New Beginnings

CHAPTER FOURTEEN

Blake watched Jack secure the bowline of Diana II, a sense of pride as he watched his son. His son! In the two or so months since being attacked, Blake was dividing his time between his Devonport home and Waiheke. He and Alex had been on three official dates as well as a couple of impromptu outings that included Jack who had insisted they not be called dates because who takes their kid on a date? He had been teaching Jack to sail whenever Jack had free time in his busy schedule. Today had been one such day, Alex had taken the ferry to Devonport while he and Jack had sailed in. Being a Saturday, the waters of the gulf and around the Waitemata were teeming with boats of all shapes and sizes, and with one in three Aucklanders having access to a boat it was no wonder Auckland was known as The City of Sails. The ferry Alex was on had passed them at the half-way mark and he’d spotted her on the top deck, leaning over the rail. Boy, did his heart race when she waved enthusiastically and in keeping with good nautical manners, he and Jack did the same, although he would have waved to her regardless. Every day she was becoming a more integral part of his life and if he were to sit down and analyse what that meant, he knew he could no longer imagine life without Alex or Jack.

“Good job, shipmate,” Blake told Jack, clapping him on the back, “You negotiated all that traffic, especially the small boats, easily.”

“It’s a bit like learning to drive, once you manage to keep the car straight and stop feeling threatened by traffic, it kind of falls into place.”

“Good analogy. Come on, we better get our bags and lock up.”

“Are you looking forward to going to the opera tonight?” Jack had placed a hand on Blake’s shoulder and the simple gesture brought a lump to his throat.

“I am. In New York I had season tickets to the Met but when I was your age, I thought opera was a load of crap, then you get older, your experiences widen and suddenly you find you like those things.”

“Mum used to take me to Auck Phil concerts when I was little. They had special concerts for kids. I think I liked them.” An image of Alex and a small Jack enjoying classical music made Blake smile, although the regret not having any photos of Jack when he was younger was something he was learning to come to terms with. At both Diana and John’s home and at Waiheke, there were dozens of photos of Jack from baby to teenager, a reminder of all that he had missed. Pushing that unwelcome intrusion to the back of his mind, he followed Jack into the yacht’s interior, gathered their gear and emerged outside.

“Do you get nervous tying the boat up and leaving her?”

“Maybe not nervous but I do worry that those s**t for brains bastards and FYI, that is shipboard language only, never to be repeated around your mother, will return.”

“Got it on the language, Dad. It’s the same with Lucas and Xavier, so I’m cool.”

Laughing, Blake secured the entrance to the interior, he had two CCTV cameras on the boat with another provided by the marina at both ends of each pier. Jack climbed onto the pier and Blake followed, bending to retrieve his sailing bag.

“Oh, Blake! I’ve been so concerned about you. I heard about the attack and they wouldn’t let me near you in the hospital.”

Without even lifting his head, Blake knew it was Genevieve. Narrowing his eyes as he looked at her, he saw she was excessively made up, and her hair pulled back hard from her forehead into a tight knot on the top of her head.

“You should leave, Genevieve because I’m sure you know you can’t come within five hundred metres of me or my family.”

She forced out a harsh laugh, switching from fake concern to pure venom, “Family? Is this him? The golden child?”

“Don’t!” Blake ground out, “Walk away or I’ll call the cops.”

“Tsk, tsk. So defensive.”

Jack shifted closer to Blake and slung an arm across his shoulders,

“You okay, Dad?” he asked.

“Absolutely. Now, Genevieve, if you don’t mind, I have an important appointment later so we’re leaving.”

“No!” she cried, “You don’t leave until I’ve said what I need to say!”

From the far end of the pier, Blake caught sight of Alex and for a moment he thought she hesitated but then, in typical Alex fashion, she continued walking purposefully toward him an action that caused him to smile.

“Hey, Mum!” Jack called,  “Did you see me at the wheel?”

Alex smiled at Jack, “I did. You looked extremely accomplished.”

Up on tip toes, she dropped a kiss on his lips, winked at him then turned to face Genevieve,

“Oh, Genevieve, how rude of me. I didn’t notice you there.”

“I was just telling Genevieve we need to leave because of an important appointment later this evening,” he added.

“That we do,” Alex agreed.

“This isn’t over, Blake,” Genevieve seethed, “You duped me, you abandoned me and made me a laughingstock.”

“Are you threatening me, Genevieve? I would caution you against doing that.”

She tossed her head back, “Or what? Does she know about Eloise?” Genevieve’s finger moving in  a stabbing action aimed at Alex.

Unrattled by the clear intimidation, Alex responded calmly, “I do, Genevieve. I also know a court ordered DNA test revealed she cannot be Blake’s biological child.”

With fury stamped all over her face, Genevieve turned away and stormed back along the pier, disappearing into a black SUV with heavily tinted windows.

“Well, that was bizarre,” remarked a cheekily grinning Jack.

“She hasn’t improved with time, has she?” Alex added.

“No. She’s so toxic, no wonder she gets on some well with Royce and Arlene. Obviously, they’re still following, but staying back to comply with the Intervention Order.”

“What’s wrong with her?” Jack asked.

Blake and Alex laughed, “A whole lot is wrong with her. She’s completely nuts for one thing,” Blake replied, “Come on, lets go and see whether your grandmother has taken pity on a couple of hungry sailors.”

Laughing, the three of them strolled through Devonport village to the parking area where Alex had parked John’s car and upon reaching the house a few moments later, Diana had the front door open before they were even out of the car and wearing her baking apron and a broad grin.

“Cool, I think Grandma might have baked Afghans,” Jack declared.

“You know, since Blake blew into town and become a fixture around here, she has only baked Afghans, too bad if your Granddad or I might want something else,” Alex added playfully.

“Blew into town? Became a fixture?” he echoed, “You make me sound like cross between a bug of some sort and a light fitting.”

With that he stepped out of the car and when Alex released the rear hatch, he pulled out his bag and threw Jack his.

“How was the sailing,” Diana asked him as he climbed the steps to the front door.

“Excellent. Jack’s becoming an accomplished seaman.”

“I’ve just boiled the kettle and there are sandwiches and warm savories so come on in.”

Jack followed his grandmother into the house while Blake and Alex hung back, and he grabbed her hand, pulling her close,

“Thanks for the rescue down at the marina,” he said, “I was going to lose my temper, she brings out the worst in me.”

“I know. However, that’s exactly what she wants. Please don’t let it get to you.”

“You’re an incredible woman, Alex Porter.”

“Thank you. Come on we better go in otherwise Mum will send Dad out to see what’s going on.”

He laughed softly, “No, she won’t. She expects us to linger out here, just like she expects you to stay with me tonight.”

“Is that so?”

“It is indeed. Come on, I’m starving.”

“You know, you’re beginning to sound a lot like Jack.” She ducked away from his attempt to give her a quick pat on the bottom.

Inside, the kitchen table was covered in food and Blake wondered what time Diana must have been up to make all of it. Since the attack she had begun bringing him food on the days he spent at his home or she wore down his resistance and he ended up having a meal with Diana and John.

“Did we tell you that Aggie Compton finally did something useful with her snooping?” John asked, loading sandwiches and a mini quiche onto his plate.

“Oh?”

“Yeah. I think you were still in ICU and we came to see you at night,” he took a bite of his sandwich, chewed then paused, “She noticed a guy hanging around in the shadows out the front, so she called the cops, took down the number of a car she didn’t recognise as well.”

“Did he get caught?”

John shook his head, “He ran off and the car was a dead end because the plates were from a car reported stolen a month ago.”

“Sheesh, Granddad, this is turning into crime central!” exclaimed Jack.

“I’m turning a peaceful, law abiding neighbourhood into crime central,” Blake said.

“Nonsense!” John insisted, “It’s not you, it’s those people. Did anyone find out what happened to Royce and his heart attack?”

“I say we stop talking about those dreadful people,” Diana said, “Blake, any word on the name change?”

He cast his gaze around the table, to the people who he considered his family,

“As a matter of fact, I became Blake Forrester yesterday.”

“Oh my!” Diana cried, “How does it feel?”

“Better, I think. Also, I hope you don’t mind but with Jack’s blessing, he is now Jack Forrester.”

“Did you know about this?” John asked Alex.

“I didn’t know about Jack; we’d talked about it, but I wasn’t sure if he wanted to go ahead. Looks like he did.”

“Yeah, as if I want to be the only Winchester in the herd,” Jack quipped, refilling his plate yet again.

“Jack, dear, do you need something more substantial to eat?” Diana asked.

“No, he doesn’t, Mum. He can wait until dinner.”

Jack rolled his eyes, “I’m good, grandma. Someone has to eat the sandwiches because they don’t keep do, they?”

“Well, we can always toast them, Jack but you go ahead, I know you’re a growing boy.”

In the early hours of the morning Alex lay tucked into Blake’s arm where he’d held her since making love to her twice. Her head rested on his shoulder, listening to the heavy thud of his heart.  As the years had flown by raising Jack, she’d forgotten how much she enjoyed opera and how accomplished the musical artists from the Auckland Philharmonia Orchestra and Opera New Zealand were. Before the concert, they had eaten at Digby’s an upmarket restaurant at the Viaduct precinct where the food was perfect. They had talked and laughed and reminisced.  She sighed and Blake pulled back a little to look at her,

“Everything alright? That sounded a little wistful.””

“How could anything not be right, Blake? We’ve eaten a beautiful meal, experienced a stunning performance of The Marriage of Figaro, your home is beautiful, oh, and then there is the sex.”

“Yes?”

She slapped his arm playfully, “You know what I mean, even if you did call out Genevieve’s name.”

Alex felt him tense, “Jesus, did I?”

Judging by the look on this face he was both horrified and confused. She giggled and he relaxed,

“You had me there, don’t do that, I’ll start getting a complex.”

“A complex?”

“Yeah, I won’t be able to perform for fear of doing something like that.”

“No, you won’t. Your dedication to ensuring it’s all about me is so sweet it brings me to tears. Besides, I know you have never been near Genevieve in a bedroom, up against a wall, in a car or on a desk.”

Blake propped himself on his elbow, “I make you cry?” He gently stroked the side of her face, gazing at her so reverently, she was going to cry.

“Not tears of sadness, Blake. Happy tears, emotions coming to the surface, that sort of thing.”

“Can I tell you something that happened when I passed out on the beach?”

“Of course.”

His finger traced the contour of her jaw, “Jack came to me. Your brother, Jack.”

Alex rolled onto her side, so she was facing him directly, “What did he say?”

“Said I would be okay, promised to haunt me for the rest of my life if I hurt you, that sort of thing.”

“He didn’t!”

“He did or words to that effect. I wanted to keep him there, wanted him to stay with me but as usual he had places to go, people to see.”

“Oh God, Blake! He used to say that all the time!”

“I know. At one point I thought he was holding me in his arms, but I can’t be sure. He was pleased I’d called the boat after your mother and, guess what?”

“What.”

“He called me B.”

“Oh, Blake,” she choked out the words, Jack had been gone for so long, but she knew Blake and Jack were like brothers, Jack was such a constant in Blake’s life. A tear rolled down her cheek and Blake gently swept it away with the pad of his thumb.

“Don’t cry. He’ll get pissed off with me.”

She felt his lips kiss the tears that continued tumbling from her eyes,

“Sorry,” she mumbled.

“Don’t be. I’ve wanted to tell you, but I didn’t want to say anything in front of Diana and John.”

Alex sniffed, “I think your mother must have been a kind woman,” she whispered, “Because you’re one of the kindest people I have ever known.”

Blake lay back against the covers and placed an arm behind his head,

“I often wonder what my mother looked like, whether I look like her or if I’m more like my father. Gabriella told me she often has those same questions.”

And idea was forming in Alex’s mind. Was there any way of finding a photo of their mother?

“I can see the wheels turning up here,” he said, tapping the side of her head, “What’s going on.”

“Do you know what her first name was?”

“It was Laura, Laura Forrester. Gabriella said she thinks there might be a sister here in Auckland.”

“Do you want to track her down?”

“How would we do that?”

Alex sat up, “I have a friend, she’s a genealogist and she has a hundred and one ways of locating people.”

Blake was frowning, “But we don’t know the sister’s name.”

“No, you don’t, but do you know your mother’s birth name so Annie can search births and marriages, that would give you the name of your grandparents and your aunt’s birth name.”

Now it was her turn to watch Blake mulling over what she’d told him,

“Do you think it’s worth it?” he asked with an air of uncertainty.

“Absolutely!”

A smile broke over his face, his eyes losing the haunted appearance they’d had whilst she’d been talking to him. Now they were the deeply sensual eyes she had fallen in love with as a sixteen-year-old and nothing had changed that. She loved him, likely had never stopped loving him. How could she when she was raising his beautiful son.

“I just had another thought. If Annie has trouble locating your aunt, your investigator friend might be able to help.”

“You always were sharp, Alexandra Porter.”

“Did you just call me Alexandra?”

“I did.”

“When I was very young, mum would use my full name when I had done something naughty, and Celia called me Alexandra all the time. I could never work out if she simply wanted to torture me or if she had some other devious reason in mind.”

He let out a soft laugh and rolled her back against the covers, his mouth finding hers. A lock of his hair fell over his forehead and she pushed it back,

“I think you need a haircut,” she murmured, massaging her hands into his hair and scalp.

“I know I need one. I haven’t had a haircut since returning to New Zealand, this is the longest period I’ve gone without one.”

“You’re becoming a wild man; you don’t shave regularly and now you admit to not getting your hair cut.”

He kissed her again, “Guilty on both counts. I plan on getting a haircut tomorrow, I saw a barber shop in Devonport and it’s open tomorrow.”

“You like it short?”

“I do. The curly Blake is the Blake of the past.”

“You don’t need to shave because you did that before we went out and besides, I think it’s well documented that I certainly admire the unshaven vagrant look.”

“Yeah, about that. Are you sure we can have sexy and vagrant in the same sentence?”

“We certainly can if it applies to you.”

Blake laughed, “Okay, I won’t shave for a few days, but the curls go.”

“That’s what I wanted to hear, Mr Forrester.”

“Do you want to come with me? To the barber?”

“Sure, why not. If you don’t have any food in this house, we can have breakfast down there.”

“I doubt very much your mother will let us pass her front gate without going in the and having breakfast. She’ll have cooked enough breakfast for ten people.”

Alex groaned. Blake was right, of course. Her mother would be so disappointed if they didn’t join them for breakfast. She yawned,

“Oh, my goodness, what time is it?” she asked.

Blake lifted his phone off the nightstand,

“Two thirty.”

“What? We have to go to sleep; this is way beyond my bedtime!”

“Steady up there, Sleepy. Relax, take a deep breath. Are you tired?”

“A little but I do feel energised in some ways.”

“That’s good, because, I have a problem.”

Her heart skipped a beat. A problem? He caught her hand and brought it down under the covers to his groin where she found him fully aroused, making her giggle.

“A problem?” she asked in mock horror.

“Yeah, being female, you have no idea how uncomfortable this guy is when you get him too excited.”

“I have made him too excited?”

“Well, yes. I’ve just been lying here while you have been sitting up, those beautiful breasts of yours exposed, slowly driving me out of my mind.”

“Oh, you poor thing!” she squeezed him, forcing a groan from deep in his chest, “So, big guy, looks like I’m going to have to perform an intervention here, otherwise you won’t sleep.”

“An intervention. That sounds kind of sexy but worrying.”

“You’ll just have to wait and see because I can definitely make it sexy, but I’d probably hold back on the worrying aspect.”

“I always knew you had my best interests at heart,” he murmured, desire filling the gaze he leveled at her.

“All joking aside, Blake Forrester, “I do have your best interests at heart, and I think you have mine.”

“I do,” he rasped and pulled her head down.