Jackson coughed up the sip of coffee he’d taken then cursed as he spilled some on his shirt. Veronica’s eyes widened, and she stepped in the office. He held up his hand.
“I’ve got it. Hell, tell her to give me a minute while I change my shirt.”
His receptionist looked as though she desperately wanted to question his reaction and the fact that he wanted to talk to this woman, but she thankfully held her tongue.
“If you say so.”
He turned his back to her to grab a new shirt from his closet, and she left, closing the door behind her. As he buttoned up his new shirt, he tried to stop his fingers from shaking.
What the hell was Honor doing here?
He hadn’t seen her in…almost eight years.
He rolled his shoulders and made his way to the door. He’d just get this over with. There wasn’t anything between them—there hadn’t been for too long. He’d just nod and say hello to an old…friend…then get back to his day.
She stood in his waiting room facing the wall so he only saw her profile, and damn if he didn’t lose his breath.
She had to be at least in her early thirties now, but she looked at least a decade younger. Her long black hair fell to the middle of her back, straight, yet thick and exotic. He could remember how soft it had felt against his chest late at night.
She turned to him then, and he set his face so he wouldn’t gasp. Her striking blue eyes had always called to him, and now was no different. Since she was average height, her curves suited her well, her hips just wide enough for his hands…
No, not the time.
It would never be the time.
Her face was elegant, her cheekbones sharp, but not too sharp, her chin pointed like an elfish goddess.
Hell, she looked even more beautiful now than she had eight years ago.
Honor would have to go.
Soon.
“Honor,” he said, his voice surprisingly steady despite the emotions warring through him.
“Jackson,” she said, her smile making her whole face brighten.
Veronica stood between them, her gaze traveling between the two.
“I had called before, but you didn’t say anything,” Honor said, but Jackson didn’t say anything back.
He remembered her first call months ago, and the few calls afterward, but he’d never said anything back, thinking it couldn’t have been her—shouldn’t have been her.
She couldn’t be here…not the one who’d left him.
No, he didn’t want to think about the past.
“Um…” She looked down at her hands as she wrung them together then squared her shoulders. “I just wanted to say that I’m staying at the inn.”
He swallowed hard and nodded. “You’re visiting your aunt then?”
Honor shook her head. “No, I’m staying here in Holiday, Jackson. That’s what I wanted to say when I called and why I’m here. I know it’s been forever, and you don’t care, but I thought I’d say it anyway.”
“You’re moving here?” he asked, his voice hoarse.
No, hell no. She couldn’t move here. Holiday was his home, and there was no way he could share it with her.
“Yes, I’m staying. I left before because…” She shook her head. “No, that doesn’t matter, not anymore. I’m here to stay though. My aunt needs me, and I have responsibilities that I’ve been ignoring too long.”
He didn’t know what kind of responsibilities she could possibly have since she’d been gone for eight years, but he ignored it. “Why can’t your brother, Tucker, help?”
Surprise then hurt crossed her face. She must have been surprised that he’d remembered her brother’s name, and he cursed himself for letting that slip. For a woman he was supposed to have forgotten, he remembered too much about her.
The hurt was obvious, but he couldn’t show that he cared.
“Tucker’s busy,” she said shortly. “I’m sorry to take your time, but I wanted to tell you I was in town.”
“Why should I care?” he asked, trying to put distance between them.
He ignored the gasp from Veronica and cursed himself for being so rude. He’d forgotten they had an audience. The news of this confrontation would be all over Holiday’s grapevine as soon as Honor walked out the door.
Honor rolled her eyes and smiled. Hell, he’d never understood this woman. “Whatever, Jackson. Play the stoic man if you want, but I wanted to tell you anyway. Bye.”
She turned on her heel and walked out of his practice, her hips swaying, leaving him breathless.
He forced his gaze to Veronica and frowned. “I take it there’s no way I can make you keep this between us?”
“Huh?” she asked as she looked up from texting on her phone.
He shook his head. “Never mind. Let me know when my next appointment shows up.”
Jackson left Veronica to her gossip and closed himself in his office.
Honor was back.
What the hell was he going to do now?
Chapter 2
Honor Bridges ran her hand through her hair and cursed herself. It had been over three hours since she’d left Jackson’s office, and she was still shaking. It had been eight years, and the man still made her want to jump him and never let go.
He might act all stoic and broody, but she knew he could smile—that he could feel.
Well, at least he had eight years ago when she’d known him. Honestly, she didn’t know this new Jackson at all. For all she knew, he’d encased himself in even more ice than he’d had before and was such a complete ass he didn’t have a feeling in him.
His words had stung, but she quickly got over them. She’d seen the look in his eyes when she’d turned to him. It was fury, confusion, arousal, and hurt all rolled into one. Though he’d masked it quickly, she’d seen it.
It gave her hope, though, hope for what she had no idea.
It wasn’t as though she wanted to get back together with him—not that they’d been truly together before. She had only wanted to let him know she was there because she hadn’t wanted it to be a surprise, though, in retrospect, that seemed a bit self-centered and foolish.
She’d been so afraid he wouldn’t have even remembered her, and then she’d seen the way he’d looked at her. She’d called him those few times before, but he’d acted as though he didn’t know who she was, but he’d known her name—and her brother’s name.
He’d remembered.
For some reason, that made her feel all warm and giddy inside.
Not that she’d do anything about it.
Honor was back in Holiday because she had a job to do. She’d neglected it for so long and had only been able to do so because of who her aunt was. Shame flooded her, but she pressed it down. She’d do what was right and get over herself and her past.
After all, she was a tooth fairy and there were little kids who needed her and the hope she’d bring with her job, but she’d get back to that soon. Her aunt would help her get acclimated, and she’d find her way.
She just had to get out of her room and get on with her life.
The sun beat down on her as she walked out of the inn, passing the innkeeper on her way. Connie seemed like her own fairy godmother. The woman always seemed to know what she needed and when. Honor put on her sunglasses and tilted her face to the sun, needing its energy and warmth to do what she had to.
Her aunt was waiting for her, and she’d put this off long enough.
She hadn’t stayed with her aunt because they were both old enough that they needed their own space.
A shout made her turn, and then a heavy object pushed her to the ground, skinning her hands and bare knees.
“What the hell?” She gasped and turned, she was laying under a hard body. Honor tried to push off the warm weight and winced as her palms burned. She blinked as she looked into Jackson’s deep blue eyes, filled with fear.
“Are you okay?” he asked as he looked down at her. He knelt above her, lifting his weight off her
body, then ran his large hands up and down her sides.
She pressed down the heat her libido seemed to love and pushed him away. “Why did you knock me down?”
He frowned at her then stood, bringing her up with him. “You’ve hurt your knees and palms. Let’s go in and get Connie to help me clean them out.”
Honor pushed him away again, ignoring the sting in her cuts. She looked up at the man who towered over her at over six feet and narrowed her eyes, taking in his thick hair. It was cropped to his head, a little bit of gray coloring his temples.
Heck, he looked hotter now than he had before.
Her nipples pressed against her sundress, and she fought not to rub up along the man like a cat in heat.
No, no, totally not the time.
“You don’t get to tell me what to do, and why the hell did you push me? Didn’t get enough barbs in before so you decided to push me down instead?”
She winced at the look of hurt that crossed his face before he schooled his expression again. “I’ll let that one go since you’re clearly addled from your near-miss.”
She opened her mouth to say something about that, but he shook his head and moved out of the way so she could see the broken remains of what looked to be a large flowerpot on the ground. The ceramic lay in shattered pieces amongst the dirt and dying flowers.
“What…what?” She blinked, not knowing what to say.
“That was coming down for your head, so I pushed you out of the way. You could have been seriously hurt or killed, Honor.”
Her palms went clammy as her body shook. She looked up to the open window but didn’t see anyone. “I guess it just fell…”
Jackson followed her gaze then nodded. “Accidents happen, but hell Honor, that scared the shit out of me.”
She smiled, despite what had happened. “If I’d had time to react, I guess it would have scared the shit out of me too.”
He smiled at her, and her heart melted. Damn, the man was one sexy Cooper. The mummers of voices around her made her aware of the crowd they’d collected.
Connie came running to them, tears running down her checks. “Oh, Honor, are you all right? Thank God Jackson was walking by when that happened.” The inn was near his office, so it made sense he’d be around. “I have no idea how that fell. I keep my pots far away from the ledge. Oh, Honor, I’m so sorry.”
Honor gave the woman a hug, ignoring her hurts, and squeezed tight. “I’m fine. Jackson’s the hero here.”
Jackson grunted and pushed Honor away slightly. “I’m just lucky I was here when I was.” He turned toward the crowd. “We’re fine, give her some space.” At the sound of his stern voice, some of the gawkers left, and Honor ignored the rest. “Let’s get you inside so we can look at your palms.”
Honor shook her head and pulled away. She needed to put some distance between the two of them. It was clear that even after eight years apart her feelings toward him had never changed.
“I’m late for meeting with my aunt. I can clean them up there. Thank you again for pushing me out of the way, and I’m sorry I yelled at you.”
He lowered his brows and put his fists on his hips. “Don’t thank me and don’t apologize, but are you sure you’re okay to be driving?”
She nodded. “I’m fine. I don’t want my aunt to worry, but I need to go. I’ll help you clean up everything when I get back, Connie.”
Connie shook her head. “No, dear, I’ll get it. You just be careful.” The other woman hugged her then went into the inn, presumably to get something to clean the mess.
“It will get cleaned. Go, Honor,” Jackson said. “If you’re too busy to take care of yourself, then you’re too busy to take care of others. Drive safe to your aunt’s.” He turned then, his hands still fisted as if he were angry or… maybe as though he were trying to hold himself back from touching her.
The latter seemed like her own imagination though since he was Jackson and didn’t need her.
He never had.
Leaving Jackson on the sidewalk, Honor got into her car without a backward glance and made her way to her aunt’s place. She’d been to Holiday countless times as a child to visit, but hadn’t been back for eight years. The last visit had been when she’d been finishing graduate school and wanted a break. Her aunt’s warm home, filled with flowers and the scent of lemon oil, always made her feel as though she could stay forever and escape her problems.
Not that escaping her problems had helped in the past, but now she was here to face them head-on.
On that last visit, she’d met Jackson. Yes, during all her other visits, she’d known about the sexy Cooper brothers and had sighed and swooned with the rest of the female population, but that last visit was where she’d been more than a sideline.
She’d been twenty-five, he thirty, and they’d had the best summer she could have imagined. They’d dated and slept together. Even though it was a summer romance, they had been old enough to know the consequences of what they were doing and had set barriers in place so, when she left, it wouldn’t hurt to do so.
God, she’d been an idiot.
She’d fallen in love with him and had told him so, saying she’d stay in Holiday and work there doing something else without her graduate degree so he could keep his new practice.
Hell, she’d about died when she’d said that to him.
Honor parked in her aunt’s driveway and closed her eyes.
His whole face had closed off, and he’d pushed her away, telling her to grow up and leave so she could fulfill her dreams. She might have walked away, but he’d pushed her first.
Though it had hurt like hell, now she knew he’d done it for her own good. If he hadn’t been cruel—whether he’d meant it or not—she’d have stayed and ruined her chances at her career. She might have even resented him for letting her give up her life for him.
He hadn’t even introduced her to his brothers when they’d been together. She should have known it had only been for the summer like they’d planned and not for a lifetime like she’d hoped.
At twenty-five, she’d been a young idiot. Now, at thirty-three, she was ready to learn from her mistakes and get on with her life and her duties—without Jackson.
Her heart did that annoying shudder in her chest, and she shook her head.
Nope. She didn’t need Jackson, and her damn heart would just have to get over him like she’d been doing for almost a decade.
Honor made her way through her aunt’s front door and ran a hand through her hair, wincing as she remembered belatedly that she needed to clean the cuts and scrapes from sliding across the sidewalk when Jackson has pushed her to the ground.
She held back a shudder at the thought. Sadly, it wasn’t the almost dying that made her want to wrap her arms around herself. No, it was the memory of Jackson’s warm weight along her body as he protected her.
Damn man.
“What the hell happened to you, girl?” her aunt Clementine said as she strode into the foyer, her bright red hair in a uniquely coiffed hairstyle.
There was nothing usual about her aunt. The woman screamed unique. With the bright Crayola-red hair, the not-overdone but blatant makeup and form-fitting outfits, her aunt looked as though she should be in Vegas, not in a small town in Montana.
No one really understood Clementine, and that’s how Honor liked it. The woman was herself no matter the cost, and people seemed to respect her for it—even if they didn’t say it.
“I fell,” Honor said simply as she walked into the kitchen, Clementine on her heels clucking like a mother hen.
“Sit down at the table, and I’ll take care of your cuts,” her aunt ordered, and Honor obeyed.
Really, there wasn’t a point in not doing what her aunt said.
“It wasn’t that big a deal.” Liar. “I was walking out of the inn, and a flowerpot fell from a window above me.” She paused for a split second. “Someone pushed me out of the way, and I hit the sidewalk. Hence the cuts and scrapes.”
&n
bsp; Clementine raised a brow at her hesitation on the word someone but cleaned out her wounds without a word, as if she were trying to find a diplomatic way to say what needed to be said.
Okay, diplomatic probably wasn’t the right word considering the type of woman her aunt was, but at least Clementine was trying.
“You could have been killed, Honor,” her aunt said as she finished up.
Honor repressed that annoying shudder and shook her head. “I was fine.”
“Yes, because someone saved you. I wonder who that could be.”
Honor rolled her eyes. “You’re the Ivory Queen, not a witch or a mind reader.”
Clementine raised her chin. “Oh, we’ll discuss my being the Ivory Queen in a moment, dear niece, but first I want to know what you think about that very handsome dentist.”
Honor rubbed her temples. Dear Lord, she never could get anything past her aunt no matter how hard she tried.
“Jackson is just a…well; he isn’t a friend, is he? He’s just there. What happened was a long time ago, and we’re both over it.”
Liar.
Wow, she was doing great at lying to herself today.
Her aunt waited for more then let out a sigh. “If that’s the way you want to play it, then fine, Honor. It’s going to come back and bite you in the ass, but whatever.”
Honor snorted. “You know, most aunts don’t curse like a sailor in front of their nieces.”
Clementine raised a brow. “Well, most aunts don’t have to deal with the politics and duties of reining in thousands of tooth fairies. As it is, I’m tired, and we’re going to need to open a new warehouse soon so we can store all those baby teeth.”
Honor frowned at her aunt’s words. Clementine had never once said she was tired or sick or anything other than strong and vital. She looked at her aunt’s face and noticed a few wrinkles around her eyes that hadn’t been there before.
“I’m sorry I was gone so long.”
Clementine gave a sad smile. “You left because your heart was broken. I understand, dear. Yes, you could have started your duties as a tooth fairy earlier, but you’re here now. We managed just find without you, though I’m glad you’re here.”
Dreams of Ivory Page 2
