Marked in Mexico (26 page)

Jessica hugged him again. She didn’t look up until she was sure she had her emotions under control. She never really doubted his love her, but it frustrated her sometimes that he so seldom showed his affection. He was busy and she understood for the most part, but for once she had hoped to be his number one priority.

When she stepped back from her father, she spotted Phillip standing behind him several feet. He stepped forward and grabbed her in a clumsy hug. He tried to kiss her, but she turned her head so his lips landed on her cheek. She pulled back quickly and grabbed her father’s hand.

“Come meet Jack,” she said as she dragged her father along. “Megan’s already left the country, but you’ll have to meet her sometime too. She’s the sister I never had and she’s just amazing.”

Jack stood and shook the Senator’s hand. He tried to focus on Jessica’s father, but his eyes locked on Phillip. He hated him, but damn, he was just the sort of guy he pictured Jessica with
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tall, good looking, confident and clearly from money. Jack had no doubt Phillip had been captain of his high school football team and probably prom king.

“So, this is the Army Ranger in the report? Good job, son. I don’t know how I can ever thank you for bringing my daughter home, but we’ll think of something.”

“No thanks needed. There’s not much she can’t handle on her own. I’m just thankful she didn’t have to go through this alone.”

Phillip couldn’t help but notice how Jessica clung to Jack’s arm and it made his blood boil. He’d slept with three other women while she was missing, but still assumed he’d marry her someday so they could continue the political family tradition. He pushed past the senator and stuck out his hand to Jack.

“I’m Phillip, Jessica’s fiancé.”

“You are not!” Jessica gasped. “You’ve never asked me to marry you and if you had, I would have never accepted. At best I would say we’re co-workers and convenient escorts to each others parties.”

Amber flinched. This was not going well. “Senator, should we get you and Phillip some drinks?”

“Good idea. Let’s go see if there’s any top-shelf tequila in this watering hole.”

Amber rose to her feet and escorted the senator to the bar. She had always been fond of Senator Hughes, but wished he would’ve been the father Jessica needed after her mother died. She couldn’t really fault him, knowing how demanding politics could be since her own father had done two terms as a state representative, which paled in comparison to Senator Hughes’ political career.

A quick glance over her shoulder proved a confrontation was imminent. Jessica had taken two steps forward and had that look in her eye, which Amber knew meant war. She’d detain the senator as long as she could, but in her mind she knew the forthcoming argument was long over due and would have to happen anyway.

Jessica appreciated Amber taking her father away. The things she wanted to say to Phillip were not things she wanted her father to hear. She had hoped to handle him in a civilized manner, but his remark about an engagement had set her off. She stared at him and took several deep breaths, trying to regain her composure before she spoke.

“This isn’t the place to talk. Let’s go somewhere private and catch up.” Phillip grabbed hold of her arm and drew her toward him.

“I’m not going anywhere with you,” she hissed as she pulled free.

“Is this because of him?” he sneered as he pointed toward Jack.

“No. This is because I don’t love you—in fact, I don’t even like you very much at the moment. We have no future together and I’m sorry that I was too big of a coward to tell you sooner.”

Phillip was stunned. They weren’t madly in love, but neither were most of the high-powered political couples he knew. They looked good together and he had always assumed that eventually she would give in to the wishes of the families and do what was expected. His ego bruised, his anger mounted.

He couldn’t believe she dared speak to him in such a manner and he hated that Randy was hearing every word, since they often found themselves in the same social circles. He glanced at the two guys sitting next to Randy and witnessed smug grins on their faces that he wanted to wipe off with his fists. He could tell Randy had no intention of siding with him by the way the uncharacteristically unkempt stockbroker slouched in his chair, nursing a margarita.

“I said we would talk about this somewhere else.” Phillip pulled her toward him with such force that he yanked her off her feet.

“Let her go,” Jack demanded.

“What are you going to do about it?”

“If you’re as tough as you think you are, you’ll let her go and find out.”

Phillip pushed Jessica away from him so suddenly she fell and landed on her butt in the sand at the edge of the cantina’s floor, striking the side of her face on a lamp post. Stunned, she just stared up at the two men and held a hand to her throbbing check, unable to urge herself to her feet. The fury in Jack’s eyes as he faced the taller man made Jessica cringe. She had seen Phillip angry before, but she had never seen Jack so ready to strike.

He took a step toward Phillip, closing the distance to an arm’s reach. Behind him, three chairs hit the floor and he knew Zach, Dave and for some reason, Randy, had his back. But he didn’t want or need any of their help. He had been looking for an excuse to deck this guy and Phillip had just given it to him.

Jack looked at Phillip and could see no remorse for his rough treatment of Jessica and was thankful he had the chance to show the conceited bastard how he felt about that. Jack paused. He wanted Phillip to take the first swing, but he was quickly losing his patience. He seldom initiated fights, but he always finished them. As he eyed Phillip, he decided to make an exception, but before Jack could take a swing, Senator Hughes stepped between them.

“If you ever touch my little girl again, you will regret it for the rest of your life. You of all people know I’m not a man to make idle threats. Now get out of my sight before I have the Secret Service arrest you for assault. Stay away from Jessica.”

Jack knelt down and looked into Jessica’s eyes. She was relieved and touched to see all the rage replaced by concern. He took her hands and brushed the sand from her palms and elbows.

“Are you okay? Did he hurt you?”

She shook her head and let him help her to her feet. She stood there like a small, beaten child with her arms to her sides while he wiped a tear from her cheek and smiled at her. She was sure he had tuned his friend’s out by the way he tucked a loose stand of her hair behind her ear and gently touched the bruise on her cheek that was just starting to form.

Jessica stared up into Jack’s dark eyes and saw such warmth and caring she couldn’t hold the tears back any longer. He pulled her into his arms and she buried her face in his chest. Within Jack’s embrace she was able to let all her emotions out without drawing attention with loud hysterical sobs. She quietly let tears soak into his shirt as the feel of his hand gently stroking her hair slowly pushed all of her fears, pains and doubts out of her mind.

As the senator watched, he knew his dream of his little girl marrying into a powerful political family like Phillip’s was dead and after the way he had just treated her, he was glad. She had never been happy with Phillip and he’d sensed it for years, but she had continued to allow Phillip in her life for him. She’d always wanted to please her father and at the moment he felt as if he didn’t deserve his only child’s loyalty and sacrifice, but that would change. Whatever she wanted to do, he would support her.

Jessica pulled herself together and thrust her shoulders back to face her father.

“Daddy, I love you. I will fly to D.C. with you and pose for all the reporters as we get off the plane, but then I’m leaving the East Coast for good. My feelings aren’t new, but what this experience has taught me is that life is too short and unpredictable to be unhappy. I think Cooper should be punished to the fullest extent of the law and I will not defend him and I will not work one more day in that office with Phillip. I’m going home.”

Senator Hughes was stunned by how definitive Jessica was, but not all that surprised. He had known how she felt about the Cooper Morgan case, but had pressured her to be the lead as a favor to one of his biggest campaign contributors and supporters. She was a great defense attorney who seldom lost a case and as a woman, she was essential to Cooper’s defense, but he still shouldn’t have pushed her. He had been wrong and regretted it now. He understood how she felt, but he didn’t want her to leave him.

“What do you mean go home? You’ve hardly stepped foot on the ranch since you went to college. I didn’t think you had any sentimental feelings about the place. Of course, it will always be your home and you’re always welcome to come and go as you please. If you want to take over management, I’m sure we can work something out with your uncle.”

Jessica was a little shaken. Texas was the closest thing to home she knew, but it had been a long time since she had lived there, and after her mother’s death there weren’t a lot of happy memories. Her uncle and his family managed the ranch for her father and it seemed more like their home than hers the last time she went back. There were more oil wells than cattle on the ranch and she’d never been at peace on the place like her mother had.

“Texas is where I was born and the ranch is where mama died. All I know is I can’t live your life anymore.”

“You should try Colorado. It’s a beautiful state. Most people who go there love it.”

She looked at Jack, first with confusion, and then a smile eased across her lips. She was startled when he spoke up and didn’t know exactly what he meant, but the idea sounded good.

“I’ve always wanted to see more of the Rocky Mountains. I might just take a look at Colorado.”

“Here’s to Colorado,” Zach said as he lifted his margarita to toast his friends.

“To Colorado,” the chorus sounded out around the table as glasses clinked.

The bartender was summoned and pitchers of margaritas were rushed to the group. Cheerful voices sounded around the table and Jessica felt a huge burden had lifted. She had finally been honest with her father and he had taken it much better than she had expected, though she knew her timing couldn’t have been more perfect.

Jessica felt terribly alone in the huge room. Being alone had never bothered her before, but she had gotten so used to snuggling up with Jack at night that the emptiness was unnerving. She looked at the clock on the nightstand and it was nearly midnight. It was too late to call the room Jack was sharing with Zach and Dave, but she also knew she wouldn’t be able to sleep without hearing his voice.

She dialed the number and he answered before the first ring finished. She couldn’t help but giggle.

“Can’t sleep either?”

“I guess I’ve developed a fondness for having my arm crushed until I lose all feeling in it.”

As comforting as his words were, she knew it wasn’t enough. She needed to see him. She wanted him more than anything else she had ever desired in her life and she needed to feel him next to her. Despite not having slept since they had left Isabel’s, Jessica knew she wouldn’t be able to let go of all the emotions churning through her mind and rest without Jack.

“Would you mind, for old time sake?”

“I’ll be there in five minutes.”

Jack slipped a t-shirt over his head, pulled his jeans up and left the room in his bare feet. Jessica was in a fairly private wing with only a few other guests
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the wing that held the high-dollar suites. He couldn’t imagine living her kind of extravagant life, but he also couldn’t imagine living life without her. The reality dawned on him with such clarity he wondered why he hadn’t acknowledged it before now.

After he lost Elaine, he’d sworn he would never set himself up for that kind of pain again. But now, walking away from Jessica wasn’t an option any longer. He hadn’t known her long, but he knew he couldn’t let her go. For the first time, the thought of going back to the cabin he loved alone didn’t sound very appealing.

He navigated the corridors of the resort, eyes to the floor, deep in thought about the sudden revelation and how to deal with it. He was definitely in unfamiliar territory with his feelings for Jessica. He wasn’t good with these kinds of situations and had no idea what to say to her. He feared she didn’t feel the same about him, but there was only one way to find out. Their lives were about as different as they could be, though earlier in the evening she had made it clear she intended to make some drastic changes. He could only hope those changes included making him a permanent part of her life.

As he rounded the corner into the hallway where Jessica’s room was located, he was blindsided by a huge fist, sending him stumbling back and hitting the floor. Jack was momentarily stunned as he looked up at the large angry man looming over him.