Ruby Red 3 - A Romance for All Time (Complete)

Chapter 5

"What the hell is he doing here?"

Ali couldn't believe the sight before her. Not only was Jack Blackhorne, her ex-husband, the man who had cheated on her and then tried to blackmail her, standing not five feet away in her parent's kitchen, but her mother had walked in right after Jack as if this was a perfectly normal occurrence.

"Now Alexandria, that's no way to talk to Jack."

Ali's mouth fell open and she couldn't seem to grasp her mother's words. She blinked, hoping the vision before her would change. But Jack still stood there, an evil smirk plastered across his face.

"You're looking as radiant as ever Alexandria." His words crawled across her skin. "Is that little boy toy of yours around here somewhere?"

"It's fiancé now. And no, Sam's not here."

"Remember Jack. I told you she'd agreed to marry again." Her mother patted Jack's forearm, her hand lingering for a moment too long. Ali's stomach turned.

Jack turned his pale blue eyes as cold as ice towards Ali, raising one eyebrow slightly. A shiver ran through her, shadows from her past creeping in, reminding her what the look meant. During their marriage, Ali dreaded the expression. It was like a siren to her, signalling Jack's disappointment. This one small gesture preceded the silence, the isolation, the punishment. She gripped the counter behind her for support.

"That's right Lynn, you did mention it. I suppose congratulations are in order." His tone made his words sound like an insult rather than a compliment.

Her mouth was dry, the words she wanted to say stuck in her throat. Ali looked to her mother for help, but it was a lost cause. The older woman either disregarded the tone or refused to hear it, instead busying herself by rearranging a bouquet of colourful flowers on the kitchen table. Her mother was an expert at ignoring the obvious.

When the mental abuse had first started with Jack, Ali had confided in her mother, hoping to find guidance or solace. What she got was determination. Lynn Stinson had told her flat out that Ali had made her decision to marry Jack and she would have to live with the consequences. There had been some discussion about marriage being an adjustment, it took time to work out the kinks, to find ways to live together. It was suggested she work harder to please Jack. Or get pregnant. A baby brings happiness to a home.

Trying to explain to her mother it was more than growing pains, Ali described how something had changed in Jack. She tried to tell her how he was shutting her out, isolating her. Instead of understanding, Lynn had simply stopped listening to her.

Looking back on it now, Ali was relieved Jack had cheated on her. It made divorcing him barely acceptable to her parents. At first, they had tried to persuade Ali to try harder, as if it was her fault Jack had screwed his assistant. She had felt a sense of displeasure from them when she refused to back down. Only after the divorce was made public did her parents begrudgingly acknowledged her decision. This new development only added to the sense of discontentment that always hung in the air between her and her parents.

Daniel and Lynn Stinson had waited until later in life to have children. Ali was not sure they ever should have been parents. When they did finally decide to start a family, they quickly got pregnant and began planning for their new son, the heir to their fortune, the child to carry on the family name. For they were sure it was going to be a boy, simply not entertaining the idea of having a girl. Another possibility her mother ignored.

Ali didn't know for sure they were dismayed when the doctor pronounced a bouncing baby girl, but she sure felt it most of her life. They gave her the female version of the name they had selected. Alexander was Daniel Stinson's grandfather's name, the man who moved the family from the east to the west coast and established the family dynasty. Baby Alexander was destined to be the next in line to continue manifesting that destiny. Instead, they got Alexandria.