Jackson: The Sons of Dusty Walker (11 page)

“Dad said, ‘Son, we’ll talk on the way home,’ and for the
first time, Dusty had looked old and frightened.”

Jackson flipped pages of the scrapbook, reading the headlines
on articles about him winning a saddle at a rodeo, or visiting a children’s
hospital, or wearing pink in October to support breast cancer research.

Rori sat silently, pressed against his side and looking at
the book with him. Her silence was exactly what Jackson needed.

That talk, between Dad and him on the way home from the
rodeo, had made him realize how fragile people were. How susceptible to being
hurt by others. Like the way his mother had been hurt by Dusty. Jackson had
vowed that day that he’d be nothing like his father. Instead, he’d find his
happiness where he could, then move on before he got the chance to hurt anyone.
The plan had worked for him, but it sure as fuck felt lonely.

The end of the scrapbook contained recent photos and a few articles,
then Jackson was staring at an envelope. With his name printed on it. In his
father’s handwriting. He couldn’t move for a few seconds. “Ah, shit.” He
slammed the book closed and dropped it on the coffee table.

Her eyes wide, Rori set down her wine glass and wrapped
herself around him, squeezing tight.

Jackson melted into her. What was in that envelope? What
words could Dusty have written that Jackson would need to read? “I can’t…” He’d
read that letter someday. Not now. He couldn’t take any more memories tonight.
“Come upstairs with me, Rori. Please.”

She cupped his cheeks, her nose nearly touching his. “Of
course, Jackson. Anything you need.”

The next morning, Rori screwed up a software install twice
before shoving away from the table at the back of Cyber Wise and wandering to
the front door of the shop. Last night… She sighed. Jackson had been tender and
slow, their lovemaking innovative, but thoughtful, as if the emotion flowing
from both of them cocooned them in… Wait, had she just thought
lovemaking
?
Damn, that was a dangerous road to go down.

They’d had sex. Hot, perfect sex, but it’d been different
than the times before. Long looks into each other’s eyes, whispered words, deep
kisses. And she’d fallen for it like a girl who’d never been in love before.
Which, she had to admit today, she probably hadn’t ever been. If what she’d
felt before was a kilobyte of affection for a man, what she felt now was at
least a terabyte, maybe more. For Jackson.

She stormed away from the door and back to her work. “It’s
not happening, Rori. He’s rodeo poison, and to him, you’re a few days’
distraction. Done.” She closed off all thoughts of him and tried to concentrate
on work. But every few minutes she checked the clock.

Rori knew Jackson needed to be in the office all day. His
three specialists were in town and they were going to hit it hard today and
tomorrow, get Jackson up to speed with everything, even if it killed the poor
guy. She grinned as she thought of him sitting there surrounded by Elaine, Vic,
and Walt as they peppered him with information, and he stared blankly. Not that
Jackson wasn’t smart. No, the man was just a little on the lazy side, and a
technology Luddite, but if he wanted to, he could run the company easily.

But he didn’t want to. She sat back in her chair. What would
it take to get him to stay?

“Uhhhh.” She shouted the groan and banished the thought from
her head. “Jackson is leaving. Get used to it.”

Instead of finishing the install, she went online and
printed out a recipe for baked potatoes. She’d invited him for supper tonight.
And she didn’t cook. The steaks were in her refrigerator upstairs, the potatoes
on the counter, and the rest of the meal, including dessert, lined up next to
them. She’d give it her best effort, but he might have to jump in and help.

How was he today? When he’d told the story of finding out
about Dusty’s wife, she didn’t think she could hold back her sobs. Her heart
just broke for him. Tall and lanky at age fifteen, those big eyes of his in a
skinny kid’s face, lord, she’d wanted to take him home with her and keep him
safe from the big ugly world forever.

She’d never had that kind of instinct before. Maybe she was
moving into that part of her life where she’d start nesting, looking for a man
to settle down and have babies with. Her mother warned her it would be coming,
but she’d assured her mom that all she needed was a fast operating system and a
new video game every month to keep her happy.

Boy, had she been wrong.

****

The next afternoon they had the appointment to confront the
attorney, and Rori couldn’t wait. She had a lot of questions for the man.

The dinner the night before had gone as she’d expected—she’d
begged his help halfway through cooking, and he’d easily taken over and
finished preparing a fabulous meal for them. They’d only eaten half, though,
before they’d tumbled onto her couch for a hot hour of oral delight. They’d
finally gotten back to the meal, but had left the dishes on the table and spent
the rest of the night working their way through a box of condoms in her
bedroom.

Rori smiled and tested the pleasant ache of every muscle in
her body. Jackson had stamina, that was a proven fact.

The buzzer sounded at the front door of Cyber Wise and she
checked the time. Twenty minutes before Jackson’s appointment with Stanley
Benner, Esquire. The cowboy was punctual, that was certain. She saved her work
and headed toward the front of the store. When she walked into the room, she
stopped cold. “Marliss?”

The older woman tipped her head. “You have a fabulous store
here, Ms. Hughes.” In her floral dress and sandals, she bore no resemblance to
the woman who worked at Dusty’s house in serviceable cotton clothes.

“It’s Rori, please.” She wandered slowly toward her. “Are
you in the market for a computer?” The woman had never set foot in Cyber Wise
before, and her visit on a Friday afternoon, when she was technically supposed
to be working at the house, didn’t bode well.

“Oh no, I’m happy with letting Lou do all the web-searching
things.”

Another Luddite. “What can I help you with?”

The woman set her bright orange purse on a table. “May I
talk to you about Jackson?”

Rori glanced out the front window. “That’s fine, but he’s
going to be here any minute.”

“Oh.” Her hands fluttered a bit before she clasped them in front
of her. “Then I’ll make this brief.”

“Unless you’d rather talk later?” Rori wanted to hear what
Marliss had to say. Every word of it.

“No, this will take just a moment.” She pursed her lips and
blinked a few times. “Mr. Walker—Dusty—spoke with Lou and me about…the boys.”
She shrugged. “We were the only people, besides their mothers, who he could
talk to, so I know a little bit about Dusty’s concerns with Jackson.”

This was a lot deeper than Rori had imagined Marliss would
go. “I don’t know that I could—”

“Please.” Marliss stepped forward. “Just let me say this,
then I’ll go, and we won’t mention this conversation again.” She pressed her
fist to her mouth. “I’m afraid that if he leaves Sunday, he won’t come back.”

Rori could lie to save the woman the anguish she was
evidently going through. But that wasn’t her way. “I think you’re right.”

She dropped her hand. “Dusty worried that Jackson avoided
relationships because he feared he’d become just like him. Like Dusty. See,
Dusty thought Jackson saw his mother as a martyr. Living on the fringe of
Dusty’s life, having a family with him without the benefit of marriage.”

Rori just nodded, anxious to have Marliss get to the point
before Jackson came across the street.

“I know he and you looked through the scrapbook together. I
saw it when I was cleaning up this morning, so you don’t need to worry that I
was spying on you.”

With a laugh, Rori shook her head. “I didn’t think that at
all.”

“Well, thank you. But I needed to talk to you to know if you
got to the end of the scrapbook. Did he see the envelope?”

“He did.” Rori had seen the fear on Jackson’s face as he
stared at it. She’d actually worried that he’d toss the thing in the fire.

“Well, that’s half the battle.”

Rori caught a movement across the street and took a step
closer to the window.

Marliss turned and looked out in the direction of D. Walker
Mineral. She swung around, grabbing her purse. “He’s coming.” Her voice went up
an octave.

“I have a back door.” Rori gestured for her to follow, and
they stopped at the back entrance, close together, face-to-face.

“Ms. Rori, if you have any way to reach him, could you
please encourage him to open that letter?” Marliss’ gaze locked with Rori’s. “I
wouldn’t normally ask something like this, but I think you might be his only
hope.”

The buzzer went off, announcing the front door opening.

Rori wanted to help, but she couldn’t make any promises.
“I’ll try, Marliss.” She whispered the words. “I promise to do my best.”

“Thank you, dear.” Marliss smiled and skittered out the back
way and down the alley.

“Rori?” Jackson’s voice carried through the building as she
locked the back door and hurried toward the storefront.

“Coming.” She nearly ran smack into him, and he caught her,
pulling her into his arms.

“Whoa, where’re you going in such a rush?” He looked at her,
his brows down over his blue eyes.

“Um, aren’t we going to Benner’s office?” She was a little
breathless, a little shaky, but about as turned on as a girl could be when her
man held her tight against him.

“We are.” His hands roamed along her back. “But I came a few
minutes early so we could do this.” He tipped her sideways and gave her a kiss
she’d never forget. A kiss that would have to last her a lifetime—if Jackson
never showed his face in Red Creek again after Sunday.

****

Benner escorted Rori and Jackson into his office. “This is a
surprise, Ms. Hughes. Jackson didn’t mention you would be here, too.” The man
looked decidedly nervous.

Jackson helped her into a chair, then sat, waiting for
Benner to take his seat behind the big desk.

“I’m here as a witness.” Rori blurted out the words.

The attorney froze halfway down to his chair, then plopped
into it, tipping back a ways before catching his balance. “Is that right?”

Jackson held in a laugh. Nothing like putting a guy on the
defensive. “I found these on Dusty’s computer.” He spread out the printouts
containing the dates, amounts, and account numbers in front of Benner. “Do
these account numbers look familiar to you?”

Benner’s cheeks turned ruddy. He adjusted his glasses and
picked up one of the papers, holding it up between himself and Jackson. “They
just look like a bunch of numbers to me. Not necessarily account numbers.”

Rori sniffed and gave Jackson a look. “Check again, Mr.
Benner. Are you sure nothing on that page triggers a memory?”

Jackson could kiss her right there. She would be a fantastic
courtroom attorney.

Benner laid the paper down, giving Rori a glare, then
fastening his gaze on Jackson. “Is this something you’d like me to look into
further for you?”

Pulling the next wad of folded papers from his pocket,
Jackson spread them out on top of the other papers. “Here’s what Abby found
when I had her look through the bank accounts for these amounts. Payments were
made from D. Walker Mineral’s general account to these account numbers.”
Jackson pointed to one of the first papers. “What is happening here?” Jackson
would give the man the opportunity to admit his involvement.

“Hmmm.” Benner studied the papers. Each one of them. For
much longer than necessary. “I can have one of my staff—”

“Not necessary.” Jackson sat back in his chair and set his
booted foot on the opposite knee. “We know who opened and closed these
accounts.”

Benner’s lips tightened as his gaze ping-ponged from Rori’s
to his, then fastened on Jackson. “This is not something that should be
discussed with anyone outside your family.”

Jackson sat completely still, staring down the attorney.
“Ms. Hughes is, as she mentioned, my witness. Do you want to tell us
everything, or do we take this information to the county attorney’s office?”

Benner shuffled all the papers together into a neat pile and
set them in front of Jackson. “This may be embarrassing for you to hear in
front of your…” He glanced at Rori. “Friend.”

“Ms. Hughes is a contract employee of D. Walker Mineral.”
Jackson could slug the man for making Rori seem less than important. He glanced
at her. She’d pursed her lips tight together, and her eyes sparkled. This wild,
wonderful woman was enjoying this, trying not to laugh. Damn. Her sense of
humor…

Benner let out a long breath, seeming to deflate. “Mrs.
Walker—Theresa—hired a private detective.”

Rori sat forward in her chair, glanced at Jackson, then back
at Benner. “Through you?”

He waved his hands in front of him. “No, no, no. She went to
KC and hired him. She knew I wouldn’t help her with anything like this.”

“Let me guess.” Jackson gripped the chair arms. “He followed
Dusty and found out about his extra families.”

“That’s exactly right.” Benner stood and stepped to the
large safe behind him, dialing in the code to open it. “This detective found
out about three of the four of you.” The safe door opened with a squeak as the
lawyer looked at Jackson. “He realized he could make more money blackmailing
Dusty than he could with just the one-time payment from Theresa.” Benner
shuffled through his safe.

“Harold Logan.” Rori said the detective’s name, and Benner
paused for a few seconds.

“That’s right. You’re quite a bit more accomplished than
I’ve given you credit for, Ms. Hughes.” He turned and smirked at her. “Perhaps
there’s a place for you in my firm.” He went back to digging through the safe.

She laughed once, then cleared her throat. “I’m always open
to offers, Mr. Benner.” She winked at Jackson.

He smiled and nodded, but sobered as Benner pulled a thick
brown envelope from the safe and set it on his desk. From it, he pulled a
one-inch stack of papers and photos.

Jackson sat forward as Benner leaned over and set the items
on the desk between Jackson and Rori.

“This Logan character followed your father and took these
pictures.” One after another, they looked at photos of Dusty with women who
looked familiar from the scrapbooks—his brothers’ mothers. Benner revealed
pictures of Dusty with Sapphire, then photos of Dad with Dylan, Killian, and
even a few with Jackson, which sent a chill up his spine.

“Wow.” Rori eased her leg closer and touched it against
Jackson’s.

He appreciated the gesture, and squeezed her knee. “So Logan
went to Dusty with this? Or to you?”

“To Dusty.” Benner sat, resting his hand on his stomach.
“Who came to me. From there, the three of us reached an agreement. Monthly
payments for life…and in this case, Dusty’s life…increasing annually, and sent
through anonymous accounts.” Benner tapped the stack of papers Jackson had
brought in. “But you know all that.”

“And Logan told Theresa…?” Rori put her hand on top of
Jackson’s.

“He got some pictures of Dusty eating alone in restaurants,
heading to his hotel room early, and alone, working long hours, etc.” Benner
shook his head. “I encouraged Dusty to be forthcoming with his wife, but he
became angry and told me it was none of my business.” He gathered the photos
and slid them back into the envelope. “Which it wasn’t.” He held the envelope
out to Jackson. “Would you like to dispose of these?”