by Lena Hart
She laughed obediently, but didn’t continue their flirtatious banter. She couldn’t. Her argument with Jackson was still fresh and though she tried not to let it sour her evening, it was easier said than done.
“Shall we go inside and make me the most envied man here tonight?”
Truth looped her arm around his and they entered the dark sport bar together. The place was more crowded than she had expected, but they managed to find a spot to squeeze in with some of his deputy friends.
“Sorry for the crowd,” Mike said close to her ear. “I didn’t know it would get like this.”
“It’s okay. I don’t mind the extra company.” She actually was relieved by it. Mike was an attractive man, and this was her first date in years. There seemed to be less pressure now that they weren’t alone.
“Yo, Rookie. Aren’t you going to introduce us to your new lady friend?”
“Guys, this is Truth. Truth, these are the guys.”
One of the men threw a cheese stick at Mike, which he expertly dodged.
“Damn rookies,” the man muttered then turned to her. “My name’s Clive. That’s Shawn and he’s Phil.”
“Nice to meet you all,” Truth said, nodding at the men.
“Rookie, why don’t you go get your lady a drink, while we scope her out,” Clive said.
“What are you drinking?”
“I have an early shift tomorrow so cranberry juice is fine.”
“You got it.” Mike turned to his friends. “You guys be nice.”
“Yeah, yeah,” Phil muttered. “We’re always nice. Now get the fuck outta here.”
Clive jabbed his elbow in Phil’s side. “Yo, language. The lady’s sitting right there.”
Truth laughed and shook her head. “Don’t worry about it. I used to work at a hospital in New York City. I worked with a ton of cops and believe me, I’ve heard it all.”
“Where in New York?” Clive asked.
“The Bronx, in Belmont.”
“Get the fuck outta here. I was born in Jersey, but grew up in Longwood.” Clive raised his beer mug to her. “Welcome to civilization.”
“How’d you like it up there?” Phil asked.
Truth smiled. “I fucking loved it.”
The men howled with laughter and just like that she won them over.
She and Mike spent the next few hours there with his friends and she got to learn a lot about the people in town, Mike’s unforgettable rookie mistakes and learned just how much these men cared about their small town and the people living in it. And how much they love their job.
“You know, I thought I’d never say this, but I miss Tank. He was the kind of trouble I looked forward to on Friday nights.”
Mike tensed beside her and tried to change the subject but Phil chimed in.
“That’s because you like a challenge. I for one am glad we don’t have to deal with his shit anymore.”
Clive scoffed. “For now. But once a drunk, always a drunk.”
“Okay guys,” Mike cut in. “Why don’t we—”
“Who’s Tank?” Truth asked the group.
“No one you have to worry about. Just know that if you run into Jackson Matoa, you better run the other way.”
“Or better yet, run to Mike.” Phil teased.
Truth turned to Mike and he looked away from her, clearly embarrassed. Yet as the men continued highlighting Jackson’s many encounters with them, he neither spoke up or against him. He said nothing. The louder the men laughed at him, the deeper her anger build.
“Why do you call him Tank?”
“Because Sherriff Lawson had us turn one of the cells into a drunk tank just for him. It was practically his second home.”
Phil scoffed. “You mean his only home. The guy’s a loser,” he muttered before bringing his glass to his lips.
At those callous words, something in Truth snapped. Before she could stop herself, she lashed out and knocked the glass from his hand. It went flying across the table before it crashed to the ground.
She didn’t remember standing, but there she was, leaning over the table and shouting in the stunned man’s face.
“No, you’re the loser! Making fun of a man who had a problem, who had just lost his brother, and whose clear cry for help had gone completely ignored by everyone at this table.”
Including me.
Truth let that knowledge sink in for a moment and the shame she felt for turning her back on him nearly staggered her.
“Look, I’m sorry,” Phil stammered. “I—we didn’t know any of that.”
Clive nodded. “He keeps a lot to himself and those who know him, don’t really talk about him.”
“Well, my brother-in-law is a pretty decent guy. Maybe you should try getting to know him before you make fun of him.” Truth gathered her things and left the table, not sparing Mike another glance.
Jackson lay in his bed staring up at the dark ceiling and listening to the faint sound of the front door opening. He turned his head to check the time. It was a little after midnight.
She hadn’t spent the night out.
He had no right to feel relieved, but he did. And that relief only heightened his guilt. Truth was a young, smart and beautiful. And a widow. She deserved to find love again. He couldn’t expect her to resign her life to being Danny’s widow. Instead of biting her head off tonight, he should have just complimented her and kept his mouth shut.
Just because he couldn’t be with her, didn’t mean he should keep her from being with anyone else. No matter how much he hated the thought.
Jackson pushed the covers away and swung his legs on the other side. He needed to apologize for tonight and get it over with or he knew they would spend the next few days in awkward silence and tense interactions.
His leg was feeling stronger every day and he was able to walk more without the support of his cane. He found her in the bathroom, still in her dress, her back to him. She was wiping off her makeup and it took a moment to realize he was standing at the door watching her.
When she did, she shrieked and whirled around to face him.
“Jackson! You scared the hell out of me. I thought you were asleep.”
“Sorry, I didn’t mean to scare you.” He fell silent, thinking of the right words to say next. She continued to stare at him expectantly.
“Did you need something?”
“Yeah…” He leaned against the door jam and ran his hand over his hair. “About tonight… I’m sorry I was a grade-A dick. I shouldn’t have jumped down your throat about it. It’s none of my business who you see. I just hope I didn’t ruin your night.”
To his dismay tears welled in her eyes and she glanced down at her hand and the washcloth clutched between her fingers.
He straightened from the door and took a step toward. “Truth, I said I was sorry.”
“And I appreciate it, but you didn’t ruin my night. Mike and his friends did that all on their own.”
The muscles in his shoulders bunched. Mike and his friends? “What the hell happened?”
She shook her head and turned away from. “Nothing. Never mind.”
“No,” Jackson bit out. He grabbed her arm and turned her back to face him. Misery and strain was all in her eyes—and the two things she hadn’t been able to wipe away. “Did any of them touch you? Hurt you? Tell me so I know how many bones I need to break.”
Truth eyes widened before she started to laugh. He cupped her chin and held it firm.
“Truth. I’m serious.”
She immediately sobered up. “Jackson, it was nothing like that. I just got to see a side of him and his friends that I didn’t care for, that’s all.” Pulling out of his grasp, she took his hand and gave it a squeeze. “You don’t have to go breaking anyone’s bones.”
He relaxed a bit. “Good. So…does that mean you won’t be seeing him again?”
She shrugged. “Probably not.”
Jackson schooled his expression to keep his relief from showing. “We
ll, I still owe you a trip to the fair.”
She smiled. “Yes, you do. I’m free tomorrow night.”
He returned her smile. “Then it’s a date.”
“Speaking of dates…” She hesitated then forged on. “I’m going to start dating again, Jackson. I know how much you cared about Danny, and it may seem like I’m dishonoring his memory by choosing to move on, but no one could ever replace him in my heart.”
“I never thought that, Truth. You dating Mike, or anyone else for that matter, has nothing to do with Danny.”
She tilted her head and frowned in confusion. “Then why were you so angry about it?”
Because I was jealous.
But he couldn’t tell her that without explaining his feelings for her. He would only drive her away like he did the last time. And as much as he hated to admit it, he was starting to enjoy having her around—even if her presence drove his libido crazy.
Suddenly, her cell phone rang from her room and she frowned. “That might be the hospital about my shift tomorrow morning. I should go get that.”
“Sure.” He moved out of her way and she hesitated for a millisecond before she left.
He started back to his room, but not before he heard her next words before she shut her door.
“It’s late, Mike. What do you want?”
Jackson’s steps faltered but he continued back to his room. He refused to eavesdrop though everything in him wanted to do just that.
Twelve
“Wow, I haven’t been to one of these in a while.”
Truth didn’t know where to focus her attention on first. The small fair wasn’t as big as some others she’s been to, but it was still very bright and mesmerizing. Nothing smelled more like fall than the scent of fresh popcorn and roasted peanuts. The carnival smells and rush of excitement around filled the air and Truth couldn’t help but smile.
“It comes twice a year into town,” Jackson said. “In the fall and spring, though the last time I was here, Danny was…”
Truth looked up at him as he stared off into the distance. This was the first time he had brought up Danny on his own. She was both surprised and thrilled by that. She wanted them to be able to talk about Danny with more than just painful memories to draw from.
“Danny was what?” she encouraged.
Jackson cleared his throat and jammed his hands into his pocket glanced over at her. “He was in high school and working one of the game booths.”
They continued strolling across the lawn of the fair, passing a long row of game booths.
“Which one was it?” Truth asked, taking in the many different booths and prizes behind each. “Was it the one where you toss the rings over the bottle?”
“No, it was damn balloon darts. I took my date at the time to his booth and he helped me win one of those grand prize bears for her. On my first try, too.”
Truth laughed. “And I bet Danny had something to do with that.”
The corner of his lips kicked up. “Of course. At the time, I was recovering from a shoulder injury and my aim wasn’t what it used to be.”
She bit back a smile as he flexed his arm. “I’m sure it wasn’t.”
He chuckled. “I’m serious. Though, it didn’t matter how I won. My date was impressed, and I was glad I got to…” He shot her a quick look. “Make her happy.”
Truth held on to her smile, although she didn’t particularly want to hear about Jackson and how happy he made his previous girlfriends. She patted his previously injured shoulder then looped her arm around his and urged him forward.
“Come on. Those peanuts are calling to me.”
They stopped at the first cart they found and ordered a bag of roasted peanuts and a small bag of popcorn. The lines to the rides and games were equally long so they continued strolling around the fairgrounds, eating their treats and making random observations.
After a several minutes on their feet, Truth turned to Jackson. “How’s your leg? We could find a spot to rest for a while if you want.”
“My leg’s fine,” he assured her. “Actually, it’s better than fine. I think I can officially hang up the cane.”
“Oh, yeah? Then how about we try to make it to that thing?” She pointed to the large attraction that had grabbed her attention since they’d arrive.
“The Ferris wheel? That’s a slow, boring ride.”
“Perfect. I’m too sensitive for those rides that shake and twirl you around in the air.”
He grinned down at her. “But it’s way more fun.”
“Yeah, maybe if I was pizza dough. Come on.”
They made their way across the fair and stood in line for the ride. While they waited, a thin man dressed in all black and white gloves and suspenders was entertaining the crowd. His face was also painted in white and with him was a cart of balloons.
Truth watched fascinated as the man created interesting things with his balloons. He handed a little girl a pink and yellow butterfly. He collected his tip from the parents then went down to the next family and crafted a blue and white airplane for their little boy.
Truth didn’t know if it was part of the man’s act, but he didn’t say a word as he designed and sold his creations. He was an expert at his craft and sold almost everything he created.
When he finally reached them, Truth was curious to see that he would design next. It took a few minutes and several red and green balloons before Truth realized what he was creating.
It was a bouquet of roses.
She smiled at them, yet was surprised when the man turned and handed them to Jackson.
“No, thanks,” he muttered, equally surprised.
The man rolled his eyes and thrust the bouquet at him again. When Jackson still didn’t reach for them, the man began nodding impatiently in her direction.
“I think he wants you to give them to me,” Truth whispered.
The man sighed and nodded eagerly.
“Oh.” Jackson dug into his pocket and handed the man a few bills before taking the balloons from him.
The man shook his head before moving on to the next couple.
Jackson stared after him, a frown furrowing his brow. “That wasn’t at all awkward,” he muttered sardonically.
“Well, I think it was sweet.”
Jackson looked down at her then, the frown easing from his face. He handed her the balloons and Truth brought her hand up to her chest in mock surprise.
“For me?” She took them and clutched them close. “They’re beautiful.”
He chuckled. “I hope you like them. I picked them out myself.”
She shared in his laughter, something warm spreading through her at his beautiful smile. His whole face seemed to transform when he laughed. His eyes winkled in the corners and his lips curved mischievously, making him so devilishly handsome she couldn’t look away.
When they finally made it to the front of the line and onto the Ferris wheel, she was suddenly shy and uncertain around him. She couldn’t make sense of her confusing emotions. Overtime, she and Jackson had managed to develop a friendship that was special to her. Now, however, his friendship wasn’t enough.
She wanted more.
“Are you all right?”
She nodded jerkily, still avoiding his gaze. As they began their ascent, Truth shut her eyes against the late September wind that blew across her face. The air grew chilly and she wanted desperately to move closer and huddle against his warm body. She wished she was bold enough to nestle against his side and absorb his heat.
Better yet, she wished he would wrap those strong arms of his around her.
Suddenly, her phone began vibrating repeatedly. She pulled out her cell phone and realized it was Mike calling.
“Do you need to get that?”
Truth was surprised by the sudden question and glanced over at Jackson. He was staring down at her phone, his expression unreadable. She shook her head and sent the call to voicemail. She dropped her phone back into her bag.
Mi
ke was persistence that was for sure. And though she had accepted his apology for last night, she didn’t know if he was worthy a second chance.
There was only one way to find out…
She was out with him again.
This made it the second time this week.
Jackson sat on the couch, flipping the channel and vaguely registering what was on. Truth seem to have forgiven Mike Justice for whatever he done on their first day and the guy was taking full advantage of her free time.
Jackson tried to be okay with the whole thing, but it was getting harder every night he had to watch her leave the house, looking possibly beautiful for another man.
He snapped off for the television and got to his feet. He wandered aimlessly around the house, noting how quiet—and empty—it was when she wasn’t around.
He went to the kitchen and surveyed the fridge. He’d already eaten dinner, but he pulled out the leftover she had packed from last night and begin picking at it. He wasn’t hungry for food. What he wanted was Truth and her slender, sexy thighs trembling around his head.
Jackson slammed the lid of the Tupperware shut and threw it back into the fridge. What he really wanted was a drink.
But he didn’t dare go that route again, and he quickly shove the thought aside. He grabbed his keys and left the house. He needed to clear his head. He found himself driving to Main Street and pulling up to the old bar he remembered walking into countless nights, but couldn’t remember walking out of.
Jackson continue to drive aimlessly, through Main Street. His mind hadn’t quiet let go of thoughts of truth, but at least his need for a drink had lessen.
He pulled up to a stop and waited a bit longer for the woman carrying large bags to cross. The woman looked up at him and nodded a quick thanks.
He instantly recognized the older woman struggling with her bags, her glasses perched dangerously close at the tip of her nose.
Jackson threw his truck into park and hopped out. “Gloria?”
She stopped and glanced over at him in surprise. “Jackson? I almost didn’t recognize you. You’re looking good, honey.”
“Thanks,” he murmured, a bit uncomfortable by her intense scrutiny. He had always admired her and just thinking she had been witness to his previous dark moments embarrassed him.
