Love Me: The Complete Series (52 page)

Jackson rapped on the door, then entered. “Hey.”

“Oh! Jackson. What are you doing here?”

Had the woman with the huge watering can gasped? Jackson shot a glance at her black hair but she didn’t turn.

How should he approach the subject? What was the best way to keep their friendship and let him know that Amanda had been his all along? Sure, they’d competed over women in the past but this was different.

“I thought we should talk.” Jackson stood at the door unsure what to do. Sit down? “It wasn’t like I meant it to happen.”

Carter glanced from Jackson’s face to the black-haired woman’s back. She was a post. He held up a hand in protest. “Let’s not talk about it, okay? I don’t want to know.”

Jackson swallowed and moved to the chair. He had to try. “I met her a long time ago. Before you did, actually. It was just—random. We were having fun and then somewhere along the way everything changed.”

Carter hitched a brow. “Changed?”

Jackson shifted feet and glanced at their audience. Damn, he wished the woman would finish her work and get the hell out. “Yeah. I would have told you but it all moved so fast and all of a sudden you were asking about a—”

A sharp pain ran through his back as the water-woman shoved an elbow in his spine and spilled water—on his pants. Not just a little either—it looked like he’d pissed himself.
Did she really do that? Wow.

“Oh, uh. Sorry about that, Jackson. You should probably go change or something, right?” The woman stared at the wet spot. What the hell? How’d she know his name? Oh right, Carter had called him by it when he entered. Jackson’s mouth opened then shut. He darted back to Carter’s face with disbelief.

Jackson felt a hundred-pound weight on his chest. It was worse than expected and Roger was full of shit about the running chick. Carter was furious about Amanda. Even this unknown worker sensed the animosity and came to Carter’s aid. Seconds ticked as the two men glared at each other. Acceptance finally kicked in and Jackson shrugged. “Yeah, I guess I should. Later, man.” He stood but hesitated. “Where’s Roger? I need to kick his ass.”

Twenty steps later he stood in front of Roger’s desk. “You’re an idiot if you think he’s over Amanda.”

Roger blinked as if he’d been clocked. “What are you talking about?”

“I just talked to him. He’s pissed. Big time.”

“What did you say?”

“I just told him I met her first. I knew her before.”

Roger nodded as if all-knowing and Jackson had the urge to make the earlier blink come back by actually throwing a fist his way. “That’s good. That’s good. Jealousy—not exactly what I intended but it might work. What else was said?”

Jackson slammed a fist on the desk. “Not a damn thing because the plant girl dumped a can of water in my lap.”

Roger took in his dampened crotch and snorted in an attempt to hold back laughter. He failed miserably. His laughter fueled Jackson’s rage. “You’re crazy if you really think he’s into someone else. No one acts like he did if they’re over a breakup. Whoever this runner is, I’d bet it’s just a revenge game.”

Roger sobered. “Nope. Actually, the chick that hosed you—that was her. And here’s the funny part: She’s also the manager who had him fired.”

What the hell? Roger dove into an abbreviated explanation that had Jackson’s head spinning. Amanda had trashed Carter’s phone when she ditched him; oddly, she’d never mentioned that little fact. With a brand-new phone, Carter asked Roger for Jackson’s number and Roger gave him the runner girl’s number instead. It was brilliant, since they’d failed miserably in trying to get the two together the first time. The first time they’d tried, it had ended in Carter’s unemployment when Roger and Jackson mouthed off inappropriately in the conference call. So Carter was texting
her
and thinking it was Jackson.

It was crazy and stupid. Still, once he caught up, he decided maybe there was a little merit. Not much, but a thread. “You could have at least told me the story earlier so I had a clue.”

“Well, if you’d answer the damn phone I would. Seems Carter isn’t the only guy with his nose buried in a woman’s—”

Jackson held up a finger to silence whatever vulgarity came next. “That was the stupidest idea ever.”

Roger stared at the door behind Jackson. “No. Give it a little more time. I think it’ll work out. Besides, you could have done a better job with your part, you know. Mouthing off like that wasn’t cool.”

“Maybe not, but how was I supposed to know she’d do that? You’d better know what you’re doing. Personally, I think it’d be better just to lock them both in a room and let ’em duke it out. Or whatever else comes naturally.”

Jackson strode out of Carter’s building. Which drama should he tackle first? His father’s rehabilitation, the contract dilemma with an unknown trust partner that was stalling, Carter’s convoluted love problems, or—his own?

He clenched his fists and headed for his own building with the hopes that nothing more earth-shattering would happen.

Amanda stared at the woman in the mirror, certain that she’d be asleep at her desk by nine
a.m.
She rattled her head side to side and slapped her cheeks hard. “Wake up, sleepy-head. You have a big day ahead. Jax had better appreciate your combat effort.”

Once he got past the fact she’d opened all of soldier boy’s letters.

She hadn’t intended to read every last one but the very first one was such a shocker, she just kept going. After the third letter, she’d emptied the tissue box and had mascara running down her cheeks as she ran to the bathroom for the toilet paper roll. What an amazing story.

It was a story worth pursuing rather than sleeping. She called her office and asked them to reschedule her one appointment for the day. Thankfully her schedule was light, and she needed time to digest what she’d read, plus enlighten Jackson. She dialed his cell.

“You’re not going to believe what I found.”

Jackson’s voice was light, jovial. “Is this a puzzle? Should I ask person, place, or thing?”

She grinned and yawned simultaneously. A funny pop escaped her mouth and she clamped a hand over lips. Oops. “No game but someone could make a movie about this. What’s your schedule today? Can I stop by?”

“You’re not at the office?”

“Um, nope. I’ve been up all night and had enough coffee to make a pilot bounce out of the cockpit. I read one of those letters and was so sucked into the story, when I looked up it was six a.m. and the sun was starting to silhouette the skyline.”

She heard a masculine cough. “Amanda, you’re sleep-deprived drunk?”

She nodded, then realized he probably couldn’t hear her brain rattle, though the coffee probably sloshed when she dropped onto the sofa. “I guess you could say that. Can I come by or not?”

After a couple of seconds, he agreed. Geez, why’d she have to convince him? He acted all concerned about her driving half awake. She returned to the bathroom and grimaced. Hell, she looked like she was half dead. “Oh my God.” She lifted an arm and smelled her pit, then scrunched her nose. Maybe she wasn’t in
that
much of a hurry. The shower knob squeaked as she turned on the hot water. She’d clean up first.

One of the best rules a woman could follow when either exhausted or feeling overwhelmed—dress like you were on top of the world. Power suits weren’t named by accident. After she’d dried off, applied makeup, and fixed her hair, Amanda slipped into one of her two best suits. She couldn’t get the red out of her eyes but at least the bright blue suit would offset the color. Grabbing her belongings, she strode to the car and sped to his office.

She tapped the controls for her hands-free connection to her phone and selected Darlene’s number.

Darlene skipped the greetings. “When are you going to pay me my five hundred bucks?”

Amanda grimaced and slipped through a yellow traffic light. “I don’t owe you five hundred bucks.”

She heard tsking on the phone. “You welcher. You missed the zip-lining last weekend. That means you lost the bet.”

Crap.
She’d forgotten. Amanda slammed a hand on the steering wheel and the light turned green. “Pardon me, I was too busy
rock-climbing
a forty-foot cliff to show up for that thing.”

Silence. That’d show her.

“Rock climbing. Right. I think you’re telling me a windy.”

Amanda grappled for a response. “Nope, Jackson and I went out to review this property that his company’s looking at and we climbed a cliff. So, technically I haven’t lost. You never said I had to do the same adventures you did—you just said I had to pick three. Technically, our bet is still
on.
”

Darlene’s laugh on the other end didn’t sound promising. “You expect me to believe you scaled the side of a cliff? Seriously?”

“Seriously. I’ll have Jackson send you a notarized statement if that will be more convincing. Look, I’m not going to be in the office for a while. His company offered me some contract work on the land project and I need to stop by there and discuss the details. Okay?”

A horn blared to her right as a minivan swerved in front of another car. Yikes.

Darlene’s voice held skepticism and concern. “You okay there? Hey, contract work is fine as long as it pays. I’ll let the boss know … and you can fax that notarized statement over whenever he signs it.”

Amanda growled, “I can’t believe you’re being such a pain.”

“I can’t believe you want me to believe you went rock climbing. See you later.”

Amanda clicked the hands-free and drove to Jackson’s office.

• • •

One of the many things Jackson despised at work included the bland colors in his father’s office. Though his father had portrayed an austere vibe that reeked of professionalism, his personal life was over-the-top vibrant. Perhaps that had contributed to his stroke.

Jackson had come to terms with their odd family dynamic and chosen to set it aside and help. Just because the man wasn’t the most wonderful husband in the world, hadn’t meant he wasn’t a good father or businessman. In truth, Jackson could only hope to do as well.

Vivid blue shot across the periphery of his vision. He glanced up. Warmth skittered across his shoulders and settled deep in his chest.

God, she was amazing.

She’d been adorable in his oversized clothes with her bony hips protruding over the drawstring waistband. But this suit was one he’d seen numerous times and he knew when she wore it, she meant business. It was her go-to for occasions where she had to impress.

Should he be nervous? Was there a time bomb about to explode? Jackson searched Amanda’s face for any sign of conflict. If his perception was correct, the only thing on her face at the moment was
elation.
Or was that affection? Hell, he hoped it was that and a lot more.

“You look like you just won the case of your career … or maybe the lottery.” Her arms were heavy with a box. He stood and took it without leaving her eyes.

“I think we did.” She shoved her tongue against the inside of her mouth as if to swallow a grin.

Jackson waited. “Okay, spill.”

She did exactly as instructed, tipping the box on its side and letting the contents tumble onto the conference table by his desk. Amanda tossed the box on the floor. She beckoned him to join her while sorting and stacking envelopes. “I put them in order by date. There had to be other letters that were opened because some of hers refer to things he’d said. These letters are all marked returned so I’m guessing Marion kept Jacob’s unopened ones with hers. It makes sense that they’re not opened because why would she open a letter she’d written herself? She already knew what was said.”

She was so proud of herself, he couldn’t just nod. “Very organized.”

“Of course, so … here’s where the letters take a turn. This one has a fairly long and sappy apology for her parents’ behavior—just a guess but it sounded like Mommy and Daddy didn’t approve of Marion’s soldier boy. Sounds like he did something crazy and they forbade her to see him before he shipped off.”

Jackson remembered all the times his own parents had tried that tactic. Telling a teenager no was like opening the gate to trouble. “I bet that worked real well.”

Amanda giggled. “You know it. This one”—she tapped an envelope with frayed edges—“talks about what a wonderful time she had while he was there and that her friend, Sophie or Sara, can’t remember … covered for them without a problem.”

Jackson raised a brow. “So we’re talking about a little weekend rendezvous? Or shore-leave snuggle?”

Amanda clicked her tongue and pointed an index finger his way. “Bingo. There were three more letters, each of them more intense than the last. You should read them sometime. Pretty sexy stuff for that time, definitely made my face flush. The second to last one is the prize, though. Seems our little shore-leave snuggle was quite productive. Or should I say re-productive.”

Whoa, so the weekend snuggle was a lot more than just a campout. Way to go, soldier. Why the hell hadn’t he used a condom? Or—wait, it was early 1950s. Good girls didn’t
do
those things. “She got pregnant.”

Amanda nearly giggled. “Uh huh.”

Jackson felt for the woman. “And he never answered her letters after? What an ass. He could have at least sent some money or something.”

Amanda frowned. “Is that what you’d have done? Sent her some money to ‘take care of it
’
? I wouldn’t have pegged you for that kind of guy.”

Jackson growled. “That wasn’t what I meant. Come on, the guy’s overseas. He can’t
be
there but at least he can help financially until he returned.”

Amanda’s eyes widened. “Oh, yeah. I get it—but I don’t think he ever did return. I think something happened. Why else was there a picture of a stick man with a bandage on his head up there on those rocks?”

Good point. “So what’s in the last letter?”

“Apparently her parents were torched about the pregnancy and decided to move away, taking her with them. It was a letter to tell him where she was … where
they
were. She had a baby girl. There’s a picture.”

Jackson lifted the black-and-white image and evaluated the elfin-faced child in a white lace gown. The hair was dark and wafted about the child’s face like cotton. The pudgy face looked ruddy, as if the baby had been crying right up until the shutter clicked. “Chubby little kid. I’m confused, though. Why would Bigby think any of this interesting if he hadn’t seen it? He’d never read these.”