Sizzle and Burn

by Lexie Davis

  Jackson turned the key in the ignition and shifted to Drive. “I need to know what you know about your sister’s ex.”

  “Which one?”

  There’s more than one? “Frank Gallagher.”

  “He went to vet school with her. Total pretty boy player. Dad hated him.” Davis sighed, and in background, a bed squeaked. “From what I know from Jeff, he used her. Stole her ideas and took credit for them as his own. I’ve only met him three times—once every Christmas. He tried controlling Autumn, and you know my sister. She didn’t stand for it.”

  “He has money, doesn’t he? Comes from a rich family or something.”

  “Yeah. A whole line of veterinarians. I think Autumn even said they were her professors or something. Why do you ask?”

  “He’s at the top of my suspect list.” Jackson pulled into the parking lot of the local Home Depot. “The clinic was broken into last night, and the perp wrote ‘bitch’ on the brick outside and ‘whore’ on the inside walls.”

  “Fuck.” Davis sounded wide awake now. “This is a personal job, Jack. Is Autumn okay?”

  “She’s fine.” He stuffed his keys in his pocket as he walked toward the front doors. “She’s still Autumn, though. I think the writing on the wall got to her more than she’s letting on.”

  “I’m sure it did,” Davis replied. “Do you need some backup. I’ll tell Reiner I need time off. Honestly, I’d love nothing more.”

  Jackson laughed. “And why would I want to give you time away from the cadets?”

  “‘Jackass’ should have been your name,” Davis huffed. “Seriously though, Autumn’s my baby sis. My dad would kill me and everyone around if something happened to her.”

  Jackson grabbed a cart from the front and entered the store. “Nothing will happen to her. That is something I can guarantee.”

  After they hung up, Jackson put in a call to Jeffery—who didn’t give him the option of choosing whether or not he needed backup. He and Kristen both would be down in a day or two. Jeffery also promised to call Nick to let him know what went on.

  When Jackson was through with his errands and a visit to the grocery, he returned to the clinic. Marc, Summer’s boyfriend, waved at him when he pulled in the parking lot. He waved back, then parked, and carried his purchases inside.

  “Autumn so doesn’t deserve this.” Summer slammed a pile of collected papers in a basket. “She does nothing but care for others, even when they least deserve it.”

  “Where is she?” Jackson glanced around the office.

  “At the insurance company. Something is wrong with her policy, and she has to figure it all out.” She blew out a breath. “She looked like she was going to cry.”

  Jackson spread the food out on the counter he had finished replacing and glanced over at Summer. “Who do you think is doing this?”

  “It reeks of Frank, the slimy little worm. He probably saw her with you and decided to hit her where it hurts by writing shit on the walls and destroying her nearly remodeled office.” She slammed more papers in the basket making Marc flinch as he entered the building. “You know, when they worked together, Autumn took nearly all his business from him. People like her. She loves each animal, good or bad. She doesn’t discriminate against furry or aquatic friends. She just a good person with a good heart and all her clients know that.”

  Marc cautiously moved toward his girlfriend and kissed her cheek. “Hey, babe. What can I do?”

  “Well, plenty.” She finally turned to give him a real kiss. “Let’s eat first.”

  She looked at the food Jackson laid out on the counter. “Did you get enough for all of us? I mean, if not, we can go out. It’s not that big of a deal.”

  “Yeah, sure.” Jackson began to make his own sandwich. “When will Autumn be back?”

  She shrugged. “You could try her cell.”

  After everyone settled down with their food, Jackson got Autumn’s cell number and punched it in his phone. She picked up on the second ring.

  “Hey,” Jackson waited for a response and then added when she said nothing, “Uh, did you get everything settled?”

  “No.”

  “You okay?”

  “No.”

  Jackson glanced over at Summer and Marc, who were watching attentively. “When are you coming back to the clinic? I got lunch for us and Marc came over after his shift to help out.”

  “Jackson, I can’t deal with this right now.” She sniffled. “I just can’t, so please stop.”

  He stood, food forgotten and went to the door. “Where are you?”

  “Driving back to the clinic from the bank.”

  Jackson pushed the door open and stepped outside away from the crowd. “What happened with the insurance?”

  She sniffled again. “Their records say I haven’t paid my bill for an entire year. It’s not true, but the agent said they canceled my insurance and that I’ll be fined if I don’t come up with money to pay them and renew my policy.”

  Jackson pinched the bridge of his nose. “Why would the records say that if you paid them?”

  “I don’t know. I thought my bank statements or canceled checks would account for proof of payment, but they magically disappeared from my account as well. The bank said the checks were voided or not cashed. There was no record of them anywhere in the system. I tried pleading with Dan at the insurance place, but he said it was business not personal.” He heard something make a thumping noise. “I swear Gallagher is behind this. I just know it.”

  “Why?”

  “Because they are friends. I wouldn’t put it past him to pay Dan to suddenly make paperwork disappear. Frank always said everyone had a price, you just had to find out what it was.”

  Jackson fumed. He gripped his cell phone tight in one hand while he fisted the other. “How much money do you need?”

  She told him the amount.

  “Fuck. That’s ridiculous. Go with a different company.”

  “I can’t. It’s a monopoly in a small town, Jax. There is no other company.”

  Jackson pursed his lips and stared out into the street. Fishy didn’t even begin to describe what was going on. Nor did anything make sense.

  “I’m at the bank. I’ll call you when I’m on my way.”

  They disconnected and Jackson went back inside. He told Summer and Marc the bullshit Autumn told him about the insurance and the non-payment and the owed bills. “So how did she get mixed up with him?”

  Summer shrugged. “Gallagher was the stud of their vet school. He came from a line of veterinarians, and his father was dean on the board. He was like the cool kid in a long list of nobodies.” She sorted through some of the papers and handed them to Marc who filed them away. She brushed her hair from her face. “Autumn, of course, was the intelligent one. She showed him up on everything they did and Frank couldn’t stand that. It was almost like he had to be good at something just because his family expected it. I don’t know why Autumn agreed to date him, but he only used her. She was his lab partner, the one who basically did all his work for him. She didn’t see it then, but the little twit used her ideas and backed them with his money so he came out smelling like a rose. Finally, though, he called her a name, and she gave him a good punch or two. I was so proud of her that day.”

  Jackson didn’t need to ask any more. He had heard enough as it was. The protective streak he had developed was a mile long and at least a mile wide. He would love nothing more than to visit this pompous asshole and finish him off.

  “How long have you known Autumn?” Jackson asked Summer.

  “Going on five years. I worked at her clinic in the city when she was with Gallagher. She did her internship at his family’s place where I worked as a receptionist.” Summer looked up from her work. “How long have you known her?”

  Jackson pursed his lips and returned to painting the wall. “The first time we met was a little over fourteen years ago. Her father was my commanding officer, and he invited me to stay at his ranch for the sum
mer after I joined the Marines.”

  “Is that when you guys dated or did that come later?”

  Jackson focused his attention on the wall. “We didn’t really date.”

  Summer snickered. “Okay. Is that when you guys became lovers or did that come later?”

  “Ah, so she told you?”

  “Not really. I asked who you were and she said an old friend and ex-lover. That’s about all I know.”

  Jackson didn’t really know where Summer was going with this and decided to keep his comments to a minimum. “We were that then. Nobody knew about it though.”

  “Ah. Secrets.”

  Jackson finished the wall with the help of Marc and without anymore comments or questions from Summer. Autumn returned close to three in the afternoon, stressed more than ever with a phone to her ear. It wasn’t her choice to shut down the office but customers complained anyway about needing services. Couldn’t people understand?

  “I don’t know what the hell I’m suppose to do.” Autumn closed her cell and pressed it against her lips. “I obviously can’t work here, yet I’ll lose all my clients if I don’t. I’m going to have to move it to my house. It’s the only option.”

  Jackson dusted his hands on his jeans and pulled Autumn into his arms. “Take a deep breath.” He rubbed her back, feeling tension in every muscle. “The two back rooms are cleared for business. Have your clients come in the back door. The computers may not work, but you do have handwritten forms. I saw Summer gathering some a while ago. You’ll use those until we get the computers set up.”

  “You make life seem so simple.” Autumn wrapped her arms around him, resting her cheek on his chest. “Thank you.”

  He kissed her forehead. “It’s what I’m here for.”

  Jackson held her until she pulled away. Both weariness and apprehension settled into her features. Her blonde hair hung loosely around her face. She wore no makeup yet he thought she looked no less beautiful without it. He brushed her cheek with his knuckles and she closed her eyes as two tears fell.

  “Uh, I need to call some people back. Can you get some boards to board up the windows? The repair company won't be here until tomorrow.”

  “Sweetheart, everything is going to be okay. You take care of the clients and I’ll deal with everything else.” He kissed her gently and smiled. “You go be the Amazing Dr. Callahan and help all those innocent animals.”

  Autumn’s hands slid beneath his shirt. “I’m not that amazing.”

  “You, sweetheart, have no idea what you’re talking about.”

  Chapter Eight

  With so much to do and not enough time to do it, Autumn and Jackson didn’t arrive home until eleven that night. She delivered two litters of puppies, performed emergency surgery on cat ho would have died without her help, and scheduled numerous patients for anything from regular checkups to annual shots to keep her busy tomorrow. Autumn couldn’t have done it without Jackson, Summer and Marc. And she told them so before they left for the night.

  Now sitting in a bathtub full of strawberry-scented bubbles, she lay back and relaxed for the first time that day. There was no doubt she was worn out and probably wouldn’t lie in bed five seconds before she was sound asleep.

  She didn’t think about her problems. Jackson had worked so hard to make her life easier, and it only made her fall harder for him. She honestly didn’t know what she would have done without him.

  She fished around the bottom of the bathtub for her bath puff and poured a generous amount of bath wash on it. The warm water surrounded her, easing her muscles. The comforting bubbles popped against her skin and crackled in the silence of the bathroom.

  Jackson knocked on the door. “Autumn, you have a phone call. It’s your dad.”

  She smiled and granted him entrance. After handing the phone to her, he turned to leave but Autumn stopped him with her hand, grabbing his wrist.

  “Hi, Dad.”

  “Hey, pumpkin. How is everything going?”

  Tears gathered in her eyes. “Better now that I’m talking to you. When are you coming home?”

  “Possibly at the end of the month. We’re still working on some things, you know finalizing them.” He cleared his throat. “I don’t want to talk about work though. I want to talk about you. Are you mad at me for sending Cooper to be your bodyguard?”

  Autumn rubbed her thumb in a circle along his wrist. “At first, I was pissed. But Jackson’s sort of grown on me. Did he tell you about the vandalism?”

  “Yes. I don’t know what I can do to help you though, sweetie.” Her fathers voice faded in and out.

  “Just hearing your voice helps more than you know.”

  He chuckled. “Well, you can expect two bear hugs when I get back. Be ready for them.”

  She ended the conversation and handed the phone to Jackson. She let the water out of the tub and stood to wrap a soft navy blue towel around her. She noticed the heated look in Jackson’s eyes though neither one of them spoke.

  “My dad may get to come home at the end of the month.” Bubbles dripped down her legs, the soft bathmat at her feet catching them. “Do you think all this will be resolved before then?”

  Jackson leaned against the vanity, arms crossed. “I called Davis. If things get out of hand, we’re going to see Gallagher.”

  She grabbed her toothbrush and dabbed a bit of toothpaste onto it. “I don’t want you to get Davis involved or go cause trouble with Frank. Nothing will come of it.”

  Jackson glanced at her. “I guess I should keep the bit of info about Jeff and Kristin coming in a secret?” He came up behind her and wrapped his arms around her waist. “They’re going to help out at the clinic along with the rest of us.”

  She finished brushing her teeth and turned in his arms. “You called my overbearing brother? Damn it, Jackson. Why?”

  “Because he knows the info I need about Gallagher.” He kissed her. “Not to mention you are his sister.”

  “What do you need to know about Gallagher?”

  “All the dirty details you won’t talk about.” He pressed a finger against her lips. “Don’t say anything because you and I both know you won’t talk and Jeff is the only one who can weasel juicy gossip out of you.”

  Autumn frowned. “What do you want to know?”

  “Nothing. Not right now.” He rubbed his hands along her sides. “Right now, I want to crawl in bed and forget about everything.”

  Autumn sympathized and let it go. “Thank you for being there for me today. I hate to admit it but I really needed someone and I’m glad you were there.”

  Jackson smiled and pressed his forehead against hers. “Let’s get some sleep.”

  After turning out all the lights, Autumn put on a slinky turquoise chemise. It wasn’t the sexiest thing she owned but it definitely had its own appeal. Jackson’s gaze roamed the length of her body, but he didn’t comment. She didn’t know why, but she really wanted him to say something about it.

  “Sweet dreams, babe.” He kissed her forehead. “Are we catching Pepé Le Pew tomorrow?”

  “No.” She smiled. “I’m sleeping in.”

  Jackson stepped back, making his way to the door. If she didn’t know better, she would have said that he hesitated a bit before going to his room. A small part of her wanted him to stay, even if they didn’t have sex.

  Autumn crawled in bed and tucked the covers around her. She had to get things back on a professional level before they totally fucked up her life. First thing being ending all intimate interactions with Jackson. No matter how great it felt to be in his arms, she didn’t belong there.

  * * * *

  After lying in bed three hours, Autumn was still awake. She was exhausted from lack of sleep and the adventures of the day but her mind wouldn’t turn off. Finally, she threw the covers back and stood. The house was silent and dark as she walked down the hall toward Jackson’s room. Her heart beat erratically in her chest. What the hell am I doing?

  Before she talked herse
lf out of it, she knocked on his door, slightly opening it. “Jackson?”

  Nothing. She pushed it open more and walked into his room a few feet. She saw his figure sprawled out in the middle of the bed in a pool of moonlight shining through the window.

  “Jackson?”

  He moved slightly. “Hmmm?”

  Now what? She walked closer. “I can’t sleep.”

  He rolled on the bed and flipped the bedside lamp on. The light nearly blinded her. Jackson rubbed his eyes and yawned, sitting up. He looked so sexy in his disheveled state, stubble along his chin, no shirt, and she was willing to bet no pants either.