Society Rules (63 page)

Slowly, the smile faded as he thought of his own situation.

He tried to imagine himself with another woman, but all images of any female he dreamed up, had long, dark hair like satin, and shimmering pool-water blue eyes.

Oh well. It wasn’t like finding someone was any kind of priority in his life right now.

As it stood, Will couldn’t care less if he never touched another woman again, but he knew that this was not going to be the case always. He was too much of the husband variety. He liked being a family man.

Will drove in thoughtful silence until he turned on his street and realized that his driveway was blocked by a huge tractor-trailer, with the name Allied Bonded Transportation professionally fused onto the length of the beast. Will saw that his mother’s car was pulled up next to the truck, and on the other side was Jackson’s Mercedes.

Oh
yay,
the
gang’s
all
here.

Even though Will was happy to see that Indie had relented and allowed the use of the moving company, the very fact that it was here was just another swift kick in the balls, as far as he was concerned. Obviously, Jackson
did
have the power of persuasion over Indie. One that
he’d
never had.

And just what tactic Jackson had used to get her to see things his way, was something that Will did not care to think about.

Will parked his truck out on the road, and made his way up the drive, hands shoved deep in his pockets. He took a seat on the hood of his mother’s Subaru Forester, and looked up at the house, his mind churning.

How can you feel so conflicted about someone, he wondered.

It should be cut and dried. Will should hate Jackson, and in a world full of perfect balance, Jackson should hate Will right back.

Simple. A nice, easy, well-defined relationship, right?

But
no
.

Will knew Jackson to be honorable and honest. Decent and kind. He was also extremely intelligent and could apparently be a righteous ass-kicker, when the situation warrants the need. All fine qualities in a man, in Will’s humble opinion.

In fact, if Will didn’t have to suffer with the knowledge that Jackson was probably getting busy with Indie at every available opportunity, they would probably have been the best of buds. Instead, whenever he thought of the two of them engaged in that kind of recreational activity, Will became sorely tempted to offer the guy a nice new belly button piercing, free of charge.

Compliments of his new friend, Walther.

He decided that he could be friendly with Jackson only as long as he kept his head from detailing what was happening behind closed doors with those two.

Will looked back up at the house that had become the last home that would be shared by himself and Indie, as a family. All of the curtains had been removed, and he had a clear view through the picture window into the living room. The lights inside were bright, and Will knew that no one could see him sitting out here in the grayness of dusk.

He watched, arms folded lightly across his still sensitive ribs, as his mother flushed and giggled like a teenager at something Jackson said to her. Marie had described Jackson as “charming”, when she had first been introduced to him.

Charming!

The
woman
is
a
traitor
, Will thought with a snort.

If anyone should have been able to hate Jackson in the proper way, she had been his ringer.

So much for that. The guy seemed to have an intoxicating effect on the ladies.

His kids loved him too, and ran to him, squealing with joy whenever they saw him. That was a good thing though, wasn’t it? Will wanted them happy, and was glad that Jackson clearly loved them too.

He sucked in his breath as Indie moved into his line of vision, trying to help the movers, naturally. But everywhere Indie was, Jackson was there also; brushing back her hair, running his hand lightly down her back, touching her.

His hands seemed nearly constantly at the ready, in case she stumbled or needed someone to steady her. He let her lift nothing, and threw a protective aura around her by his very presence.

There was something almost animalistic in his stance; like he would tear apart anyone or anything that threatened her.

With
his
teeth!

The look on Jackson’s face whenever he looked at Indie was that of an almost sickening devotion, and it was mirrored perfectly in the eyes of Indie.

Will swallowed hard.

Damn it, but she deserved that. All that and more.

But
I
could
do
that
for
her!
Screamed his heart.

Too
bad
you
never
did,
his brain reminded him harshly.

He couldn’t stop dwelling on it. Why couldn’t she just cocoon-up again now, and make him forget about her?

Will had to concede, that it probably wouldn’t help anyway. Her loss was such a commanding presence now, that he was always at attention.

And it sucked. It really did.

A voice startled him out of his pity party. It was Indie’s voice . . .
but
how?
She was upstairs.

He could see her now, speaking to Jackson. “What’s keeping Will, I wonder?” He heard her voice, plain as day.

Will watched the scene, more carefully now. Jackson’s voice hit his ears.
You’re
worried
about
him?

It sounded different.

When he heard Indie’s voice, it was strong, and had the hard edges of vibration . . . like a tuning fork. When he heard Jackson’s reply, it had sounded all fluid and smooth.

As if the vibration had been removed. Indie spoke again. “Should we call him?”

Jackson was now speaking. “Sure, give him a call. I’m sure he wouldn’t mind hearing your voice!”

I’m
sure
he
wouldn’t
mind
at
all
 . . . .

Will realized with mouth-dropping acuity what was happening.

He heard the first part of Jackson’s statement, with its rougher vibratory sound . . . and then heard the added ending in the smooth and silky timbre.

And
Jackson’s
mouth
had
stopped
moving
when
he
heard
it!

Holy hell! He was hearing Jackson’s thoughts! Will strained to hear anything from some of the others.

Nothing.

Finally, he noticed he could hear them if they were speaking aloud to Jackson. He was guessing that he was hearing them through Jackson’s thoughts.

And it was
very
clear that it was only Jackson’s thoughts he heard.

Will was immediately able to tell what was spoken out loud, and what was internal dialog from Jackson. The vibrations were the sounds breaking through the air. Words in his mind made no such motion in the atmosphere. They were like silk.

Ha!
The
gift.

Will now had a good idea what gift he had received. He could read Jackson’s mind. But why?

There
will
be
no
secrets
between
brothers!
The answer glided through his ears, curling around his brain.

Oh, this was going to be good.

Equal footing. Jackson could read his thoughts; now Will could read his. Will had an inspiration.

JACKSON!

He sent the silent shout. He watched in satisfaction as Jackson jumped, and looked around, a little confused.

Out
here,
pal
!

Will watched as Jackson slowly turned his head toward the picture window, and heard clear as daybreak:

Oh,
not
possible!
There
is
no
damned
way!

Will couldn’t stop the laugh bubbling up from his belly at the look on Jackson’s face.

Bingo!

And he’d made Jackson bust loose with the “D” word! Will felt like he’d scored the winning touchdown at the Super bowl. He just had one more thing to say.

Honey,
I’m
home!

With another gut busting laugh, Will raced up the stairs.

Chapter 42

Nick’s girl was cute, Will decided, as he took another hard pull on a Magic Hat brew. She stuck close to Nick’s side as he fawned over her in the most embarrassing way.

So
what,
Will thought, as he perched himself on the threshold of the fireplace since all of the furniture was gone. Nobody had ever accused Nick of being a smooth-talking player, and anyhow, the girl, what was her name . . .
Rebecca?
Yeah, Rebecca seemed to be eating it up; pleased with all of Nick’s clumsy attentions.

She wore her fine, light brown hair in a ponytail, and little or no make-up obscured her heart-shaped face.

She was a tiny thing, incongruous next to the giant of a man standing beside her. Her head just past Nick’s waist, but they looked cute together.

Cute?
Ugh. Sap.

The evening had turned into quite the little party after the movers pulled out.

Will had realized with a jolt, that Nick would not remember meeting Jackson, Indie or his kids. It was really weird, introducing him to everyone, knowing all that they had actually been through together. Hell, they might have all been daisy root inspectors by now, if Nick had not planted some lead accessories into the center of Lockhart’s chest.

He didn’t need to look at Jackson to know that the man was staring at him again. But then, Jackson had barely been able to stop since Will had walked in the door, flaunting his shiny new gift from either the Elders, or the Creator himself, he didn’t know which.

Eyes straight ahead, watching Cassidy show off her mad cart-wheeling skills through the now empty house, Will raised his beer bottle in a salute in Jackson’s direction. He felt the man’s internal scowl, and smiled.

Cool!

He could hear the guy sigh, even in his mind. To all outward purposes, Jackson had been the flawless gentleman.

Funny and oh so charming, as Marie would say.

But on the inside, the man was struggling. He couldn’t believe that the Elders had given Will this gift.

Will wanted to tell him to go to Hell; that what Jackson had gained was a lot more valuable, as far as he was concerned.

He saw Jackson’s head whip around, and Will widened his grin. Oh, well. He guessed he just did.

Boy this was handy.

“So, Mom, I guess we should be looking for you in Texas in a month or so, huh?” The woman followed them everywhere. “Just think; this time you can actually stay with me!”

Will waited for her screams of excitement at the news. Wasn’t that her dream come true, after all? To have her boy all to herself again? It took a moment to dawn on him.

No screams.

His mother was fussing with Jake’s shirt collar, and smoothing non-existent wrinkles out of his clothes.

“Mom? Did you hear me?”

“Marie, you’re blushing!” Indie’s voice was shocked at first, and then a knowing smile spread across her face.

“What’s the deal, Mom? So you’re not planning a move after a discreet waiting period?” Marie released a squirming Jake, and turned to face her son.

“I don’t know, William. I might just stay here. These moves are getting hard for me, and at my age, I think it’s time I settled into one place.”

“Yeah, well you should’ve been doing that years ago, Mom, but that never stopped you. What’s so great about this place? I mean I . . . .”

Will stopped.

Second hand info, stepping up to the plate. Indie and Jackson’s brains had just exchanged the news, and so now, Will felt it seep into his mind, like warm caramel sauce.

His mother had a boyfriend. Marie was beet red.

“I . . . I’ve been . . .
talking
to a very nice man recently, that’s all!”
That’s
all?

The information that Jackson now gleaned from Will’s mother was a little more specific, and now, by proxy, it was in Will’s head too. Marie and this “nice man” were doing a little more than talking.

Oh
Christ!
God no!

He had to get that image out of his brain, like,
now
. How sick was that? Maybe if he set his head on fire . . .

Indie broke the awkward silence.

“That’s wonderful, Marie. Do you think it’s serious?”

Oh,
it
had
better
be,
Will thought.
If
the
guy
was
going
to
be
allowed
to
do
all
that
 . . . .

So
not going there again.

Marie was now only faintly pink. If she only knew.

“I think it might be, but we’ll see. At any rate, I’m not planning on moving to Texas, Will. Sorry to disappoint you!”

Everyone laughed and the grossness of the moment was absorbed. Will tried to remember that at least Nick and his date couldn’t see it. That made it only unbearably sickening, is all.

He slinked into the kitchen to grab another beer. Will raised a questioning chin up toward Nick, and the man nodded, then looked at Rebecca. She shook her head, so Will grabbed two.

Jackson could get his own.

Oh, right. The guy didn’t drink alcohol. So he could pop himself another juice box, then.

Indie and Marie cornered Rebecca, and Will watched with sympathy as the women went to work learning everything about her. Indie was genuinely curious, as they both worked in the same field. Marie, as Will knew very well, was just plain nosy. But it came in handy for social gatherings.

As Will handed a cold bottle to Nick, he gestured toward the French doors and the men filed out onto the deck. It was very dark now, and the temperature was perfect.

Will could hear Jackson and the kids playing hide and seek in the large backyard.

What a cheater. Jackson could read their little minds, so what a challenge
that
game must be.

Oh. He remembered that the kids could read his as well. Hmm. Maybe it was pretty interesting at that.

“So . . .” Straight talking Nick got right to the point. “This is pretty weird. You know that, right? You and Indie and the whole boyfriend thing?”

“Yep. You’re right. Pretty weird,” Will agreed.

Nick waited.

“So you got nothin’ t’ say about it, then?”

Will hesitated. Damn. What
could
he say?

“It’s beyond complicated, Nick. Let’s just say that nobody cheated, and nobody’s at fault.”

Except
me,
Will added silently, swallowing bile.

“Bullshit. How is that even possible?” Nick was unimpressed.

“It isn’t, in the world as you know it. But trust me when I tell you, that it had to end up this way, and that Indie is all the better for it.”

“Hmph!” Nick snorted into his beer. He looked over at Will.

“You know, I wanna hate this dude, right? But somehow . . . I just . . .
can’t
.” He took a hard hit of his beer. “And I’ve been watchin’ him. It’s like he looks at Indie with this . . . physical touch. It’s crazy. His eyes are all about her.”

“You . . . are . . . right, Nick. That’s
exactly
right.” Well, wasn’t he becoming quite the yes-man this evening?

“And now . . .” Nick looked around and consciously lowered his voice. “And now,” he spoke in a stage whisper, “you’re gonna have him as a partner? And you’re all up and movin’ to cow-town together? That borders on kinky, ‘bro!”

Will heaved a sigh.

God, he wanted more than anything to blurt out the whole story to this man. He thought that if anyone would understand, it would be Nick. He might think Will was a raving lunatic, but he would understand.

“Look, Nick . . . .”

The police officer held up his hand, and then clapped him on his injured shoulder, gently. “No worries, Will. I know something’s up. I even know that you really wanna tell me about it, but ya can’t. I don’t know why, but if ya can’t . . . well then ya
can’t
, s’all. Right?”

Will ate the lump in his throat.

“Thanks, man,” he choked. Nick
was
the man, and he wanted him to know that. He looked up at him. Nick wasn’t looking back at him, but across the yard, staring off into the distance.

“Hey, Nick,”

“Yeah, bud?”

“One of these days, I am going to find a way to tell you everything, because you deserve that. You’re a damn good friend, and to tell you the truth, Nick, there aren’t that many like you out there. I wish . . . I wish . . . aw shit, never mind!”

“God, Fed, you sound like a
girl!
” Nick was casual, but Will thought he could hear a strange thickness in the man’s voice.

Out of the corner of his eye, Will caught him dragging his thumb under each eye. Under all the tough guy action, Nick was such a softie.
Just
don’t
piss
him
off
, Will thought with a little smile.

The game of hide and seek ended, and Will and Nick made their way back inside.

Jackson had joined the woman standing around the kitchen island, and they were all staring at him, and hanging on his every word with disgusting star-struck faces.

Will and Nick looked at each other. Nick made a show of taking his pointer finger and doing the gag-me thing down his throat, and Will cracked up.

“What’s so funny?” asked little Rebecca, floating instantly to Nick’s side. “Your date,” Will replied, sneaking a peek at Jackson, who was leaning in way too close to Indie, whispering in her ear. Will’s laughter dissolved.

Abruptly, he decided he’d had way more than enough.

“Well folks, we’re closing up the bar, I guess. We’ve got a long day ahead of us, right Indie?”

Yeah. He’d
definitely
had enough for the evening.

“Hmm, what Will? I didn’t hear you.” Indie answered in a distracted way. Oh, but Will heard what Jackson was saying in her ear, though. Heard it just fine, thank you.

Whatever.

“I said we all have a long day tomorrow, right?”

“Oh, right! We do. Cassidy and Jake!” She called out to the children, who appeared at once.

“Time to go. Remember, tomorrow you meet your new teacher, Lorena.”

“We remember, Mommy,” the twins sang in unison.

The Society had arranged for the home schooling of the twins, and Lorena St. John was set to arrive in the morning; a live-in nanny-slash-teacher.

Indie had dug in her heels at the idea of boarding school for the twins, and Jackson had not even attempted to change her mind about that one. Besides, he wasn’t so hot on the idea either. They could be taught just fine right under the same roof as the rest of the family.

Much easier for him to watch over them that way.

No need to speak of anyone crossing the ocean for their education for many years . . . not until college.

Nick and Rebecca said their goodnights, and “nice-to-meet-ya’s,” and pulled out first. Marie and Jackson gathered the kids together and loaded up the car. The kids and Will were spending the next couple of nights at Marie’s house, and then the caravan to Texas would begin.

Will stood next to Indie, and caught himself leaning slightly toward her, letting his arm touch hers; the heat from her body warming him.

She allowed this, and spoke softly. “I know this is a freaky situation, Will, but I am glad for it. And furthermore, it’s going to all work out, I know it!”

“You think so?”

Will couldn’t help himself. He reached up to brush her face lightly with his fingertips, hating the concern he saw for him in her eyes.

Hating that he loved it.

Indie closed her hand around his. “Yeah, I do. There is a reason for all of this; we already know it, don’t we? It’s like a movie being played out, and we are the characters. I don’t know . . . it’s weird, but it’s okay. And we’re safe with him, you know.”

“Yeah. I know.”

Will patted his shirt pocket, and caught himself.

Whoa, how wrong was this? He’d been feeling for a pack of cigarettes.

Will had quit smoking over fifteen years ago. What had he been thinking? He had been thinking he needed a smoke, was what!