Jackson’s Jewel ad-5

by N. J. Walters

  Determined, he strode out of the room and back toward the waiting area.

  Emerald slowly became aware of her surroundings. Her head was pounding, her throat was parched and her entire body was one big ache. A moan escaped her lips as she shifted.

  A hand brushed the side of her face and she frowned. That touch was very familiar. Forcing her eyelids to open, she blinked when she saw only darkness. It took a few seconds for the eyes to adjust and for her to realize that it was night. The drapes in the room were open and the light of a lone streetlight illuminated the room. She was in the hospital. Memory came flooding back and she moaned again.

  “Emerald.” Of course it was Jackson touching her. He’d saved her life.

  She licked her lips and tried to speak but all that came out was a croak. The tip of a straw brushed her lips and she latched on to it and began to suck. Cool, refreshing water flowed into her mouth and down her dry throat, the abused tissues sucking in the life-giving fluid.

  “Take it easy,” he admonished softly when she began to cough. He eased the straw away until she’d stopped and then pressed it back against her mouth. This time she was more cautious. He patiently waited until she’d had almost two cups of water and was satisfied.

  Feeling much better, she stared at him, trying to see his features in the dark. “Why are you still here?” It was obviously the middle of the night. Not that she wasn’t happy he was here. She was, but he had a multitude of problems of his own to deal with.

  “I told you I wouldn’t leave you.” His voice was low and deep and filled with determination. Of course he was here. He wouldn’t be Jackson, the man she loved, if he wasn’t here.

  “What about the farm?” It was hard to talk, but there were things she needed to know.

  “The farm is fine. Erin and Abel will handle things for a day or two. Nothing for you to worry about.” He stroked her hair and her face as if to reassure himself that she was truly okay.

  “Of course I’m worried. The apple crop will be ready to start harvesting any day now and your house was just torched by a maniac stalker.” Her voice rose with each word until it was a hoarse shout.

  “Erin says that the house isn’t that bad. The main damage is in the kitchen, but the rest of the place just needs a good cleaning.”

  Emerald thanked God for small miracles. “I’ll pay for any damages, of course.” She’d have to contact the bank and draw on some of her savings.

  “You’ll do no such thing.” Anger, tight and controlled, vibrated in his voice. Uh-oh. Jackson was well and truly pissed with her.

  “It’s only right,” she began, but was cut off when he lifted her into his arms. She was so shocked that it took a second to realize that he had avoided the bandages on her back. Even angry, he was incredibly careful with her, concerned about her well-being. He settled back into his chair with the sheet tucked firmly around her, not even disturbing the IV that was pumping fluids and medication in her abused body. She hadn’t even noticed the needle in her hand until he’d moved her. “I’ll take care of the farm, Emerald.” It was said with such finality that she knew the subject was closed. For now. She’d bring it up again when she was released from the hospital.

  “When am I getting out of here?” The darkness surrounded them as his arms wrapped around her. She felt safe and cared for. The heavy thud of his heart was a comfort as she leaned her face against his chest. He’d showered and changed. She inhaled clean scent of soap instead of smoke, but beneath it was the unique smell of Jackson—warm, musky and all male.

  “Tomorrow afternoon, the doctor said.”

  She nodded. “I don’t smell like smoke anymore.” That wasn’t exactly true. There was still a light tinge of it, but it was mostly gone.

  “Yeah, the nurse gave you a sponge bath earlier. You were mostly out of it at the time.” Emerald nodded as a vague memory flitted through her brain. “I brushed your hair, but we didn’t wash it. That’s why you still smell some of the smoke. The nurse gave me some dry shampoo, she called it, to brush through your hair. It helped some.”

  Conversation lagged as they both enjoyed the pleasure of simply touching one another. Emerald rubbed her hand over his chest, wishing it were his bare skin instead of a soft cotton T-shirt. Jackson ran his hand up and down her arm. The only sound in the room was the gentle inhalation and exhalation of their breaths, punctuated by the background noises of the hospital.

  “You should sleep.” The low rumble of his voice made her smile.

  “So should you,” she countered.

  He gave a short bark of laughter and she felt his lips brush the top of her head. Maybe it was the dark of the night. Maybe it was the intimacy of the situation, but she found herself wanting to talk about Jackson, to find out as much as she could about the man she loved. Finally, she asked a question that had been troubling her since her arrival at the farm. “Why don’t you have any animals on your farm?”

  Jackson gave a huge sigh. “If I answer, will you promise to sleep?”

  “As long as I’m satisfied with your answer,” she retorted.

  He snorted and then rested his head back against the chair. “When I was a kid, my grandfather had a couple of horses. When he died, my father sold all but the oldest one. Nobody wanted him. I loved old Elvis.”

  “Elvis?” she laughed. She could sense more than see Jackson’s smile as she tilted up her head to look at him. The light from the window outlined his features, making them appear blunter and more rugged than usual.

  “Yeah, Granddad was a big Elvis Presley fan. Anyway, Elvis the horse died the next winter and that was the end of all the horses. We had a couple of dogs when we were kids, a few cats. But that was mostly Mom’s doing and not my father’s.”

  “He didn’t like animals?”

  Jackson lowered his head until he was looking straight at her. “My father didn’t like anyone or anything. At least not back then. I have no idea what he’s like with his new wife.”

  “You don’t know?” It was appalling to her that he and his siblings seemed to have no relationship with their father. Her family was so close.

  “Never met her. The old man moved away just after I turned eighteen and bought the farm from him. He landed in Florida, met a woman and remarried. I’m not even sure where he lives now. We lost contact several years ago.”

  “That’s sad.” Her heart ached for Jackson. He’d been so young to be abandoned by the only parent he’d had.

  “That’s life,” he countered. “Now go to sleep.”

  “But what about now? Why don’t you have a dog or a cat?”

  His arms tightened slightly around her before they relaxed. “Habit, I suppose. The old barn cat died a couple years back and then when Erin and Nathan moved out, there didn’t seem to be much point.”

  That struck Emerald like a punch to the gut. Jackson had learned the hard way that animals die and people don’t stay. He kept to himself so that no one or nothing could hurt him. Emerald swallowed hard. She wasn’t sure that she was any different to him.

  Would he send her on her way when this was over or would he ask her to stay? Was Jackson even capable of loving her or had he closed himself off to that deep emotion? Oh, she knew he cared about her. She was his lover and he was a decent and responsible man. She cringed at the thought. She didn’t want to be just another responsibility to him.

  Too much to think about right now. Her temples were throbbing and her lungs ached. As if he knew she was hurting, Jackson began to stroke her hair, occasionally rubbing her temple. “Sleep. Everything will seem better in the morning.”

  She wasn’t sure of that, but she closed her eyes and snuggled closer to him, absorbing his caring and his heat. The air-conditioning in the hospital made her shiver. Jackson pulled her closer and the steady beat of his heart lulled her to sleep.

  Chapter Seventeen

  “I need to leave today.” She said the words for at least the tenth time since she was released from hospital. Jackson ignored
her this time as he had the other nine times. “You know I’m right,” she continued.

  He turned and pinned her to the seat with a hot blue gaze. She swallowed hard and tried to ignore the fluttering in her heart and in her womb. “You’re not going anywhere. Not until this stalker is caught. If you leave now,” he continued reasonably, “you might draw the threat back to your sisters in New York.”

  That was a deep concern. She’d called her sisters this morning and had spent a half-hour on the phone convincing them that she was fine. Topaz had taken it upon herself to call their parents in London and now they were on their way back to New York. Emerald didn’t have it in her heart to be angry at her sister, although at this point, she’d have preferred to have her parents as far away from her as possible. At least that way she’d know they were safe.

  “No arguments?” Jackson was staring at her with concern now as they drove down the highway toward the farm. Abel or Nathan, she wasn’t sure who, had driven his truck to town this morning and delivered it and a change of clothing for both of them to the hospital. Emerald appreciated the loose cotton shorts and oversized T-shirt that Erin had packed for her. She wouldn’t be wearing a bra for a while, although her back was much better today.

  “No. I know I can’t go back to New York, but I can’t stay here either.” She was a danger to whomever she was around.

  “You can’t run forever, Emerald. Now that we know that he knows you’re here, we can take steps to protect you.”

  She swallowed hard as she stared out the window. Jackson would protect her, but at what cost to himself and his property? “It’s not just you who might be at risk. Have you thought about that?” She turned as far as the seat belt would allow and faced him. “Your family might be at risk as well.”

  “Abel and Nathan will take care of themselves and the women.” He sounded so confident and so chauvinistic she wanted to smack him.

  “They can’t stop a bomb, Jackson.” She’d done everything to get him to understand, but he was being stubborn. Well, she was stubborn too and as soon as she felt up to it, she was packing her bags and leaving. She ignored the pain deep in her chest and the churning in her gut. She had to leave to protect him.

  He didn’t answer her, but she hadn’t expected him to. There was nothing more to be said as far as she was concerned. Jackson kept his eyes on the road, but his fingers tightened perceptibly around the steering wheel. Sighing, Emerald turned to peer out the side window. She was going to miss the unspoiled countryside around her. For a city girl, she’d gotten used to the peace and quiet real quick.

  Jackson turned up the road to the driveway. They were here to pick up some clothing before heading over to Erin’s place. Trucks and a few cars lined the road, with more parked around the back of the house.

  “What the heck…” Jackson pulled to a stop, turned off the ignition and sat back and stared. The house was a beehive of activity. A slow smile turned up the edges of his mouth, softening the harsh planes of his face.

  “What’s going on?” Men were talking as they sawed and painted. Women were trooping to and fro, carrying buckets of dirty water outside and dumping them before turning around and marching back inside.

  “Looks like the neighbors have come to call.” Jackson opened his door and climbed out as Abel strode toward him. Not wanting to miss anything, Emerald pushed open her door and slid out of her seat, ignoring her aches and pains.

  “Glad you’re here.” Abel slapped Jackson on the back. The blow would have felled a lesser man. Abel’s hands were the largest she’d ever seen. Jackson never even flinched.

  “What’s all this?” Jackson sounded more bemused than concerned.

  “Everyone heard what happened.” Abel turned to her with regret on his face. “The entire town knows about you, the stalker and the bomb.”

  “How?”

  Abel gave a chuckle. “Nothing works quite like the country grapevine. Folks monitoring the police band heard about the bombing. The firefighters and paramedics knew about you. The hospital staff knew you were brought in because of your injuries in the blast.”

  Abel arched his eyebrow, making her laugh. “Okay. I get the picture.” She watched the beehive of activity with growing interest.

  “Nathan decided the best thing to do was to set things straight. So he went to the diner yesterday afternoon and laid things out for folks. Carly’s been doing the same all day today. We figured a stranger would be easier to spot if everyone in town and the surrounding area was looking for him.”

  Emerald was uncomfortable with the idea that everyone knew her business, but it did make sense. “But what does that have to do with all these people?”

  “Heck, darlin’. Folks started arriving as soon as the police gave the okay. The actual fire damage was minimal. Most of it came from smoke and water. People have been cleaning and scrubbing throughout the night. This is the second shift.”

  “Wow.” Emerald didn’t quite know what else to say. The community of Meadows was unlike any she’d ever experienced. It also said a lot about Jackson that all these people would leave their busy lives to come and help.

  “We had to put in a couple new windows in the kitchen, but everything in the room has been cleaned and floor has been hauled up. We also decided it was better to just haul out the walls and redo the drywall. The bottom cabinets were a write-off, so we tore them out and replaced them. Paul Werner at the hardware store sent out some that will match the existing ones.”

  Jackson nodded as he watched the activity. A few folks had looked their way, but for the most part, they just kept on working. Emerald wondered if he was as overwhelmed as she was. Sidling up beside him, she tucked her hand into his. His fingers closed around hers as he tugged her closer.

  “We should get you inside.” Voice gruff with emotion, Jackson led her toward the porch.

  People stopped as they approached. Some nodded while others stopped to offer their sympathy about her injuries and the damage to the house. Names flew at her so quickly she couldn’t keep track of them all. There was what had to be the entire Applebee family, the Martins, the Werners, Dirk Marshall and his brother Peter, the Essex sisters and the list went on and on.

  A few of them mentioned that they were fans of her parents’ music. Emerald felt their genuine concern as she made her way into the chaos of the kitchen. She blinked at the transformation. New walls had been installed, taped, plastered and were now in the process of being primed. Pristine cabinets were going in and a new sink was being installed. The floor was nothing but plywood, but Emerald had a feeling that would be changed by the end of the day. Two new windows replaced the ones that had been damaged in the blast.

  Erin walked toward her with a huge grin on her face. “What do you think?”

  Emerald’s answer came straight from the heart. She didn’t even have to pause to think about it. “I think you people are amazing.”

  A large man of about fifty with a wild, gray beard gave a hoot of laughter, but she could see the pleased gleam in his eyes. “This is nothing, little lady. We’d have rebuilt the whole house if we’d had to.”

  She could see the sincerity in his eyes and again marveled at this place and the people who lived here. “Since this was my fault, I want to help.”

  The man was already shaking his head. “From what I heard, it ain’t your fault. You just got out of the hospital, so the only thing you’re allowed to do is sit and watch.” His eyes twinkled with mischief. “I’d have thought it was every woman’s dream to sit and boss a bunch of men around.”

  She laughed, unable to resist his humor. “Emerald Jewel.” She held out her hand and he reached out and engulfed it with his huge paw of a hand. “Francis Parker. My missus is here somewhere. You’ll meet Frannie later. She’s a big fan of your parents, but don’t be letting her wear you out with questions about them.”

  “Now, Francis, don’t you be frightening that young woman before she even meets me.” Emerald had to blink twice when she saw w
ho she assumed was Frannie Parker. The woman was about half the size of her large husband. Her hair was an ash blonde and sleekly styled. Delicate was the only word for her. She walked up to her husband and gave him a playful swat before introducing herself. Before she knew what was happening, Frannie was leading her upstairs. Emerald glanced behind her to find Jackson surrounded by the men working in the kitchen.

  “Don’t you fret none,” Frannie continued as they made their way up the stairs. “We’ll have the worst of it taken care of by dark.” Emerald just nodded as the older woman led her to the clean spare room and made her lie down. Suddenly exhausted by it all, she snuggled on her side beneath the covers and fell asleep.

  It was quiet when she awoke. She had no idea how much time had passed, but it was dark outside. Seems she’d slept most of the afternoon and evening away. She sensed Jackson’s presence even though she couldn’t hear him. Sitting up, she pushed her hair out of her eyes and saw him leaning against the wall by the window, looking out over the land. When he heard her, he glanced her way.

  “How are you feeling?”

  She stifled a yawn and took stock of her body before answering. “I actually feel pretty good.” Even her voice sounded better. It was still husky, but not quite as raw. “How about you? I didn’t mean to sleep the entire day away.” And she was rambling, nervous without knowing why.

  Jackson levered himself away from the wall and strode toward her. It was then she noticed the rifle in his hands. She swallowed hard. It brought home once again just how much danger surrounded her.

  “You needed the rest.” His voice was low and warm as he sat down beside her. The mattress dipped and she slid closer to him. He cupped her face with his hand, leaned down and kissed her. It was a soft, gentle kiss, but it made her toes curl beneath the covers.