Jules, the Bounty Hunter

by Katie Ashley

  I shoved him back, which only made him chuckle. He took my hand and pressed the earpiece in it. “Wire-up, babe, and I’ll help you make Richie Rich crazy in love with you.”

  Chapter Thirteen

  On the drive home, I wondered if I had seriously lost my mind by consenting to be wired for my date. I mean, how bizarre had my life become? Was there any other girl on the planet so inept at talking to boys that they had to resort to having a horndog help them out via technical devices? Ugh.

  The plan was for me to go home and get ready for my date, and after I made myself irresistible to Jackson, I’d insert the listening device into my bra. Then I would put the earpiece in just before Jackson arrived. Wyatt was going to stay at Raye’s office to listen in and feed me things to say and do.

  Andrew was still working in the yard when I got back. A look of pure relief flooded his face when I eased the Porsche back into the garage. I grinned at him as I put the keys back. “Told ya I’d make it back okay.”

  “Tell that to my heart. It just started beating again!” he joked.

  “See ya later,” I called, as I headed in the back door.

  Aunt Vivian sat at the table, sipping a Mint Julep. “Hello there. Did you have a lovely time today?”

  “Yeah, I did.” I peered around the kitchen, trying to gage if I sensed the presence of evil. “Is Aunt Lenore still gone?”

  “Oh yes. Whenever she goes out to the Yacht club, she’s gone for days on end.” Aunt Vivian gave me a curious look. “Why do you ask?”

  “Because Jackson and I are going out tonight.”

  Aunt Vivian rocketed out of her chair. “Hot damn!”

  “No, no, it’s just a friend thing. Bryn knows about it and doesn’t care - to her I’m an insignificant troll who could never steal her man away.”

  “Uh-huh,” she replied, with a knowing wink.

  “Please.”

  “What time does Mr. Dreamy get here?”

  “Six.”

  “Well, you better shake a tail feather!” she replied, pushing me to the back staircase.

  After I showered and dried my hair, I took Wyatt’s hair advice to heart and plugged in the curling iron. While it heated up, I flung open the closet door and surveyed my wardrobe choices. It was kinda difficult deciding what was ultra sexy since I just didn’t do that. There was one sundress that Mom and Gerard had tried to convince me was “to die for”. I took it out of the closet and tossed it on the bed.

  I took extra time on my make-up—even lining my lips to make them appear fuller and puffier. When I gazed at my wavy hair and blowfish lips, I shook my head. “I’m a total and complete sell-out.”

  Heading out of the bathroom, I took off my robe and put on my dress. Then warily I eyed the listening devices on the dresser. With a groan, I slid the wire into my strapless bra, and then put the earpiece in. “Testing. 1, 2, 3,” I said.

  “You’re coming in loud and clear, Julesy.”

  “Thrilling.”

  “Whatcha wearin’?”

  “Are you that perverted?”

  “This is not about wanting to know what color your thong is. It’s about whether or not you took my advice.”

  I sighed. “Fine. I’m wearing a short, strapless sundress with my cleavage all jacked up. I’ve slathered on so much lotion I practically smell like a vanilla latte. My hair is down, and I just spent the last fifteen minutes making it soft and wavy. Does that do it for you?”

  “Ooh, nice visual. If Jackson doesn’t get a total boner for you tonight, than he’s got to be gay.”

  I took a few deep breaths, trying to calm myself from going apeshit on Wyatt. “Listen carefully to what I’m about to say. I need your help to make sure I don’t come off as a complete and total freak tonight, but I’m serious that if you keep it up, I’m unplugging you and doing it the best way I can. Got it?”

  “All right, all right. I’ll play nice.”

  We were interrupted by the doorbell ringing. My stomach lurched into my throat. “Oh God, he’s here.” I didn’t know why I was freaking out considering I’d just been with him a few hours ago. But so much was riding on tonight-both for the Marshall case and for me personally. That was enough to send a rising panic through me. My breaths started coming in quick pants, and I tried counting to ten to calm myself down. “I don’t know if I can do this,” I whispered.

  “Look, you’re going to do fine. Just remember. You’re Jules St. James, and any guy with a brain cell would want to be with you.”

  Wyatt’s words almost freaked me out as much as hearing Jackson’s voice down in the foyer. “Um, wow, that’s really sweet of you.”

  “You know, I’m not a total jackass.”

  “I think the jury’s still out on that one.” His growl reverberated into my ear. “I’m just teasing you,” I added, as I started for the door. Then I stopped in midstride. “Shit, I’m not wearing shoes!” I spun around and frantically sprinted over to the closet.

  “Wear your boots.”

  “No way,” I replied, as I dug out a pair of strappy sandals.

  “Trust me, they’re sexy as hell.”

  I eyed my boots and the sandals. “Okay, fine, I’ll wear them. But it’s not about doing everything you say. It’s about the fact that I know I won’t slip and make a fool out of myself in them like I would in sandals.”

  “Whatever.”

  Drawing in a breath at the door, I whispered, “Here goes nothing.”

  The moment I stepped out into the hallway, I heard voices downstairs. When I got to the landing, I peered down. Jackson stood at the bottom of the staircase, listening to Aunt Vivian drone on about something. Mom stood beside her, a worried look on her face. At the sight of Jackson, my heart did a little flutter. Okay, it felt more like a back flip, and I hated myself for it. He sported khaki pants with a green and white striped Polo. The green in the shirt brought out his eyes.

  When I hit the bottom step, Jackson sized me up from head to toe. Surprise flooded his face. “Jules, you look…amazing!” The moment the words left his lips he ducked his head, and a red flush crept over his cheeks.

  “Score, Julesy,” Wyatt said.

  “Thanks. You look nice, too,” I replied.

  Aunt Vivian beamed at us. “And just look at you two in your matching green. You look like the model couple!”

  I shot her an “I cannot believe you had the nerve to just say that!” look. Jackson stared down at his shirt and then over to my dress. “Oh yeah, we do match.”

  “Jesus, I think I'm gonna puke,” Wyatt said.

  "Bite me," I murmured.

  "Excuse me?" Jackson asked.

  “I-uh, said, I guess we better going,” I said, starting for the door.

  Jackson turned to Mom and Aunt Vivian, “I promise to have Julianne home at a decent hour, and I’ll take good care of her while we’re gone.”

  “I’m sure you will,” Mom replied, with a hesitant smile.

  “You two have a wonderful time,” Aunt Vivian said, ushering us out onto the porch.

  Jackson and I took the porch steps in silence. “Okay, when you get to his car, say something nice about it. Guys love their cars.”

  The Mercedes Convertible came into view, and I gasped. With a theatrical flourish I exclaimed, “Wow, that’s a beautiful ride you’ve got there!”

  “Ease up a little on the performance,” Wyatt murmured.

  Jackson smiled as he opened the car door. “Thanks. My dad gave it to me for my sixteenth birthday.”

  “Is it a four or six cylinder?”

  Wyatt groaned in my ear. “Oh God! You sound like an Auto Trader obsessed dude! What’s wrong with you?”

  I bit my lip to keep from mentioning anything else car related. Instead of being appalled at me talking all man-like, Jackson laughed. “Actually it’s six cylinders. That’s cool you noticed. Just give me a sec, and I’ll put the top up.”

  “But it’s such a pretty night.”

  Jackson looked surprised. “Y
ou mean you don’t mind riding with the top down?”

  “Why would I mind?”

  He shrugged. “It’s just most girls hate it because it messes up their hair.”

  “Oh please,” I replied, digging in my purse for a clip. With one hand, I swept my hair back. “Hair problem is solved. Let’s roll.”

  Wyatt’s voice hummed in my ear. “Not the hair! The moment you get to the restaurant you better take it down. Plus, keep your hand in front of the earpiece just in case.”

  As Jackson walked around the car, I whispered, “Okay, fine.”

  When he slid inside, he turned to me and grinned broadly. “You’re really something, Jules.”

  “Seriously, it’s nothing. I’m used to a little wind in my hair. One of my older brothers has a jeep and the other has a vintage Firebird with T-tops.”

  “Nice,” Jackson replied, as he eased out of the driveway. As we got to the intersection, he turned to me. “So what do you like to eat?”

  I shrugged. “Anything sounds good to me. I’m not picky.”

  “You like shrimp?”

  “It’s one of my favorites.”

  “Then I’ll take you to the Shrimp Factory on River Street. It’s pretty cool because you can watch the ships in the harbor.”

  “That sounds nice.”

  “Of course, Richie Rich is gonna take you down to an expensive place,” Wyatt grumbled.

  We drove through the streets crowded with traffic and tourists with the radio blaring and the wind whipping our hair and clothes. Jackson eased the car along the narrow pathway that made up River Street. After he found a parking space, he hopped out. Once again, he was around the car in a flash to open the door for me.

  “Thanks,” I said, as I stepped out of the car.

  “Hair, Jules,” Wyatt reminded me.

  “Um, just a sec,” I said, as I took the clip out. I ran my fingers through my hair to fix it. I glanced at my reflection in the car windows. At least I hadn’t totally messed up all the waves. When I finished, I found Jackson watching me, almost transfixed. “Sorry for taking so long,” I said.

  “No, it’s fine. You just have really beautiful hair.”

  Wyatt chuckled. “Feels good to be right.”

  I ignored him and let Jackson lead me through the crowd toward the restaurant. Even though the place was hopping, we didn’t have to wait too long. The waiter led us to a table with a great view of the river. The fading sunlight shimmered across the water like diamonds. After I gave the waiter my drink order, I sat staring out the window, mesmerized.

  “Julesy, it’s nothing but crickets on my end. What the hell are you doing?” Wyatt said.

  “Sorry,” I mumbled, picking up my menu.

  “About what?” Jackson asked.

  Crap. “Oh, um, for not deciding what to eat.”

  “The Captain’s Special is really good. It’s got Shrimp Scampi and fried shrimp.”

  “That sounds great.”

  When the waiter returned with our drinks and to take our order, both Jackson and I chose the Captain’s Special. After the waiter left, Jackson and I once again sat in an uncomfortable silence. Thankfully Wyatt came to my rescue. “Tell him how glad you were to hear from him again or something about having fun today. Screw table manners and lean in on your elbows so he gets a cleavage shot. Oh, and twirl your hair while you’re talking.”

  A toothy grin spread across my face as I picked a wavy strand of hair and twisted it in my fingers. “You know, I was really glad you called me. I had so much fun hanging out today that I couldn’t wait to see you again.”

  “Good job, Julesy,” Wyatt said.

  Jackson’s eyes brightened. “I had a really good time too. You’re a fun person to be around.”

  “Now tell him you hope you can hang out a lot,” Wyatt said.

  I repeated his words like a parrot. Then as if on cue, the moment I propped up on the table I caught Jackson’s gaze dipping down to my chest. To give him an even better view, I slid my elbows forward. He was getting a real eyeful when my hand knocked my water glass over, sending water cascading over the table and into his lap. Jackson sprang up out of his chair and was able to dodge most of the stream.

  “Oh no!” I cried.

  “Please tell me you didn’t light the tablecloth on fire or something?” Wyatt asked.

  Focusing on Jackson, I grabbed up my napkin and hurried over to him. “Here let me help you.” I didn’t even think before I reached out and started to dab the wet spot. My hand froze in mid-air. Jackson’s eyes widened as he jerked away from me. “Uh, um, you better do it.” I handed over the napkin before I could molest him further. Then I fought the urge to dive under the table and die of mortification.

  “I think I’ll go to the bathroom real quick.”

  Realizing a prime opportunity, I said, “Oh, could I borrow your phone for sec? I accidentally left mine in my other purse.”

  “Sure. Let me unlock it for you. ”

  I flashed him a smile. “Thanks.”

  As soon as he dipped out of sight, I frantically flipped through his text messages. “Nice touch with the phone, Sherlock,” Wyatt said.

  “Maybe you’ll learn a little something tonight too, huh?” I whispered.

  “Hell, it’s like listening in on a Soap Opera. What did you do to him?”

  “Knocked a water glass over trying to be sexy.”

  “Figures,” Wyatt replied. When I didn’t respond, he asked, “Finding anything on the phone?”

  “Just a Neanderthal text from one of his asshat buddies, Paul.”

  “What’s it say?”

  Knowing he would have a field day with a text like that, I snapped, “None of your business.”

  “Oh come on. What’s it say?”

  “Fine, if you must know, it says, ‘Heard you were stepping out on the town with Bryn’s cuz. Get ya some, playa!”

  Wyatt’s laughter vibrated in my ear. “Nice.”

  “Oh shut up.” I kept on scanning through the texts. “Hmm, here’s two numbers Jackson’s been texting with that aren’t plugged into his phone. Got a pen?”

  “Ready and waiting.”

  After I’d given the numbers to Wyatt, I said, “Go into Raye’s main computer, and you’ll find his program for running phone numbers. It’s a little more high-tech than a usual Google Search.”

  “I’m on it as we speak.”

  When Jackson’s saw his head bobbing along through the crowd, I quickly put the phone to my ear. “Jackson’s on his way back.”

  “I’ll be listening.”

  “Fabulous,” I muttered. As Jackson reached the table, I said, “Yes, Mom, I promise I’ll be home on time. Yeah, I love you too. Bye.”

  He slid back into the booth and cocked an eyebrow at me. “Everything okay?”

  “It’s fine. Well, except me being mortified about the water thing.”

  “It’s okay, Jules. I stood under the bathroom dryer for a few minutes, and I’m good as new.” With a grin, he added, “Of course, the walk of shame to the bathroom where it looked like I peed my pants was pretty bad.”

  Since I’d momentarily forgotten about Wyatt, his voice in my ear made me jump. “Tell him how sweet and understanding he is. Really stroke his ego.”

  I smiled and tilted my head to one side. “You really are a nice guy, Jackson. I mean, most guys would have gotten really pissed about something like that. But you? You just go with the flow. I really like that in a guy.” I leaned forward again, flashing the girls at him. “And I really like you.”

  “Good job, Julesy. I’m impressed with you pulling out all the stops,” Wyatt replied.

  While Wyatt was digging my act, Jackson wasn’t. He gave me a funny look. “Jules, are you okay?”

  Hair Twist. Hair Twist. “What do you mean?”

  “You just seem a little…different tonight. Like you’re not yourself.”

  Uh-oh. I snatched my fingers out of my hair and sat up straight. Wyatt hummed in my ear. “
Just tell him you’re trying to be the girl he wants to be.”

  But I couldn’t. “I guess it’s just that I’m nervous. I’m trying not to embarrass myself or you by trying to be like a society girl. The kind you’re used to being with.”

  “But you’re so different from all the girls around here. That’s what I like about you.”

  “I’ll be damned. Jackson totally likes you just the way you are. That’s awesome. So we gotta play into that. Tell him about Texas.”

  I took a swig of Coke to bolster my confidence. “Yeah, I guess I am a lot different. Growing up in Texas is about a 180 from living in Savannah. Back home, I live on a ranch with my dad and my twin brothers, Colt and Remy, and my grandparents.”

  “Colt and Remy? I’m assuming they’re named for guns?” Jackson asked.

  I gulped. How was I going to escape explaining that the real reason my brothers had been named for guns was because my dad and his dad were bounty hunters? Fortunately, Jackson fielded that problem for me.

  “Can’t beat the gun lovin’ men of Texas, huh?”

  “Right,”

  A teasing smile etched across his face. “And how did you not end up with the name Beretta?”

  “Ha, ha, very funny.”

  “Wow, Richie Rich might actually have a sense of humor!” Wyatt snickered.

  Jackson jabbed my arm playfully. “Oh, I had to go for that one. It was too easy.”

  “Actually, my name is a mash-up of my dad’s mom, Julia, and then my mom, Annabel.”

  He nodded. “It’s a very pretty.”

  “Thanks.”

  Wyatt cleared his throat. “Okay, tell him some more stuff about Texas—something else that will drive home the point that you are the total opposite of Bryn.”

  “Back home in Texas, we have horses, and then we also have several dogs and cats.”

  “An animal person. I like that.”

  “Do you like animals, too?”

  He pulled out his iPhone and unlocked it. His display picture was of two German Shepherds. “You didn’t get to see them the other night because they were in the backyard, but that’s Frodo and Sam.”

  My ears perked up at the names. “Oh, you like Lord of the Rings, huh?”