Ashton Hill Valentines

"That was successful," Katherine came into the kitchen. "I wasn't happy about having to replace you on the bar staff tonight, but you more than made up for it with your pizzas."

"Thanks, I can't believe I almost ran out of ingredients. I thought I had made too much dough, but we needed all of it," Lara said, lifting the last pizza from the oven. "This is the last of it, I thought the staff might appreciate a bite when they finish tonight," Lara explained.

"Would you like to do it again tomorrow?" Katherine asked.

"Yes!" Lara agreed immediately. "It was so much fun tonight, even when it was super busy. We'll need ingredients, and I'll need more prep time without my friend to help me," she started listing off what she would need to do the food again. "Do you think the cook will mind sharing the kitchen? I mean, I would need to commandeer the oven for the night, if tonight is anything to go by."

"The man uses a microwave and a deep fryer, I hardly think he qualifies as a cook," Katherine laughed. "Good help is hard to find in a small town. Come see me around twelve tomorrow, and we'll talk through some ideas and the ingredients you need. The pub opens at three, but you won't have to start cooking until five, I assume that will give us plenty of time."

"This is so great! Thank you, Katherine!" Lara gushed.

"It also helps that you won't have to be out there facing the man you've been hiding from tonight?" Katherine tilted her head. "I haven't always been a total bitch," Katherine laughed at the look Lara gave her. "I was young and in love once, I was old and in love too," she smiled, thinking of her deceased husband who had left her this pub. "True love never runs smoothly." She turned at a knock on the side door of the laneway.

"That will be my friend. She was giving me a lift home tonight so I didn't have to walk," Lara said, looking at the big kitchen clock.

"You go. It's fine, I'll let Steve and the others know about the pizza you made them. Come see me at twelve tomorrow," she reminded Lara as she took off her apron and grabbed her bag.

"Thanks, Katherine. You've been so good to me tonight, I appreciate it, truly I do," Lara said, opening the door and seeing Carly standing there.

"Ready to go?" Carly asked, looking past Lara to Katherine. "She's a good cook, isn't she? The bakery customers have missed her pies and sausage rolls since my parents got back."

"She is," Katherine agreed. "Good night, Lara, see you tomorrow."

Lara stepped out into the laneway and looked around. Carly handed her a jacket and pointed to the far end of the laneway.

"His car isn't here, but I thought I'd park at the other end, just in case," Carly said. "No use getting into a scene until you're ready to talk to him," she sighed.

"What happened with you and Harry?" Lara asked. "Katherine said they were all in there tonight looking glum."

"Eric showed up before Harry did. It was a mess. I asked him to go and leave me alone," she sighed. "He didn't see anything wrong with continuing the challenge while seeing me. Eric was mad at Harry seeing me, and about the challenge being messed up. I was mad about the challenge and Eric's interference. Harry... well, he left with a parting shot about the fact that he thought I got him and understood him, and that obviously I didn't."

"Oh, Carly, I'm so sorry," Lara put her arm around her friend's waist. "Thank you for coming to get me tonight, it must be the last thing you feel like doing."

"That's what friend's do," she gave a half smile. "It's who I am, and being a friend means more than just having coffee and a chat now and then."

They got into her car, and Carly began the drive home. They didn't talk much as they drove, and what was usually a decent twenty-minute or more walk for Lara went by in an instant.

"It doesn't look like he's here," Carly said, driving slowly up the street to Lara's apartment.

"Good, because I'm not ready to deal with him tonight," Lara said.

"Are you sure it was all about the challenge? You wouldn't be this upset if there weren't feelings involved," Carly said. "Maybe it could..."

"It doesn't matter what I feel. For Jack, I was a challenge, nothing more," Lara shrugged and got out of the car. "Thanks, Carly, I'll talk to you tomorrow." She turned and ran up the stairs and let herself into her apartment.

Lara threw her bag on the small table and walked slowly into her bedroom. She looked at the bed still rumpled from this morning. Jack had that I'm-one-of-the-good-guys routine down so well she had believed him. She let herself trust him, trust him not to hurt her again. Her hand went to her chest. She was stupid. She'd barely known him a little over a week. How could she be hurting so badly now that she couldn't bear the thought of sleeping in this bed now without him? She went to the kitchen and poured herself a glass of wine. She sat in the darkness and sipped her drink. She saw the headlights of a car driving slowly up the street and she sat very still. She knew she couldn't live like this, hiding from him and skulking around the town with her friends helping her avoid Jack.

She could be stronger than that, stronger than him, stronger than the hurt she felt at being used as a pawn in some childish boys game again. She gulped down the rest of her glass of wine and turned on the lamp beside her. 'Let him come,' she thought, she wasn't going to hide anymore. She was going to make him regret treating her like a prize in some sort of stupid game. She was going to carry on as if she couldn't care less if he had cared about her all. She'd survived worse than this, and she would go back to her plan of getting stronger, smarter and more self-reliant.

She had poured herself a second glass of wine and was standing in the kitchen when the knocking started. She let it go for a few minutes until she worried that it would disturb her neighbours and then walked to the door. Unlocking the deadbolt, she slowly opened the door and stood looking at him, saying nothing.

"Are you okay?" Jack asked softly, his gaze intense as he looked into her eyes.

"Other than having a maniac banging on my door at three a.m.? I'm perfectly fine," Lara said and blinked at him as if there was no reason she wouldn't be fine.

"I went to see you at work so I could drive you home," he said without asking where she had been all night.

"Well, I guess you wasted your time then," she shrugged and crossed her arms.

"It wasn't a challenge. I'm sorry Daniel said that. He didn't understand that the challenge meant nothing, Harry and I, we..." he tried to explain.

"Don't bother explaining," she cut him off and waved a hand in front of her as if swishing away something annoying. "I've taken myself out of the running, so you both lose," she said icily.

"It wasn't like that. It didn't mean anything to me!" Jack pleaded with Lara to listen to him.

"Seems it meant enough for you both to come after me. It's sad that winning is so important to you that you feel the need to compete against your brother, even at your age. Well, congratulations, you scored; I hope it was worth it!" She said in a voice that almost hissed with venom. She tried to shut the door as she felt her bravado waver.

"Wait!" he pressed his hand against the door. "Worth what?"

"Losing me," she said sadly, and tried to close the door again, but his hand wasn't budging.

"You know I didn't come after you because of some stupid meaningless challenge. You know that!" Jack implored her. "It wasn't a challenge to get you into bed, it was just to get you to go to the ball, which you have refused to do, so no one would have won anyway!"

"I don't believe you! You told me you don't lie, but you lied to me!" Lara accused, hearing her voice begin to break and trying to strengthen her resolve.

"Let me in, Lara. Please, let me explain properly," he said softly, and, taking a chance, he reached out to touch her hand where it rested on the door frame. "Please let me in so we can talk."

"No," she said just as softly. "I don't trust you, and anything you say now will probably just be more lies. Please let go of my door and let me get some sleep." Her voice finally broke.

Lara looked so hurt it tore at his heart that he had caused it. It was late, and they were both tired and emotional, and he didn't want to make matters even worse, not that he could think about how much worse they could get. He didn't think it was possible to get any worse.

"This isn't over," he said gruffly, raising his hands in surrender and stepping back off her step.

"It really is," she said sadly. "You know, the worst part is that I trusted you. I knew I shouldn't, but you were so convincing that I believed in you and trusted you. So, I guess I have no one to blame but myself for this. Goodbye, Jack." She shut the door firmly, ensuring the deadbolt was in place and breathed.

Jack stood alone in the dark on her step staring at the door for long minutes. She was wrong about one thing. This wasn't her fault, it was his.

*****

Chapter 10

Lara stood at the familiar bar of Kelly's Pub on the night of the Festival Ball confident that Jack, like Katherine and most of the town, were at the Valentine's Day Festival final event. She and Carly had spent the last two days deliberately avoiding the Delaney brothers, not that Jack had tried very hard to see her again after she had sent him away from her apartment that horrible night.

Carly had to not only face down Harry, but her brother as well, and seemed happier for it. She'd made the final six invited to a short course with Gina Izetta, and she planned to go and win the internship. Lara was happy for her, even though she didn't get the same offer. She had been talking with Katherine about doing some renovations to the Pub and opening up the kitchen for more than just quick and easy bar food.

She was happy enough at work, at least, and excited for Carly, who seemed to have her mojo back. Carly claimed that after making Harry suffer for a few days she was ready to forgive him for a least one day, because who wanted to spend Valentine's Day alone. She had plans of showing up at the ball with the celebration cake, which she had needed until the last moment to finish and tempt Harry with more than just cake.

Lara laughed to herself. She had seen the dress Carly planned to wear and felt sorry for Harry. He wouldn't know what hit him. Lara finished serving a regular and turned to greet whoever had just walked in when she took in who it was, and her mouth went dry. It seriously wasn't fair that Jackson Delaney could look that good in a suit, even without a tie.

"What'll it be, stranger?" she asked. She wasn't the weak, raw and vulnerable woman he spoke to two days ago. She was stronger and smarter, and she'd be damned if she would show him how much he still affected her.

"We need to talk," his voice was low and husky, and his jaw worked as if he was having trouble maintaining control of his emotions.

"No, I won't be going to the ball just so you can win your bet," she said flippantly.

"It wasn't a bet!" he ground out through clenched teeth. "It was a challenge, and I don't want to win it, I just want you." He said honestly. He had apologised to his mother before he had left to talk to Lara in case, by some miracle, she agreed to give him a second chance.

"Well, you've already had me, so let someone else have a turn," she said as if she didn't want to believe him so desperately that her heart raced. She was stronger now, and that was evidenced by the way she held herself steady in the face of this onslaught of emotion.

"I'd like a turn," a regular at the other end of the bar put up his hand, and Jack sent him a look that had him lowering his hand and sinking back onto his stool in double quick time.

"We're going to talk, now!" Jack demanded after silencing the regular.

"No, I'm working, and you are leaving," she handed two shots to her customers who were watching the little drama play out with wide eyes. Then she turned her back on him and used the till on the other side of the bar.

Jack had hoped this would go better, but he was determined to talk to her and have her listen to what he had to say. He vaulted the bar and, bending low, scooped her up and over his shoulder like a sack of potatoes. She stiffened from the shock, and after a minute began to fight him as he walked the length of the bar, glaring at Steve who tried to stand in his way.

"Do you really want to do this right now?" he growled at Steve. "I won't hurt her, but trust me, stand in my way, and I will hurt you!" Steve backed up, quickly knocking over a tower of glasses in the process.

"Katherine is going to kill you!" Lara said, wishing her tough boss was there right at that moment. "More damages to pay for." She continued to struggle, kicking her legs and punching his back, despite knowing it would be no more than an annoyance to him rather than making him feel pain. Jack finally put her down, and she realised she stood in Katherine Kelly's small office. He continued to hold her arms tightly at her sides, so she was almost immovable in place.

"Let me go!" she glowered at him.

"Not until I've had my say!" he growled through clenched teeth.

"What makes you think I care about any of the lies you will tell me?" she snarled in the face of his anger.

"Nothing," his voice softened. "But I am hoping you'll listen anyway."

She didn't want to, she didn't want to listen to anything he had to say, but she found that he was finally loosening his hold on her, so she crossed her arms protectively and stared at him.

"Fine, two minutes!" she spat.

"I'm sorry," he said softly, looking her in the eyes. Then he said nothing else for a long few minutes.

"If I'd known you were going to be so succinct, I would have given you two seconds," she went to move past him to the door, but he blocked her.

"I'm sorry I hurt you," he tried again.

"I'm fine," she said quickly.

"You were right. I did lie, but not about what you think. Not about my feelings for you," Jack sighed and let his head sag. He hated having to bare his soul to her, but he knew no other way to make her understand what she meant to him. "When the challenge was issued, Harry looked like he was about to accept, so I agreed, but not for the reasons you think. I couldn't handle thinking about Harry going after you, because I've had a crush you on for forever. Since we were thirteen," he finally admitted. "I knew I would finally have to make my move or see you with Harry. It made me approach you after so many years of just watching and wishing."

"That's what this whole thing was about? You living out some teenage fantasy? I'm not that girl. I told you that!" she shook her head.

"No! And yes," he rubbed his temples. "I had a crush on you, but I know that wasn't real. You're real. The person you are now, Lara, you're even more amazing than any fantasy I had. I don't want to lose you. I'm falling in love with you!"

"No, no, no!" she shook her head. "I'm not that girl, I told you that! I'm just me!"

"I know that now. I know who you are, and you are who I want. Please, trust me and give me another chance!" Jack pleaded.

"I can't!" she said, horrified hearing the plea in his voice.

"You mean you won't," he accused.

"Does it matter?" she asked.

"It matters that you're too afraid to stop playing it safe. It matters that you're too scared to take a chance on me, on us," Jack took a step forward. "Please, Lara, I promise, you can trust me."

"It's too late," she shook herself free of him and stepped away from him, her head reeling.

"You got what you wanted then," he said stiffly.

"What do you mean, what I wanted?" she frowned and glared at him.

"This. You have been waiting since that first night for me to screw up and let you down, just so you'd have an excuse to push me away, like you do everyone. I'm sure Carly has only lasted this long because she's an open book. You were right, at least about her, she is a force of nature, and Harry is miserable without her." He stopped talking and took a huge shaky breath before speaking again. "You got what you wanted, I'll leave you alone. I just hope you can live with that, because I sure as shit can't." he moved past her, bending to kiss her cheek. He felt her cringe away from him and knew he had lost any chance of making this right.

Lara watched as Jack left the room, leaving her alone. She knew he was right, this was what she wanted, what she had expected, and he was also right that she wasn't sure she could live with the consequences of it this time. She wasn't sure she wanted to live isolated and alone anymore. She'd made such a mess of everything. He'd surprised her showing up here tonight, she'd had no time to think, and yet again she was alone, again, just like she wanted.

*****

Jack sat with his family throughout the ceremony. He was proud of his mother and cheered as she got up to accept her award for citizenship within the community. He loved this town, and the longer he worked with Paul Ashton, the more he thought about coming home and helping to build the aeromedical rescue team that would go a long way to saving lives in Ashton Hill. The sad fact now was that he didn't want to stay here and have to see Lara every day knowing he had hurt her so badly she couldn't forgive him, couldn't trust him... Couldn't give him a second chance.

He looked at his brother, who seemed just as miserable, and wondered what was wrong with them that they had accepted a challenge they both knew was a bad idea. The ceremonial part of the evening began to wind down, and Jack saw his brother stand to look out toward the stage. Jack followed his eye line and saw Carly looking drop dead gorgeous as she wheeled a cake on a table with wheels toward the stage. 'The finale.' Jack thought, as he saw Harry move with speed toward the disappearing figure of Carly.

'Good for him,' Jack sighed. 'At least one of them would get a second chance tonight,' he thought, as Harry made his way from their table toward where the cake had disappeared behind the stage curtain.

"I think I'll go soon," Jack whispered to his sister, Annie. "I'm not in the mood for all of the hearts and roses of this," he waved his hand around airily.

"You can't leave yet. Mum is having such a good time. Try and be supportive," she frowned at him, and he nodded without saying anything else.

His eyes sought out Harry, who had disappeared behind the curtain following Carly and her cake. Then he saw Carly looking magnificent in hot pink walking onto the stage backward wheeling the cake with was a multi-tiered homage to Valentine's Day, but that wasn't what caught his attention. He stared at the stage as he realised the woman in blue at the other end of the cake trolley was Lara. She turned as if searching the crowd and their eyes locked.

He had no other thought in his head aside of getting to her, and almost ignored the fact that Harry had stormed onto the stage and taken Carly in his arms to kiss her soundly, much to the amusement of the audience. Lara disappeared again and reappeared beside the stage as he walked steadily in her direction.

Lara saw him move and hurried off the stage once the cake was in place and she knew Harry and Carly had found each other. She moved steadily through the crowd, too short to see over most people blocking her view, but she had seen where he was sitting and made her way in that direction. Then, suddenly, he was standing before her looking so handsome and strong. She practically threw herself at him, locking her hands around his neck and kissing him.

"You win," she whispered softly into his ear. Nervous that after all she had said and done he would reject her now. She felt him stiffen, so she added, "And you were right." He still didn't wrap his arms around her, and she slowly released him, stepping back, unsure of herself now. It had taken so much courage to come here. The dress she had ordered online had come in time and fit like a glove, and she found the nerve to come after acknowledging he was right about her. She had obviously hurt him with her last rejection more than she had realised, however.