Chapter Twelve: A Discussion with Jack Little
Christine felt dread enter her heart the moment Jack spoke. She had been so happy after her night with Erik that a part of her had known that something was bound to go wrong. Jack was normally a very light-hearted person and she had only seen him this serious a few times since she had known him. Something was really wrong, the look in his eyes and the stiffness of his shoulders affirming it. She was dreading what he was going to say.
"Alright..."
"It is about Erik," he said. Christine was surprised he had come straight out with what had been bothering him.
"Jack-"
"No, Christine, hear me out," he demanded, surprising her and causing her to become silent. "Ever since he came here I have tried not to say anything to you about him, but after last night, I feel I have to."
Mrs. Landress knew she should leave the bakery, for this was none of her business, but the young people in front of her had forgotten she was there and she was far to curious to know what exactly was going to happen.
"Jack, I think-"
"You do not know what you are getting into!"
"I thank you for being worried about me, Jack, but I am fine, really," Christine said, trying to reassure him without there being an arguement. Her friend shook his head adamently.
"No, your not, you deserve so much better than him," he insisted. She bit her lip to keep from saying something she would regret. She loved this man like the brother she never had, but often times he had taken the role of 'big brother' far too seriously.
"I think I can determine what is good for me and what isn't on my own, thank you!"
She could feel herself becoming angry. She had an urge to stick up for Erik, and wondered briefly why Jack thought he was anything but a gentleman, he didn't know him!
"I know you are lonely, Chris, but-"
"I know you know what lonliness is, Jack, that is why you should be happy for me!" she cried.
"I want you to be happy, sweetheart, you know that more than anything, but Erik-"
"Is a good man! You just can't see it because you have never taken the time to truly get to know him!"
"Has he ever done me that courtesy, Christine?"
"No, but maybe because you come off as a jerk whenever he is around. You should make the effort for me!"
Jack's face was beginning to look almost as angry as Christine's. She didn't understand what he was trying to tell her. He wanted her happy and well taken care of more than anyone on the earth, and he was willing to do anything to see that done, even if it meant telling her what a dirtbag he believed Erik to be.
"You forget I was in the city for awhile, honey, I seen men like him everyday, he is going to use you to get what he wants and then he is going to leave Heaven and go back to his penthouse in New York!"
Christine, fuming, got up and began to walk away, throwing her apron down on the ground. She could not listen to any of this anymore. Jack, however, was not quite done. Grabbing her arm, he kept her from making any grand exit.
"We are not finished, Christine, I am doing this for your own good!"
"Stop dictating me, Jack, I am not a little girl that you need to protect. I am a woman very capable of making my own decisions," Christine said. Jack snorted.
"Apparently not, when you cannot even see what kind of a man Erik is bound to be, are you truly that desperate for affection that you throw yourself at the first man who comes into Heaven?"
Christine gasped at his hurtful words, and even Mrs. Landress couldn't believe her ears. Jack had never said anything to Christine like that in all of the years he had known her, and the old woman had never believed that she would hear anything like that from Jack Little!
Christine met his gaze evenly, unwilling to let his words hurt her..
"You know what, this isn't about Erik! You are angry at me for wanting to move on. You think that I have turned my back on him, but I haven't, you know more than anyone that he will always have a place in my heart, no matter what happened!"
"That has nothing to do with it," Jack insisted. Christine was shaking her head sadly. Taking his hand in her own she squeezed it gently.
"She isn't coming back, Jack, the sooner you realize that the sooner you can move on as well..."
Pulling away from her as if burned, Jack stumbled a few feet back, his eyes livid and sad.
"Don't bring her into this, she has nothing to do with what is happening right now-"
"They have everything to do with it! You cannot let go and cannot stand the fact that I am trying to! Why can't you just let me be happy? I cannot live with this pain every day of my life, Jack!"
For a few long minutes neither of them said anything. Christine realized she was crying and Jack's face looked as if he were in pain. This blowout had been a long time coming, and neither of them had wanted to see it happen. For too long they had kept what happened in the past quiet, neither of them able to talk about anything that had happened so long ago, it was too painful. With Erik entering the picture it seemed like the fragile walls they had built to protect themselves from emotion had come crumbling down around them.
"Do you think I do not feel that pain every day of my own life, Chris? That isn't just your past, Christine, it is mine as well, you are not the only one that has nightmares when you sleep," he whispered, the pain in his heart near to bursting.
"Erik is a better man than you think, and you have no right to judge him," she whispered.
"No...seeing as whatever I say will not get through to you, know this: when he breaks your heart and leaves you alone, I will still be the one that will be there for you to hold while you cry..."
Christine silently watched as he left the shop, slamming the door shut behind him. Through the window she could see him literally run straight into the very man that had caused this whole arguement. Jack shoved Erik out of the way and the masked man glared after him before coming into the shop. Immediately he noticed Christine just standing there, tears soaking her cheeks, her eyes swollen. Knowing immediately who was to blame he turned for the door.
"Erik-"
"Stay right here, Christine!" he demanded. Christine watched as Erik stormed out of the bakery, going in the clear direction that Jack had taken. She rushed to the door, she couldn't allow an altercation to occur, she wouldn't be able to stand it right now. Jack's words had hurt her deeply and had stirred within her memories she had been trying so hard to push to the back of her heart.
"Little!"
Erik's shout seemed to echo everywhere and the cowboy turned around to face the masked man who came walking towards him, fists clenched.
"I highly recommend you turn around, Slick, I am not in the mood-"
He was cut short when Erik grabbed him by the shirt collar, forcing the other man to meet his gaze.
"I want to know what you did to make Christine cry, and I want to know now!" he growled. He was in full on protection mode and would know the reason why his little baker was so upset.
"For once can you mind your own business? This is between me and Christine!" Jack growled back, his anger beginning to boil. With everything that just happened he would love to take out his frustration on this man!
"Anything that makes her cry is my business," Erik snarled. Jack shoved away from him for the second time in so many minutes.
"Who do you think you are? You waltz into town, see Christine, and immediately she is your property?"
"I don't like the tone your taking with me," Erik murmured. His fists were clenching and he knew they were making a scene, several people were watching them from shop windows.
"That is too bad, you are going to listen-"
"Erik! Jack! Stop this insanity this instant!"
Both men turned as Christine reached them, standing between the two of them. She had heard most of the conversation and had decided that now was the best time to intervene. Both men were likely to throttle eachother in the next minute or so. Erik turned back to the cowboy.
"Now listen, Cowboy-"
He was cut short when Christine wrapped her arm around his own, leaning against him. He could sense that this wasn't helping the situation, and could feel her exhaustion.
"This isn't your battle, Erik," she whispered. Jack stared at the both of them for a minute before turning and walking away without another word. Erik glared after him for a minute before turning back to Christine. Since he had met her he had never seen her that upset. Tilting his head toward her he gently wiped some of the tears from her cheeks, seeing a few ready to fall. Her lower lip was trembling and it took everything he had not to kiss away any of the pain he saw in her eyes. Whatever had happened ran deeper than he could think about, and knew that Jack had to of said something to Christine about him.
"Thank you, Erik," she whispered. He smiled down at her and pulled her close, wrapping his arms around her in a tight hug. She pressed her face against his chest, the material of his shirt soaking in her tears. Did he have any idea how much it meant to her to have someone to lean on? For so long she had had to lean on herself, and it was nice to have someone hold her like this. And she loved the way he whispered in her ear as he held her.
"Last night was wonderful, Christine, truly...and in case I hadn't mentioned it, you looked beautiful as well," he murmured. Christine's arms wrapped around his waist and she held him tightly for several long minutes. When she finally regained her control, she pulled away from him and managed to smile.
"Would you like something to eat? On the house?"
"You read my stomach," he replied. As they walked back to the bakery Christine kept her arm wrapped around his, wanting his support.
"Christine are you sure you don't want to talk about this?" he wondered softly. She shook her head and smiled up at him.
"No, you have helped me so much more than you even know."
