by JoAnn Durgin
“I’m sure your parents are very proud of you.”
“Let’s say the jury’s still out on that one.” He didn’t sound bitter, but he did sound hurt. The muscles in his jaw twitched. “I’ll tell you one thing. If I’m blessed to have children one day, I’m going to accept them, no matter what they do.” His eyes took on a faraway glaze. “If my son wants to work on a dude ranch, be a beekeeper or deep sea fish off the coast of Newfoundland, then that’s great. If my daughter wants to ride in the rodeo, be a fire...person, the head of a multi-national advertising firm, a shepherd or a horse whisperer, that’s perfectly fine, too.” He paused when she laughed. “Did I say something funny?”
“Those are very interesting professions. But I understand what you mean,” she said, slipping her hand into his again. “I’m sure your children will be strong, good, law-abiding and true to the Lord, no matter what they choose to do.” Feeling awkward at this turn in the conversation, Serenity started to withdraw her hand, but he wouldn’t allow it and held on tighter.
“I have a nickname for you,” he said as he nudged her shoulder and they resumed walking.
“Should I ask?”
“Beautiful pretty. I know it doesn’t make much sense, but it describes everything about you. I’ve never met a woman like you.”
Serenity lowered her gaze as Jackson swung her around to face him. Removing his hand from hers, Jackson caressed her cheeks with both hands. Closing her eyes, she relished the feel of his light touch on her skin, warming her. Thrilling her. With a gentle hand, he tilted her chin so she’d look up at him. What he did next surprised her even more. He kissed one eyelid and then the other. Opening her eyes, she shivered. What she saw in the depths of his gaze was something she’d seen in Danny’s eyes, at least early on in their marriage. Desire, yes, but so much more. “Don’t say it, Jackson. Please don’t say it.”
He leaned his forehead against hers, his lips dangerously close. All she could do was stare at those full, sensuous lips, wondering how they’d taste. How’d they feel on hers. All it would take was a tilt of the head and their lips would meet.
“You don’t know what I was going to say.” His voice was husky, low, sensual.
“I have a pretty good idea.”
Jackson tucked her into his chest. She felt his heart beating beneath her hand resting on the thin cotton of his T-shirt. “You can’t run away forever, baby.” He brushed his warm and achingly tender mouth over her temple. “One day, you’ll want to let someone in again.”
“I promise you one thing.” Pushing back, Serenity breathed him in, this man.
“What’s that?” Flecks of honey warmed his eyes.
“If I let someone in, it’ll be you.”
A smile eased his handsome features, making her heart sing. “Thank you. That’s all I need to hear.” Taking her hand, they walked, content in the shared silence.
Surely the man knew he was already there.
~CHAPTER 28~
As they left the beach and reached the sidewalk, Serenity spied a woman a few hundred yards away. Carmen. Wearing a hat, sunglasses and nondescript clothing. Gripping Jackson’s arm, she squeezed it hard. “That’s her,” she hissed, easing her hold and ruing the white marks left by the impression of her fingers on his arm. “Sorry for mauling you, but come on.”
“It’s hardly mauling and I’m happy to be needed, but who are you talking about?”
Serenity pointed to the figure walking ahead of them on the same side of the street. “Okay, I know this sounds crazy, but I think that woman might be following me. Or keeping watch on me or something. And...I believe it’s Carmen.”
“Carmen? You mean David’s friend, Carmen?”
“How many Carmens do you know? Yes, that Carmen,” she said, tossing him a sidelong glance as she tugged on her shoes and he did the same. “She wore hats and sunglasses the first couple of times, so it was hard to determine her hair or eye color, but she has the same frame. The deep red color of her fingernails was the tip-off.” They started walking. “Plus it’s the way she moves. It’s all in the hips. Maybe it’s a Latin thing, I don’t know, but it’s distinctive and the woman really knows how to work it good.”
“Whoa. Hang on a red-hot second.” Jackson stopped and held up both hands. “You believe you’re being followed and you didn’t tell me?” Judging by his expression, that statement made him none too happy. “And you think it’s Carmen?”
At least he seemed to believe her. “Yes, but not in a sinister way. More like she’s spying or keeping an eye on me. Keep walking and I’ll tell you what I know, which isn’t much.”
“I hate to point out the obvious, but she must not be following you now since she’s the one being followed.”
“Right. I can’t explain it, but I have a need to follow her and see where she goes.” She tossed him a glance. “So, are you with me or not?”
“Do you even need to ask?”
Keeping the other woman in sight, Serenity hastened her pace. While they walked, she told Jackson about seeing her the day he left her office with the stuffed giraffe and Arnie. Then when she spied her again in the hospital cafeteria. “When I met Carmen at the picnic, I had that weird déjà vu feeling you get sometimes. Like I’d met or seen her somewhere before. She told me she’d been a flight attendant but had recently retired. I’ll say one thing. If she is following me, she’s not very good at it.”
“I’ll bite. Why not?”
“In trying to be inconspicuous, she accomplished the exact opposite effect and stuck out like a sore thumb. I mean, really, who goes around with their hair covered and wearing sunglasses? Okay, sure women wear hats and sunglasses here all the time because we’re near the beach, but not usually inside a hospital cafeteria. That’s the one thing that made me really notice her, even though I was distracted at the time about my dad and your whole Jesus-in-a-potato-chip spiel.”
“Why didn’t you tell me any of this at the picnic? If it’s true, we could have confronted her then, or I could at least have talked with David and tried to find out something. I don’t want to think there’s anything shady going on since he’s involved with her.”
“I haven’t ever felt threatened or I would have told you. There wasn’t an opportunity to tell you at the picnic with the whole hot dog spewing incident and then you got hurt and the timing was never right.”
“You couldn’t you have told me after the picnic?” Now he sounded disgruntled.
“Right,” she groused. “How could I do that with Hayley fawning all over you?”
She heard his deep sigh. “You could have told me since then. And, trust me, Hayley’s done fawning and touching me or whatever you implied with your little speech about Spencer what’s-his-name. I set Hayley straight right after you took off and left me alone with her. Is there anything else I should know that you haven’t told me?”
“I’m curious as to how you set Hayley straight, but thanks.”
Jackson’s gaze—the bone-melting, soul-searching kind she’d always heard about but never knew until Dr. Ross walked into her life—bore into her now. “I’m pretty sure you can figure it out. Not going to spell that one out. Tell me what else you know.”
Still lost in the intensity of his eyes, Serenity snapped to attention. “The only other thing I know is a man came into Inner Serenity the other day and asked Kelsie a few questions when I wasn’t there. She said he was very well-dressed in a suit—not that it has anything to do with anything—and asked a few questions about when I might be back in the office. Then he stared at Mama’s photo for a minute or two before leaving.”
“You finally hung it on the wall? I’m happy to hear it.”
“I did, but not where everyone can see. It’s hanging on the wall leading into my office.”
“Then how’d Mr. Nice Suit see it?”
“Probably because he was by Kelsie’s desk,” she said. “I know she handed him my business card. If he was standing at the right angle, he’d have a good vant
age point.”
“Any theories on why he’d be interested in the photograph?” Jackson retrained his focus on Carmen. “That’s kind of weird.”
“Haven’t a clue.”
“And he hasn’t come back to your office since? No further sightings from Kelsie?”
“No, and you and I both know she’d tell me if she did. One thing that girl’s not is shy.”
Jackson nodded and they turned the corner, being careful to stay behind Carmen. If she turned around, she’d see them, and Serenity wasn’t sure what they’d do in that case. It wasn’t like she’d been followed—or followed anyone—before in her lifetime.
“Should we just march up to her, confront her?” she asked.
“I’m game if you are.” Judging by his expression, Jackson wouldn’t hesitate. “Say the word.”
She considered it for a half-second. “For now, let’s follow her and see where she goes. In case I’m sorely misguided, I wouldn’t want it getting around town that I’m certifiable on top of everything else.”
“As you wish,” Jackson said, “but if you ever feel threatened, you’d better call me.”
“Aye, aye sir. Looks like she’s headed to the library.”
“Then it’s time to pick up a new thriller.” With his focus trained on the woman, Jackson started up the front steps of the library. “Tell me how you want to play this out.”
She gripped his arm, stopping him. “Let’s wait here and give her a head start of about thirty seconds before we head inside. Let’s see what she does, if she speaks with anyone, where she goes.”
Jackson chuckled under his breath.
Serenity darted a glance his way. “Something funny?”
“With that whole Jackie O. thing she’s got going on, it’s more than obvious she doesn’t want to be recognized. It didn’t work for Jackie, either. If anything, that getup’s a clear giveaway she’s trying to hide her identity.”
“You don’t think she’s a celebrity in hiding, do you? She is very pretty, after all.”
“I’m not agreeing or disagreeing with that statement.”
“I’m not the jealous type.”
“Could have fooled me, Serendipity,” he said, tugging on her hand and pulling her up the stairs. “Thirty seconds are up, and we don’t want to lose her.”
She should have known he’d throw that nickname in her face at some point. Serenity nodded toward a section by a side wall. “She went over to the fiction area. That hat’s so big you can’t see her hair color.”
“Dark. Like Carmen’s.”
“How can you tell?”
“Long strands peeking out beneath the hat. Look at the back of her head. The nape of her neck, to be more specific.”
Her breathing grew shallow from the warmth of his lips as he whispered in her ear. She shivered. This was getting ridiculous. “Your eyes must be sharper than mine.”
“I did a little surveillance in the...” He stopped. “I know where to look.”
“You’re a man of mystery, Jackson Ross.” It was ridiculous to feel like a giddy schoolgirl because a handsome man stood beside her. But it was wonderful because it was Jackson. She certainly didn’t allow any other man to stand so close to her much less breathe on her. Inhaling a quick breath of her own in a vain attempt to steady her equilibrium, Serenity shifted from one foot to the other. “What else can you tell about her, my brilliant detective?” She found his thought process fascinating in itself.
“Well, let’s see.” It was both a source of sadness and relief when he pulled away, rubbing his fingers over his chin as he studied the woman. She leaned against a tall bookshelf, a book between her hands, her purse by her feet. The corners of her lips upturned, but she shifted to one side, making it more difficult to get a decent glimpse of her facial features. “I wish she’d turn back this way so I can get a good look at her face. She’s always turning her body one way or the other so you can’t really see her. That’s a clue in itself she doesn’t want to be noticed or recognized. Classic avoidance tactic.”
“How do you know that? The surveillance training or whatever?”
Jackson chuckled under his breath. “I don’t, really. Sounded good, though, don’t you think?”
Serenity rolled her eyes. “Get on with your assessment, please.”
“Judging from the book she’s reading, she likes romances. The, um, spicy kind.”
“And how would you know it’s spicy?”
“Don’t form any judgments, Miss McClaren. Think about it. When you see a half-naked man and woman on a book cover, they’re not vertical and locked in one another’s arms, that’s a pretty decent clue, wouldn’t you say?”
“Wow, you really are eagle-eyed, but you’re right. As usual,” she grumbled. “Either that or you’re familiar with that particular book.”
“Yep, that’s me,” Jackson said under his breath, “the Christian psychologist, closet erotica reader. If that got around, it’d kill my career in ten seconds flat.”
Serenity swatted him on the forearm and he twisted his lips, probably to quell his laughter. “I’m learning new things about you every day. What else do you see?”
“She obviously takes great pride in her appearance. Like you said, she’s got deep red fingernails. Matches the polish on her toes.”
“Red’s not an easy color, either.” When Jackson gave her a funny look, she giggled and then clamped a hand over her lips. “The color’s vibrant, which makes it hard to correct if you mess it up because it stains the skin...” She stopped when he shook his head.
“I do believe you and I could talk about nothing for an entire day without stopping and it would be the most fascinating conversation of my life.”
“You’re distracting me again. Stop flirting and get on with it, please.”
“As you wish,” he said. “All right. She might not be used to spying on someone but neither is she used to being observed. She’s way too involved in that book or else she’d have spotted us over here, conspicuous as anything, gawking at her.”
“Agreed,” Serenity said. “Your conclusion, my good man?”
“She either doesn’t want to hide or else it doesn’t come easily or naturally for her.”
“Well, I shouldn’t think spying—or hiding out, for that matter—comes naturally for anyone, Jackson. I guess the biggest question in my mind is why she would spy on me in the first place, if that’s even what she’s doing?” Serenity met his eyes briefly before returning her focus to the woman.
“I have no idea, but if she doesn’t leave soon, we might as well go,” he said. “Seems to me she’s on her own time and, to be honest, I’m starting to feel silly standing here watching a woman reading a smut novel.”
Carmen snapped the book closed and replaced it on the shelf. She turned in their direction and pushed the sunglasses further up on her nose with one red fingernail. Her heart thumping in her chest, Serenity turned and grabbed a book from the nearest shelf. She shifted her weight onto her other foot, gasping as Jackson swept her into his arms and crushed his lips down on hers. Off-balance, she grasped both his arms. Catching her, he pulled her against him, so close she could feel his heart racing. Or was it hers?
“Wha...a...t?” she sputtered. I’m protesting this why?
“Relax and kiss me,” Jackson murmured. “Go with me on this.”
“If you insist.” Sighing against his lips, Serenity reveled in how perfectly they fit, the feel, the texture, the slight roughness of his chin. She moved her hands over his firm chest, up to his shoulder blades and then around to the back of his neck, her fingers lightly touching the curls on his collar. A quiet moan escaped from somewhere inside her, but she didn’t care. Or was the moan from Jackson? Could it be tandem moaning?
She hadn’t been kissed in so long. Hadn’t been held and caressed. Even so, with Danny, it was never like this. Then it was over. Dropping his arms and releasing her, Jackson turned away just when she was starting to get the hang of it. The kiss was s
o unexpected, and there was definite, scorching heat. Undeniable passion. Serenity moved one hand over her mouth and stared at him, unsure what to say. What just happened?
“Come on!” he said, his voice barely more than a whisper, motioning with one hand as if she dawdled. “Hurry up, so we can follow her some more.”
Too dumbfounded to speak, Serenity tugged her purse strap over one shoulder and headed out the door of the library behind him, ignoring his outstretched hand. Talk about a deflated ego. What a fool she was. Like she was a big, helium-filled balloon, and someone stuck a pin in her as the air slowly filtered out. Shaking, she moved one hand over her stomach and deep-breathed a couple of times in an attempt to regain her equilibrium.
Their first kiss and it was all for show. Jackson Ross sure knew how to flatter a girl.
~CHAPTER 29~
They followed about twenty paces behind Carmen as she walked down the street. Serenity’s steps faltered and Jackson tossed a look over one shoulder and made that annoying gesture with his hand again.
“I’m coming,” she muttered, quickening her steps to reach his side. They walked in silence, slowing when Carmen slowed and keeping pace with her.
A couple of minutes later, she entered a small apartment building two streets over from Inner Serenity. Jackson walked a few steps ahead of her. Catching up to him, Serenity refused to look his way, still befuddled by what had transpired.
“I’ll find out who owns the building and see if I can learn anything else.” Putting a gentle hand on her arm, he steered her away and turned in the opposite direction. “Good thing she didn’t seem to pick up on the fact she was being followed. Like I said, she’s not very good at hiding, if that’s her intent.” Jackson stopped and his eyes widened. “You’re not saying anything and you’ve got kind of a wild look in your eyes. What’s wrong? Speak to me.”
