Chapter 3

Someone cleared their throat and James and Kate jumped back from each other like they had been burned. A look of reverent awe at what their bodies had betrayed about their feelings for each other on both their faces; they tore their eyes from each other to see Travis watching them with an amused look on his face.

"I wondered what could distract you from the poker game of the year Lil' Brother, thought you'd fallen in the Mississippi or somethin'... Looks to me like you've fallen into somethin' deadlier... Good thing twas me an' not the Good Doctor that found you two."

Kate flushed guiltily at the mention of Jack, she'd totally forgot about him!

"Hi Travis."

Her voice was throaty still tinged with desire the passion of their kiss had awoken, much to her consternation and never ending embarrassment.

Travis walked up to her and enveloped her in a bear hug, "How you doin' Lil' Firebrand?"

Kate hugged him back looking at a disturbed James over Travis' shoulder.

"I see congratulations are in order." Travis said lightly, as he drew back and indicated the ring on her finger.

Kate looked at the ring blankly like she didn't know it was there.

"Thank you." She said disjointedly, as she stared into James' piercing eyes.

"There you are. I thought you'd fallen into the Mississippi!" Jack said, in a concerned voice as he walked up to the trio.

"More like the Rio Grande." Travis said under his breath.

Kate fixed him with a sharp look before she took Jack's arm, "No, I just bumped into James and Travis."

Jack shook Travis' hand, "Good to see you again Travis. How's your wife and kids?"

"They're all good. James an' I been on the riverboat since it left Galveston, it's a tradition of ours." Travis offered in explanation of why he wasn't spending the day with his wife.

"She must be a very understanding woman to forgive you not being there for Valentine's Day." Jack said conversationally.

"Oh she understands, been doin' this since I was sixteen!" Travis laughed.

James was standing by the railing, his eyes boring into Kate's as she looked at him surreptititiously through her lashes.

Kate felt a frisson of anticipation at the look James was giving her skate down her spine. Jack felt her shiver and wrapping his arms around her, he turned to Travis, "We better get back inside, Kate's not feeling too good. I will look out for you tomorrow at breakfast. Good luck with your game."

He nodded at James too as he spoke steering Kate back inside, James didn't say or do anything; his eyes following the couple inside.

"Come on Lil' Brother, let's go make ourselves some easy money." Travis said, cheerfully pulling a silently fuming James along.

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Jack reached his hand to feel the empty space in the bed that had been inhabited by Kate. She was sitting in the window seat watching him sleep, "What are you doing over there Kate?"

Kate hugged her knees a little tighter, not saying anything. Jack sat up and smiled at her lovingly.

"Kate?"

"Why did you propose to me so quickly Jack?"

Jack frowned at the unexpected question, "What do you mean?"

"I mean why did you propose to me so quickly? We arrived in LA and within a week you had proposed to me, why?"

Jack closed his eyes in understanding, he knew what was happening and like a member of the audience in a predictable show, he knew what he was going to say even though everything inside him was screaming for him to stop this. Deep down he'd known when he saw James standing in the entrance of the dining room that he wouldn't be able to keep her.

"I was afraid I would lose you, if I didn't act soon. It doesn't change anything Kate, I lived through hell with you and I wanted… want to be with you. We've been together through the most traumatic and trying times of our lives, and being back in civilization doesn't change how I feel about you. In fact it reinforced what I already knew, that I wanted to spend the rest of my life with you."

Kate listened to him as he spoke, then she said, "The week before we were rescued, James and I started having sex."

Jack's eyes widened in surprise at this revelation, he'd had no idea.

"The morning we were rescued, we kind of broke it off. But tonight on the deck we kissed like the last two months apart had never happened."

Jack's face fell at the way she said 'apart', Kate watched him closely.

"I've tried Jack, I've tried so hard to forget about him, to focus on you and me and our future together. No matter how hard I've tried though, I could not see it happening. And tonight, when I said I thought things had moved too fast… I don't know. I may not have had the courage to tell you why, if… If-"

"He hadn't showed up." Jack supplied for her helpfully, now that the end was near he wanted to get it over and done with. He wanted the pain every single word she was uttering drove into his heart to have maximum effect.

"Yeah. But he did, and it's like I was sedated all this time, and finally I've woken up."

"Are you sure this is what you want? Is it something I didn't do? Did I push you too hard?"

Kate shook her head sadly, tears welling up in her eyes at the pain in his eyes and voice, "No. It was all me. I didn't tell you the truth in the beginning and it snowballed to this moment. The love I want to feel for you Jack, I feel for someone else. And I think that maybe there is chance he may feel the same way about me."

Jack felt the tears slide down his face as she spoke, softly, but with the resolve of a woman who had made up her mind.

"What happens if he doesn't want you? Or doesn't see it your way?" Jack couldn't help the pleading tone that crept into his voice.

"Then I'll make him see." She said determinedly.

"So what happens now?"

"I don't think I should stay here tonight. I'll get my own room."

"You can't Kate, the place is fully booked."

Kate got to her feet, she was wearing jeans and a turtleneck, she had changed while he was sleeping.

"I'll take Travis' whatever, I can't stay here any longer Jack."

She didn't approach him, she just picked up the bag she'd already packed, and shouldering it she looked at Jack with a world of regret.

"I guess Ana-Lucia was right, I am no good for you."

Jack stared at the sheets tangled around his lower body, finding it hard to believe that a few hours ago, she had lain in these very sheets with him, more passionate and responsive than she had ever been with him.

Now he knew why, she'd been picturing James in bed with her instead of him!

"Kate." Jack called her name out insistently.

Silently, Kate slipped the engagement ring off her finger and placed it on the dresser, crying softly she strode out of the room without looking back.

"KATE!" Jack yelled her name, and steeling herself she kept walking as he bellowed her name over and over again.

Stopping at the reception desk, Kate asked for a room, using her brightest smile and letting the tear-streaked makeup do the rest for her.

They found her a room, it was the last one and it was on the second floor, smiling her thanks Kate followed the bellhop. She took a steadying breath, thinking to herself in nervous anticipation, 'Now for the hard part.'