by Carrie Elks
They were still staring at her. She shifted her feet. “Um, say something?”
“Okayyyy.” Jackson ran a thumb along his jaw. “Like what?”
“Like you’ll take her to the mall,” Ally suggested helpfully. “You have your car here, don’t you?”
His eyes shifted to Lydia. “Yeah, I have my car. I also have a dog and a mountain of work to do. I only came out to get some fresh air.”
“It’s fine,” Lydia said quickly. She really didn’t want to annoy him anymore. “I’ll find a way there.”
“How?” Jackson pressed his lips together.
“I’ll take you,” Ben, the barista, called out over the counter. “I get off in an hour and I’ve just gotten my license. My mom lets me borrow her car.”
Lydia looked at his hopeful face. He was such a cutie. She hated to turn him down. But still, there was no way she was getting in a car with him. “That’s so sweet—”
She didn’t have a chance to say her ‘but’ before Jackson interjected. “I’ll take you,” he said, shooting a dark look at Ben. “Let me get a coffee, and I’ll call my dad to ask if he can keep an eye on Eddie for a couple of hours.”
“If he can’t help, I know Riley would love to take care of your dog,” Ally said, referring to her step-daughter. “She’s at home, I can call her.”
Lydia beamed at Jackson, then at Ally and Nate. “You’re all so kind, thank you.” She smiled over at Ben, because she hated leaving anybody out. “You, too.”
Ben nodded and ambled back to the espresso machine, accepting defeat.
A minute later, Nate passed over Jackson’s order. “It’s on the house,” he told Jackson. “Because I think you’re going to need it.”
Jackson’s expression reminded her of her dad’s, the day she told him she didn’t need to go to college because she was planning on traveling the world. It was stoical. Almost long-suffering. Had she inadvertently steamrolled him again?
From the way he shifted his feet, she thought she had.
Jackson took the paper cup and tugged at Eddie’s leash, before blowing out a mouthful of air. “Come on,” he said to Lydia. “Let’s go and get you to the mall before I change my mind.”
Well this was going to be interesting.
He’d officially lost his mind. That was the only explanation. All those long days at the office, followed by late nights in front of a glowing screen had led to this. A complete breakdown.
Jackson had worked almost through the night, and had only taken a break to stretch his – and Eddie’s – legs. But then he’d seen Lydia standing there, wearing denim cut offs and a sweater that clung to every delicious curve she had, and all thoughts of coding and clients and sitting in front of a computer had flown out of his mind.
And now here they were, driving down the highway toward Silver City Mall, the windows open, the radio blasting out, with Lydia singing along to Dua Lipa. Eddie was safe with Jackson’s dad – who’d raised an eyebrow when he’d been introduced to Lydia, but said nothing else, though Jackson was almost certain he’d be getting the third degree later.
“I love this song so much,” Lydia said, turning to smile at him. The breeze from the window lifted her hair, making tendrils dance around her shoulders. “How about you?”
“I don’t think I’ve heard it before.” Jackson shrugged. “But I like it.”
“What kind of music do you listen to?” she asked, tipping her head. The sun caught her blonde hair, reflecting into his eyes.
The music was interrupted by the shrill sound of his phone ringer through the Bluetooth speaker. Jackson looked at the dash – it was Alex, one of his programmers. He rejected the call, and looked over at Lydia.
“I guess I’m more of a rock guy. Soundgarden. Foo Fighters. That kind of thing.”
“I love the Foo Fighters.” Her eyes caught his, and damn if that didn’t do something to him. “We should listen to them. Best of You is my favorite.”
“It’s mine, too,” he murmured. Who knew?
She pulled out her phone, linking it with the speaker, and hit play. Tipping her head back, she sang the first line with a deep, throaty voice that made him grin.
She was dazzling. She’d only been here for two days, yet here he was, driving along the highway on a Sunday afternoon, listening to good music with a beautiful woman sitting next to him. Something other people did on a weekly basis, yet it felt almost alien to him.
And yet so damn good.
His phone started buzzing again, the ringtone interrupting Dave Grohl’s lament.
“Boy, you get a lot of phone calls,” Lydia said. “Doesn’t that drive you crazy?”
“I usually work on Sundays.” And every other day. “They’re used to me answering all their problems.”
“Who is it, a client?”
“Mostly my programmers. We bounce ideas off each other when we hit a block. They’ll probably call another member of the team if they can’t get ahold of me.”
“Do you ever take a break?”
He gave her a half-grin. “I’m here, aren’t I?”
“Yeah, but I can’t help but feel it’s my fault you are. I should have taken Ben up on his offer.”
“You wanted to go to the mall with a teenage kid in his mom’s minivan?” he asked archly.
She narrowed her eyes. “How do you know he drives a minivan?”
“I don’t. But I’m trying to put you off.”
“Oh.” She looked down, smiling to herself. “Don’t worry, I’m not interested in Ben.”
Jackson stared out of the windshield, his hands a little tighter on the wheel.
“I’m really glad you brought me,” Lydia said softly. “I like spending time with you.”
He swallowed hard, a sudden image of Griff flashing into his thoughts. At six foot two, Jackson was taller than most guys he knew, but his best friend still towered over him. He had a mean right hook, too. Not that Jackson had ever been at the receiving end of it, but he remembered Griff using it a couple of times when they were younger.
And he definitely didn’t want to rile his best friend up now.
The problem was, his body wasn’t getting the message.
He gave an internal sigh of relief when he saw the Silver Sands Mall looming ahead. Pulling into the turn lane, he made a right into the main parking lot, sliding his car in between a F150 truck and a BMW.
Switching off the engine, he turned to Lydia. “Okay. You ready to hit the shops?”
6
Jackson needed cheering up, that was for sure. Lydia felt like Griff and Autumn had Jackson all wrong. He wasn’t a player. He was a workaholic who had no time for meaningful relationships. And she might not have time to solve all his problems, but she could at least make him smile today.
They hit the department store first, heading for the appliance section. It was rammed full of shiny coffee machines that made her mouth water for another caffeine fix. She ended up buying a replacement glass carafe as well as a Nespresso machine, because if Autumn and Griff didn’t crawl into the twenty-first coffee machine century soon, she wasn’t sure she could stay with them again.
“Do you have a coffee machine?” Lydia asked Jackson when she’d paid at the counter.
“Uh, yeah. But I keep forgetting to order the pods.” Jackson shrugged before adding, “Or buy milk.”
He took the oversized shopping bag from her as she slipped her wallet into her purse. “You don’t have to carry that for me,” she told him.
“I know I don’t. But I want to.”
He was still in a strange mood. Had been since he’d returned a couple of calls while she looked around at the coffee machines. As they wandered out of the department store and back into the main mall, her brow dipped as she tried to think of a way to make him smile again.
That’s when she saw it. The shop practically had their name on it.
“We should go in there,” she said, pointing at the pink and grey signage.
“Doggie Co
uture?” Jackson shook his head. “Why on earth do we want to shop in that place?”
“Look! They have little four poster dog beds in the window.” She laughed and pulled at his hand. “See? Imagine Eddie sleeping in one of those.”
Jackson grinned in spite of himself. “Eddie doesn’t look like the kind of dog who wants a four poster.”
“What does he want then?”
Lydia liked the way he smiled. Maybe too much. It made his cheeks lift up and his eyes sparkle. She also noticed he had perfect teeth.
Lickable, even, if you were into that kind of thing.
Which she most certainly wasn’t.
“A manly bed.” Jackson nodded. “Just a cushion is all he needs. Wherever he lays his tail, that’s his home.”
“We should go in anyway.” She hooked her arm through his. “Just to make sure he isn’t missing out.”
“If you say so.” He let her pull him in, not even bothering to make a cursory protest.
As soon as they were inside the shop, the absurdity of some of the merchandise hit her. Not just the ornate dog beds, but the silver and gold plated feeding dishes, the hand embroidered pet carrier you could loop over your shoulder, not to mention tiny leather handbags you could attach to your dog’s collar for all those doggy necessities.
“This is crazy,” Jackson told her. “Eddie wouldn’t be seen dead in any of this stuff.”
Her eyes lit up at a clothes rack. “Hey,” she said, dragging Jackson over. “They have little doggy leather jackets. How cute are they?” Searching through them, she found one in what looked like Eddie’s size. Made of soft black leather, it had a sugar skull emblem sewn on the back, along with the logo ‘Paws MC’.
“You are not putting my dog in a leather jacket,” Jackson told her, his eyes crinkling as he took the hanger from her hands and replaced it on the rail. “Next thing I know you’ll be buying him a bike.”
She didn’t mention the fact he’d called Eddie his dog. But she did store that fact away for later.
“Hi!” An assistant walked over, holding the leash of a chubby pug, who was wearing a Pink Ladies jacket. “Aren’t these adorable? What kind of dog do you have?”
“Uh. He’s a mix.” Jackson looked at Lydia, as though he wanted to run away.
“He has some German Shepherd in him,” Lydia added. “He’s strong and butch, just like Jackson.” She ran her hand up and down Jackson’s arm. Damn, his muscles were hard. He had to work out.
“I like the sound of him.” The assistant smiled. “Your boyfriend sounds like a wonderful dog owner.”
Jackson blinked. “Boyfriend?” he mouthed. But he didn’t protest.
Maybe they could have a bit of fun here. There was nothing like a game of pretend to make somebody laugh.
Lydia grinned at him, hoping he would go with it. “I was just telling my boyfriend,” she said, emphasizing the word, “that Eddie would look amazing in these jackets.”
Jackson bit down a smile and shook his head, but didn’t correct her.
“And I was just telling my… girlfriend that Eddie doesn’t need a jacket. God gave him a coat already.”
She squeezed Jackson’s hand. He was definitely going with it.
“I guess so,” the assistant said. “But it’s a way to show our furry babies how much we love them, isn’t it? Look at Buffy here. She loves being dressed up. Every day she gets to choose a different outfit.” She leaned down to ruffle the pug’s fur. “But you know, if you’re not ready for a full on outfit, why not start with a neckerchief? We have some great ones at the counter.”
“Yes,” Lydia said, smiling at Jackson. “We should get Eddie a neckerchief.”
“I don’t know how he’s survived this far without one,” Jackson agreed, deadpan.
She scanned his face. Yeah, he still looked like he was enjoying himself. Maybe it was time to take it up a notch. “Do you have matching daddy and doggy neckerchiefs?” Lydia asked, trying hard to keep a straight face. “Wouldn’t that be perfect, sweetheart?”
Jackson narrowed his eyes at her, but his lips were still curled up. “How about a mommy and doggy matching set?”
She clapped her hands together. “Yes! We’ll all get one. Won’t that be wonderful?” She hugged him, pressing her face into his chest to hide her laughter. “You always have the best ideas.”
“I live to make you happy,” he said, raising an eyebrow.
She managed to keep the laughter down long enough for them to pay for three jaunty red neckerchiefs. But as soon as they were outside, she found herself bending over to stop from peeing herself.
Because Jackson’s face was just so, so delicious.
“Remind me to never take you shopping again,” he told her, putting the bag with the coffee machine down. “And also, you’re wearing that scarf the next time you take Eddie out.”
“Your face, oh my god, wasn’t that fun?” she managed to splutter.
He blinked, as though it was a difficult question. “Yeah…” he finally said. “I guess it was fun.”
She managed to stand, rolling onto the balls of her feet to press her lips against his cheek. He hadn’t shaved again, and the roughness of his beard sent a shiver through her. “I owe you one,” she told him.
“More than one. About a hundred. Why is it you create chaos wherever you go?”
She shrugged happily. “It’s a gift.”
“It sure is. And what was with calling me your boyfriend?”
“Sometimes it’s fun to pretend to be somebody you’re not. Like being a kid again, playing make believe.” She eyed him carefully. “It’s a way I stop thinking about all the things that worry me.”
His mouth parted as he took in her words. Slowly, he ran the tip of his tongue along his plump bottom lip. Lydia didn’t think she’d ever met a guy with such a perfect mouth. She wondered what it would feel like to press them against her…
Then his phone rang, chasing the thought from her head.
“Again?” she asked. She’d never met anybody who got more phone calls and messages than she did before.
Jackson pulled his phone from his pocket, sighing when he read the screen. “I gotta take this one,” he said. “Give me a minute, okay?”
The way the light drained from his eyes made her feel sad. She’d almost got him there, dammit. “Sure. Take your time.”
He slid his finger to accept the call, and lifted the device to his ear. “Mom?” He paused. “Yeah, I got your messages, I’ve been busy, that’s all.”
Jackson walked away to take the call so Lydia didn’t have to hear the gory details. Exhaling heavily, he leaned on the tiled wall while his mom let out a stream of consciousness over the phone.
Same old story. Slightly different words. He managed to hmm and ahh at the right times, but really his attention was directed at the woman standing next to an oversize shopping bag, who was currently pulling a red neckerchief out and holding it in front of her face like she was doing the dance of the seven veils.
A mischievous grin pulled at her lips as she waved the neckerchief back and forth, her hips rolling sensually as she lifted it over her head and slowly turned in a circle, still gyrating and dancing to a beat nobody else could hear.
Everybody was staring at her, and either she didn’t notice or didn’t care. The latter, probably. She was having too much fun, twirling and waving and making him grin and shake his head.
“Jackson, did you hear me?”
“Sorry, Mom. I’m in the mall, it’s loud. I can call you back later.”
“No, please,” His mom’s voice was almost a shout. “I just need a little help, sweetie. A couple of thousand will do. I’ll pay it back, just as soon as my friend gives me the money back.”
Jackson realized he’d missed most of her story. Not that it mattered, he’d bet two thousand dollars it was all made up. “I spoke to Dad, he already gave you money.”
Lydia slowly spun to a halt, and tied the scarf around her neck, then leaned forw
ard and lifted her hands to her lips, blowing him an exaggerated Marilyn Monroe style kiss.
An old man sitting on a bench nearby started clapping.
“She’s crazy, but she’s hot,” a younger guy said, walking by.
“This is for something else,” his mom said. “And he promised not to tell you. I need it for something else.”
“What?”
There was silence as she most certainly thought up an excuse. “My water heater is broken.”
“So call the landlord.”
“I have. And he’s repairing it. But I can’t live without hot water, Jackson. I need to move into a motel for a few days.”
Damn, she was getting worse. This had to be the third time this year she’d called him for money, and it was only mid-March. And god only knew how often she’d called his dad. Everybody knew Ryan Lewis was a soft touch when it came to his ex-wife. Especially his ex-wife.
“I’m not giving you any money.”
“What? But I’m your mom, sweetheart. I really need your help.” She sounded almost panicked. “I promise I’ll give it back. I will. Please, sweetie.”
A man walked over and was talking to Lydia. He said something to her and she started to laugh. And damn if she didn’t remind him of his mom in that moment.
Growing up, Jackson’s mom had always been the life and soul of the party. He could remember how excited he’d get when she’d tell him he didn’t have to go to school that day because they were going on an adventure. She’d take him to Disneyland without telling his dad where they were going, or on a whale watching tour when he should have been studying in second grade.
And then she’d left. Suddenly and painfully. He’d watched his dad wither beneath her loss, the same way Jackson had. As though the light had been sucked out of their life.
When the man walked away and Lydia smiled over at him again, Jackson didn’t smile back. Because none of his thoughts were making sense.