by Jewel E. Ann
The metal cut into Luke’s wrists as he glowered at Knox.
“Don’t give me that look. You’ve been the biggest waste of man hours, but you and that dumb dog of yours have had an angel looking out for you per Ms. Day’s request, or should I say per her threat.”
“I said nothing. She said … thank you.” His words mirrored the defeat in his heart. The only thing worse than losing her once was losing her twice. He’d had closure, but he would never have it again. Every day would be filled with worry and the permanent heartache of knowing that she looked broken and miserable and there was nothing he could do.
“Why did she say thank you if you didn’t say anything?”
Luke’s lip twitched into the hint of a smile. “‘God gave you a gift of 84,600 seconds today. Have you used one of them to say thank you?’ William Arthur Ward,” he whispered.
*
Day
“This is the most ridiculous thing I have ever done,” Luke declared.
Jessica giggled. “Really? More than skinny dipping with your parents?”
“That was insane. This is just ridiculous.”
“I’d help, babe, but I have long, painted fingernails for the first time in nearly fifteen years and I don’t want to chip them.”
“Dammit, Jones … hold still.” Luke grumbled as he stood and slipped off his jacket. “Hold this, I’m going to have dog hair all over my suit.”
“Maybe I should see if your dad can help. He’s more patient with Jones than you are.”
“There’s no time. Besides, they’ve already been ushered to their seats.”
Jones tilted his head at Jessica and she blew him a kiss. Luke rolled his eyes.
“He’s a black and white dog. I don’t see the point of dressing him in a goddamn black and white dog tuxedo.” Luke lay down under Jones like a mechanic under a car, to button up the custom made dog tuxedo.
“Millie’s wearing a dress, so Jones has to wear a tux. Besides this is Kelly’s day and the bride gets whatever she wants.”
“You mean it’s Gabe and Kelly’s day.”
“Yeah, yeah that’s what I meant.”
Luke rolled out from under Jones and lumbered to standing, brushing off his pants and re-tucking his shirt.
“Thanks, man, for being such a fucking idiot.” Gabe came into the room and smacked Luke on the back just as he slid his arm into his black jacket. “‘I’m going to the rescue shelter to get Jess a dog. You should get one for Kelly.’ Dumbest. Idea. Ever. The church is filled to capacity and my bride-to-be is having a breakdown because her four-legged bridesmaid’s dress has shit on the back. Who the hell buys a dog a dress with a train on the back?”
Jessica grimaced, backing up toward the door. “Sounds like I’d better help defuse the bride.”
Luke gave her a pointed look.
She shrugged. “Don’t give me that look. That’s why I had Jones’s tux made without tails.”
He rolled his eyes as she shut the door behind her.
“My apologies. Admittedly, the dogs were a moment of insanity. At least Millie fits in a kennel and doesn’t shit logs the size of Redwoods.”
Jones tilted his head at Luke.
“You know it’s true.” Luke narrowed his eyes at Jones.
Gabe laughed. “How did you end up with a dog that’s bigger than your girlfriend?”
Luke chuckled. “So are you nervous?”
Gabe wiped his brow and showed Luke his sweaty fingers. “I’m scared shitless. Half of all marriages end in divorce. But I’m so fucking crazy about her and I want her to be mine in every way possible. I’m just as big a dog as Jones when it comes to her. I want to mark her—lay claim to her—so the whole world knows she’s mine and I’m so fucking protective of her it’s ludicrous.”
“Please tell me those aren’t your wedding vows.”
Gabe laughed. “You have no room to make fun, man. For the past two years I’ve watched you worship the ground Jessica walks on.”
“Touché. Now get your ass to the altar.”
*
Millie the bulldog and her dress, minus the shat-on train, walked down the aisle with Jessica. Luke’s heart ached as he and Jones watched her move with elegance and breathtaking beauty—flowing black hair over her sun-kissed shoulders and a floor-length strapless, champagne dress. He absolutely worshiped everything about her.
As if she could read his mind, her grin doubled when their eyes met. “I love you,” she mouthed. He pressed his hand to his heart. It was ready to burst. He wanted it to be him standing closest to the altar and her meeting him there to start their forever. Someday.
There was a bride, some scripture, a poem, an exchange of vows, and a kiss, but all he saw was Jessica and all he heard was the beat of his heart. Gabe and Kelly walked down the aisle as husband and wife as the guests clapped and cheered. He and Jones met Jessica and Millie at the altar to walk out next.
“I can’t breathe … you’re so beautiful,” he whispered in her ear as he offered his arm.
“Luke …” she shook her head.
Jessica dabbed her eyes as they exited the church. He wasn’t trying to make her cry. It was just something that had to be said.
Luke’s parents took the canines back to their house on the way to the reception lodge by the lake while Luke and Jessica drove the bride and groom in the GTO, tin cans, and a “Just Married” sign in the back window because Luke wouldn’t let them write anything on the actual window.
“I’m driving home,” she whispered in his ear as he helped her out.
“Ahem, enough canoodling, you two. Help me out of the back. I think my groom is lost in the sea of my dress.” Kelly laughed.
Luke helped her out and sure enough, there was a groom buried under a million layers of chiffon and tulle.
“That dress has got to go,” Gabe declared as he crawled out of the backseat.
“Five hours, baby, and you can take it all off.” Kelly fisted his lapels and kissed him.
“Enough canoodling, you two. Your guests await.”
Kelly pushed away and elbowed Jessica with a grin as they made their way to the lodge. Toasts, dinner, cake, and dancing filled the late summer evening along the banks of Lake Tahoe. Luke stood on the sidelines with a cold beer, watching Jessica float around the room, throwing her head back in laughter as she talked with family and friends or danced like a young girl born of innocence and blooming with hope. Not another soul in the room would ever imagine that she carried a hundred lifetimes of pain inside those amber eyes.
“Luke … dance with me!” She held out her hands from the edge of the dance floor.
He grinned and waited a few seconds, needing to let that image of her find its perfect spot in his memory. Then he set his beer on the table and weaved his way through the crowd to those open arms.
“I love you, babe.” She threw her arms around his neck as he lifted her off the ground, kissing her like they were the only two people in the room.
Gasping for air as he eased her back to the floor, she stared at him with wide eyes. “Oh my God …”
“What?” He smirked, wiping her lipstick from his mouth.
Jessica leaned into him. “That kiss.”
“What about it?”
She wet her lips and swallowed. “It’s how you kiss me when you want me … really want me.”
He hugged her to his body, swaying to the music. “I do really want you.”
Her breath hitched. “Dr. Jones, you’re really hard.” She slid her hands down to his ass and curled her fingers.
“Fuck,” he seethed while rocking into her with a jerk. “Don’t do that,” he warned in her ear. His parents were seated at a table twenty feet away. The last thing he needed was them watching him grind into Jessica on the dance floor, sporting the world’s hardest erection.
A playful laugh vibrated from her chest. “Please, please, please tell me we’re going to remedy this situation before we go back to your parents’ house.”
<
br /> Luke was ready to remedy the “situation” right then and there. Watching his greatest adoration float around all day in that dress, with that smile, wetting those lips if he stared at her too long … it had been a slow burn of seduction. They would not be going back to his parents’ place until the situation was remedied. He just wasn’t certain of the specific details.
“Attention, everyone. The bride is going to toss her bouquet.”
Jessica grinned. “In the bag.”
Luke smiled. “You and me, sexy, in the lake, if you catch the bouquet.”
“Oh, Jones … I love all your little wagers. But you always try to squirm your way out of those lake promises.” She blew him a kiss as she followed the throng of women to the other side of the dance floor.
“Jess, stand by me,” Lake said, grabbing Jessica’s hand. “I turn eighteen tomorrow and I’ve never caught a bouquet. Do you think it’s my lucky night?”
Jessica smiled at Lake. “Yeah … I think it will be.”
Two of the groomsmen lifted Kelly into the air with her back to the mass of hopeful women.
“One. Two. Three!” Kelly tossed it over her head.
Luke smiled while shaking his head in complete disbelief. It was headed straight for Jessica. He imagined her taking out half the women to catch it, but it appeared fate had her back. However, at the last second, she shoved Lake right in front of her. Lake caught the bouquet with a huge grin, eyes wide with surprise. Jessica wrapped her arms around Lake and whispered something in her ear.
As Jessica made her way back to Luke, she shrugged and smiled. “Guess it wasn’t in the stars for me tonight.”
“I don’t think there are enough stars in the sky to count how many times a day I fall in love with you all over again.”
Lake sidled next to Luke, sliding her arm around his back. He hugged her to him.
“Here.” She pulled one of the white roses from the bouquet and handed it to her brother. “It should have been Jess’s, but she gave me an early birthday present. Marry her, Luke. Marry. Her.” She reached up and kissed him on the cheek then hugged Jessica again before twirling off to the dance floor.
“Not even close to enough stars in the sky.” Luke shook his head and tucked the rose behind Jessica’s ear as he pressed his lips to hers. “Race you to the lake,” he whispered over her lips, smiling so big his face hurt.
He backed slowly toward the door. Jessica remained statuesque, lips parted. Her whole face spelled shock. Luke nodded his head toward the exit. With a deep breath, a smile grew along her lips as her eyes gleamed with excitement.
The second he stepped outside he made a dash for the lake, knowing she would be not more than a breath behind him.
“Jones!” she squealed, chasing him down the tree-lined path to the lake.
Jacket, tie, shirt … he tossed them to the wind. The adrenaline-fed insanity made him feel more alive than he ever imagined possible. He took a quick look over his shoulder as his legs continued to propel him forward. Long dark hair flowed behind his living dream. Her shoes tossed to the sand, and with each step she ran right out of her dress. Stopping at the water’s edge, he slipped out of the rest of his clothes.
Jessica flew into his arms, sending him stumbling back into the cool water. It engulfed their tangled bodies beneath a star-studded sky—so many stars.
They emerged breathless, her body wrapped around his. “Luke …” she rested her forehead against his. “Thank you.”
“Thank you?”
She smiled. “William Arthur Ward. ‘God gave you a gift of 84,600 seconds today. Have you used one of them to say thank you?’”
He closed his eyes as his heart swelled even more.
Never. Enough. Stars.
*
Knight
“Thank you? Okay then, Dr. Jones. That wasn’t so hard, now was it?” Through a haze of smoke, Knox smirked around his cigar, taking another slow draw, a slight squint to his already beady, dark eyes. He looked at his watch. “If all goes well, we’ll have you home by curfew.”
“What about Jessica? She looked miserable … not like a woman living of her own free will.”
Snuffing the end of his cigar in the ashtray, Knox looked at Luke with a hint of pleasure in his eyes. “The guy she’s been fucking is dying. Cancer … a real bitch.
Luke closed his eyes. Numb.
“Now. You’re going to wake up in your own bed tomorrow morning feeling much like you did when you arrived here—groggy and disoriented. That blow to your head earlier is going to give you one hell of a headache. I’d suggest taking something for it as soon as you wake. Once your mind stops spinning and the memories from today start to fall back into place, you’re going to have the urge to tell someone—friends, family, the police. Don’t. Everyone you tell dies. Any questions?”
Luke stared at the table. Someone brought Jessica back to life just to kill her in front of him. Another man. She was with another man—a man who was dying. The pain seeped into his chest like poison.
His body stiffened, rejecting Knox’s condescending hand that landed on his shoulder.
“If it were me, I’d get drunk off my ass, stick my dick in as much pussy as possible, burn everything that bears her memory, and get on with my fucking life.”
Knox opened the door and nodded. Two men stepped in the room. One of them handed Knox a syringe. He pulled the cap off with his teeth then spit it on the floor.
“Are you ready to go home, Dr. Jones?”
“Why fake her death?” Luke continued to stare at the table as Knox held his head to the side with one arm while pressing the tip of the syringe to his neck with his other hand.
“Nobody looks for dead people.”
Stick. Burn. Black.
Chapter Thirty-Five
Knight
Thanksgiving was two days away and for the first time in her life Ryn had no plans. Her parents, not knowing about Jackson’s it’s-not-you-it’s-me breakup, decided to take a cruise assuming Ryn would be with him since Maddie would be with Preston. Ryn dropped the restraining order and if her stubborn daughter would have answered her calls or listened to her messages, she’d have known that. Instead Ryn was on her way to clean AJ’s house per Jillian’s request and then Jillian and Jackson’s place. She hadn’t seen or spoken to Jackson since their breakup the previous week.
“Hi, Ryn.” Jillian answered AJ’s door.
She smiled, stepping inside while looking for AJ.
“He’s sleeping.”
Ryn nodded. “I’m afraid to even ask how he’s doing.”
Jillian sighed. “For the past week he’s basically been sleeping. He has some short-term memory loss and vision issues. When we flew here from Houston I thought his vision was completely gone, but he’s regained a bit a few times since. It’s sporadic and unpredictable. I’m guessing swelling or the tumor. I don’t know.”
Ryn gave her a sad smile. “I’m so sorry. If there’s anything I can do just name it.”
“What you’re doing today is great. The downside to his vision coming back sometimes is he sees how dirty things have gotten around here and apparently my cleaning is not up to his standards.”
With a little chuckle, Ryn smiled. “Well, this I can do for you. Should I just avoid his bedroom?”
“No. The blinds are partially open, but he’s really out of it so I wouldn’t worry about waking him.”
“Is his family coming for Thanksgiving?” Ryn hollered from the hall bathroom.
Jillian leaned against the doorway with her arms folded over her chest. “No.” She scrunched her nose. “They don’t know we’re here. Nobody knows we’re here except Jackson. I’ve even tried to keep my trekking back and forth to a minimum so the neighbors don’t get too nosy. Jackson’s been dropping off food. AJ doesn’t want his family here … he doesn’t even want to be here, but I needed to come back for … certain reasons.”
“Why don’t I make you both Thanksgiving dinner and bring it over? I’m sor
t of by myself this year and I love to cook so it would be no trouble.”
Jillian lifted a single shoulder. “AJ’s hardly eating anything, and what he does eat I have to force feed him—it’s not pretty. And I don’t eat meat so …”
“But you eat, right?” Ryn couldn’t help but smile at her own ridiculous eagerness.
Jillian laughed. “Yes, I eat.”
“Great. I’ll make a vegetarian Thanksgiving dinner, and then you’ll have leftovers for a few days too.”
“You don’t have—”
Ryn shook her head. “I want to. Please?”
Jillian nodded. “Okay. Thank you.”
*
After Ryn finished AJ’s house, Jillian told her their front door was unlocked and Jackson may or may not be there. That meant Ryn may or may not have to clean their house for two hours with her heart in her throat.
“Hello?” she called as she peeked in the door.
No answer. She sighed and carried her supplies inside. Even without him there it was difficult to not feel his presence everywhere. With each room, she picked up speed, going from a small part of her hoping he’d show up to an overwhelming need to get out of there before he came home.
Releasing a sigh of victory as she wound up the vacuum hose, she turned toward the hall leading to the garage door.
“Hi.”
Her heart wasted no time leaping into her throat. “Hi … uh was my car in your way? I’m just leaving.” She knew her car wasn’t in his way, but her nervousness took over, grasping for anything to say that was random and impersonal like the weather or parking spots.
He shook his head.
“Great, then I’ll just be going.” Ryn grabbed as many of her supplies as possible to limit her trips back inside.
After loading her first armful of supplies in the back of her vehicle she turned. “Oh …” She stopped inches from ramming into Jackson. “Thanks.”
He handed her the vacuum and last bucket. “How have you been?” he asked after she shut the back door.
She bit the inside of her cheek. “I don’t know how to answer that. So I’ll just say fine and leave because this is a little awkward.” She tried to slip by him.