I called 9-1-1, the dispatcher told me there were already crews on the way and asked for my location. The call was brief, and, thankfully, by the time I hung up residents and staff were pouring out of the nursing home. It was then the panic started to take root. Gran and I were standing, or I was, Gran was sitting, in the far corner of her nursing home’s parking lot and it was on fire. Not only was there smoke coming out of the back of the building I could now see flames from the roof. Big, angry, red flames. And Jackson was inside. He’d stayed. Without hesitation. He’d taken care of us, then ran back down the hall. I wasn’t sure why the sight of him going back toward the smoke was lingering in my mind, he was a firefighter, after all. But I couldn’t stop thinking about it.
“I told you that man was smitten.” Gran broke the silence.
“Not now, Gran.”
“Now is the perfect time to remind you, while your man is in a burning building, that life is short. Anything can happen. You take what you’re feeling right now and hold it close. Remember this when you get scared and want to hide away. Life is but a fleeting moment. Nothing is promised. Not people. Not time. Not love. You need to fight for it. Work at it. Hold on to it. But, most importantly, you need to give that man the opportunity to do all those things. If not, you’ll learn a new meaning of regret. One that’s far harder to swallow. Regret that you knew a man that had the capacity and desire to show you real love and you turned your back on it.”
Her wise words were more than a punch to the gut, which they totally were, they hit me down deep in my soul, and I knew she was right. Then, again, she always was. But she was also wrong, now was not the time for me to be freaking about the fact that I thought I may’ve been falling in love with Jackson.
There was a fire. One my man had first made sure I was safe from and was now trying to fight. Despite what he’d said, I needed to help. I couldn’t stand around selfishly thinking about the state of my love life when lives were in danger.
The area was filling up with patients and staff. I saw Emma, one of the daytime nurses, and called her name.
“Can you stay with Gran?”
“Absolutely,” she told me. “But—”
“Be back.”
I dashed off before Gran could scold me. I wasn’t going to go back inside, but I could do something to help.
* * *
Two hours later, there were still fire trucks, police, and ambulances surrounding Autumn Lakes. I’d seen Jackson briefly when the first engine pulled in and he’d rushed out covered in ash and soot. He’d gone straight to the truck, disappeared for a moment, before reappearing in turnout gear.
I’d watched as he scanned the area, his gaze hit Gran, his face went soft right before it went hard when he didn’t see me. I think that was the moment I felt the first crack in the thick cement I’d poured around my heart. Seconds later, he’d found me, and with each step he’d taken in my direction, the crack had spiderwebbed. By the time he’d made it to me, those tiny fractures were wide open holes. Jackson’s lips touched mine, and the spark that touch created obliterated what was left. He was worried about me. Me and Gran. I’d never had that from anyone but my grandfather, and he was a hard act to follow. Jackson was proving he was up for the task.
Then he was gone, without a word, back into the burning building.
With a look and a soft kiss he’d done the impossible, broken down my every defense.
And I wasn’t going to rebuild.
Now, I was standing next to my grandmother and her doctor, Laura Hudson, and Jackson was approaching. As soon as he was within reaching distance, he tagged me around the waist, pulled me to him, and kissed the top of my head. I didn’t care the buckles of his gear were digging into my side, or that I’d probably never get the smell of smoke he was covered in out of my favorite shirt, I was happy to be in his arms.
“Are you doing all right, Patty?” he asked.
“Just fine, thanks to you.” She beamed up at him. It was good to know that even in a crisis Gran could still turn it on and lay it on thick.
“Any word on when we’ll be able to go back in?” Dr. Hudson asked.
“Afraid not. The marshal has called in the arson investigators.”
“Arson?” Laura’s eyes rounded. “Damn. I better make some calls.”
The doctor looked thoughtful for a moment before she turned to my grandmother. “If I don’t see you before you leave, Patricia, good luck to you.”
“Thank you, Dr. Hudson.”
Before I could say my goodbyes, she’d turned and was lost in the sea of people. It was ordered chaos. Nurses and orderlies were helping load patients into ambulances and the nursing home had a fleet of passenger vans that were being utilized as well. I’d never seen so many first responders all in one place before.
“Gran’s been discharged,” I told Jackson.
“Well, that’s good news seeing as she wouldn’t be staying here any longer even if she hadn’t been,” he returned.
There was a harshness to his tone and an underlying meaning. I wanted to ask what he meant, but I didn’t. Not now, and not in front of Gran. He’d said the fire was possibly arson and knowing there’s an on-going investigation into the nursing home didn’t give me a warm, fuzzy feeling. But Jackson’s swift answer told me he knew something I didn’t. Therefore, I was happy Dr. Hudson had already been over to talk to Gran and given her proper discharge papers, because I was ready to get my grandmother away from Autumn Lakes. Today’s incident was too close. I didn’t want her anywhere near prescription drug fraud, overbilling, or anything else. Even if the fire had nothing to do with any of it, I was done.
“I see you’ve found yourself a bossy one.” Gran smiled.
Jeez.
“Not bossy, Patty, just looking out for my girls.”
His girls? Was he trying to give my grandmother heart palpations? I was never going to hear the end of that statement.
“Well, you’re our ride, unless you want me to call Mercy to come get us,” I told him, ignoring my contented sigh.
“Give me ten minutes and I’ll be ready.”
With another kiss to the top of my head, he let me go and wandered off into the crowd. He, however, didn’t get lost in the crush of residents, family members, and staff. It was impossible for him to. Impossible for me to lose sight of him when my eyes were drawn to him like a moth to a flame.
“That man is smitten,” Gran repeated.
“Not now, Gran.”
“Hold on, sweet granddaughter. The man’s playing for keeps.” My heart skipped, and I sucked in a breath waiting for my grandmother to finish. “And when a man like Jackson, a man like your grandfather, decides they’re playing the long game, which means they’re not playing at all, they’re just simply setting about winning. So, hold on and enjoy the ride. I hope it’s a wild one.”
A wild one?
It has been that.
I didn’t want to think about how close Gran’s observation fit with everything Jason had told me about Jackson. How close it was to everything I knew him to be.
No, instead, I was focusing on, a man like Jackson, a man like your grandfather. My grandfather had been the love of Gran’s life, her everything, her soulmate. And she was comparing the two men, making them equals.
I wanted to hide
I wasn’t going to.
I was going to hold on and enjoy the ride.
27
Jackson
Tuesday hadn’t been exaggerating even a little when she’d said The Manor was a southern mansion. If anything, she hadn’t done it justice. The house was only ten minutes from my parents’, in a part of the county where three-hundred-year-old oaks still stood. And, at first glance, I’d have guessed the majority of those trees lined the long driveway that led to a white, three-story, square, plantation style mansion. There were eight tall columns that were evenly spaced, from the ground to the roof of the third-floor balcony. I could only see two of the four sides of the house but the columns
continued around.
The wealth could not be missed. However, the house itself looked warm and welcoming. Which, with a house that grand in size, should’ve been impossible.
The drive split, forming a teardrop driveway, either side would lead you to the front of the house but only the right side branched off to a parking area by a very large outbuilding.
“In front okay?” I asked. It was a beautiful design that allowed you to drive right up to the large staircase, drop off, and continue around without having to turn around.
“Perfect,” Tuesday answered.
It took us five minutes to get Patty into the house. I thought she’d protest when I scooped her out of the back seat of my truck, carried her up the stairs, and into the foyer. However, much like when I’d placed her in my truck when we’d left the nursing home, she just stared up at me and laughed.
“Well, if that wasn’t a thrill, then I don’t know what is,” Patty remarked as Tuesday opened her wheelchair.
“Gran!” Tuesday’s rebuke fell on deaf ears.
“My granddaughter needs to learn how to loosen up and have some fun. I’m hoping you’re the man for the job.”
“That I am,” I told Patty and gently placed her in her chair.
“Thank you for the ride, now you two best be on your way,” she shooed.
“Not a chance, Gran. I’m staying here with you,” Tuesday told her.
“Nonsense—”
“Actually, we’re both staying here with you this evening,” I cut in. “I’m assuming there’s no food in the house, and since I’m starved, I’m going to let you two get settled in and I’m heading to the grocery store.”
Two sets of very pretty brown eyes swung my way. One gentle and soft with a multitude of wrinkles making them even softer. The other was no less beautiful and soft, and they were unguarded. Tuesday liked I was offering for both of us to stay and she wasn’t hiding it.
Finally.
“Chicken parm okay for dinner?” Tuesday asked.
“If you’re cooking, then yes.”
Her face split into a wide smile and I had to force myself to stay upright.
“I’ll write you a list.”
Tuesday took off, leaving Patty and me in the foyer. “Would you like a tour while you wait?”
I glanced around the large, inviting space. To the right there was a gigantic room with floor-to-ceiling windows, a fireplace was the focal point of the room, and surrounding it was stunning antique furniture I’d be afraid to sit on. Dark wood accented throughout, and a piano stood in the corner. The other side of the room was almost identical, minus the piano and with the addition of an ornate bar. Directly in front of me was a huge staircase, with a landing that broke the stairs into two sections. A crystal chandelier, that I couldn’t for the life of me figure out how you’d clean, hung down from the second story ceiling. I took it all in and realized, yet again, the wealth I was surrounded by.
“How long is her list? I’m thinking a tour might take the rest of the afternoon.”
Patty smiled then she sobered. “Do you understand why?”
“Why?”
“All of this is too much for me. A house as beautiful as this isn’t meant to be empty. It should be filled with love and lots of children running around.”
“This house could never be empty. It’s already filled with love. You and your husband did that. You filled it until it was overflowing, and you shared that with Tuesday. She loves this house because this was the only place she’s ever felt it. This home is her safe place, you gave that to her. But, Patty, I want you to know, this old house isn’t her only safe place, not anymore. And though she’ll always want to be here, she won’t need to be to know she’s loved.”
“I suspect you’re right on all counts, Jackson.” I didn’t miss the wetness brimming before she sat tall and said, “Since I have a feeling that one day, and I’ll say, I hope it’s soon, you’ll be sharing in the responsibilities of this old house, you should know the toilet off the dining room runs nonstop. And there’s a sink on the second floor that no one can seem to stop from dripping. Both drive me crazy.”
“Noted.”
“The back porch screen door squeaks something fierce,” she continued.
“I’ll make sure I fix it.”
“Don’t let her hide from you,” Patty whispered. “My Tuesday, she’s a good girl. That mother of hers did a number on her and I can’t bring myself to think of that Travis. She will love you until her dying breath, that’s just her way, but you’ll have to work—”
“I have no intentions of allowing your granddaughter to slip through my fingers. I know who she is, I’ve known from the moment I saw her.”
“And who is she, Jackson?”
“She’s my forever.”
* * *
I’d made the grocery store run, helped Tuesday make dinner—we ate in the breakfast nook because Tuesday liked the view of the orchard—and we’d cleaned up. I was surprised when Emma, the nurse from Autumn Lakes, showed up, but neither of the women were. They’d forgotten to tell me she’d be over every day to help Gran. Not that she needed much. Luckily the fire hadn’t impeded Patty’s recovery. She’d only had two more days at the home to finish up her physical therapy before she was released anyway.
Patty had long ago converted what would be considered the live-in maid’s quarters into her bedroom. She’d explained going up and down the stairs was tiresome. She’d also told me she couldn’t remember the last time she’d been on the third floor. It was a shame. But Patty didn’t seem the least bit sad about it. She laughed and smiled when, over dinner, she’d told stories about playing hide and seek with Tuesday when she was a child. One time, Tuesday was so well hidden neither grandparent could find her and even after they’d both called out that they’d given up and the game was over Tuesday still hadn’t come out. It was hours before she came down with a smile of victory. Patty explained that was the day they knew Tuesday’s competitive nature needed to be tamped down a bit.
* * *
Emma and Patty had gone into her downstairs bedroom and Tuesday was giving me the tour. We were still on the first floor, and I’d learned the front room with the deep red walls and the bar was called the salon. That was where most of the entertaining had been done. To the side of the fully-stocked bar there was a hallway that led to the ballroom. The herringbone pattern, wooden floor was polished to a high gloss, a contrast to the flat finish of the bottom half of the cream-colored wall, before a chair rail divided the top, wallpapered half. That room opened to a formal dining room. And through there you could enter the kitchen and eating area.
The other room with the piano, which also had a harp in front of one of the large windows was the music room. Various instruments and old sheet music were exhibited. There was a hallway off the back of the room that led to the billiards room, everything was done in rich greens and velvet. The room smelled of cigar smoke, giving it a rich, earthy feel.
Through there you entered the library. There were so many books, floor-to-ceiling, neatly displayed in built-in cherry cases it would take you a lifetime and you still wouldn’t get through half of them. High, wingback chairs and side tables were positioned throughout the room. I wouldn’t call them comfortable looking, but they were expensive.
It was huge.
It was also a lot to take in.
“That’s the bottom floor.” Tuesday finished her tour, ending back in the foyer.
“It’s beautiful,” I told her.
“It’s stuffy, as Gran would call it. The bottom floor was always set up for entertaining. She called it the show-off floor. The second story was for living.”
“And she’s stuck on the first floor,” I muttered.
“Exactly. She has a small sitting room in her bedroom. Whenever I come over that’s where we go.”
That was something, at least, but I now understood why Patty wanted something more manageable. Living alone in this house would be lonely. There’d be
no getting away from it.
“Wanna go up?” she asked.
“How long we got before Emma leaves?”
Good God, the smile that broke free on Tuesday’s face was nothing short of a marvel. I liked what the flirty grin said she’d thought I meant. Though, she was wrong, I wasn’t taking us there again until we talked. And this conversation was likely to send her into a tailspin. But I wasn’t budging, not this time. I shouldn’t have the first time. The only good decision I’d made was that while I may’ve made love to her with my fingers and my mouth, my dick had stayed confined.
“At least an hour,” she answered.
“That enough time?”
“I don’t know, you tell me.”
I pulled her into my arms hoping to soften the blow. “I’m not taking us there again—”
“Oh.” Her smile faded.
“Let me finish.” She nodded, but her face remained blank. “Until we get a few things straight.”
“Like?”
“I’ve already laid it out for you. I didn’t lie when I told you what I wanted. You agreed to give me twenty-four hours, that’s slid into forty-eight, but, Sweetness, I’m not gonna renegotiate every day, asking for an extension. So, the conversation we’re gonna have is to check where your head’s at. Where you’re at in all of this.”
“I know where my head’s at,” she whispered.
“Yeah? You ready to get off that fence?”
She nodded, and a cautious hope started to bloom.
“Yeah? You ready to share?”
“Yes.”
Caution fell away, and all I was left with was hope. My eyes drifted closed and in the darkness a weight lifted.
Thank fuck.
28
Tuesday
Jackson grabbed my hand and laced our fingers together. With a firm tug, he led me to the stairs and then up them. I waited for the nerves to hit, but they never came. This was it, I had to let it all hang out, let him in, and jump off the fence he’d rightly accused me of sitting on. Even though I’d let Jackson in the best I could, I needed to do better.
Claiming Tuesday: The Next Generation Page 17
