"You know?"
"I know all of it, Deputy." Callie smiled, it wasn't nice. "I was there when she signed everything and that asshole of a father couldn't force me to sign anything."
"But you didn't sign an NDA," Jackson said.
"No, but I never discuss the contract with anyone as it would cost Bri everything and I won't do that to her."
"Everything?" Jackson leaned forward to better see Callie's face. "What's that mean?"
"It means, Deputy Delicious that if Brianna's father ever knew for a fact we told you about the agreement and the terms of the NDA Brianna will lose her animal sanctuary. The one she's dreamed of her entire life. She will lose her house the one she's wanted for decades. We both will lose the cabins and small lodge we host paying guests in so guests can experience a bit of the cowboy way of life—"
"He can do that? Brianna's father can take all of it?"
Callie nodded a hopeless expression stamped across her face. "Yes. So, before I ever explain the contract to you, I need to know that you aren't just here because of idle curiosity. I need to know you're here because you care about Bri and what happens to her."
Jackson laid his hand on Callie's arm before she could stand. "Don't tell me."
Her brows arched in surprise. "Don't? But I thought that's what you needed to move forward."
"No." He huffed. "I do, but I want Brianna to tell me not you. I want her to trust me enough to know I won't spill her secrets. To trust me enough to help her find a way out of her contract."
"Again, she doesn't need you to save her. She's already put the wheels in motion to get out of it but even then she won't be able to discuss it with you." Callie lifted her glass of tea again her gaze calculating as she proceeded to punch him in the gut with the next revelation. "It will be the one secret between you two. The real question is can you live with that?"
They could never talk about it? Even if the contract was gone it would still be between them. He scrubbed a hand over his jaw. "I don't know. But you two are her friends. I'll be her future and if we're going to succeed then I'll need to know everything. I don't want any secrets between us." He continued trying to figure out a way around the situation. "And there's no way to discuss it with her?"
"I didn't say that." Callie grinned but it was teeth and sharp edges. "I just don't want to take a chance if this is just a fling or a bit of curiosity you need appeased."
"It's not."
"Hmm."
"What would be the work around?"
Callie's smile fell and he saw how exhausted she was as well. These kinds of secrets could weigh down a person's soul. "I'm not sure yet but I've kind of got an idea that I want to triple check with Brianna's attorneys before I offer it up."
She was an amazing friend and he was glad Brianna had her.
"Are you sure you can wait?"
He smiled. "Yes.She'll call you when she's ready for me to know."
"And you know this after one date?"
"Yep." He wished he had come to this conclusion before he'd called Callie. But he hadn't understood the cost to Brianna. He knew how much the sanctuary and everything attached to it was to her. He just hadn't known it was tied to the contract.
Callie snorted. "I think you're wearing some pretty powerful rose-colored glasses if you see that."
"Nope, just a feeling."
"Well, Deputy Delish, about that feeling." Fire lit Callie's gaze as it tangled with his. "If you hurt my best friend's feelings, I'll come for you. And down here in the south with all these rolling hills and acres of wilderness, I can hide the body."
Jackson buried his grin in his glass as he drank the last swig of his tea and set down his glass. "Thank you for the tea and the enlightening conversation."
"Just as long as you heed the warning, you and I will get along like peas and carrots in the infamous words of Mr. Gump." Callie stood and gathered the discarded glasses onto the tray.
He tipped his chin accepting the warning to take care of Brianna's heart if he were lucky enough to capture it.
Turning, he left her to the straighten up while he went to cleanup his own mess. His hiking boots clomped down the stairs and crunched across the gravel leading to his car.
He might not want to wait for Brianna to break the silence but if they were ever going to make it as a couple, then she needed to be the one to tell him. He couldn't take control and get the information behind her back.
If Brianna had done that to him, dug into his past in such a nefarious way he would be livid. Hopefully, she would understand when he explained what he had done. No way would he have any secrets between them. Not even this one.
Parking the car again on a stretch of deserted road, he pulled his cell out and hit the number he had pulled to the top of his contact list.
"Hello?" Her voice sounded scratchy as if she had been crying.
"Brianna? It's Jackson."
A gasp and rustling fabric drifted to him. He pictured her in bed and craved to ask what she was wearing. Pinching his thigh, he used the pain to focus and not become derailed. "I have something to tell you."
"You went to Callie, didn't you."
How did she know that? Unsure how to respond, he remained silent hoping for a clue which way this conversation would go.
"Because it's what I would have done in your shoes." A quiet sigh. "Did she tell you everything?"
"No."
"No?" she squeaked, surprised.
"No, I told her I wanted you to trust me enough to go to do it."
"Really?" Joy and hope were wrapped up in that one word.
Hearing those emotions, he knew he had made the right decision. "Yes. And on that note, I want to propose another date."
"Yes," she squealed. "I mean, yes." In a more subdued tone.
"I get my schedule tomorrow. How about I call you then?"
"Okay." She laughed it was as if the cloud from earlier had dissipated.
"Pleasant dreams, Brianna."
"You too, Jackson."
He disconnected the call feeling better about the end of the night. Before he drove home he made a note to call his friends tomorrow. The NDA and entertainment contract was interesting and something he could put his friends on to find out more about how to break them. Rafe and Tristan grew up with him in Chicago and attended the same college with him. Both were sharks in their chosen fields, Rafe in investing in start-ups and Tristan as an attorney dealing in real estate deals across the country. Surely, one or both would know about the two agreements and how they worked.
* * * *
Daisy's was the typical all American diner with yellow vinyl booths, light blue topped counter stools, and a few tables with chairs near the front plateglass window. Named for Ted's grandmother, it looked like every other diner Jackson had ever been in. Frieda was the waitress on duty today. Since working at Daisy's was her second job, Jackson understood how frazzled and exhausted the poor woman probably was. The owner, Ted, was the cook, and he ran his kitchen with scary precision slapping the bell on the counter when orders were ready.
Though he looked like a strong wind would blow him over, he could more than hold his own if trouble came into his diner. Especially if the bat he kept in the kitchen was wrapped in his long fingered hands. The trophies proudly displayed on the shelves near the hallway leading to the restroom proved Ted knew how to swing that bat as did the stories the truckers tossed to the new guys who sat at the hightop counter after they got gropey with Freida.
Smells of grease, coffee, and spice mixed with hardworking sweat from the blue collar workers as well as truckers who came in for a home cooked meal. And though it looked and felt like every other diner, the food was outstanding and the desserts were sometimes Jackson's first course.
He greeted Ted and Frieda, waved to the locals he knew and slid into the back booth he was beginning to think of as his and Brianna's. This was their fifth lunch date in two weeks. With him working nights the last week, they had met up at Daisy's for break
fast or lunch whenever their schedule allowed.
Their dates were the highlights of his days. He learned so much about her. Her quirk of pouring a drop of coffee in with her milk and sugar. How she loved not only action movies but slapstick comedies. Her favorites being Airplane and Hot Shot. After learning he had never seen Hot Shot, Brianna had sworn the next movie they watched would be it and the sequel.
He had opened up a bit about his past. Not everything his parents did, but enough that she understood why he'd had such a visceral reaction to her pretending to be someone else. He unrolled his silverware and set the utensils on the now opened napkin they had been packed into. Eventually he would share everything with her but on these mini-dates, it was more about getting to know each other without stepping through the minefield of their pasts.
"What can I get ya', hon?" Frieda asked, pen poised over her order pad.
"Two sweet teas."
"Meeting Brianna?"
"Yes, ma'am and I already know what I want." He handed her the menu.
"And that would be?"
"I'll wait for Bri."
"Sure thing." Frieda smiled and took the menu before heading behind the counter.
His attention caught when Brianna strode in dressed in her work clothes. Jeans that hugged her long legs, a light blue t-shirt, and specially made timberland style boots with steel toes in case she needed to deal with any ornery animals. Her hair was in a casual twist keeping the long strands away from her face and off her neck in this heat.
Several customers called to her and she greeted them each with a smile that did not reach her eyes. She looked almost sad if Jackson had to pick an emotion, or dejected.
He was able to see he was right when she finally slid into the booth across from him. Circles hung like bags under her eyes bruising the usually smooth skin, and the bright blue orbs were dull and listless. Her fingers fiddled with the silverware rolled tightly in their napkin.
Concerned, he laced their fingers together. "What's going on?"
"No date this weekend, I'm afraid."
"Why?" He had hoped he would get a chance to spend more time with her. Actually dig into their pasts more and especially talk a little about the contract. He wanted to tell her what his friend, Tristan, had suggested. He had also been looking forward to touring the animal sanctuary she and Callie had put together.
Now, it looked like he'd be spending the weekend on his own. Disappointment replaced the concern.
"I forgot I have to be at my parents for another garden party." She huffed. "Which is the absolute last place I want to be, but I have to go. It's a good thing Callie reminded me last night or…" She trailed off not getting into what would happen if she missed it.
Frieda took their order and refilled their drinks.
The 'have to go' caught his attention. Jesus, he really needed to get Tristan that contract to look at, there had to be some loopholes in the damned thing. Just from her reaction he knew she hated being forced into these situations, and he hated that he couldn't free her. He could only be there for support. At least until she let him in and trusted him to help her. Of course, he knew it was a two way street, he needed to open up to how he'd been instrumental in his parents arrest. Why he was no longer Beau Gregson but was now called Jackson McCord.
She knew some of it, about his parents earning a living bilking innocent people from their money. He'd even opened up about his next door neighbor stepping up, fostering him, and eventually adopting him. Not the whole of the story, only the bare bones, and he hadn't touched on his partner's death at all. He had hoped to have more time to talk privately without the whole town looking on. His gaze bounced around the diner to find several pairs of eyes on them.
If it wasn't this weekend, then it would be the next. He wasn't planning on going anywhere. Instead, he focused on her and squeezed her hand. "Is there anything I can do? Does Callie need help at your place?"
She found her first smile. "Like you could clean a stall, city boy."
He laughed. "Too true. But I could hand her the tools."
"I'll be sure to pass that along." She sighed. "What I would love is if you could come with me."
Uncomfortable, he shifted. He didn't want to be put in a position to have to lie on that scale again. "Why would you need me there? I would stick out like a sore thumb."
"And you would hate lying which is why I would never ask you to go." She lifted and dropped the straw in her tea. "It's just Christopher will be there, and I don't want to deal with him."
Jackson growled. He'd heard all about the guy from both Brianna and Callie. And once from Derrick when he'd joined them for breakfast last week.
Christopher was a bully, and his favorite target was Brianna, especially as she was essentially defenseless at her parents' garden parties. Since the man was Briony's steady boyfriend before she disappeared Bianca wanted Briony and Christopher to marry.
All Jackson had to say when Callie had let that bombshell drop at lunch one day while Brianna had been in the restroom was 'Over my dead and decaying body.' No way would he let Brianna walk into the lion's den alone.
"What would someone wear to one of these garden things?"
Frieda dropped off their order. Digging into his meatloaf, she pushed her mashed potatoes around. "You don't need to come, Jackson. I've handled him for years." She groaned. "I am just sick of Mother constantly pushing us together. I hate the man."
Jackson arched his brow and said in a steely tone, "I'm more than happy to spend any time I can with you."
Life seemed flood back into Brianna's eyes as she asked. "Are you sure?"
"Yes."
She smiled. " You only need a blazer, khakis and a button down. No tie since in this heat you'd strangle yourself."
"Sounds like fun," he with a forced smile.
She laughed, brilliant and bright. "No need to lie."
"Not a lie as long as you don't leave me alone in that place."
She dug into her meal with gusto seeming to shake off the dark mood from earlier. "We'll have a safeword so when you're ready to leave we'll go."
"And I won't be calling you Briony."
"Any endearment is fine or even just Bri. At least this time it won't be a nightmare and you'll be my knight in shining armor by rescuing me from Christoper."
"Call me Galahad and point me to my steed." He teased.
She shook her head at his antics and pointed a fork at him. "You, sir, are trouble."
Jackson just smiled. "I've been meaning to ask. We've been around town a lot now and your parents are never here."
Brianna took a sip of her tea and dug the tines of her fork through her gravy. "They hate this town. Hate the people. And think everyone's a stupid country bumpkin."
"But not you."
"No. God no. I love it here. But they won't come in to town unless they have to. Which is very rare. The last time I saw them here was," she tipped her head to the side and hummed. "Two years ago? And that was because Father wanted to attend the quarter horse auction."
"I thought with the way things were with your family you would have moved far away."
She pushed her cleaned plate away and motioned for a refill on her tea. before answering. "I had planned to. Callie and I both. I had my scholarship all lined up."
"Scholarship?"
"Yep, to Colorado State. Callie had everything lined up so we could room together."
"What happened?"
"Callie went for the first year, because like I said she had everything lined up."
"But you didn't?"
"I thought I did, but turns out not so much." Her gaze clouded like the sun was behind dark clouds. "My scholarship I thought I had … there was a clerical error—"
"Bullshit." Jackson would be any amount of money her father had screwed with her scholarship.
"That's what they said when they called. They claimed the second place person was actually the winner due to someone miscounting the judges' scores." She jabbed her stra
w into her cup in agitation. "I couldn't prove otherwise—"
"And ended up in an unbreakable contract to go to school."
"Yes." Her fingers traced the droplets of condensation as they trailed down the side of her glass. Her eyes focused on the task as if the task were the most riveting thing.
Hearing the pain behind that one word, Jackson dropped it and proceeded to tell her about him and his two friends attending the University of Chicago. He knew he always wanted to be in law enforcement so he studied criminology while his two friends studied law and investments. They made for an odd pair but were as close as Brianna and Callie.
"Where are they now?"
"Rafe lives in California and Tristan lives in Huntsville."
"Huntsville isn't too far, you'll have to invite him to the sanctuary."
"If he's in town. He's a real-estate lawyer so he travels all over the country checking regulations for his clients. But he and his two children would love to come and see the animals. And I bet you'll get a hefty donation check from him since he's an animal lover himself."
Brianna beamed. "We never turn down donations and adore animal lovers."
"As long as you don't adore him more than me," Jackson teased.
"Depends."
"On?" He loved seeing the glittering light in her gaze.
"Whether or not you get the hang of stall cleaning."
He cringed and grabbed his chest. "You only want to use me for my muscles."
"Of course, especially if you lose your shirt so we can appreciate the muscles." She tossed him a mock frown before waggling her brows and laughing.
* * * *
His lunch date with Brianna had taken longer than he anticipated. With so much to discuss, Jackson hadn't been as diligent with his time. Between the overnight patrol and this morning's weekly briefing, he had several reports he needed to fill out and turn in before the end of the day, or he would be forced to come in early on Saturday. Not an option since he planned to go with Brianna that day.
The ice cold air smacked him in the face as he stepped into the main area of the Sheriff's Department. Pushing the waist high, paneled half-door open with his hip, Jackson juggled the three coffees he thought he could carry with two hands. Frieda had pressed them on him as he was leaving with a command to give the two marked to Mildred and Andy.
The Twin Contract (The Contract Series Book 1) Page 10
