by Carrie Elks
And that was a good thing, wasn’t it? Jackson didn’t need any ties. Not when he had a business to run. Lisa made kissy sounds at Eddie, who wasn’t having any of it, refusing to look up at her no matter how sweet she tried to talk to him.
After she finally gave up and just took some shots, Eddie gave a little growl and ambled back to Jackson, lifting his soulful eyes up to look at his almost-kind-of master, before resting his chin on Jackson’s thighs.
Damn, it was hard to resist him. Jackson stroked Eddie’s brow, unable to hide his grin when Eddie almost purred like a cat with contentment.
“Okay, I’ve uploaded them,” Lisa said. “I put the office phone in for the contact details, since you barely ever answer your phone.”
Eddie’s eyes drooped, even though he was still standing, his head resting on Jackson. “Thanks,” Jackson said, patting him with one hand, while typing with the other.
“No problem. But when I find his real home I expect a bonus.”
Weird how that made Jackson’s stomach contract. Maybe he was worried for Lydia. She liked Eddie so much she made them purchase matching neckerchiefs, after all.
Yeah, well Lydia’s only here until next week. The ache in his guts increased, making Jackson blink as he read the email in front of him.
Soon, Lydia would be flying off to Europe, and Eddie would more than likely be reunited with his owners. That would leave Jackson alone again. And that was exactly the way he liked things.
Wasn’t it?
8
Lydia felt like she’d been walking for days, even though her watch told her it had been just over an hour and a half. When she’d set out, the sun had been high in the sky, a huge golden disc reflecting yellow ripples across the ocean. Now it was burnished, slipping down the horizon, shading everything orange and pink.
She’d spent today with Autumn at the pier, playing with Skyler while her sister had meeting after meeting in her pretty office overlooking the ocean. Lydia and her niece had explored the pier, then they’d visited with the lovely shop owners on the boardwalk, which meant lots of cuddles and kisses for Skyler, and a lot of questions for Lydia.
Frank Megassey had wanted to look at her Instagram and asked for advice on where he should take his wife for their Ruby wedding anniversary. Lydia had asked him a few questions about the kind of things they liked to do during the day while they were on vacation, and what his wife’s favorite food was. They’d settled on a trip to Italy – visiting Rome and Venice in the fall, once the worst of the heat had dissipated, but before the cold arrived. She’d written down his email address so she could send him some places to visit – the ‘off the beaten track’ restaurants and galleries that would make him look like a hero in his wife’s eyes.
After she had left Frank’s hardware store, with a toy rattle he’d gifted to Skyler, they’d headed to the book store to look at baby books. It was owned by Deenie Russell, the mom of one of Griff’s best friends. As soon as Lydia wheeled Skyler’s stroller through the door, she’d run over to give the baby a kiss on the cheek.
“She’s so big. And look at her goofy smile. Doesn’t she take after Griff?” Deenie had asked.
Lydia had laughingly agreed, though the rest of Skyler’s features looked astonishingly like Autumn’s.
She’d spent an hour at the book store, reading to Skyler, who promptly fell asleep in the middle of Dr. Seuss’ Oh, The Places You’ll Go. While she slept, Lydia had helped Deenie set up an Instagram page for the bookstore, and they’d taken a lot of photos for her to feature over the next few days.
“Remember, lots of hashtags, and you need to interact,” Lydia told her. “And post regularly. Once a day if you can. You have enough books here to take photos for years.”
After the bookstore, Lydia had wheeled Skyler to Déjà Brew for a chat with Ally and Nate, before they headed back to the pier. Griff’s whale watching boat had just docked, and his customers were spilling off the metal gangplank and onto the pier – a group of children from the local school who were talking excitedly to each other.
Lydia had waited for them all to leave before she wheeled Skyler up to the boat. She was wide awake by that point, and as soon as she spotted her daddy standing on the pier she’d let out a squeal.
Griff had looked equally pleased to see his daughter, walking over and scooping her out of her stroller, before lifting her high and peppering her cheeks with kisses. Skyler had squealed, her arms flying as she tried to grab his hair in her chubby fists. Damn if seeing the two of them didn’t do something to Lydia’s ovaries. She’d grinned insanely as her soon to be brother-in-law rubbed his beard against Skyler’s face, making the baby giggle loudly.
It was only when the four of them – Autumn, Griff, Skyler, and Lydia – had made it back to their beachside ranch house that Lydia announced she was going out again.
“Where?” Griff had asked. “You don’t know anybody here, do you?”
Autumn had bitten down a grin. “Sweetheart, Lydia’s been here for more than a day. She knows literally everybody. Do you know how many people have called to tell me what a darling my sister is?”
“People have called you?” Lydia asked.
“Who?” Griff had added, his brows knitting together as he looked from his fiancée to her sister.
“Well first of all, Frank called and told me she’d solved his anniversary dilemma. After that, Deenie called to rave about what a tech wizard she is.” Autumn smiled fondly at her sister. “Then Lorne Daniels called to tell me that if he was fifty years younger, he’d be asking her out on a date.”
“Lorne, the surf shop guy?” Lydia verified.
Autumn nodded. “The very same.”
Autumn and Griff turned to look at Lydia, who shrugged. “I just like talking to people, that’s all. And so did Skyler.”
“So where are you going?” Griff asked her.
“I promised Jackson I’d take Eddie out for a walk,” she told them. “He’s kind of half my dog, too.”
“He’s not yours or Jackson’s,” Griff pointed out. “He belongs to somebody else. Jackson is just taking care of him.”
“I know.” Lydia’s voice was bright. “But since I’m the one who found Eddie, it’s only fair I do some of the work.”
“Is Jackson picking you up?” Autumn asked, cradling Skyler against her chest. “Or would you like a ride over?”
“I can walk. It’s a lovely evening.”
“Jackson lives five miles up the coast,” Autumn had pointed out. “It’s not exactly a short stroll.”
“It can’t be that far,” Lydia argued. “I can practically see his house from here. It’s on that cliff, isn’t it?”
She noticed Autumn and Griff exchange a glance.
“Yep,” Griff said. “That’s the one.”
And now she was walking up the cliff steps toward Jackson’s house, having taken the route Griff had shown her, along the boardwalk, then past the bigger houses until she reached open sand, walking along the coastal path until the cliff curved around. That’s when she’d seen the steps he’d described. They looked as though they’d been carved out of the cliff face a hundred years ago, their once sharp edges worn down, and damn if they didn’t make her legs ache as they twisted and turned to the top.
She was breathless when she made it to the grassy lawn leading to Jackson’s house. There was a fence containing his backyard, and she pulled on the gate to open it, stepping inside.
Jackson and Eddie were in the yard, play-wrestling. Jackson was on his back, his denim-clad legs bent at the knee, his bare feet planted in the grass. He was wearing a black henley, and his biceps bulged beneath the dark cotton as he held Eddie’s thick trunk, while Eddie yapped and barked and jumped all over him.
When Jackson tried to sit up, Eddie pushed him down with his paws, making him laugh loudly. Eddie jumped back, enough for Jackson to scoot away, before Eddie leapt on him and the wrestling started all over again.
“Okay, okay, you win!” Jackso
n said, laughing, as Eddie finally stopped jumping. “Now sit.”
Much to her surprise, Eddie did exactly as he was told, gracefully planting his haunches on the grass and his paws in front of him, as he looked up at Jackson.
“Good boy,” Jackson murmured, ruffling the pup’s hair. Eddie looked as pleased as punch.
“Have you been training him?” Lydia asked. Their two heads swept around in tandem to look at her. Eddie cocked his head to the side, while Jackson blinked at her sudden appearance.
“Where did you come from?” he asked, a smile curling at his lips. “Is it seven already?”
“A quarter after.” Lydia had the good grace to look apologetic. “I’m late. It took longer than I’d expected to get here. Especially with all those steps.”
He stood and brushed the grass from his top. She tried really hard not to look at the sliver of skin between the hem and his jeans. “Didn’t you get a ride?” he asked her.
“I decided to walk. It’s a lovely evening.”
“So you walked five miles here, to take Eddie for a walk, and later you’ll walk five miles back?”
“I guess.” She honestly hadn’t thought about the journey home. But that would be okay.
“You really need to learn how to drive.”
“Then teach me,” she joked.
“Okay.”
Her mouth dropped open. “I was just kidding. You don’t have to do that. I’d drive you crazy. Literally. The only time I’ve ever been behind a wheel I almost drove into a wall.”
Jackson nodded. “Noted. We won’t go near any walls.”
“You’re serious.”
“I am. You can’t live the next seventy years of your life not being able to drive. I can at least show you the basics. Then when you’re ready you will be prepared to eventually take lessons.”
The thought of Jackson taking her out to drive his car made her feel fluttery inside. It was those damn biceps. Every time they flexed her heart missed a beat. And if he was teaching her to drive, they’d have to flex a lot. And maybe reach across her, to show her how to turn the wheel properly.
“You really don’t have to. I’ve survived this long without learning.”
“It’s fine. We’ll start tonight after you’ve taken Eddie for a walk. I’ll drive you home and explain all the basics. Then tomorrow, I’ll pick you up and you can do some driving.”
She nodded. “It’s a deal.” And one that she would benefit the most out of. She made a mental note to herself to do something – anything – to make his life easier. Something that didn’t involve him looking after a dog or teaching a wild woman to drive.
“Okay.” He didn’t look perturbed at all. If anything, he looked amused. “I’ll go grab Eddie’s leash, and you can take him down to the beach while I finish up some work.”
Jackson sighed and pushed his laptop away. He wasn’t getting any work done. He was too busy looking beyond the screen to the beach below his cliff house. When he’d first looked at this place, it had been the view that had drawn him. The ocean had been part of his life for as long as he could remember. First with his dad’s career as a professional surfer, and when he gave that up for a steadier, more local job, it was Jackson who’d surfed more.
The ocean was choppy tonight. He smiled as he watched Lydia and Eddie run alongside the foaming waves as they crashed against the beach. The sun was halfway beneath the horizon, casting a low, orange glow across the surface of the water. Part of him wanted to be down there, running with them. But he was already too far gone. He liked her. More than he wanted to. She made him smile in a way he hadn’t for a long time. She made him want things he had no place wanting. Things like soft touches and knowing grins. Warm, welcoming lips and soft tender thighs.
He groaned, shifting in his chair. She was leaving in ten days. He had to get through them, and he’d be okay. He was used to people leaving – he’d watched his mom do it too many times over the years. Just keep that protective armor over his heart and everything would be okay.
Eddie jumped at Lydia, shaking his wet body all over her. Most girls he knew would have screamed at that, but he could see Lydia laughing while shaking her hair back at Eddie, who barked with delight.
He’d never met anybody quite like her. Never felt the kind of pull he did every time she was near. It felt out of his control, and he didn’t like that.
Nah. That wasn’t true. He liked it too much. Like an addict drawn to their next fix.
The way his dad was always drawn to his mom, no matter how many times she walked away.
In the distance he could see a big swell moving steadily toward the breaking point. The kind of swell that would make his heart race if he was on a board right now. He’d paddle toward it, his eyes transfixed on the shape, working out exactly the right spot to ride the giant wave into shore.
Lydia had her back to the ocean, leaning down toward the sand as though she was searching for something to throw. She was close to the breaking waves, enough that her bare feet were covered with salt water every time they hit the shore.
Jacksons stood, walking toward the edge of his yard, and called out her name. Lydia looked up, smiling, and waved at him. He shook his head, pointing at the wave that was now lifting and foaming in readiness to break. From the shrug on her shoulders she had no idea what he was trying to say. Not until the roar of the rolling water hit her ears, and she looked over her shoulder at the oncoming surge.
Eddie chose that moment to jump at her again, knocking her over right as the wave broke. It poured over them both, obscuring them completely as the white water rushed up the beach.
By the time it receded, Eddie was happily swimming back with it, while Lydia was coughing and spluttering in an attempt to stand.
Shit.
Jackson ran down the cliff steps as fast as he could, his leg muscles lengthening and contracting rhythmically as he made it to the sand. She was bent over – damn, was she hurt? He sprinted toward her, his heart pummeling against his ribcage.
She looked up. Her hair was drenched and matted with sand and salt. Black mascara ran from her eyes and down her cheeks, like dark viscous teardrops. Her shorts and white t-shirt clung to her body like they never wanted to let go. He swallowed hard, trying to drag his eyes away from her soft, beautiful curves.
Lydia laughed. Not just a giggle, but a full-on roar. Her eyes crinkled, her body bent over, her hair cascading over her shoulders.
“You okay?” he asked, reaching out a hand to help her up. She curled her fingers around his, climbing to her feet, her body still shaking with laughter.
“Did you see that?” she asked. “Eddie got me good.”
“Yeah, I saw it.” Eyes on her face, man. “Did you swallow any water?”
“About a gallon.” She looked down at her wet clothes and up again. “I think I’ve got more water in my stomach than there’s left out there.”
Eddie suddenly noticed Jackson standing there, and let out a happy bark, bounding toward them both. “Sit!” Jackson shouted, not expecting it to work at all. But he did it, his tongue lolling out, his fur wet with brine.
The sun had almost disappeared. The air around them felt fresh, breezy. “You should take a shower,” Jackson told Lydia. He was still holding her hand. Funny how he felt in no hurry to let it go. “I’ve got some old clothes you can wear.”
“But I haven’t taken Eddie for a walk. We were too busy playing on the beach.”
Jackson glanced at the dog. He was panting, his eyes shining as he looked adoringly at Lydia. He knew how he felt. “He looks happy enough. And if he’s still full of energy later, I’ll take him then.”
She sighed. “I was supposed to be doing you a favor. Now I feel like I’ve given you more work to do.”
He grinned. “You’ve made me laugh, which is favor enough. And I think you’ve made Eddie’s day, too. It’s getting cool. Come up and get showered, then I’ll drive you home.”
9
Jackson handed Lydia
a towel from his heated linen cupboard in the hallway, and pushed open the bathroom door. The interior was masculine and calm, with black tiled walls and a grey tiled floor, the chrome fittings so shiny she could see a rounded reflection of her face in them.
“Wow, this is clean,” she said, holding the warm towel against her drenched skin.
“You sound surprised.”
She bit her lip. “Most guys’ bathrooms I’ve seen are grubby. I wasn’t expecting it to be so… nice.”
“I don’t know whether to be offended by your assumptions, or curious about how many guys’ bathrooms you’ve seen.” He winked at her, and damn if it didn’t make her heart skip a beat. “But instead, I’ll admit that the cleaner came today. And this is the guest bathroom. Mine is messy and full of crap.”
“In a weird way that makes me feel better.” She smiled. He was so damn easy going. And tall. She hadn’t realized how tall until she was in her bare feet beside him. It wasn’t her fault that her eye line was almost exactly at his chest. Well, it was if she lowered her gaze just a bit. And that action was worth it, because the black henley he was wearing was tight enough for her to see the outline of his chest through it.
His strong, defined chest. She curled her hands tightly around the fluffy towel in case they decided to go rogue and reach out to trace the outline of his pectorals. She couldn’t trust her damn fingers around him.
“Okay. I’ll go shower.” She smiled brightly at him. “Anything I need to know? Does it run cold? If you flush the toilet am I gonna get scalded?”
He laughed. “Not that I know of. And I promise not to flush the toilet. I’m going to make you some hot coffee though. I’ll leave it outside the door, okay?”
“I can come down and get it.”
He looked directly at her. “I know you can. But I want you to get warm, so I’ll bring it up.”
“You’re kind of hot when you’re masterful, you know that?” She turned and walked into the bathroom, a grin on her lips.