by Sherry Lewis
“She all but disappeared on us, and I wasn’t real fond of her for a while there. Maybe that’s affected me. I don’t know. But I’d never ask my wife to be anything she didn’t want to be.”
“You’re going to stay on the ranch, aren’t you?” Lucy asked.
“As long as Wiley’s around,” he said into his wineglass. “After that, who knows?”
“So if you want to get married, you’ll need to find a woman who loves ranching life.”
He glanced up sharply. “I never said that.”
“There’s some other piece of the picture I’m missing?”
“Well, I live on the ranch, yes. But we’re not that far out of the city. Nacogdoches might not be Houston, but it’s still civilized.”
Again, that faint flush crept into her cheeks. “I didn’t mean to imply that it wasn’t. But you’re right. It’s not Houston.”
She couldn’t have made her opinion more clear if she’d written it on the wall. She wasn’t any more interested in Nacogdoches than she was in the scents of household cleansers. “I suppose I would have to hook up with someone who appreciates the simpler life. A simple life with a simple man.”
“That’s not what I meant,” Lucy protested. “You’re certainly not simple.”
But Jackson had heard her loud and clear. “Well, I’m sure as hell not complicated.” He jerked a thumb toward the stupid bowl of candy corn and wished he hadn’t given in to the urge to buy it. “You won’t find caviar and crème brûlée on my table. Halloween candy’s more my speed.”
“There’s nothing wrong with that.” Lucy stood and put some distance between them. “This isn’t about candy, Jackson. Don’t pretend that it is.”
“All right. What is it about?”
“It’s about two different people with different lives.”
She turned back to face him, and only the fact that she looked as miserable as he felt kept Jackson from ending the conversation. “I really care about you,” she said. “Probably more than I should. But we have to face reality. Once we find Angel, you and I aren’t going to cross paths again.”
“We could if we wanted to. Crescent Valley isn’t that far away. There’s e-mail and a little thing called the telephone.”
“Yeah.” She lifted those huge brown eyes to meet his. “But you’re as busy as I am. When do you think we’d ever find time to talk?”
“I suppose we could make time if we cared enough.” But maybe she didn’t. Maybe that’s what she was trying to tell him.
“And that would be enough for you? A conversation now and then? An e-mail once a day?”
She’d created the distance between them, but Jackson needed to get rid of it. He moved up behind her and slid his arms around her waist. “No. But it would be better than nothing. I’m falling in love with you, Lucy. I’m not willing to just turn my back and write you off because a relationship might be a touch inconvenient.”
Eyes wide, Lucy spun around in his arms. “Is that what you think I’m saying we should do? Because it’s not. You’re the first man I’ve wanted a relationship with, but I’m so afraid I’m not up to the challenge. That I’ll let you down.”
“You can’t be any more afraid of that than I am,” he assured her. He brushed the hair from her cheek with the fingers of one hand. “Both of us have been running from life for a long time, Lucy. But I don’t want to do that anymore.”
She pressed her cheek into his palm and closed her eyes. “Neither do I.”
“I’m willing to take a chance on us if you are.”
He watched the mood shift in her eyes, watched the clouds of fear part and hope shine through. “It’s an awful big chance.”
“Yeah, but I think we might be worth it.” Cradling her face in his hands, he leaned close. He needed to belong to this incredible woman with the fierce determination shining in her eyes.
He stopped, his mouth just above hers, and watched as determination changed to anticipation. A soft breath escaped her lips and that told him all he needed to know. He brushed his lips across hers once. Twice. The third time, he lingered, kissing her softly at first and then with more urgency.
Every beat of Jackson’s heart sent heat coursing through him, and when she finally relaxed against him and gave herself to the moment, the fire inside ignited. She shifted slightly and slid her arms around him. Ran her hands lightly up his back, tracing shivers and heat in their wake. He groaned softly and deepened the kiss, parting her lips with his tongue and abandoning himself to the sensation.
To his delight, she responded in kind, meeting him, matching him, asking him for more. He cradled her against him, relishing the softness of her breasts against his chest, the smooth curve of her hip beneath his hands. Need burst to life and consumed him, but he did his best to hold on to the reins and let her set the pace.
Before either of them could see where the moment would lead, the telephone jangled. Jackson told himself to ignore it, but his concentration was shot, and after a couple of more rings, its sheer persistence shattered the mood.
With an apologetic smile, he released Lucy and dove for the phone, answering it with a silent vow to kill whoever was on the other end.
“Jackson? It’s Rush. Don’t get upset, but we’re on our way to the emergency room with Wiley.”
Sensation died and the moment with Lucy faded into the background. “What’s wrong?”
“We’re not sure, but he’s been complaining of a sharp pain in his eye and he’s having some trouble seeing. We’ve called Dr. Crandall and he’s going to meet us at the hospital.”
Jackson collapsed in a nearby chair and cradled his head in his hand. “How bad is it?”
“Bad enough for Wiley to call Annette and ask for me.”
“It must be serious, then. I’m coming home.”
“Wiley figured you’d say that, but he wants you to stay where you are and do what you can for Angel.”
“There’s not a whole lot I can do to help Angel tonight,” Jackson snapped. “I don’t want Grandpa to be alone.”
“I know, buddy, but he made me promise not to let you come back. We don’t know that it’s anything to worry about, and he says he’ll never forgive himself if you bail out of there before Angel’s home.”
Jackson let out a growl and turned to find Lucy back in front of the computer, her eyes locked on the screen in concentration. Rush was there for Grandpa Wiley. Lucy was the one who could help Angel. And he was completely useless. Powerless and unnecessary.
“Jackson?”
Rush’s voice pulled him back to the conversation. “Yeah?”
“Just stay there, okay? I’ll call again as soon as I know anything.”
“Yeah,” he said. “Sure.”
But even after he disconnected and tossed the telephone onto the table, he knew he couldn’t stay. Wiley had been everything for him for as long as he could remember. He couldn’t abandon the old man in his hour of need.
Rubbing his face with his hand, he turned back to face Lucy. “I have to leave.”
“Something’s wrong at home?”
“It’s Wiley. They’re taking him to Emergency.” He looked around the room without seeing, trying to get his head working again so he could do something. The laptop on the table made his stomach knot with guilt. How could he leave with Angel still out there somewhere? But how could he leave Wiley alone after everything the old man had done for him?
The choice wasn’t easy, and he wasn’t at all certain he was making the right one. But leaving Wiley alone just wasn’t an option.
LUCY WATCHED THE EMOTIONS tear across Jackson’s face and wished, not for the first time, that knowing what to say in tough situations came more naturally to her. Obviously, he needed comfort. Obviously, he needed someone to tell him that Wiley would survive, that Angel would come home safely, and that everything was going to be all right. But promising him any of those things would have been foolhardy, so Lucy did the only thing she could do.
Pushing as
ide her personal disappointment, she closed the distance between them and caught his hand in hers. “It’s all right,” she said gently. “Go. Do what you need to do. I’ll keep working on the case, and I’ll let you know if I find anything.”
All the uncertainty he’d been fighting flooded his eyes and his shoulders sagged as if someone had dropped the weight of the world on them. “I shouldn’t leave,” he said, but there was no real conviction in his voice.
Lucy ached to lift some of the burden from him. “Your grandfather needs you,” she said, tightening her grip on his hand and locking eyes with him. She ignored the similarities between the promises she’d made to Maria Avila and the assurances that rose to her lips now. The situations were different. “I promise I’ll keep looking for Angelina.”
Nodding, he pulled her into his arms. He couldn’t seem to speak, but his gratitude was easy to read in his choked silence.
He really was the most remarkable man. Solid. Steady. Responsible. Warm, caring and affectionate. Ready to laugh even in the most trying circumstances, but sensitive enough to know when laughter wasn’t appropriate. For the first time in her life she’d found a man who might have held her attention longer than a few days, but she wasn’t even going to get a fair chance to see where things could lead.
She shook off the selfish thoughts and focused on what was important. “What can I do to help you get ready?”
He shook his head and stepped away from their embrace. “I didn’t bring much. It will only take a few minutes to pack.”
“I’ll shut down the computer, then. I’ll take it with me and see what I can find while you’re gone.” She wanted desperately to believe that he’d be back, but she couldn’t shake the hollow feeling that if he walked out that door, she’d never see him again.
He brushed her cheek with the backs of his fingers and briefly touched his lips to hers. “Thank you, Lucy.”
“Of course.”
With a lump in her throat, she watched him stride down the hall. When he disappeared into the bedroom, she turned away with a sigh and told herself again that it wasn’t about her and what she wanted. That their friendship was tenuous at best, and their relationship… She laughed harshly at herself and dropped into the chair in front of the laptop.
Their relationship was a product of the investigation, born out of their heightened emotions and fed by her confusion. Nothing more. She had to believe that, or it would hurt too much to lose him.
Still fighting melancholy, Lucy moved one finger over the computer’s mouse. The screen saver stopped swirling, and the Internet chat room she’d been logged into popped back onto the screen. Row after row of type in various colors and fonts scrolled up the screen as the nonstop conversation continued.
To be certain no one had said something important, Lucy scrolled backward as far as the software program would let her and read quickly. She could hear Jackson moving around in the other room as he packed, but she refused to let herself think about him leaving again.
Just as she was about to leave the chat room, a soft chime rang from the computer’s speakers and an instant message from someone called BRANDONSGURL popped onto her screen.
Where have u been?????
Lucy’s hand froze on the mouse and her heart began to race with anticipation. Sure enough, one of Angel’s contacts had logged on while she was away from the computer. This was the first hit they’d had, and she couldn’t afford to blow it. She decided to stick with short answers to lessen the chances that she’d give herself away. She could allow BRANDONSGURL to assume she was Angelina, but one false move might get the case she was building tossed out of court.
Busy.
Is your mom giving u trouble again?
Lucy smiled grimly and typed Yes.
What’s her problem, anyway?
Chewing one thumbnail, Lucy carefully considered her answer before writing Same as always.
Did she find out?
Find out? Lucy’s mouth grew dry and her hands clammy. She glanced toward Jackson’s bedroom again and wondered if she should let him know what was happening. But he had enough to worry about, and there was still no proof that this conversation would lead them anywhere.
About what?
About u and your dad. U did meet him, didn’t u?
Lucy wiped her sweaty palms on the legs of her jeans and tried to decide on her next response. Better stick with the truth as much as possible.
Yeah, she found out.
I thot so. He hasn’t been around. I thot maybe u 2 were together still. What was he like?
At the realization that Holden talked with Angel online, Lucy’s heart pounded so hard she was surprised Jackson couldn’t hear it all the way down the hall. That question wasn’t going to be so easy to answer, but she couldn’t let too much time elapse. She decided to take a risk with What do you think?
I think u r being mean. U promised 2 tell me everything.
Lucy drummed her fingers on the tabletop and toyed with different ways to answer. Luckily, BRANDONSGURL saved her the trouble.
Did u have trouble finding it?
Finding what? Was she being too obtuse?
Sid’s Lounge, duh! Did u get lost?
A flush of excitement spread through Lucy and a slow smile curved her lips. Angelina had been planning to meet Holden at a place called Sid’s Lounge. It was the clearest lead they’d found so far, and for the first time, she believed they might actually find Angel and bring her home again.
No, she wrote, and tried desperately to contain her elation. I didn’t. She thought frantically, searching for some way to ask what screen name Holden had used. Almost any question she could ask would risk blowing her cover.
Did he send u a picture finally?
No, she wrote, still stalling. What could she say? That her mother had erased her addresses? BRANDONSGURL wouldn’t believe for even a second that Angel didn’t have her father’s address memorized. Lucy certainly didn’t believe it. She chewed a thumbnail, acutely aware of the seconds ticking past on the clock, but completely baffled about what to say next.
So was he nice?
Yeah, Lucy typed. That seemed safe enough.
Do u look like him?
Lucy hesitated over that one. Not really.
U R sure quiet. What’s wrong w/u tonite?
Nothing, Lucy wrote. Just tired. Surely even teenagers used that excuse.
And then, blessedly, before Lucy had to come up with anything intelligent, an emoticon showing surprise appeared on her screen and BRANDONSGURL wrote, My mom’s home. Gotta go. Lucy didn’t even have time to say “okay” before she’d logged off and the sound of a door closing came through the computer’s speakers.
She sat back hard in her chair and stared at the conversation on the screen. Had she blown it? Had BRANDONSGURL been suspicious? Or had her mother really come home? She might never know, but at least they had somewhere to look—somewhere they knew Angelina had been going before her disappearance.
Would Jackson stay to pursue this lead? Could she even ask him?
She sat there for a long time, arguing with herself over the right way to handle this. He was already torn between his duty to Wiley and the need to find Angelina. She couldn’t add to the pressure he felt.
But how could she keep something like this from him? If he found out she’d kept this a secret, he’d never forgive her. And that was all it took to get her on her feet.
She found him standing in the center of the bedroom, his bag nearly packed, his face a mask of worry. Her heart melted at the sight of him, and she ached to make things easier for him.
“Jackson?”
“Lucy. Are you—are you finished?”
“Almost.” He seemed so distracted, she nearly changed her mind. But she stepped through the door and nodded toward the bed. “Sit down for a minute, okay?”
He shook his head, tossed another shirt into his suitcase and turned back to pull socks from a drawer. “I really need to get on the road. As
it is, I’ll be lucky to hit Nacogdoches before midnight.”
“I realize that, but I just found a lead on Angelina.”
He froze over the suitcase, and the only thing in the room that moved was a pair of socks that fell through his fingers to the floor. “Where?”
“A friend of hers was online when I went to shut down the computer. It looks like Angelina was going to meet Holden at a bar called Sid’s Lounge. I logged the conversation if you want to read it.”
He dropped the rest of the socks into the suitcase and headed toward the door. “Show me.”
Lucy followed him into the living room, opened the log she’d kept and moved out of his way so he could read. It only took a few seconds before his eyes lifted to hers. “Where is this place?”
“I don’t know, but it shouldn’t be hard to find. I can follow through on this while you go back to Nacogdoches. We can stay in contact every step of the way.”
Jackson nodded slowly, but she could tell that he wasn’t really listening. “This could be it,” he said. “This might really be it.” He whipped back, eyes wide and filled with excitement. “I need to call Rush.”
Lucy sank into a chair and waited. She didn’t want to do or say anything more to influence his decision. Either choice he made would leave him feeling guilty. It was a choice he had to make on his own.
But try as she might, she couldn’t ignore the flicker of anticipation or the overwhelming relief that they were closer to finding Angel.
Chapter Fourteen
IT WAS NEARLY TWO O’CLOCK in the morning when Lucy closed the door of her car with a soft click and silently made her way up the front walk toward her parents’ front door. She was bone-tired yet so excited she wasn’t sure she’d ever get to sleep.
Holding her breath, she slipped her key into the front door and tiptoed into the house. She moved cautiously as she latched the door and turned the lock, slipped off her shoes, and started up the stairs.