Something Borrowed

by Lena Hart

  She sat down in one of the empty seats in front and waited for him to emerge from the back, where he’d been taken for a share.

  She picked up a magazine and began flipping through it. She didn’t have long to wait, however. She glanced up at the commotion coming from the back and nearly did a double take. Jackson careful maneuvered him with his crutches and all she could do was simply gawk at him.

  He was gorgeous.

  Still rugged, with his trim beard and moustache, but beautiful. The barber had cropped his hair stylishly and tailored it to fit his broad features. And the groomed look enhanced his dark brown eyes. He was strikingly handsome, and she couldn’t seem to look away.

  When his eyes landed on hers, his lips curved into a crooked grin.

  “I take it you approve?”

  She nodded numbly. When she realized she was still staring at him stupidly, she hopped out of her seat and grabbed her bags.

  “It’ll do,” she said coolly. “Mr. Drysdale gets an A for effort.” She reminded herself to leave the barber a big tip.

  Nine

  “How did the meeting go?”

  “It went great,” Jackson said. “I got my account set up and should be able to get my workstation set up soon.”

  “That’s awesome. Jackson. Just be sure not to overdo it with your leg. You don’t want to undo all the progress you’ve made so far.”

  “Yes, ma’am.”

  She patted his arm and rose from the sofa. He grabbed her hand and pulled her back down. She stared at him curiously. Suddenly he cleared his throat, looking a bit embarrassed.

  “I got you something.”

  Her eyes rounded. “You did? Where is it?”

  She glanced around the room and he chuckled.

  “Since you are not going to be coy about it, here you go.” He pulled out the shopping bag and handed it to her.

  “Nope. Not when it comes to presences. Now gimme.” She grabbed the bag with both hands and pulled out the shoe box.

  “I know it’s long overdue, but I hope you like them.”

  She pulled open the lid and then burst out laughing. Her delight must have been contagious because she found him grinning easily over at her.

  “Oh, Jackson. I love them!”

  She pulled out the white and blue hightops and held them up. “They look almost exactly like my old pair. Where did you find these?”

  “A shoe store.”

  She laughed and rolled her eyes. “I figured as much. But you didn’t have to go through the trouble.”

  He shrugged. “It wasn’t far from the bank. And I figured since it was long overdue, I’d surprise you.”

  “Well, since you put it that way…” She slipped off her shoes and pulled on the stylish sneakers. She stood up to test them out then smiled down at him

  They fit perfectly.

  Suddenly, she fell back down onto the sofa and gave him a tight hug. “Thanks, Jackson.”

  His arm came around her waist and they held each other for a second longer than they should have. Truth breathed in his alluring musk as his nose nestled in her hair. Her nipples tightened and pushed against the soft fabric of her bra.

  She knew she should pull away from him, but all she wanted to do was get even closer to him. She wanted to feel the hard planes of his chest pushing against her aching breasts.

  But he took that possibility away when he pulled out of her arms. Truth immediately released him and cleared her throat. She avoided meeting his gaze, embarrassed by her unexpected neediness. He was only trying to be nice and here she was ready to jump his bones.

  “Uh, I should probably head to the shed and get some work done.”

  “Yeah, right. Of course.”

  Jackson rose to his feet, and Truth busied herself slipping out of her new shoes and repacking them in the box. When he didn’t immediately start toward the door, she mustered enough courage to glance up at him.

  “I was thinking…” He cleared his throat and ran a hand across the back of his neck. “If you’re free this weeked, maybe we can go and check out the fair. I figured it would be nice for us to get out of the house more.”

  Truth smiled broadly, her heart fluttering at the thought of being out with him. Even if it was strictly platonic for him, she was excited by the idea that he wanted to spend time with her too.

  “Yes, I’d love to go out with you tonight.” Her face flushed warmly when her words finally registered. “I mean, go with you. To the fair.”

  The corner of his lips kicked up and again her heart fluttered at the small, sexy action.

  “Cool. Let’s plan for Friday night.”

  She started to agree then remembered she couldn’t. “I can’t. I start my shift at the hospital that day.” His face fell and she rushed to add, “Let’s make it Saturday instead.”

  Truth spent the rest of the afternoon giddy and full of anticipation. It wasn’t technically a date and yet she was excited at the prospect. While Jackson worked in his shed, she kept herself busy with some housework, which helped pass the time. That helped pass the time.

  It was late in the afternoon when she heard the distinct sound of a car door slam. She frowned and went to the window. A tall, slender man climbed out of an old, beat-up tow truck. She had never seen the man before and from the deep scowl on his face, it was clear he wasn’t here for a friendly visit. And he was headed directly toward Jackson’s truck.

  Without hesitation, Truth rushed outside and called out to the man.

  “Excuse me, sir. May I help you with something?”

  The man whirled around to face her, surprise and irritation plain on his hard face. “No, ma’am. I found what I came here for.”

  “You’re taking his truck?”

  “Yes, I am.”

  “I’m sorry, but I can’t let you do that. Not without some paperwork or something.”

  His frown deepened. “I don’t have to show you shit. I’m here to do my job and repo this truck.”

  “You need to show me some legal documents of this or I’ll have to call the police for trespassing.”

  The man scoffed then sneered, “Suit yourself, lady, but I’m not leaving here without that truck.”

  Truth debated what she should do next. The man was clearly determined and there was no way she could physically stop him. The other option was getting Jackson involved, but she knew his temper would only further escalate the situation. With some patience, maybe she could reason with the man.

  Truth ran down the short steps and hurried toward the man. “Exactly how much does Jackson owe you?”

  “He doesn’t owe me anything,” the man said. “He owes the bank.”

  “Okay, then can I write you a check for the outstanding balance?”

  The man simply shook his head and started toward the back of his truck.

  “Wait, please.” Truth ran after the man and blocked his path. “You can’t take the truck. He needs it for his work.”

  “Not my problem. Now move out of my way, lady. I don’t have time for your shit.”

  She reined in her own temper, hoping to win the man over with civility even if he didn’t bother to practice any. “Can you just please give us a minute to strengthen this out? I’m only asking for a minute!”

  The man walked around her and tried latch the hook in front of the car. Truth ran in front of it and block him again.

  “God damn it, lady. I said move the fuck out of my way.”

  “Hey!”

  They both jumped at Jackson’s harsh shout. He rushed out of the shed and hurried toward them. He didn’t have his cane and Truth instantly worried for his leg.

  “Don’t you fucking talk to her like that.”

  The man’s stance was rigid, and his face was still pulled into a fierce scowl, but his tone lost a lot of its hard edge when he spoke to Jackson. Truth found the sudden change in him irritating.

  “Look, Jackson. I don’t want any trouble. Tell your lady to move, so I can do my job.”

>   “You want the truck, Doyle. Fine. Take it. Just watch your fucking tone, all right?” Jackson turned to her and held out his hand. “Come on, Truth.”

  “But Jackson, you—”

  Suddenly, Daisy came charging toward them from the back of the house, barking viciously.

  “What the fuck?” Doyle jerked back, nearly tripping over himself. “Keep that thing away from me!”

  “She doesn’t bite,” Jackson snapped, though he grabbed Daisy by the collar and held on to her. Daisy sat down on her haunches beside Jackson, but continued barking at the man. “Daisy, quiet.”

  With one whistle from Jackson, she stopped her barking, but the growls rumbling from her throat were terrifying. Truth had never seen her like this and for a moment, she was suddenly afraid for the man.

  “I don’t need this shit,” the man muttered then rushed back to his tow truck.

  Truth released her breath as the man started his truck and drove off. “Good riddance,” she murmured.

  “Don’t ever do that again, Truth.”

  She turned to Jackson, stunned by the harshness in his tone. His eyes were fiery embers as they bore into her.

  “What did I do?”

  “You put yourself in harm’s way and it was stupid. What if you had been alone, huh? He could have seriously hurt you.”

  Truth was struck by the rare panic she heard in his gruff voice. She hadn’t once thought she was in any real danger with that temperamental bastard, but apparently the thought had crossed Jackson’s mind and he’d been afraid for her. She didn’t know how to respond to that.

  “I think he was all bark and no bite. Like our Daisy.”

  Jackson’s lips tightened, and his expression remain hard despite her attempt at lighting the mood.

  “When a man like that talks to a woman like he just did, you don’t know what he’s capable of. And I know that bastard. He has no problem putting his hands on a woman or kid.”

  Truth swallowed and glanced off at the direction the man had sped off in. “I guess I’m so used to dealing with men and their tempers, I figured I could handle him.” She turned back to Jackson and his gaze took on a strange intensity as he stared down at her. “Don’t worry. Next time, I’ll keep my distance.”

  “Hopefully, there won’t be a next time.” He turned and started toward the house with Daisy following closing behind him.

  “Where are you going?”

  “To call the bank and pay off that damn truck,” he said over his shoulder.

  Jackson was surprised when he entered the kitchen to find it empty. Usually at this time, Truth had breakfast on the table. Even when she was upset with him. Maybe now that he was getting better she was scaling back on the home cooked meals. Though a hot meal was always nice, he actually looked forward to sitting and eating with her in the mornings.

  With a small shrug, he poured out Daisy’s breakfast and went and fixed himself some cold cereal. He was pleased to see how much faster he could more with the care versus the crutches. But by the time he was done with his simple meal and cleaned up, Truth had still not come out of her room.

  He checked the time. It was well pass ten o’clock. Jackson frowned. He’d never seen her sleep in past nine. Of course, there was a first for everything, and may be this was nothing, but his gut told him otherwise. He grabbed his cane and started toward her room. Danny’s room.

  He hadn’t been in there since Danny’s death and if he had his way, he wouldn’t be going there now but something was wrong, and he needed to find out what.

  He knocked on the closed door once.

  “Truth?”

  When there was no response, he knocked again. There was still no response.

  “Truth, I’m coming in.”

  He didn’t wait for a response this time. He pushed the door open and was surprised to see how dark it was inside. The curtains were drawn and in the center of the bed was her petite frame, baked up in a fetal position.

  Concern drove him to her side and rushed to the bed, wishing he could move much faster with the cane. He stared down at her small frame, the covers pulled over her head. He gently shook her shoulders and was relieved when she finally responded—even if it was low, barely audible moan.

  “Truth, what’s wrong?”

  Jackson pulled back the covers and Truth released another moan. She made a weak attempt to grab the covers and apparently gave up the attempt and curled into a tighter ball.

  “What do you need, Jackson?”

  “Nothing. Why are you still in bed?”

  “Because I’m tired. And cold.”

  He frowned and placed his palm over her forehead. “You are burning up. How long have you been like this?”

  “I don’t know… I just need some rest then I can make us breakfast.”

  “Truth, it’s almost noon.”

  Her eyes sprang open. “What? Why didn’t you wake me?”

  She shoved the covers aside and attempted to climb out of bed. She barely made it up before she fell back onto the mattress.

  “Truth, you need to get back in bed.”

  “I can’t. I start my new shift at the hospital in a few hours. I need to shower and—”

  “You’re not going anywhere. I’ll call the hospital and let them know you’re calling out tonight. Now lay back down.”

  To his surprise she didn’t argue with him.

  “Okay, but only for a bit. Then I’ll…”

  Her eyes drifted close and she was soon asleep. Jackson pulled the covers back over her and quietly left the room.

  And she called him stubborn. She didn’t sound congested and her high temperature meant she was coming down with the flu. She spent so much time taking care of others—of him—that she didn’t recognize when it was time for her to take care of herself.

  Well, now it was his turn to take care of her and he planned to do the best damn job of it.

  Something rough and wet ran across her face and Truth jerked her face away. She opened her eyes to find Daisy’s large face staring down at her, slobber falling from her hanging tongue.

  Truth groaned

  “Daisy, get down.”

  Truth turned her head to find Jackson ambling toward her bed his cane on one hand and a tray in his other. The tray jostled in his hand slightly, but he managed make it to her side without spilling anything.

  “What time is it?” Her voice sounded low and strained, and apparently she didn’t have the strength to lift her head.

  “A little after two,” Jackson said placing the tray down on the bed. “But don’t worry. I already called the hospital to let them know now to expect you.”

  “Thanks, she murmured, letting her eyes drift close again.”

  “Oh, no you don’t.” He sat down on the edge of the bed beside her and tugged her up to a sitting position and propped a few blankets behind her. “You need to get some fluids in you.”

  Truth knew he was right but all she wanted right now was sleep. “Do you have any cold and flu medicine?”

  “Yup. Got some right here.”

  Truth swallowed a cap full of the syrupy medicine and managed to take down some of the chicken broth.

  “I’m finished, thanks.”

  Jackson took the tray away and set it aside. “How are you feeling now?”

  “A little better. Not as weak.”

  He placed his palm over her head and nodded. “You’ve not burning up like you were this morning either.”

  Truth unconsciously ran her hands over her hair. She could only imagine what she looked like. But she needed to focus less on what she looked like and get to the heart of the issue.

  “Would you grab my nursing bag? It’s near the door.”

  Jackson made the short trip without his cane and she was glad to see that he was steadily getting better.

  When he brought the bag over, Truth opened it and pulled out her thermometer. It took seconds for her to see that her body temperature was dangerously high.

  “We n
eed to get you to the hospital,” Jackson blurted when he took the thermometer from her.

  There was deep concern in his eyes that made her heart warm. For all his surliness, he did care about her. Maybe even more than just a little.

  “No,” she said. “It’s high but it’s not critical. I just need more rest and water.”

  “You got it.”

  He rose from the bed and within minutes he brought back a pitcher of cool water, a clean glass with a straw, and a bottle of generic over-the-counter medicine.

  “What else I can do?”

  Truth worried her lip, debating whether she should ask his help for this one thing. Now she understood the reluctance from her many patients when it came time to ask for help voiding their bowels. She didn’t want Jackson to see her like this, much less help her to the bathroom, but she couldn’t be certain her weak legs would carry her that far without support.

  “Um, I do need your help with one more thing…” She shut her eyes against his intense gaze and fell back into the pillow. “This is so embarrassing.”

  It took him only a second to realize what it was she needed and without a word, he helped her out of bed.

  “Come on. I got you.”

  He supported much of her weight as they made their way to the bathroom. If he recognized the irony of their situation, he didn’t comment on it. He simply propped himself on his cane and held her firmly against his other side.

  “Do you need me to help you to the toilet?”

  “No!” She pulled away from him when they reached the door. “I can manage that part on my own.”

  He chuckled. “What was it that you said last time? That there’s nothing wrong with needing help, right? Well, I’ve heard and seen it all too, honey. Let me help you.”

  She narrowed her eyes at him, remembering that time when their roles had been reversed and her insistence in helping him.

  “Thanks for the offer, but this you won’t get to see.”

  He shot her a quick grin just before she shut the door in his face.

  Ten

  “How are you feeling?”