by Wendy Smith
By the time the food arrives on the table and we’re eating, Molly’s distracted by conversation and the little girl next to her. It’s a relief, even though I want to tell her.
But there’s still a big part of me that wants to keep Jackson to myself until we work out what this is. I’m a little scared that once the initial rush is over then it’ll turn out to be just that—a fling, a quick attraction that burns into the nothing, and not something serious.
Although, I’m still not sure I can commit to serious.
Why does adulting have to be so hard?
Fourteen
Miranda
Brad’s an amazing cook.
It takes a lot for a pot roast to be as good as Mom’s, but his comes a close second. I’ve never felt so full, or happy. The table’s been alive with conversation. Jackson has had plenty of stories to share about his time running the bar, and then he, Molly, and Brad reminisce about school.
“Do you remember that last high school football game I played, and Dean streaked? I still tease him about that.” Jackson laughs.
“Remember meeting Dean the night before my wedding?” Molly asks me.
I nod. “The guy we just contracted to do some app work?”
“That’s the one. He’s so quiet, and always was a real geek. But I think he wanted to end high school with a bang. He appeared out of nowhere, stark naked, and ran right across the field.” She grins.
I laugh. “Sounds crazy.”
“The football coach was a real stick in the mud. He went purple at the sight of seeing Dean’s pasty white butt disappearing into the distance.” Jackson hooks his foot around my ankle, giving me a broad smile.
“They were crazy days back then,” Molly says.
Quiet falls across the table. The only sound comes from the room next door where Grace has been allowed to watch some cartoons.
I don’t have to ask why. I know all about Molly’s history and know it wouldn’t have been that long after when she left Brad behind.
“Really crazy. But look at us now. You and me married. Jackson and Dean both have great businesses,” Brad says.
“We’ve all come a long way.” Molly leans over and gives her husband a kiss.
Jackson takes the moment to shoot a look at me that’s so heated, my insides melt. He looks back at Brad and Molly, still nose to nose. “Well, it’s been great, guys, but I really should get out of here and leave you to it.” He turns to me. “Were you wanting a ride into town?”
I nod. “That’d be great. Thank you.”
When I stand, so does Molly, and as I pick up my bag from the sofa, she corners me, grasping my arms. “I’m glad you’re here.”
“I’m glad too.”
“Go and have fun. And tell me all about him when you’re ready.”
I play my bottom lip between my teeth. “You know, I . . .”
“He adores you, Miranda. Anyone can see it. It’s in the way he looks at you and the way he talks to you. I’ve never seen you so happy, and it’s doing my heart good. So go take care of your own.”
I squeeze her hands. “I love you.”
“I love you too. You deserve the best, and Jackson is the best.”
Wrapping my arms around her shoulders, I give her a hug. “Thank you.”
“See you tomorrow. Have a good night.”
“I will.”
Jackson’s waiting for me by the car, talking to Brad. He beams at me. “Ready to go?”
I nod. “Sure am.” I smile at Brad. “Thank you so much for dinner. It was great.”
“You’re welcome anytime. I hope you know that.”
“I do. Thanks again.” I climb into the passenger seat of Jackson’s car, and he gets in beside me.
As we wave goodbye, Molly joins Brad, sliding her arms around his waist.
“Molly worked us out.” I laugh.
“That’s not surprising. She was always the smartest out of all of us. Are you worried?”
I turn to look at him. “Worried? No. I should have told her, though. She’s my best friend.”
He shrugs. “You have your reasons. At least now she won’t be offended when you come here for the weekend and don’t see her.”
I slap his arm. “I’ll always make time for that.”
As we pull up to an intersection, he shoots me an intense look that makes my stomach flip. “You might not have a choice in the matter.”
I laugh.
“Tell you something else too. As much as I love Molly and Brad, I’m really happy to be out of there.”
I snuggle against him as much as the seatbelt lets me. “Me too.”
“Do I get you for the whole weekend, or do you have more time planned with Molly?”
“I’d like to see her again at some point, but other than that, I’m all yours.”
He grins. “I’ll organize cover for me, and we’ll have all the time together.”
I grip his arm. “I like that idea.”
“Thought you might. Now, you might want to move over a little because I find it hard to concentrate when you’re that close.”
I laugh, letting go and moving. “I understand that. Although, I also find it hard to concentrate when we’re apart.”
“Then let’s not be apart.”
I stare at him. He flicks glances at me as he drives, but nothing more is said until we pull up in the alley behind the bar.
When he turns off the car, he doesn’t make any move to get out.
“That was me asking you to move in together when you do move to Nettle Downs.”
I nod. “I kinda got that.”
“The offer’s on the table. Whenever you want it.”
Tears prick my eyes. Jackson’s so overwhelming at times. He’s offering up his heart, and it’s not that I don’t care enough to take up the option. I’m scared of what comes after and the expectations that will be heaped on me by others.
“I want to. But it won’t be for a while yet. This whole thing with us is going so fast, even though I’m sure it’s the right thing. I still have so much unfinished business in San Jose.”
He nods. “I know you do. I’m just letting you know I’m ready when you are.”
Leaning over, I plant a kiss on his cheek.
“What was that for?”
“Being you.”
Fifteen
Miranda
The more time I spend with Jackson, the harder it is to focus when I come back to San Jose.
I’m thankful that apart from the investigation, our schedule is full for gaming production. This year will be the biggest financial year of Mollab’s existence, which says a lot considering what Molly outlaid to buy Psycom.
The merger has gone well apart from the odd grumble, and we’re on track.
I open up the product road plan and scroll through it to see if I can find any issues. Since Tom was promoted to chief technology officer, I’ve had to rely on a new wave of project managers to help put this together. Seeing how well they’re working out makes me smile.
Tap, tap, tap.
Shit. I place my hand on my racing heart, letting out a long breath.
“Come in.”
The door opens and Robert Miller appears. He was essentially in my role at Psycom, and we were initially at a bit of a loss as to where to slot him in. He’s practically become my second-in-command, but we have yet to formalize things.
Molly and I wanted to be one hundred percent certain of who we put in senior management roles, and this whole leak issue has made us hold back. We have to know who’s hurting the company before we can begin the healing process.
“Miranda, I’ve got that report you wanted on pre-orders. I’ve emailed it, but I also printed it as there are a couple of things I’d like to go over.”
Our reporting differs a lot from Psycom’s old processes. There’s been a lot for Robert and the other workers to get used to.
“Sure thing.”
He hands me a large sheet of paper, and I spread it out
on my desk. “Wow. These look good.”
“That’s one of the things I wanted to ask you about. Looking at last year’s figures, pre-orders are up thirty percent. Which makes me wonder if I’ve screwed something up.” He gives me such a nervous look. He’s been in this business for as long as I have, and I’ve yet to catch him in a mistake. I doubt it’s him.
I cast a closer look over the paper. “I can run another report and see how they compare. I’ll have it ready to look after lunch.”
He nods. “Sounds great. I compiled that manually from the sources I have, but if there’s an easier way to do it . . .”
I study him for a moment. I’ve also tightened up control over who gets access to different systems. We have enough issues without compounding them.
“How about instead I grant you access to the system that automatically compiles these reports and I’ll show you how to use it this afternoon. It’s a Molly system, so it’s really easy to use.”
He grins. “Her systems are generally user-friendly.”
“We had this insanely complicated one at the start. It didn’t take long for her to realize that the information we could produce versus what we actually needed were miles apart.”
Robert laughs. “That was the problem with the Psycom system. The manual work you had to do to make any sense of the information took longer than producing the report by hand.”
“This will make things a lot easier.”
He leans back in his chair. “Does this mean I’ve finally proven myself to you?”
I smile. “You did that early on. I’m glad you stayed on after the merger. It must have been tempting to leave.”
His sigh tells me everything. “To be honest, it was. But I’m glad I didn’t. Psycom was a good place to work, but people became so lazy. Now I’m challenged and the working conditions are better.”
“Not everyone is happy, though.” I don’t want to tell him about the leak, not yet. And chances are it’s someone from before his time. I just have to be really careful who I trust.
He nods. “But I think if it gets too hard, those people will just leave rather than stir up trouble. There are rumors that you’re monitoring us quite closely. The mysterious project that kept all the engineers out of the data center for a few days, and there’s one contractor who keeps coming in but never seems to do anything.”
I swallow down a smile. Agent Reilly is discreet, but his visits haven’t gone unnoticed. “Molly’s working on a small side project. That’s all I can say.”
There’s a flicker of disappointment as I think he realizes he’s not going to be let in. It’ll happen, but not just yet.
“It’ll all come out eventually, I’m sure,” he says.
I nod. “I’m sure it will.”
He slaps his knees before standing. “I’ll get back to work. What time do you want me to come in and see you about these pre-orders?”
I open up my calendar. “How about one-thirty? That gives us both plenty of time to get lunch and prepare.”
“Sounds good.”
My heart sinks as he leaves. I want to let him in, I really do. But I can’t.
I’m broken out of my train of thought by the sound of my phone ringing. I smile when I see Jackson’s name.
“Hi.”.
“Hey. Have I caught you at a good time?”
“For you, I’d make time.”
He laughs. “You sound happy.”
“I’m happy to hear your voice. What’s up?”
He pauses. “I thought I might come and see you.”
My heart skips a beat. “I’d love that. I could really do with being in your arms right about now.”
“Is something wrong?”
I sigh. “Nothing more than usual. I just miss you. It’s been two whole weeks.”
“I miss you too. So, I’m booked on a flight that arrives on Friday afternoon and I leave Sunday evening.”
“I’ll take whatever I can get right now.”
He chuckles. “I know the feeling. I just want to be with you. Besides, I feel like I should see this city of yours.”
I can’t help the grin on my face. “I’d love to show you around.”
“I’ll be happy with a tour of your bedroom. But I guess we have to come up for air at some point.”
Leaning back in my chair, I cradle the phone to my ear. I’m so crazy about Jackson, and I wish I could keep him in San Jose. “I’ll be looking forward to it.”
“I hope you know that you’re the only reason I’ve left Nettle Downs in forever. But you’re so damned worth it.”
A knock on the door makes me look up.
“Sorry, Jackson. Someone’s here. But I can’t wait to see you. Send me your flight details and I’ll come and get you from the airport.”
“Will do. Talk to you later.”
The phone disconnects. “Come in,” I call.
Mark sticks his head around the door.
“What are you doing for lunch? Want to go and grab a salad?”
My mouth waters at the thought. “That sounds really good. We haven’t had lunch together in ages.”
He grins. “I was just thinking the same thing. I’ve saved a fortune since Tom moved. We used to eat out all the time.”
I nod. “So do I, come to think of it. Without Molly to go out with, there seems to be a lot more money in my account.”
“Then, let’s get out of here and spend some of it.”
“Sounds good to me.” I look at the computer clock. “Where’s the morning gone?”
“I’m not sure, but my stomach is grumbling.”
I blow out a breath. “Are you sure you want to go for a salad? I really feel like a burger.”
He laughs. “Burger it is. It’d just be nice to do something other than sit inside.”
Standing, I make my way around my desk. “Let’s take my car and go for a drive.”
“You really want to get out of here, don’t you?”
“Just for a while. I need some fresh air.”
He nods. “Let’s go.”
Twenty minutes later, we’re sitting at an outdoor table with burgers and fries in front of us.
It’s nice to feel the sun on my face. Mark’s right. It’s too easy to get stuck at a desk every day and not come up for air.
“This is just what the doctor ordered,” he says.
“Amen to that.” I smile.
“Maybe I should drag you out more often. I think it’s going to do us both the world of good.”
I nod. “I haven’t been here before.”
Mark shrugs. “Austin’s always talking about it. I’ve never been. It’s a first for me too.”
“Burgers look good.”
He smiles. “They do, and my stomach is grumbling.”
The moan he makes as he takes his first bite makes me grin. “That good, huh?”
“I should have come here months ago. It’s amazing.”
I pick up my burger and sink my teeth into it. It’s good, but it’s got nothing on the burgers Jackson sells at the bar.
“So good,” Mark says.
I shrug. “I’ve had better.”
His eyes glisten with mischief. “I bet you say that to all the burgers.”
“Shut up.” I laugh.
“At least you’re laughing. I haven’t seen that for a while. I guess you’re mega busy these days.”
Nodding, I put my burger down to take a sip of drink. “Things are going well, though. We’re on track and everything’s running pretty smoothly.” I let out a sigh. “Well, most things.”
“You haven’t caught the leaker, then?”
I shake my head. “No.”
His brows knit. “Shit. It makes me so angry. Not just for the company, but Tom is really cut up about it. He’s so sensitive.”
“He really is.” I pause. “Do you mind if we talk about something that makes me less moody?”
He laughs. “Of course. I feel like I haven’t spoken to Molly in forever. How is s
he?”
“She’s good. Settled into married life. The construction’s going to schedule. Still a long way off, but it’s all coming together nicely.”
Mark smiles, and he seems to be scanning my expression for something.
“What?” I laugh.
“Ever since Molly’s wedding, there’s been something different about you.” He picks up a fry. “You don’t seem as stressed as you usually do.”
“I didn’t know I seemed stressed to start with.”
“You’re so organized, but when Molly was here I think you had to organize her too and that seemed to be a weight on you.” He shrugs. “I don’t know, maybe I’m reading it wrong.”
I take a long breath. “Well, I have met someone.”
Mark chuckles. “Knew it. You’ve got that ‘getting laid’ aura about you.”
My mouth falls open, and I slap his arm. “Stop it. I’m not really. Well, sometimes. It’s a bit of a long-distance thing.”
“That has something to do with you being dropped off in your bridesmaid gown the morning after the wedding?”
I laugh. “Maybe. But I don’t really want to talk about it.”
He studies me closely again. “Are you happy?”
“Happier than I have been in a very long time.”
Mark reaches across the table and places his hand on mine. “Good.”
We eat the rest of the meal in silence, but it’s hard to eat when I can’t stop smiling.
That’s what the thought of being with Jackson does to me.
Sixteen
Jackson
I’ve always hated being away from home.
My bar has been my life since I inherited it from Dad, and I’ve never had incentive enough to spend any time away from it.
Until Miranda.
She’s on my mind all day, and despite exchanging messages all the time, it’s not the same as being together. I want and need her. It’s as simple as that.
There’s something going on at work, and she’s not able to come to the airport to greet me. So, instead, I head over to Mollab. I’ve never seen the business Molly built, and the size of the building takes my breath away.
