“Surprised to see me?” he called out.
“Yes and no.”
“That’s an interesting answer.”
“Given the unusual course of our acquaintance, it’s a true one.” She turned to the other woman. “Leah, I’d like you to meet Jackson. Jackson, this is my sister Leah. She’s visiting from Myrtle Beach. The little darling in the swing is my nephew Micah.”
“It’s nice to meet you, Leah, and Micah, too, of course.”
“Same here,” Leah said. “Your dogs are beautiful, but I don’t recognize the breed. What are they?”
“Blue heelers. I found them at the animal shelter a few years ago.”
“So this is Abbott and Costello,” Violet said, walking over to where he stood. She offered a closed fist for them to sniff. They obliged by licking her hand. “I think they like me.”
Who wouldn’t like her? She was as sweet as she was lovely. “You say it as if there might have been some doubt about it.”
To his surprise, she got down on the ground between the dogs. “Which one is which?”
“You’re rubbing Abbott’s head, and your arm is around Costello.”
She laughed as they tried to lick her face. “I wonder what Bluebell would think about you guys.”
“I’m more interested in what Jeeves would do,” Leah said from behind them.
Jackson couldn’t help but compare Violet’s reaction to Abbott and Costello with Myrna’s. He knew this wasn’t entirely fair. Myrna couldn’t help that she didn’t like dogs. He held out the leash handle to Violet. “Since you’ve obviously got this situation under control, I’ll get to know the other male in the crowd.”
When she took the handle from him, their fingers touched briefly. It was so light as to be negligible, and yet the impact made it all the way to his toes. Feeling somewhat shaken, he waited while Leah stopped the swing so he could talk to Micah.
“Hello, there, little man.” Micah laughed and held up his arms. Jackson glanced at Leah. “Is it all right if I hold him?”
She nodded. “Of course. He loves people. I wonder where he gets it. His parents aren’t overly sociable.”
Jackson chuckled. “Everyone has a few of those in their family tree.” He bent down and pulled Micah out of the swing. “You’re a handsome little guy. One day you’ll have the girls eating out of your hand.”
A stream of babbling was Micah’s answer as his tiny fingers investigated Jackson’s face. He seemed to find the stubble of beard the most fascinating.
“He’s not talking yet,” Leah said. “At least not in a language any of us can understand.”
“I was a late talker myself. My parents finally took me to a speech therapist. They obviously worried over nothing. Once I started talking, I never stopped.”
“That’s what my mother says about Summer.”
* * * * *
Violet was already having major problems managing her attraction to Jackson. Seeing him with Micah sent her over the edge. There was something irresistible (and endearing) about a man who wasn’t afraid to show his softer side; who was comfortable crawling through tunnels and going down slides; and who could do it all while maintaining a continuous flow of hilarious one-sided conversation. The effect of this undivided attention on his recipient couldn’t be doubted. Micah was laughing and squealing with delight.
“For once, Summer is right,” Leah said in a low voice, “He’s definitely gorgeous, but he’s got other qualities that are so much more appealing. He’s charming, likes dogs, and is a natural with kids. I can see why you’re already halfway in love with him. I’m nearly there myself, and I’ve only been around him for five minutes.”
Violet wished she wasn’t so easy to read. “Do me a favor, and keep all this to yourself. I don’t need Summer turning her overrated matchmaking talents in my direction. Do you know that she takes credit for getting Holly and Devon together?”
Leah shrugged. “If it makes her happy, what’s the harm? She can’t actually do anything.”
“That’s what you think. I don’t like the idea of being a game piece on her chess board.”
This conversation was interrupted by the return of Jackson holding a sleepy-looking Micah.
“I think this little guy is ready for a nap.”
Leah stood up to take Micah from him. “I bet he is. He’s had an exciting morning so far.”
“I haven’t been around a toddler since my niece was this age. I’d forgotten how much fun they are.” He walked over to Violet and stuck out his hand. Thinking he wanted the leash, she held out the plastic handle. He shook his head. “I was helping you up.”
“Oh!” Feeling silly, she switched the handle to the other hand and put her right hand into his. As his strong fingers closed over hers, a pleasant tingle shot up her arm. Seeing Leah’s smile didn’t help her recover her composure any faster. “Thank you.”
“My pleasure,” he said, releasing her hand to take the leash. The dogs rose to their feet, eager to get moving again. “Unfortunately, these two aren’t as easy to wear out. They’re ready for round 2. If you guys don’t have anywhere to be, you’re welcome to join us.”
“I’m not sure…” Violet started to say, but was cut off by Leah.
“That sounds like a great idea. You two go ahead. I’ll follow behind with Micah in the stroller.”
Violet sent her sister an irritated glance and received a wink in return. Summer wasn’t the only one who couldn’t mind her own business.
“If we get too far ahead, just yell,” Jackson told Leah as he and Violet took off with the dogs.
They walked in silence at first, but it wasn’t the oppressive kind. Violet occupied herself thinking of a suitable way to repay Leah for her interference. She’d narrowed it down to two possibilities when Jackson spoke.
“Are you planning to head to the beach for the 4th along with everyone else in Columbus?”
She brushed away some strands of hair the wind had blown across her face. “You couldn’t pay me enough money to go to the beach on a holiday weekend. I did it a few times in high school and that cured me. I’m staying right here.”
“Me, too. This sounds awful, but I’m glad I have to work on Saturday. It got me out of a trip to Gulf Shores with Myrna and her friends. In the end, she’ll have more fun without me. I don’t like laying in the sand like a grape waiting to turn into a raisin, and she only gets in the water long enough to get wet.”
Violet laughed. “You sound like me. What made you want to be a realtor?”
“I got tired of sitting at a desk all day surrounded by people who didn’t care about anything except getting to the corner office as quickly as possible. They would smile at you while they calmly stabbed you in the back. The thing I like about real estate is I can choose how much or little I want to work. I also enjoy the variety. No two days are the same.”
She nodded. “I know what you mean. Working in a consignment shop wasn’t on my list of possible careers. I came to Second Time Around as a favor to Summer. I never dreamed I’d still be there a year later. I’m not using my degree in child development, but the only person upset about that is my father. My mom keeps telling me it’ll come in handy when I have kids.”
“You and I are part of a growing segment of the work force whose jobs are far removed from what their degrees are in.”
“Sometimes it takes a while to find your niche. Most people spend the majority of their time at work. It helps if it’s something you enjoy. How was your charity auction at The Club Car last night?”
“Very successful. We raised over five thousand dollars for the Stuff the Bus program. It provides local families with backpacks of school supplies.”
“What a great cause! Were you able to do something about your car?”
“Mitch towed it to his shop. He thinks it’s the fuel pump. Hopefully, I’ll have it back in the next few days.”
“How did you get here? You couldn’t have brought Abbott and Costello on your Harley.”
>
He grinned. “No, I didn’t, but that would have been something to see. I live close enough to walk here.”
“That must be nice. I envy the person who owns that huge house overlooking the second lake. Have you seen it? It has a two-story deck and at least three bay windows. I can’t imagine what the views must be like up there.”
“They’re spectacular. Especially in the fall and spring.”
“How do you know?”
His eyes twinkled mischievously. “Because I know the owner.”
“Oh, did you sell him the house?”
“In a manner of speaking, yes. Would you like me to ask him if you can check out the view sometime?”
“No, that would be imposing.”
“He’s a single guy. I’m sure he wouldn’t mind showing off his house to a pretty girl.”
A pretty girl, yes. An ordinary girl, probably not. “A guy lives in that big house all by himself? He should be ashamed. He needs to get married and have a family.”
“Maybe he doesn’t want to get married.”
“I feel sorry for him then.”
Jackson chuckled. “Why? Don’t you think a man can be happy alone?”
“Yes, but most things in life are better when they’re shared with someone else.”
“Even bad things?”
“Especially the bad things,” she said quietly. “That’s when you need someone the most.”
* * * * *
Jackson wasn’t surprised by Violet’s comments. It was obvious she was still young and inexperienced. Her slate was smooth and clean as opposed to his which was littered with disillusionment and regret. Life hadn’t yet disappointed her, and the pain of heartbreak hadn’t yet left its mark on her. She still believed in love, and was therefore fascinating to someone who’d found it so different from what he’d imagined.
“Speaking of bad things, it’s going to be rough at my office this week. Jetta is on vacation in California. That leaves me and Austin at the mercy of a temp. Sierra came in on Friday so Jetta could show her around before she left town. In three hours, the poor girl spilled coffee on my desk, jammed the copier, disconnected Austin’s phone line while he was in the middle of a conference call, and gave incorrect directions to someone looking for our office.”
“Wow! That’s bad. Can’t you get someone else?”
“I could, but Jetta asked me not to. She says Sierra was just nervous, and that I can be somewhat impatient and alarming. I was told to smile more and count to ten before I speak.”
Violet laughed. “Are you impatient and alarming?”
“I don’t think so. I didn’t raise my voice or make any rude gestures. I might have said something under my breath when scalding hot coffee landed on my leg, but other than that, I thought I handled her comedy of errors pretty well. The problem is I’m used to Jetta who is efficiency personified and can give as good as she gets.”
“I’ve been meaning to ask you what Jetta thought about the shadow box.”
“She loved it. She already took it apart and refinished the wood. I’ll have her show it to you when she’s done.”
“Yes, do. I’m always amazed at what people can come up with. I’m not very artistic or creative.”
“Don’t you think playing an instrument is artistic?”
“As we’ve already discussed, I don’t play an instrument very well.”
He turned to look at her. “I think you’re being modest, but I’d have to hear you to know for sure.”
“I can’t bring my piano to the shop.”
“That’s not going to get you out of it. You’ve heard me. It’s only fair that I get the same privilege.”
“We’re talking apples and oranges here. I’m nowhere near your skill level. You’re a professional musician.”
He shook his head. “The best that can be said about me is I’m above average. That’s not good enough to be considered a professional. You should hear my father. He can make a guitar purr like a kitten or roar like a lion.”
“Does he play for a living?”
“Not in the way you mean. He’s a professor of music at Vanderbilt.”
“So you get your musical talent from him.”
That’s what he’d thought for a long time until he found out the truth. “Having some connection to music runs in my family. I’ve already told you about Willow. My brother Carl is a music agent.”
“So rubbing shoulders with famous people is nothing new to you.”
“I’ve met my share.”
“When I was little, I wanted to be a concert pianist. I would picture myself walking out on a stage wearing one of those long sequined gowns and diamond clips in my hair. I would smile and wave and then bring the audience to tears with my playing.” She laughed a little. “I didn’t understand that anyone can be taught to play an instrument, but that doesn’t make them a musician. What’s that saying? ‘You can’t put in what God left out’.”
“I agree with that to a point, but you don’t have to be a virtuoso to move people to tears.”
By this time, they’d circled the park and were approaching the entrance. Jackson stopped next to Leonie. “I think that’s enough for today. Even if Abbott and Costello aren’t tired, I am.” He looked over his shoulder. “It looks like Micah is sleeping.”
Violet opened the car doors to let out some of the hot air. “Hopefully he’ll stay that way long enough for me to get some chores done.”
“What will you do when he wakes up?”
“I bought one of those little plastic baby pools and put it in the back yard. My parents have a lot of trees so I don’t have to worry about him getting sunburn.”
They were joined by Leah. His glance encompassed both of them. “Thanks for letting me gate crash your time at the park.”
“We should be thanking you,” Leah told him. “You entertained Micah for us.”
“It was a mutual thing. I hope you enjoy your visit to Columbus and have a safe trip back to Myrtle Beach.”
“Thank you.”
After watching Leonie disappear around the corner, Jackson retraced his steps to the second lake and followed the narrow path leading to the fence surrounding his ten-acre property. He smiled as he remembered Violet’s comments about the house. He almost told her it was his, but then his sense of humor kicked in. He hadn’t had anyone other than Jetta to tease in a long time. Myrna didn’t get half his jokes and explaining them took all the fun out of it.
When he came around the side of the house, he saw Myrna’s BMW sitting outside the garage door. Had the stores run out of clothes and shoes? This had to be the shortest shopping trip for her on record. He took the precaution of putting Abbott and Costello in the back yard. No use starting the afternoon on a bad note.
As he passed through the breezeway separating the garage from the rest of the house, he hung up the leashes and took off his running shoes. Off-white carpeting looked great, but the only way to keep it that way was to go barefoot as much as possible. Myrna was waiting for him in the kitchen.
“This is like a repeat of yesterday,” was her greeting.
He didn’t point out the obvious; that calling first would solve this problem. “I figured you’d be gone longer so I took the dogs to the park.”
She made a face. “They’re more time-consuming than kids.”
Clearly she’d never been around children. Jackson got a water bottle out of the refrigerator. “Did you have fun at the mall?”
“Not really. Fiona had a fight with Alan last night over something that happened at the retirement party. When she wouldn’t answer his phone calls today, he decided to show up. They got into it in the middle of Macy’s. You should have heard some of the things he said. If I were her, I’d never speak to him again.”
“What could happen at a retirement party?”
“He accused her of flirting with another guy. I was at another table, but I doubt she was doing anything other than being friendly. I mean, what else are you supposed to d
o at a party? Being a girlfriend doesn’t mean you’re never allowed to look at or talk to another man.”
Jackson finished the rest of his water and tossed the bottle into the recycling container. “It depends on what kind of looking and talking she was doing.”
She waved a dismissing hand. “That’s ridiculous. There’s no harm in flirting.”
Thinking of his mother, he said, “I wonder how many broken marriages started with a little harmless flirting.”
“We’re not talking about a married couple. They aren’t even engaged.”
“Flirting, whether intended or not, gives the appearance of interest. That’s not the message someone in a relationship should give to someone else.”
Her hands went to her hips. “So you agree with Alan?” she asked, her voice rising.
“I’m not agreeing with anyone. I’m giving my opinion that it’s best to avoid flirting when you’re seeing someone.”
“Are you saying that since you and I started dating, you haven’t flirted with anyone?”
“I don’t think I have.”
She made a disgusted sound. “Well, you’re wrong. You flirt with your female clients, you flirt with Jetta, and you flirt with the barista at the coffee shop.”
Jackson couldn’t help it. He started to laugh. “You do realize that almost without exception, none of those women you mentioned are under forty.”
Her face began to resemble a thundercloud. Why was she getting so upset?
“What does their age have to do with it? It’s still - what did you call it - giving the appearance of interest.”
He wished he hadn’t said anything. All he wanted to do was clean up and get something to eat. He didn’t care if Fiona flirted with every guy she saw. That was Alan’s problem. “Where are we going with this, Myrna?”
She hunched her shoulder. “I’m tired of the double standards men force on women.”
“I haven’t forced anything on you. You’re free to do whatever you want.” When he tried to take her hand, she pushed him away.
“We both know that’s a lie. There’s always an agenda with a man.”
“If that’s what you think, there really isn’t anything else to say.”
Mine for a Day (Finding Love Book 8) Page 6
