N. Walters - Jackson’s Jewel

Emerald nibbled on her bottom lip. Her stomach was churning. There was no use in lying to herself. She was scared. But more than that, she was sick of running. She wanted her life back. “Okay.”

“I’ve already got his number from the list you gave Jackson.” Abel hauled out his cell phone and handed it to her. “If you could just give him a quick call and let him know it’s okay to talk to me, I’ll handle things from here.”

Emerald took the phone and dialed. Her head was spinning with how fast everything was moving. Less than a half an hour ago, she thought she was totally on her own. Now she was surrounded by people who wanted to help her. And she’d only just met them. Overwhelmed by their generosity, she barely kept it together as she spoke to Dane. Well, he yelled and she listened.

“What the hell were you thinking?” She could hear the barely suppressed anger in his voice as he continued, “Do you have any idea what I went through when you didn’t answer your phone? I contacted your sisters and they told me they didn’t have any idea where you were.”

The man obviously wasn’t pleased that she’d taken off without telling him. Her stomach lurched. Did that mean he was the stalker or was it just honest concern for her? Emerald no longer knew. When Dane finally wound down, she told him why she’d called. Once she’d made the introduction, Abel took the phone and strode outside to talk to the other man.

Erin stood and came around the table. Leaning down, she hugged Emerald. “Try not to worry too much. Everything will work itself out.”

Emerald sensed her hesitation. “It’s okay. You can ask me anything you want to.”

“I don’t mean to pry, but I’d love to see more of your work if you wouldn’t mind. The business you run with your sisters sounds absolutely fascinating.”

The normalcy of the question almost shattered Emerald’s composure. She could see the genuine interest in Erin’s face. “I’d love that.” She made up her mind then that the next time she talked to her sister, she’d ask her to send out a box of samples. It occurred to her that it might be easier to get Dane to pass the message along. After talking to Abel, her location was no longer a secret from him. In his profession, it wouldn’t take him long to trace the call. “If you’ll excuse me, I want to talk to Dane before Abel hangs up.” Pushing out of her chair, she went outside with the rest of them following her. So much for privacy.

She motioned to Abel just as he was about to hang up and he handed her the phone. Walking several feet away, she whispered her request to Dane who promised to pass it along to Topaz for her. Satisfied, she hung up the phone, walked back and handed it to Abel.

“I’ll call you as soon as I know something.”

“I appreciate all your help. I don’t know if it will do much good, though, if it really is just a crazy fan of my parents. I don’t believe the stalker is Dane and it’s definitely not Derek. I’ve known him since we were kids. And it’s not Fred.” Emerald shook her head. “Fred is kind to everyone. He always brings us flowers on our birthday…” Her voice trailed off.

Abel shrugged. “We’ll eliminate as many suspects as possible and go from there.”

“Flowers are something that your stalker likes to send you too,” Jackson pointed out to her before turning to Abel. “Check it out.”

“Her investigator is already on it, but I’ll double-check,” Abel assured him.

Erin gave her a quick hug. “I’ll see you soon.” Then Abel and Erin walked back to their truck.

“The groceries,” she called. She had completely forgotten about them. They’d been sitting out in the hot sun for quite some time. She hurried down the steps, thankful that Erin had had the foresight to bring along a cooler to pack the perishables in.

It didn’t take the men long to cart all the groceries into the kitchen and then Abel and Erin headed home. Nathan lingered behind as they stood on the porch and watched the truck fade into the distance. “I’m sorry again for what happened at the diner, but it couldn’t be helped.”

Emerald crossed her arms across her chest, but nodded. “I understand.” And she did. Nathan was the sort of man who would do whatever needed doing, even if he didn’t particularly like it. He and his brother were much alike. They were both dependable men. Good men.

He turned to Jackson. “Park her car in the barn.”

“Will do.”

Nathan nodded and headed for his vehicle. “I’m sure Carly will want to come out in the next day or so after I explain the situation to her.”

Emerald wasn’t quite sure what to say or do, so she inclined her head. “That’s fine.”

Then Nathan was gone and she and Jackson were alone on the back porch. The heat was like a living thing between them, making the air heavy and humid. Now that the others were gone, Emerald felt unsure and awkward with him. The sweet connection of last night was nowhere to be found.

“Emerald?” She turned away from the question she heard in his voice. Knew that he felt the same tension that she did. Arousal was there, low in her belly, but she ignored it. Now was not the time or the place. Her emotions were too all over the place.

She started to walk away, but came to a quick halt. Her throat ached as she swallowed up the emotions that suddenly swelled. Her heart beat heavily as she took a step forward and then another. Hanging from heavy hooks at one end of the porch was a white swing. Reaching out, she touched the thick chains that held it up and remembered that when she’d driven up, Jackson had just finished working on something.

She whirled around. “You put up the porch swing?”

He came toward her slowly. She noticed the way his jeans clung to his thick thighs, the way his T-shirt strained at the shoulder seams, and the heavy stubble on his chin. He hadn’t shaved this morning and it made him look dark and dangerous as he stopped in front of her. “I did.”

“Why?”

He cupped her chin in his hand and leaned closer. “Because I thought you might like it.” His lips grazed hers and she parted them without thought. His eyes closed and she stared at his thick, dark eyelashes. They looked so soft against the ruggedness of his face that she wanted to touch them.

He pulled back and stared down at her, tracing his thumb over first her top and then her bottom lip. She shivered, her nipples pebbling against her bra. Jackson heaved a sigh and leaned his forehead against hers. They stood like that for several minutes, neither of them wanting to break the mood.

Finally Jackson stepped back. “I’ll move your car.”

“All right.” She missed his presence next to her already.

“I’ll be back in time for supper.”

She nodded.

“You’ll be here when I get back?”

“I will.”

He nodded and then strode across the porch and down the stairs. He didn’t look back as he climbed in her chair and drove it toward a smaller barn just beyond the big one. Emerald slowly eased herself down onto the porch swing. Pushing off with one foot, she let it swing as she pressed her fingers against her still-tingling lips.

Emerald was pulling a roast chicken out of the oven when the back door opened. She didn’t even bother to turn around. It was just past five o’clock in the evening and Jackson’s boots had made their familiar stomping sound as he’d climbed the few steps to the back door. She’d only been here a week, but already she found herself listening for the sound of his footsteps in the evening.

The screen door opened and he stepped inside. He brought with him the smell of summer and sweaty male. Emerald busied herself with laying the roaster on the counter then checking the pots on the stove. Anything to keep herself from going over to him and burying her face against his shirt.

“That smells great.” His voice was so close she knew he was standing right behind her. He didn’t touch her, yet she could feel the heat from his large body practically surrounding her. “I’ll be down as soon as I shower.”

“That’s fine.” She was proud of the way that her voice didn’t wobble. She sounded steady and matter-of-fact. She raised the lid on the pot of carrots and gave them a stir with her fork. She could sense him hovering behind her, undecided, but a second later the air stirred and he was gone. His footsteps echoed as he took the stairs quickly.

She all but slumped against the kitchen counter and took a deep breath. Ever since her first night here, she’d made it a point of keeping her distance from Jackson. And boy, it hadn’t been easy. That first night had been too intense and her common sense had forced her to take a step back and examine the situation. She’d been ready to climb into bed with a man she’d barely known. That just wasn’t like her at all.

With everything else that had happened, the last thing she’d wanted to do was get into a relationship, so she’d backed off. She’d sensed Jackson’s impatience and confusion, but he’d accepted the fact that she wasn’t ready or willing to pursue the attraction between them. But that resolve was weakening as each day went by.

The more she got to know Jackson, the more she liked him. He was exactly what he seemed to be—loyal, honorable, hardworking, earthy and sexy as all get-out. He had a quick wit and a dry sense of humor that appealed to her. She’d never seen him lose his cool or his temper, but she hadn’t heard him laugh either, although when he turned his smile on her, she felt lightheaded. The man was good-looking in a rugged sort of way, but when he smiled, he was something special.

Rather than abating, the attraction she felt toward him was growing as each day went by. He hadn’t made any overt moves toward her, but he was always touching her. Small touches. The graze of his finger over her cheek, the firm squeeze of his hand over her shoulder, the brush of his muscular body against hers.