you are quite the handyman. Quite impressive. I was hoping to be able to speak to you.” he now said in a soft, warm and polite voice with an undeniable Henfordian accent.

Stoically avoiding to look at the other man, Jack grumbled.

“Sorry, I don’t know how to act around royalty.” he turned away from the other guy, starting to walk off.

“Please … if you would spare me but a moment of your time …” the blonde man stepped into Jack’s path, cutting his exit route off.

Their eyes met, Jack swallowed, surprised how bravely and confidently the other man stood his ground. He might seem physically weaker than the cowboy, but it was clear he didn’t lack confidence. A quiet, calm and graceful confidence, in stark contrast to Jack’s rugged ways.

“Jack … may I call you that?” Max now asked politely.

“It’s my name. Ain’t fancy but the only one I got, so might as well.” Jack responded roughly.

“Very well then, Jack, you see, Aria-Grace and I have this rule, when we are with her family and not in Henfordshire, we temporarily shed our royal titles in a way and are just AG and Max. So, I am just Max now, Jack. Does that put you more at ease while conversing with me?” Max smiled at the cowboy, who did not return the gesture.

“Does it put me at ease, he asks. Look, just say whatcha got to say, majesty.” Jack sounded unnerved.

“All right, fair enough. While Aria-Grace never really spoke about our … let’s call it ‘time apart’ and I admittedly know very little about you, I do know Connor. The fact that he treats you like a brother tells me all I need to know about your character. Which is why I would like to clear the air between us, for I dislike discord, especially with people I will inadvertently see with fair frequency. We visit AG’s parents often, they are not far from here, so we will see Connor, Keira and their little Christian, meaning we will meet again. I’ll try to phrase this as delicately as I can; I have lost AG before and know she is a tough act to follow. I know you cared greatly about her, and she about you. I know her and my rekindled happiness required a great sacrifice on your part and for that, I wanted to genuinely thank you.”

“Thank me? Sorry buddy, you’re barking up the wrong tree here, you got that story all wrong. I ain’t no saint, I chose nothing. SHE chose you. I am not the good guy here, I would have NEVER let her go. No need to thank me, thank your … wife … that was all AG, cos if it had been up to me, if I had ANY say in this, you would have NEVER gotten her back. I ain’t no hero. If any of it had been up to me, you wouldn’t even be here and your youngest child would be MY little girl and I’d be raisin’ her as a beautiful little horse lover, like her momma, and not some uppity princess out of touch with reality.” Jack’s rough words were belied by the way his face clearly showed how much this reality still affected him.

Max nodded, but didn’t look surprised.

“Yes, yes, I thought that might be the case. If it brings you comfort, Vivienne is being raised around horses, AG and I have instilled a great love for them in all our children. Like you, I was raised with a genuine and deep-rooted love and respect for equines and as you know, we Cromwells look back at a long line of breeding and competing with the finest and highly prized horses. Unfortunately, I won’t be able to help the princess part, but Aria-Grace’s family certainly helps keeping all three of our children grounded and not uppity, which is one reason why we often shed the royal life for family visits whenever feasible.”

“Is that so? Then what exactly do you want? An award for great parenting and for being an outstanding human being? A reality check is what YOU need. If you really think replacing the ballgowns and crowns with designer clothing as you chill in the Del Sol Valley hills is being in touch with real life, there really is no hope for you. AG’s family are all wealthy upper crusters. It’s basically the same just without actual crowns and castles.”

“Even Connor?” Max challenged, knowing Jack and Connor’s arrangement, which brought Jack to Connor and Keira’s luxurious San Sequoia home every other week so he could attend his therapy sessions to help him work through his traumatic experiences.

Jack grimaced.

“Yeah, even Connor, but at least he and Keira managed to keep a lid on it. This place is frickin fancy, especially compared to mine, but this home here is still kinda in the realm of normality. And they aren’t living on their famous parents’ dime, they earned everything themselves, so there is that. I have been to AG’s parents’ home and that is a whole different pair of boots. It’s a palace in the hills of one of the most expensive cities in the world. You can’t raise grounded kids there! Anyway, … Max … so what exactly do you want from me now? My blessing?”

“Truthfully, I do not exactly know the answer to that very valid question, Jack. Maybe I feel connected to you in a way, like kindred spirits. Maybe because I know first-hand how it feels, losing AG. I think you are a good man and dislike a rift between us and maybe was hoping you and I could find common ground.”

“With all due respect, and gotta say, can’t help admiring your balls to come and talk to me like all that, but friend, you know nothing, not about how I feel, about my life and definitely not about me. You do not have a first shred of a clue what this feels like. And since you showered me in kudos, lemme return the favor. Max, you seem like a genuinely nice guy, even though I can’t stand hoitytoity one percenter purebreds like you, I’ll tell ya I hope you never will find out what it feels like to be me. I mean it, I sincerely hope you never have to walk that mile in my boots. And trust me, THAT is a VERY nice thing to say to you from where I sit.”

Jack rushed off, purposely brushing Max with his shoulder during his exit, causing the undercover Henfordian King to stumble slightly, which Connor witnessed, who had come out once he noticed the two men out here.

“Jack, what the rubber duck, bruh!? You can’t go around running over my guests like a wrecking ball, you off-brand Don Quixote! We’re getting you glasses next, boomer!” he called after significantly older friend. Connor was in his late 20s, Jack in his 40s.

Without turning or slowing down, Jack lifted one hand with a raised middle finger over his head as he disappeared into the house, presumably to hide out in the guest room he always stayed in for the remainder of the night.

“You okay, Max?” Connor pat Max on the shoulder.

“Fine, thank you. It was nothing. I shouldn’t have agitated him trying to be friendly when he clearly isn’t ready for it. Don’t give him grief for his rough exit, I am fine, it’s really nothing worth worrying about.”

“Nah, this wasn’t your best idea ever, Max. Jack’s issues run much deeper than meets the eye, and you talking to him just can’t fix it right now, only the opposite. Don’t take it personal. He’s a good dude. Just fighting a lot of demons. Sometimes those demons make him lash out, but it’s just words, which he usually regrets afterwards.”

“One of those ‘demons’ being AG, or more accurately, losing her to me. I see now that me, of all people, talking to him about Aria-Grace must have felt tactless. Would you kindly give him my apologies, Connor, next time you speak to him. I meant no harm. I truly wanted to make things right.” Max sounded genuine.

“I know and I’ll tell him, don’t worry about it all. Jack has a lot of sore subjects and AG is probably the sorest of all of them no matter how she comes up. Nothing anyone can do about that. The heart wants what the heart wants. Jack’s heart wanted her, and her heart wanted you. We can all write books about how that goes sometimes.”

“I feel sorry for him, and it’s not meant as demeaning as it may sound. I mean it. That poor man, I truly wish him happiness.”

“We both do. Luckily, we both got the one who got away back, and it all worked out in the end for us, after a rough, tough and painful detour we all could have done without. Maybe the detours were fate reminding us to treasure what we have.”

“Sadly, that isn’t true for Jack. That poor man.”

Connor’s head snapped around to Max, he read in his expression for a moment.

“Did he tell you that?”

“Oh no, and he didn’t have to. I know that my wife, the girl I loved from the very first moment I ever laid eyes on her, crying by a bridge on the UBrite campus many years ago, the girl I let slip away because of dusty old rules and laws and a false sense of loyalty, all of which I had been conditioned to protect all my life, the queen of my heart, I know my one who almost got away is also Jack’s one who got away and that knowledge pains me. No man or woman deserves such pain. Considering he once was my competitor for AG’s favor, I know it may seem strange, but I like Jack. I want him to be at peace, wish there was something, anything, I could do for him.”

“It’s really the silent waters, huh? I am impressed you figured all that out, Max. Well, the only thing you could do for him to take the pain away would be to give up AG and somehow make her go back to him. This is a tricky situation. Jack’s actually here for a longer stay this time, his son Jackson too since it’s school holidays, but Jackson’s spending some time in Brindleton Bay with my and Keke’s parents, or better, with my little sisters Bri and Iris and Keke’s lil brother Jasper, since they are all around the same age, just more fun for the boy than hanging here with Keke and me, our infant and his dad. Jack’s family just fell apart in the worst way. Long story short: Jack’s baby turned out not to be his, his wife is indigenous and was afraid about getting into trouble for having had an affair with a married man, a tourist, who knocked her up and is now long gone. She doesn’t love Jack any more than he loves her, both rushed into marriage for the wrong reasons, but they are – or at least used to be good friends – she couldn’t live with the guilt anymore and told Jack the truth, he suspected it all along and had me run a paternity test under the table months ago, but never opened the results. After she told him he finally did and got the final confirmation. So, AG’s dad Liam is helping them get a divorce and name change done as quickly and low-key as possible, pro bono, of course. Naturally did that not sit well with Jack’s best friend and brother of his ex-wife, it’s a very small community where they all live, so everything is tense, it’s just uncomfortable all the way around, Jack’s life is just a SNAFU, an unfixable situation.”

“Oh no, that poor, poor man! My heart goes out to him, Connor, if I can ever be of any help with any of this, please do not hesitate to let me know! I do not know much about Jack’s story, I intentionally never bring up our divorce or the time of our separation at all unless AG does, which isn’t often and only ever briefly and she never speaks about her feelings for Jack. I saw no point in pressing the issue, to be honest, even though naturally I have always been curious about the other man who captivated her attention and affection as much as he had, yet it won’t help anyone or anything, only make AG sad and she has had too much sadness by my hand because of my false sense of loyalty back before I realized the error of my ways and the ways of my ancestors. The Cromwell goal was always to rule with a firm, but kind hand, following trustee old rules, but that has cost me dearly, my sister was married off strategically for political reasons, luckily she ended up falling in love with her then betrothed, my younger brother was conceived as a spare, a replacement in case I should not be able to rule myself, and he too was married off into a strategic, but very loveless marriage which only made him, his former wife and their poor daughter miserable. Just like my parents had been forced into marriage, and their parents before them. I was the lucky one to meet AG in college and my father deeming her suitable enough because of her own high-profile heritage, otherwise I might well have had to choose a wife from a pool of pre-selected vetted brides.

The mere thought of this alone sends shivers down my spine, I will not do this to my children or their children or their children after them. I lost my way and purpose when royalty was taken from me, AG stood by my side through it all, but sadly it took me losing Aria-Grace to realize how desperately my entire ideas of life and also the royal rules needed a modern makeover. I was lucky enough to get second chances for both, but I now know what’s truly important, and my task in life is to make AG happy. I have changed century old royal rules and laws to ascertain she would never be miserable again nor would any of our descendants. My goal in life is to be the best husband to Aria-Grace, the best father any man could be and the best king this world has ever experienced. And I know Aria-Grace, my beautiful queen, is happy now, genuinely, which makes me happy. Happy parents set best examples for happy healthy children. Happy solid people make good partners, family members, not to mention rulers of lands, so everyone benefits.”

“Agreed. I’ll keep an eye on Jack, don’t you worry. He’s my best friend, and he’ll be all right, eventually, he’s strong, tough, stubborn and luckily no longer afraid to accept help from me. But all I can do for him is to give him the tools to help himself, lend a helping hand, give him advice if he wants it and a shoulder to lean or cry on if he needs it. Maybe he can adjust his angle and maybe it’ll nudge his emotions to a better place. Maybe he can learn to love again one day, eventually.”

“You are the type of friend anyone can consider themselves lucky to have, Connor. Hmm … do you think if they spoke, Jack and Aria-Grace I mean, it would help him find some type of closure or make things worse? I don’t know whether I should nudge AG to speak to him or leave them be. I noticed Jack disappears as soon as Aria-Grace enters, meaning he won’t make a first step and she keeps her distance from him as well. Maybe because out of respect for me, so I could tell her it’s all right to speak to him.”

“Leave them be, Max, I got this. You’re right, Jack avoids AG like the plague. One time, before she went back to you, long before you two remarried, I had them talk, back at his ranch, it was civil, but that was as far as it would go. The first thing he does when he comes to my place it check if we’re not hiding AG somewhere. It’s become a running joke between Keira and me. Jack’s not ready for any talks with AG, he may need more time or he may never be ready. AG has other things to worry about. I agree with you, she deserves peace and happiness. Both do, but Jack has a long rough road ahead before I’d consider him ready to face such sore topics head on.” Connor said, Max nodded and pat his wife’s cousin’s shoulder as they turned to rejoin the party again.