by Carrie Elks
“Yeah.” Jackson leaned his head against the brick. “I guess it’s like lancing a boil. It hurts, but you gotta get the pus out.”
Ryan laughed. “Another good description of Hayley. But seriously, I’m sorry that we never had this conversation before. We should have. But I’m just not good at talking.”
“Yeah, well there are a lot of things I should’ve said before. Like I hate the way you always give in to mom whenever she needs anything.”
Ryan nodded. “I know. But she’s different from us. She’s not strong. And she’s still your mom.”
“She’s an adult,” Jackson pointed out. “There has to come a time when we stop bailing her out.”
“You’re right.” Ryan sighed. “I’ll tell her there are some conditions to me taking her home. First of all, she needs to agree to get some help. Proper counseling. And she needs to stop asking for money.”
“And if she doesn’t?”
Ryan caught Jackson’s eye. “Then we learn to say no.”
Jackson smiled. “Good.”
Ryan eyed Jackson carefully. “And where are you?” he asked. “I don’t mean the hospital, but where are you with life? I know you and Lydia got pretty close these past two weeks.”
“I’ve fallen in love with her,” Jackson admitted. “Every damn part of me aches when I think about her.”
Ryan’s eyes opened wide at his son’s candor. “You love her?” he asked, a smile breaking out on his face. “That’s great.”
“She leaves today. And she has no idea how I feel.” Jackson pulled at his hair, letting out a sigh. “I need to call her. Tell her.”
“What time’s her flight?”
Jackson glanced at his watch. “Twelve. She has to leave Angel Sands by eight to get there in time.”
“You should drive to see her. You have enough time. Some things should be said face to face.”
Jackson lifted his head. His dad was right. He couldn’t let Lydia get on that airplane without telling her how he felt. Couldn’t let her go without touching her, feeling her, seeing her.
“I need my car keys,” he said, then shook his head. “How will you and mom get back?”
His dad smiled. “That’s my problem.” He pulled the keys from his pocket and passed them to Jackson. “Now go get your girl.”
29
Could there be a worse time to hit complete gridlock? Only in the L.A. area could you get gridlock like this. They were bumper to bumper. Jackson gritted his teeth and looked out of the window. There was a cop car right next to him, idling in the middle lane as Jackson strummed his hands on the steering wheel, willing the car in front of him to move.
He’d been in such a rush to leave the hospital that he hadn’t even turned the Bluetooth on his phone back on, having turned it off the previous night to save his damn battery. And though he’d sent a message to Lydia before he left, telling her he was coming to talk to her, there was no way he could pull his phone out of his pocket and start typing on it now.
Not when the cop kept looking over at him, as though he had criminal intent stamped on his forehead.
There was a chopper overhead, the blades twirling and reflecting the morning sun. It belonged to one of the local TV stations, and was no doubt giving a report to whatever news was causing the back up.
The car in front of him moved forward a yard. He gritted his teeth and did the same. The clock on the dash told him it was almost eight. Lydia would be on her way to the airport soon. There was no way for him to make it to her in time.
After ten minutes of moving forward an inch at a time, he saw a ramp ahead, and quickly tapped the details of the airport into his GPS, breathing out a mouthful of air when he saw he could make it there by ten.
It took another fifteen minutes of waiting on the ramp before he was able to join the highway and press his foot down on the gas. There wasn’t enough time to stop and call her, not if he wanted to make it to the airport before she left. He weighed the two options in his head, pressing a little harder with his sneaker. Face to face was the only way.
He wasn’t ready to tell her he loved her over the phone. Though if he had to, he would.
Since he was a kid, he’d watched people walk in and out of his life, without asking them to stay. He’d watched his dad, believing him to be weak, when all along he’d been the strong one.
Now it was his time to be strong. To fight for what he wanted.
And the only thing he wanted was her.
“Any sign?” Autumn asked, as Lydia pressed her face against the window. She shook her head, remembering the text message she’d woken up to that morning.
I really want to see you before you leave. I’m going to head to Angel Sands now. Should be at Griff’s before you head to the airport. I hope you’re doing okay. J xx
There’d been no mention of his mom, or anything else. Just a few simple words that had set her heart on fire.
But despite his promise, there was no sign of him.
“If we want to make it to the airport on time, we need to leave now,” Griff told her. Lydia’s huge suitcase was in the hall, where it had been since she’d woken at six that morning.
“I’ll call him again,” she said. But like the other two times, it rang a few times then went to voicemail. Pulling the phone from her ear, she turned to look at her sister and Griff, who was cradling Skyler in his arms as she played with his hair. “He isn’t answering,” she said softly, and Autumn winced.
“What do you want to do?” Autumn asked her. “If we don’t leave now you’ll miss your flight.”
Lydia blinked back the tears that had been threatening all morning, and took a deep breath. “I can’t miss that flight. I have obligations,” she said, ignoring the ache in her heart. “We should go,” she said, though it only made her chest hurt more. “I’ll just send Jackson a message to let him know we’re leaving.”
And pray to God he gets it before he shows up and we’re gone.
“Okay then.” Autumn stood and walked over to hug her. “It’ll work out. I know it will.”
She barely spoke on the drive to the airport. Her chest felt too full to form any coherent words. Instead, she stared out of the window, as she sat in the backseat next to Skyler, looking at the same scenery she’d seen on her way into town almost two weeks ago.
In Jackson’s car.
Skyler was kicking her legs, laughing when her sock started to work its way down her feet.
“You’re gonna lose them, you little monkey,” Lydia told her, pulling them back up so that Skyler could do it all over again.
Every now and then she’d press her finger on her phone screen, just to make sure it was working. And every time the photograph of Skyler that was her wallpaper would come, with no mention of a message or missed call. Her heart felt like it it was breaking.
When they walked into the departure lounge, the bustle and the noise was overwhelming. Griff had stayed in the car with Skyler, leaving Autumn to walk with Lydia into the airport. She looked up at the screens lining the wall, and saw her flight listed.
“Desk thirty-eight,” Lydia murmured, giving her sister a closed-lipped smile. “I guess this is where we say goodbye.”
“I could stay,” Autumn offered. “Walk you to security at least.”
“No, it’s okay.” She kind of wanted to be alone with her misery. Her phone was still resolutely silent. Maybe once she was through security her heart would accept that she was really leaving without seeing Jackson again. “Thank you for everything.” She hugged Autumn tightly. “Now go back to Griff and your adorable baby before he racks up a fortune in parking costs.”
“Are you sure?”
“Yep. I’m sure.”
Autumn sighed. “Okay. Let me know once you’re through security. And call me when you land in Barcelona. I worry about you.”
“Of course I will.” Lydia glanced at her phone again before looking up.
Giving her a worried glance, Autumn nodded. “Maybe he’l
l call you when you get to Spain.”
“Maybe.” Lydia forced her shoulders to roll back, and lifted her cheeks to brighten her smile. “I love you. Now go.”
Autumn laughed gently. “I love you, too. Safe journey. I’m going to miss you like crazy.”
With her passport in hand, Lydia walked toward the check-in desk and stood in line, pressing her lips together as she checked her bags, before heading to security. She was three people from the front when her phone rang. She looked down, fully preparing herself for it to be Autumn, checking if she was through security yet.
But she saw his name, and her heart leapt.
“Jackson?”
“Hey. I’m sorry. You’ll never believe how long it took me to get here. Where are you?” He sounded breathless. Like he’d been running.
“I’m at the airport.”
“Have you gone through security?”
The man at the front was pointing her toward a scanner. “Not yet. But I’m just about to.”
“Shit. Don’t go. I’m almost there. I can see you, I think.”
There was a man in a suit behind her. He seemed so desperate to get through security, his body was almost pressed against hers. “You should go first,” she told him, her phone still at her ear. “You seem in a hurry.”
“Lydia!”
The voice came in stereo, through her phone, but also echoing through the terminal. That’s when she saw him, pushing his way around people, muttering apologies as he moved determinedly toward her.
She wasn’t sure whether to laugh or cry. In the end she did both, tears stinging at her eyes as her lips curled into a grin. Ignoring the muttering behind her, she ducked under the tape barrier and ran toward him, clutching her phone in one hand, her passport and boarding pass in the other.
Jackson swept her into his arms, burying his face in her hair as he twirled her around. “Thank god,” he murmured. “I thought I’d missed you.”
“You nearly did.” She was as breathless as he was. “How’s your mom?”
“She’s battered but okay. Dad’s taking her home with him to recuperate.”
“That’s such good news.” She was beaming up at him. “I can’t believe you’re here. I really thought that was it.”
“If I didn’t make it in time, I was already planning on booking a flight to Barcelona. There was no way I could let you go without seeing you.”
But he was still letting her go. The hope in her chest died a little.
“I need to tell you something before you leave,” he continued, his breath still coming fast. “It’s something I should have already told you, but I was too damn chicken shit to admit it. But not anymore.” He brushed the hair from her face, his expression soft. God, he was beautiful. She’d already forgotten how much he sent her heart spinning. And how tall he was, compared to her small stature – especially in the sneakers she was wearing for comfort. “And before I do, you need to know I don’t expect anything in return. I just need you to know this before you get on the plane.”
“What?” she asked, her brows knitting.
“I’m so damn in love with you it hurts,” he told her, sliding his nose against hers until their lips connected in a soft, gentle kiss. “You’re beautiful, funny, and you’ve changed me in every way. When I walked into the airport to pick you up I was somebody else. Somebody who didn’t see the beauty in life. But when you’re around, I see it, Lydia. All of it.”
Her heart clenched. “I love you, too,” she told him. “So much.”
His smile was glorious. It sent a wave of warmth through her, from the tip of her head to the end of her toes.
“You don’t know how happy I am to hear that.”
She grinned back at him. “I can hazard a good guess.” Because she felt it too, this happiness that washed over her. “So what happens next?”
“First of all, we need to work out when we can see each other again. I have a new member of staff starting next week, and I’ll need to train him. But I figure I can get away in a month.”
“Away?”
“I want to fly out to see you. Wherever you’ll be in a month. France, Spain, Italy, I don’t care. I just want to be with you.”
Her heart started to speed. “I’ll be in France.”
“Then that’s perfect.”
“Can you really afford the time off?” she asked, hope lighting her up inside.
“I imagine it’ll give Lisa the shock of her life, but yeah. I’m owed about five years’ worth of vacation.” He stroked her face softly with his fingertips. “What’s the point of owning your own company if you can’t give yourself time off?”
“What about Bella?” she asked. “Does that mean you won’t be adopting her?”
“I’m still adopting her,” he said firmly. “But my dad will help take care of her when I’m not there.”
“You’ve thought of everything,” she said, her lips still curled.
“I had a lot of time to think when I was driving here. I was stuck in traffic for hours.”
She pressed her hand against his, as he cupped her jaw. “I’d love to see you in France. That’ll give me a chance to make some plans.”
He gave her a questioning stare. “What kind of plans?”
“I’ve been thinking, too,” she admitted. “And I kind of had a revelation.” She didn’t have time to tell him all the details about her talk with Autumn. That would have to wait. “All this time, I’ve been searching for what filled my soul. And here you were, all along, waiting patiently for me.”
“I’ll always wait for you,” he told her, pressing his lips to hers. “You’re worth waiting for.”
“Well, now that I’ve found you, I want to be with you. So I figure I can travel a little less. Maybe only take on four jobs a year once I fulfill my outstanding commitments.”
He looked surprised. And happy. “What will you do with the rest of the time?”
“I can still plan clients’ vacations for them and charge a premium for that. I just won’t always be there to show them around.” Her eyes were bright. “And maybe I can diversify. Do some travel writing, or help people run their social media. Like I did with Deenie.”
“You’d be amazing at that. Deenie’s already singing your praises everywhere.”
“Sometimes people just need a little nudge. I can run training sessions or something.” She grinned. “And the rest of the time, there’s this guy who needs to learn how to relax. I figure I can make that my life’s work.”
“I don’t feel relaxed when I’m with you,” he told her, his voice dipping as he kissed her again. “I feel alive.”
An announcement came over the P.A. and Lydia looked at the line for security. It was getting longer by the minute. She turned back to Jackson, who was looking at the same thing.
“You need to go.”
A sigh escaped her lips. “I don’t want to.”
“I know, sweetheart. But I’m only a few weeks behind you. Get on that plane to Barcelona, and give that family the best vacation they can have. And when you’re done working, I’ll meet you in Paris.”
“Can we talk every day?” she asked him.
“I’m counting on it. We’ll talk and message and video chat. The time will fly. I promise.”
Her body relaxed. “Four weeks,” she said softly. “I guess I can do that.”
“Four weeks isn’t long when it’s compared to the rest of your life,” he told her, pressing his hand to the small of her back as they walked to the end of the security line. “Will you wait for me?” he asked. She knew from his tone he wasn’t only talking about the next few weeks. He was asking her to be his.
“Always,” she promised. “I’ll always wait for you.”
He was right. A few weeks was nothing. She’d been waiting all her life for him, and just hadn’t realized it.
He kissed her hard this time, and she kissed him back, memorizing each touch so that it could carry her through their separation.
“Will
you wait for me, too?” she asked back when they parted, so aware that in a few moments she’d be walking through security.
“Lydia Paxton,” he murmured, running his hands through her silky hair. “You’re the best thing that’s happened to me. And the only thing worth waiting for.”
Epilogue
Six Months Later…
Her flight had landed late, and her stupid damn luggage was the last to appear on the carousel, taunting her as it slowly made its way around to where Lydia was waiting impatiently. She grabbed her three suitcases and somehow maneuvered them through customs, waddling like a duck as she walked into the arrivals terminal.
The California sun was bright, shining through the glass wall of the airport, warming her skin as she rushed through the sliding doors.
And then she saw him. Well, them. Jackson and Bella, sitting in his car. And her heart did a little flip.
It had been two months since they’d last been together, the longest time they’d been apart since that fateful day at the airport when they’d declared themselves. These eight weeks had been the longest of her life, even though they’d managed to speak to each other every day. Even the days when she was up in the Pyrenees Mountains between France and Spain and had to walk for a mile to find reception.
Finally spotting her, Jackson’s face lit up as he opened the driver’s door and almost ran to where she was standing. Clearing the last few feet, he picked her up and swung her around, pressing his lips to hers with an impatient, hot kiss.
“You made it,” he said, his voice low. “Damn, you look good.”
“I look terrible. I’ve been traveling for twenty-four hours.”
He shook his head. “Nope. You look amazing. You always do.” With a final kiss, he put her back down on the sidewalk, and grabbed her bags. “You traveled light this time,” he joked.
“I bought a few gifts,” she admitted. “Some cute outfits for Skyler, and a matching scarf for you, me and Bella.”