by Tiffany Snow
“Why did you agree to come?”
The look on Jackson’s face was blank, which I knew was a bad sign. I tried to think of what I’d done wrong, and came up empty. “I had to go,” I said. “They threated to subpoena me otherwise. It was better this way. I gave them nothing, but still appeared to cooperate. Did you think I’d throw you under the bus?”
“I didn’t say that. It’s just . . . I know you have a hard time with . . . communicating. I was afraid perhaps they’d tricked you into saying something you shouldn’t.”
My lips pressed together in a thin line. “It’s gratifying to know you think so highly of my abilities,” I snapped. “Or my loyalty. Speaking of loyalty, why isn’t the president backing you up? Protecting you? Everything you did was at his bidding, his demand. Why should you or your company pay the price?”
“He has to distance himself. Politically speaking, he has an election to win in eighteen months.”
“He’ll toss you to the wolves just so he wins reelection?”
Jackson shrugged. “He’s a politician. It’s nothing new.”
I was about to tell him what I thought of that when my cell phone buzzed. Taking it from my pocket, I saw it was an unknown number from Florida. Normally, I wouldn’t answer an unknown number, but Grandma lived in Florida so it might be her.
“Hello?”
“Hello, is this China?”
“Yes. Who’s this?”
“This is Serenity Escape,” the woman said, naming the retirement community where my grandma lived. “I’m Phyllis. We’re calling about your grandma.”
My heart skipped a beat. Grandma was the closest thing I had to a mother since my real mom had passed away when I was eight. If something had happened to her . . .
“What’s wrong? Is she okay?”
“She’s fine,” the woman soothed me, “but she’s had an . . . episode.”
“What do you mean? What kind of episode?”
“A minor cardiac infarction.”
Doctor-speak for a heart attack. “Oh my God! Is she all right? Where is she? Can I speak to her?”
“Please, please, calm down,” the woman hastened to assure me. “She’s all right. We needed to inform you of her status, though.”
“What’s her status?”
“She had the episode last night. But she’s doing fine today and is anxious to return to her own place. For now, we’re keeping her under observation.”
“I want to see her. I’ll be on the first plane down.”
“Of course. We thought you might want to. I’ll let her know you’re on your way.”
“Thank you.” I hung up.
“What’s wrong?” Jackson asked.
“It’s Grandma. She’s h-had a heart a-attack,” I managed. It rocked me. My granny was my rock. She didn’t change, even when everything else did. What would I do if something happened to her? Then I immediately felt guilty for the selfish thought.
“Is she all right?”
I nodded, my thoughts too overwhelming to speak.
“You’ll take my private jet down,” he said, his tone firm. “Right away.”
“I can’t do that,” I argued. “Not when things are so . . .” My voice trailed away. I had no word to describe how unsettled things were between us.
Jackson toggled a button on the console. “Lance, get Vince to fire up the jet for immediate departure to Pensacola.”
“I can fly commercial.” And not owe him anything.
“What’s the point of having a rich boyfriend if you can’t take advantage of all his toys?”
Yes, that was certainly a plus. Impulsively, I asked, “Will you come with me?”
“To Florida?”
I nodded. “I’d like for you to meet my grandma. She’s the most important person in the world to me. Except probably for Mia.”
Jackson studied me, then smiled. “If that’s what you want, then yes, I’ll come.”
Which is how we found ourselves in Pensacola, Florida, four hours later.
12
I heard my granny before I saw her.
“I’m fine, I tell you. You’re wasting your time and money keeping me here, and don’t think I don’t know that it’s a racket. Where’s that male nurse I had earlier? Julio, I think was his name. Send him back around, would you? He had a really nice rear on him, that one does.”
Oh God. Yep, that was my granny. I heard Jackson snort next to me, then try to cover it up with a cough.
Pasting on a smile, I tapped on the open door. “Grandma? You decent?” I stepped around the corner and spied her lying propped up in bed, a mound of pillows supporting her. She glanced over, saw me, and her face broke into a wide grin that lit up her eyes.
“China girl! What in the blazes are you doing here?”
I rushed toward her, hugging her carefully. My chest had been tight but now it relaxed, my relief at seeing Grandma overwhelming me.
“Thank God you’re all right,” I said.
“Of course I am,” she shot back. “It’ll take more than a little ol’ heart attack to knock me out of the game.” Her keen eyes looked past me. “And who have we here? A hot new doctor for me? Why, you shouldn’t have.”
I snuffed a laugh through my tear-clogged throat, blinking my eyes. “This is my . . . boyfriend. Jackson. Jackson, this is Granny.”
He stepped forward, looking ever so dapper in his shirt and jacket. I’d convinced him to relax a bit and leave the tie behind, but he’d refused to meet my grandmother in just shirt sleeves.
“So very pleased to meet you, Cybil,” he said, gently squeezing her frail hand.
“Oh, call me Granny,” she said, her pale cheeks pinking like a young girl’s. “Everyone does.”
“Thank you for the privilege,” Jackson said, bowing slightly over her hand. “I’d be honored.”
If Granny was fifteen, she’d have fluttered her eyelashes. As it was, she looked decidedly pleased with herself.
“Isn’t he a charmer,” she said in an undertone to me. Jackson and I both smiled, giving each other mirrored looks of amusement.
“He certainly is,” I agreed, turning back to her. “Now tell me what happened. They were very vague on the phone.”
“Sweetie, it’s not pretty.” She glanced at Jackson. “And I’m not sure it’s appropriate for mixed company.”
“Don’t be silly,” I said. “Jackson is very pragmatic and sophisticated about the world. I’m sure nothing you say can shock him.”
Granny gave a heavy sigh. “I suppose you’re right. And after all, at my age, what’s the point of being embarrassed?”
That should have given me pause, but she launched into her story.
“You know I’ve been seeing Larry since Viagra Wednesday three weeks ago,” she began. I nodded, almost able to feel Jackson’s question in the air, unspoken. Viagra Wednesday? “Well, we saw each other a few more times, and then last night, we had dinner, and then we . . .” She trailed off, giving me a meaningful look, eyebrows raised.
Ah. “Got it,” I said. “So what happened? Did it not . . . go well?” How did one ask one’s granny if the sex was good?
“Oh no, it was good,” she said. “Very, very good. I must say, China, that man could do things with his—”
“I’m sure he could,” I interrupted, somewhat shrilly. I really didn’t need the images, thank you very much. “So what happened?”
“Well, during . . . you know . . .”
“Yes, I know,” I said, hurrying her along.
“He just . . . stopped. All of a sudden like. And I tapped his shoulder and said, ‘Larry, are you all right?’ But he didn’t do anything. He just lay there, like a beached whale on top of me.”
Oh God, I so didn’t need the details . . .
“. . . and after a minute or two, I realized he hadn’t fallen asleep, like I’d thought at first. But he’d died. While we were having sex, China, can you imagine?”
I couldn’t and didn’t want to.
/> “And it must’ve just been the shock of it because before I knew it, I had trouble breathing. So I managed to roll him off and get to a phone. And it was a good thing, too, because my chest was feeling much too tight when the paramedics arrived. It was too late for Larry, the poor man, but in time to help me.”
I struggled to wrap my head around the fact that my granny’d had a man die while having sex with her and blurted out the first thing that came to mind. “The odds of dying from a heart attack during sex are about one in ten thousand,” I said. “There’s a higher likelihood of suffering a cardiac event during road rage, shoveling snow, or being the guest of honor at a surprise party.”
“What she meant to say is that must’ve been awful,” Jackson said, giving me a sideways glance.
“Well, it certainly was at the time, I’m not gonna lie,” she said. “But now, I must admit, it’s given me quite the reputation among the single gentlemen here.”
“What?”
“Oh yes,” she nodded sagely, “I’m now quite the catch. So good in bed, you might die from the pleasure of it.”
Jackson was attacked by a suspiciously convenient coughing fit, and I gave him the side eye, catching the grin he couldn’t conceal.
“How long do you have to stay?” I asked, wanting to distract Granny from telling any more of her story as a geriatric man-eater.
“Oh, just another day,” she said. “I can leave tomorrow. I’m trying to get them to send Julio in for my sponge bath.” She gave me a wicked grin, her eyes gleaming. “He’s twenty-two and has biceps as big as my thigh.”
I rubbed a tired hand over my eyes. While relieved that Granny seemed okay, the worry and stress had taken a toll on me, not to mention the revelations about her sexcapades. I could’ve gone my whole life without knowing that information.
“You look like you’re about to drop,” she said, taking my hand in hers. “I can’t believe you came down so quick, honey. They shouldn’t have bothered you. I told your brothers that I’m fine and not to worry.”
“Don’t be ridiculous,” I said. “And you’re not a bother. I don’t want to hear any talk like that.” I kissed her cheek.
“Go and get some rest,” she said, squeezing my hand. “I don’t need you hovering over me tonight. They have people here for that.”
“Okay. We’ll go, but I’ll be back to take you home tomorrow,” I said, giving her another hug. “Do you need anything?”
“Just a sponge bath,” she countered, glancing at Jackson. “I don’t suppose your man friend has any nursing experience.”
It was my turn to suffer a coughing fit as Jackson paled underneath his tan. “Um, I don’t think so, Granny. But I’ll ask them to find Julio for you as I leave.”
She smiled, leaning back against the pillows. “Perfect. Thank you for coming, China girl.”
“You don’t have to thank me,” I said. “It’s what family does. Now I’ll see you tomorrow.” I pointed a finger at her. “Don’t make trouble.”
“Who? Me?”
“Your innocent act is fooling no one,” I retorted. “Least of all, me.”
“Aw, now don’t be like that.”
I harrumphed at her, giving her a look that she wholly ignored as I headed out the door, followed by Jackson.
“Your granny,” he said, “she’s quite a character.”
I snorted. “That’s a nice way of putting it.” My granny was a firecracker and always had been. At least, that’s what the legends said.
“I think you take after her,” he said, surprising me.
“Really? How? She and I are nothing alike. Granny leaps into circumstances without considering the consequences. She has no consideration for propriety or societal convention. She’s pretty much a force unto herself. How in the world are she and I alike?”
Jackson shook his head and just smiled, leaving me to wonder what he was thinking, and headed for the exit. After a few steps, he put his arm around my shoulders, and I let him. We stayed like that all the way to his car, parked in the hospital garage. He opened the passenger door for me, and I gratefully slid in. I was exhausted. Even though it was early evening, I felt as though it were midnight.
I closed my eyes as he drove, not knowing or caring where we went. Usually, I was a control freak and needed to know exactly what the plan was: where I was staying, how far away, what were we doing once we got there, etc. But with Jackson, I innately trusted him to take care of things. He was supremely competent in that aspect, at least. So I could relax, and I dozed.
I woke when we stopped, the car’s engine turned off, and I looked around. “Where are we?”
“I have a friend who lives here. Said I could use his place for a few days.”
Jackson got out and rounded the car before I’d had much time to process this. He opened my door and I got out, the smell of the sea and salt assailing me. I could hear the ocean very close by.
“Where are we?” I asked as he took my hand.
“Not too far from your granny, if you’re worried,” he replied. “We could be there in thirty minutes, if necessary.”
By now we were at the door to a house that loomed large above me. Jackson punched a code into a lock and opened the door, pulling me inside after him.
Marble flooring and granite countertops. Chandeliers and white leather sofas. It was a beautiful place, elegant with clean lines and simple sophistication. Out the back I saw sunlight and followed it to a terrace that spanned the length of the house.
“Wow,” I breathed, leaning against the railing. The sun was setting, turning the sky into a kaleidoscope of pinks and oranges and purple. Only about a hundred yards away was the water’s edge, the waves gently lapping at the white sand. The terrace was filled with luxurious furnishings—sofas and chairs with cushions meant to embrace you as you took in the gorgeous view.
“Hungry?” Jackson asked, leaning against the railing next to me.
I closed my eyes, the breeze caressing my face. “A little.” It had been a while since breakfast and I’d skipped lunch. Now that I’d seen Granny and reassured myself she was okay, I could eat again. “I probably need to call work, let them know where I am.”
“Why? You’re entitled to a family emergency.”
There was a tone in Jackson’s voice. Anger, maybe? An irrational response, so I debated my reply. “True, but you wouldn’t just disappear without telling anyone, right?”
He didn’t look much happier, but seemed to accept that. Sliding his arms around my waist, he pulled me into him.
“I’m sorry. I’m not trying to be an ass. It’s just that I . . . don’t want to share you.”
He was right on the being an ass part. But I didn’t understand what he meant. My dating life was a flatline with the occasional spike from a blind date or setup that went nowhere. “You don’t share me.”
“Don’t I?”
I was confused. “What are you talking about? Granny?”
“Clark.”
Oh. “I don’t get it,” I said, exasperated. “Why are you stuck on this? Your reaction to him and me working together has been all out of proportion. He’s not an ex-boyfriend or something. We just work together.”
The wind took my hair, loosening tendrils from my ponytail that blew into my face. Jackson caught them, tucking them behind my ear in a sweet, gentle gesture that made me feel like one of those girls. The ones so pretty and feminine, who you saw on perfume commercials with the sexy guy looking utterly dumbstruck by their beauty.
“It’s hard to explain,” he said. “And it’ll probably make me sound like I’m thirteen again.”
“You have to tell me something,” I said, unbending. “Because obviously it bothers you and I need to understand why.”
He loosened his hold and let me go, turning his gaze out to sea and resting his arms against the railing. He’d discarded his jacket inside and the breeze made his hair ruffle as though invisible fingers ran through it.
“I know you were bullied as
a kid,” he said. “I was, too. I’ve mentioned it before.”
“I remember.” Hard to believe the gorgeous billionaire genius hadn’t been popular in school, but that was kids for you.
“It makes an impact on you,” he continued. “I’m sure you know that. Affects you and molds you into a different person. More cautious, more wary, more fearful.”
I certainly understood that. I’d been a friendly, outgoing kid until after I’d been bullied a few times. Then I realized it was better to be quiet and unnoticed. Difficult, given my educational path, but it had never been my goal to be the one who stood out.
But I wasn’t following how this related to Clark. “I do understand that,” I said. “Both of us went through bullying in school. But how is Clark a part of that?”
He glanced at me. “Clark is a woman’s wet dream. Big guy, built, good-looking. Plus the whole military thing.” He shrugged. “When I think of him, I’m back to being that scrawny, nerdy kid stripped naked and duct-taped to the school flagpole. Why would you want me when you could have him?”
Even if he’d said he was a serial killer, nothing would have shocked me more. Jackson was beautiful, with warm brown eyes and a killer smile. Thick, chestnut hair, over six feet tall, lean but muscular. He was one of the smartest men on the planet—literally—and was rich enough to buy his own island if he wanted. The fact that he’d just confessed to me his insecurities was sobering. Men like him didn’t make themselves look weak for just anyone. Yet he’d done so . . . for me. So I would understand.
“Jackson . . . I don’t know what to say. I guess I thought you were aware of . . . your own appeal. You’re gorgeous, smart, wealthy, funny. Women fawn over you.”
“Thank you, but that’s not how it feels sometimes. And with the money comes doubt. Is a woman paying attention to me because she likes me for me? Or does she just see the money?” Our eyes met. “I think that’s why I’ve been holding back from us. I’ve been burned too many times by women I thought loved me, when really, they just loved my money. I was stupid and naive for so long. Then I met you, and you’re nothing like them. I want to trust you, but old habits and fears are hard to let go.”
