Middle of Knight

by Jewel E. Ann

  Another dig that kept getting harder to ignore.

  “Oh my God, Mom!” Maddie called looking out the front window. “It’s not just a PT Cruiser … it’s a purple PT cruiser with wood panels. It’s totally like Barney meets National Lampoon’s Vacation.”

  “Be nice, please.” Ryn grabbed her purse and kissed Gunner on the head.

  “Oh. Fuck …”

  “Madison!” Ryn scolded.

  “Sorry but … he … he just got out. No way … no freaking way.” Maddie plastered her face and both hands to the window.

  Ryn opened the door and stepped out onto the porch. Jackson grinned as he met her with a dozen red roses.

  “Happy birthday, beautiful.” He bent down and kissed her, keeping it PG … maybe PG-13.

  “Thank you.” She smiled back, reaching up to rub the pad of her thumb along his lips to wipe off the transfer of lip gloss. “Let me just put these in water. Maddie!” She jerked her head toward the door when she saw her daughter still gawking in disbelief out the window.

  Maddie peeked around the door.

  “Maddie, this is Jackson Knight. Go say hi and be nice while I put these in a vase.”

  “Nice to meet you, Maddie.” Jackson offered his hand.

  Maddie took it and whimpered a little when the arm of his suit coat rode up enough to share a glimpse of a tattoo. “H-hi,” she stuttered.

  He released her hand, but hers stayed frozen in midair for a few seconds.

  “You look beautiful in your dress as well, and you have your mom’s eyes.”

  She nodded. It seemed as if that’s all she could do. Maddie looked like a younger version of Ryn except with her dad’s dimples. Maddie’s pin-straight blond hair cascaded to her butt. She looked and carried herself with a model’s posture, yet Jackson’s eyes stayed on Ryn. Falling never felt so good.

  “Ready?” Ryn asked, shutting the door.

  Jackson offered one arm to Ryn and the other to Maddie, escorting them both to the car.

  “Maddie’s disappointed you’re not balding or wearing a bowtie and fedora.”

  “Mom!” Maddie shrieked as Jackson opened the back door for her.

  He chuckled. “At one time I had my head shaved. I considered getting a tattoo on the back of it, but it never happened.”

  Ryn had never seen her daughter stunned into complete silence. It was kind of nice for a change. Jackson shut Maddie’s door and walked Ryn to the other side.

  “Your dress is going to put an end to my celibacy,” he whispered in her ear before opening her door.

  She gulped, thankful for the pantyliner she decided to wear because only the hottest women wore them on dates.

  “So be prepared.” He pecked her cheek.

  “O-kay.”

  That one word stutter of a response brought a seductive grin to his face as he opened her door. She couldn’t stop thinking about that promise—a promise of sex—her age, her body, his past, his expectations, her minimal experience, his expertise. It overwhelmed her.

  “So, Maddie, what made you want to become a lawyer?” Jackson asked.

  After a few seconds of silence Ryn looked over her shoulder at Maddie in the backseat. “Maddie, he asked you a question.”

  She closed her unhinged jaw and swallowed, eyes still glassy. “Uh … money. And I like to argue.”

  Her mother smirked. “She won quite a few awards on the debate team in high school.”

  “I thought about law school at one point,” he said.

  “And you chose piano instead?” Maddie asked with a condescending edge.

  “In college it’s called music, but I didn’t get a degree in music. It’s just a hobby. If you don’t have passion about your pursuit in life, it will never take you where you want to go.”

  “Pfft … if I followed my true passion I would be in medical school at Harvard.”

  “Why aren’t you?” Jackson looked at her in the rearview mirror.

  “My dad won’t pay for my college because somebody pissed him off. But I’m not mad at him … my dad’s the best and he still sends me a nice allowance for other things.”

  Another dig at Ryn. Jackson rested his hand on her leg, she returned a weak smile. Just because she’d learned to tolerate it, even expect it, didn’t make it hurt any less.

  Seeing the restaurant parking lot filled to capacity, Jackson let the ladies off at the front door and searched for a parking spot down the street.

  Ryn’s parents were already seated.

  “Happy birthday, baby girl!” Her mom hugged her and so did her dad.

  “Thank you.”

  “Where’s this mysterious guy?” her dad asked.

  “Oh my God.” Maddie plunked down in her chair and rolled her eyes. “Wait until you meet him. He’s so out of her league. No offense, Mom. But seriously, guys like him don’t date women in menopause. There must be something wrong with him … like maybe he just got out of prison and he has mommy issues or—”

  “Madison!” Ryn warned and Maddie jumped. “That’s. Enough.”

  She wasn’t in menopause yet, even if her hormones hadn’t received that memo.

  Maddie sank in her chair while messing with her phone. “Christ, Mom, you don’t have to reprimand me like a child.”

  “Then stop acting like one.”

  “Okay, this is supposed to be a celebration. Let’s all calm down a bit.” Ryn’s mom smiled as Jackson approached the table.

  The birthday girl staving off anger to the point of near tears, forced a smile. The knowing look on Jackson’s face confirmed she wasn’t hiding it well.

  “Jackson, these are my parents, Ryan and Lynn.”

  “Bet you can guess how my mom got her name,” Maddie mumbled, still staring at her phone.

  “Nice to meet you.” Jackson offered his hand as both of her parents stared.

  “Mom, Dad!”

  They shook their heads. “Sorry, uh … nice to meet you too. Thank you for inviting us to dinner,” Lynn said as they took their seats.

  “My pleasure. I’m quite fond of your daughter.”

  They nodded. Of course they wouldn’t be as bold and inconsiderate to ask why, but Ryn could still see that question on their faces. In all fairness, she still pondered it too.

  “We just want her to be happy.”

  “Done.” Ryn smiled, looking over her menu. “Maddie, your friends can wait. Please put your phone away.”

  Maddie rolled her eyes again. The waitress took their drink orders, ending with Maddie.

  “I’ll have your most expensive scotch.”

  “Madison—”

  “What? I’m twenty-one and Jackson is paying so …”

  Jackson grinned. “Absolutely. As long as you drink every last drop.”

  Maddie smiled, batting her eyelashes. “Of course.”

  The waitress brought their drinks and took their dinner orders. Maddie grimaced, taking a small sip of her Scotch. She might as well have ordered a glass of gasoline.

  “I’m impressed a young girl like you enjoys Scotch. It’s usually an acquired taste.”

  She took several big gulps of her water then cleared her throat. “Well I’m a lot more mature than what I’m sure my mother has led you to believe.”

  “Clearly.” Jackson took a long pull of his beer then smiled at Ryn’s parents. “Are you both retired?”

  “Ryan is, he retired from Kiewit as a civil engineer. He worked there in Atlanta then transferred to Omaha when Ryn…” Lynn’s eyes shifted to her daughter’s “…needed us. I still work twenty hours a week as a pediatric nurse.”

  Ryn needed her parents when she decided to leave her abusive husband. It took an army of support to find the courage to leave the man who threatened to kill her.

  “Look, it’s Dad!” Maddie jumped out of her chair.

  Ryn looked over her shoulder and froze. Jackson turned to watch Maddie run into the arms of a tall man with copper-blond and gray hair, a custom-tailored suit, and a gold Rolex.<
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  “He can’t be here,” Lynn whispered to Ryan.

  “I see my lovely wife is celebrating her fortieth birthday.”

  The hair on the back of her neck stood erect. Would she ever hear his voice and not tremble?

  “You look amazing, Ryn … you always did,” he whispered in her ear.

  “Can he join us?” Maddie beamed, but Ryn knew his being there was not a coincidence.

  “No. He can’t and I have a restraining order to prove it.”

  “Jesus, Mom, it’s dinner. Not a reconciliation.”

  “Yeah, Ryn … we both know the restraining order is because you can’t control yourself around me. After all, that’s why Maddie was conceived.”

  “TMI, Dad.” Maddie rolled her eyes.

  Jackson stood and offered his hand. “Jackson Knight.”

  “Preston Iverson.” He sized Jackson up before accepting his hand.

  “You should absolutely join us.” Jackson signaled to the waitress, and she brought over another chair. “Here, you can sit by me.”

  “Perfect, Mr. Knight. I don’t really like you sitting by my wife anyway.”

  “I’m not your wife.” Ryn glared at Preston and then at Jackson for encouraging him to stay.

  Jackson gave her a playful wink which only infuriated her more.

  “Try some of this scotch, Daddy.” Maddie slid over her glass while giving Jackson a challenging look.

  Preston rested his hand on Ryn’s leg. Her heart exploded as fear coursed through her veins. “My, my, when did you start letting our daughter drink scotch?”

  She couldn’t speak as tears stung her eyes.

  Preston brought the glass to his mouth as Jackson rested a hand on the back of Preston’s neck, his fingers on one side and thumb on the other.

  “How’s the scotch, Mr. Iverson?” Jackson asked.

  Preston swallowed then coughed once before his eyes rolled back in his head. His limp hand slipped from her leg as the glass of scotch landed in his lap before his body collapsed to the side toward Jackson.

  “Whoa!” Jackson kept him from falling to the floor.

  “Daddy?” Maddie jumped up.

  Jackson shrugged while gently easing him to the ground.

  “Mom! Call 9-1-1.”

  Ryn couldn’t move, let alone call for help, but a few seconds later one of the wait staff came over and let them know an ambulance was on the way.

  “Is he breathing?” Ryn asked, not that she really cared. Preston Iverson had worked hard to earn her hatred to the point of wishing he were dead.

  Jackson nodded. “I think he just fainted. Maybe he’s diabetic.”

  Maddie hovered over him trying to wake him up as a path was cleared for the paramedics.

  Preston came to as they loaded him on the gurney. Maddie insisted she follow the ambulance in her dad’s car. No one objected.

  “I want to go home.” Ryn couldn’t stop shaking.

  “Sweetie.” Her mom hugged her. “Don’t let him ruin your day. Stay and eat.”

  “I can’t.” She shook her head.

  “Maybe it is best to reschedule the party,” Jackson suggested.

  Her parents nodded with a mix of concern and anger on their faces. “Okay, we’ll call you tomorrow, darling.” Her dad hugged her. “Nice to meet you, Jackson.”

  He smiled, tossing a wad of cash on the table before taking Ryn’s hand and leading her from the restaurant. “Wait here while I get the car.”

  “No!” She grabbed his arm and bit her quivering lip. “Don’t leave me.”

  His brows knitted together. “Okay, I’ve got you.” Wrapping his arm around her waist, he led her to the car.

  After they drove a few blocks from the restaurant, Ryn broke the silence. “Why did you invite the man who used to abuse me to eat with us? I still can’t hear his voice without feeling his fist. Why would you do that?”

  Jackson sighed. “I hate how you let your daughter treat you. You know damn well she’s the reason he was there.”

  “She just doesn’t understand.”

  “Well maybe it’s time you explain it to her.”

  “What I tell my daughter and when I tell her is none of your business. And Preston … you did something to him. I saw you with your hand behind his head. Did you inject something into him? God … you’re so stupid. Do you have any idea how much money that man has? He could destroy you.”

  He smirked. “I didn’t inject him with anything. I simply applied a little pressure to his carotid arteries, causing him to take a little nap. The fact that Maddie chose to leave as well was just a bonus.”

  “That’s my daughter you’re talking about! You have no right to judge her. I can’t be with someone who … who …” She searched for the right word as fire welled in her gut. Anger stole her voice, just as it always had with Preston. He beat her down, physically and emotionally, leaving her broken and mute.

  “Don’t get out,” she warned, throwing open the door before the car came to a complete stop.

  “Ryn—”

  “I mean it.” She hopped on one foot and then the other, removing her heels on the way to her porch.

  Jackson jumped out. A few steps later Gunner greeted him with no intention of letting him go any farther.

  “Can we talk about this?”

  She turned. “Talk.”

  “Can you call him off?”

  “Nope. Talk.” She crossed her arms over her chest.

  An older couple walking by on the sidewalk stopped.

  “Is everything okay, miss?”

  Jackson gave Ryn a pleading look.

  “Yes, I’ve got it, but thank you.” It pleased her that they stopped. Where were couples like them when Preston dragged her back into their house by her hair after she tried to flee?

  “Well?”

  He tipped his chin down but only for a moment before looking at her again. “I don’t sugarcoat things. It’s not my style, and it’s not how I was raised. So here’s the deal: I love being with you and it may sound crazy because we’ve known each other two seconds. But you’re the last person I think about before I close my eyes and the first when I open them. Every day I don’t see you feels like wasted time. But the look in your eyes when Maddie put you down and then again when Preston arrived at the restaurant … it’s like the light … the life inside you just vanished. They’ve been this one-two emotional punch of physical and verbal abuse.”

  His brows pulled tight as if he felt the pain in his own words.

  “The truth is not protecting Maddie, it’s only hurting you. So it’s up to you, Ryn. Coddle your grown child and just keep turning the other cheek until she breaks you … because she will. But I can’t stand idle and watch.”

  Until he turned to walk back to his car, she didn’t notice the flood of tears streaming down her face. Jackson’s words hurt, they even cut a little deep in parts of her heart. However, they felt real and completely different than anything Preston had ever done or Maddie had ever said. Perhaps, for the first time, it was the truth.

  “Happy birthday, Ryn.” His sad smile clenched her heart as he got in his car and backed out.

  Forty sucked.

  Chapter Fourteen

  Within one week, fall graced Omaha with dropping temperatures, a sweet relief from the humidity. Nights were spent with windows cracked and a welcome break from the constant droning of air conditioners.

  Jackson made a point of not being home when Ryn came to clean. The need to see her began to feel like toxic desperation. The need to let her figure out her own self-worth was greater.

  Jillian refused to talk about AJ, and she refused to call him. She insisted he had her number and if he needed her he’d call. If not, she claimed to have made her peace with him and his situation. Jackson knew she’d put AJ on a shelf in her head, or maybe even her heart, close to Luke, and that’s where he would stay—tucked away and separated from everything else in her life. It was the only way she could keep going.

&n
bsp; “Ryn call?”

  “Nope. AJ call?”

  “Nope.” Jillian poured a cup of coffee. “She’s not dying so you actually have a case to plead.”

  “I already did.”

  “You insulted her daughter, and then you insulted her by implying her unconditional love somehow made her a doormat.”

  Jackson popped the top to a Red Bull. “That’s what you got out of my explanation?”

  “Yep and I’m a woman.”

  “So?”

  “So she is too and if your sister, who lacks the female drama gene, thinks you were a bit harsh, then you were a bit harsh. Her daughter is an extension of herself, so basically you slapped her across the face and then punched her in the gut. Even if every word was true, and from what you’ve said I think it is, it doesn’t make it any less insensitive.”

  “This … this is the reason I used to get laid and then moved on. I don’t speak ‘woman.’ Clearly I’m too much of a man to make a relationship work.”

  Jillian laughed. “So guys in relationships are not true men?”

  “They probably were at some point, but I believe they had to remove one testicle to make the relationship work.”

  “Luke had two.”

  “Bullshit. You completely castrated him and just when he started to grow a new pair, you did it again.”

  “Wrong … you’re so very wrong. It was just the opposite. A guy has to have two huge balls of steel to be with me and you know it.”

  Jackson grinned. “It doesn’t matter. Ryn never saw my balls anyway.”

  “Just as well. They really are the most unmanly part of the male body. I mean … they’re sensitive as hell and ugly, man are they ever ugly. Like twin turkey wattles. The penis is the only thing that saves you, and men with ED might as well trade it all in for a vagina because at that point it’s nothing more than dead flesh that leaks like a hose.”

  He chuckled, rubbing his hands over his face. “See you just proved my point. You verbally attempt to castrate men all the time.”

  “You think?”

  “I know. Lucky for me, I knew you before you had boobs and such a smart mouth. Remember those days? You know I caught you kissing one pillow and dry humping another while listening to “Baby One More Time.”