by Joni Folger
But was Jackson the one her heart had been waiting for, or just a convenient target for her libido?
On the heels of that troubling idea, Elise scanned the sea of faces and zeroed in on him, picking him out of the crowd like he was magnetized. As if sensing her thoughts, Jackson looked up at that very moment and met her gaze. He said something briefly to the couple he was talking with and turned, striding toward her with a carefree smile on his face.
Her heart did a quick two-step in her chest.
“Hey, darlin’,” he said when he got closer.
“Hey, yourself.”
He made a show of giving her the once-over, his smile growing. “You look pretty today, fresh as a Texas wildflower.”
Her traitorous heart did another fast stutter.
“Thanks,” she managed and couldn’t help the way her lips curved in response. “You clean up awfully well yourself.”
He held out his hand to her. “Come on. Walk with me?”
She hesitated. “I should really wait for Stuart. He had to take a business call.”
Jackson nodded. “I saw him heading down toward the Wine Barrel talking on his cell. I think you have time for a quick walk with an old friend.”
An old friend I can’t get out of my mind lately, she thought. “All right,” she heard herself say, knowing it wasn’t the smartest move, but one she was helpless to resist.
Taking his hand, she let him lead her around the side of the lodge, across the gravel road, and down into the rows of grapes away from the festivities.
“Where are we going, Jax?”
Halfway down the row and out of sight from prying eyes, he stopped and turned to her. “I was wondering if you’d made up your mind yet about moving to Dallas.”
“Geez, not you, too,” she said and tried to pull away from him, though he held fast to her hand. “I’m getting really tired of everyone telling me what they think I should or shouldn’t do.”
“Hey, I’m not judging, El. And I’m not trying to tell you what to do. I get it; this job is a great opportunity for you. I just want to make sure you’ve considered all the angles.”
She jerked her hand out of his grasp and glared at him. “And of course, I’m such an idiot that I surely wouldn’t have considered everything.”
He stuffed his hands into his pockets, and his eyebrows dropped as he stared back at her. “That’s not what I meant, so don’t put words in my mouth.”
“Yeah? Well, then what did you mean, Jackson? Because that’s what it sounded like. Let me tell you something, pal, it’s my damn choice—my life!”
She stopped abruptly when she realized she was yelling at him, and for the life of her, she couldn’t say why. It wasn’t Jackson’s fault he was voicing aloud concerns she’d been wrestling with internally for weeks. This was something she normally would have talked out with her family the moment Stuart had made the proposal, but she’d kept it to herself. Why? Though her uncle’s murder had played a part, she’d used it as an excuse not to tell anyone. When she thought it through, that was probably the most telling aspect of all.
And in that instant, she knew her decision had been made long ago, whether she’d recognized it or not.
With a heavy sigh, she gave him a rueful look. “Look, Jax, I’m sorry. I’ve been a little stressed out with everything lately. I didn’t mean to take it out on you.”
He looked down at his feet and kicked around in the dirt with the toe of his cowboy boot. “I’m not trying to tell you how to run your life, El.” When he looked up, something else flared in his eyes, something that made her heart pound a bit faster. “Your family doesn’t want you to go. They’d miss you, even though you’d only be five hours away.”
“I’m aware.”
“Don’t go.”
“Jax—”
He pulled his hand out of his pocket and held it out to her. “It may be unfair, and I know our timing has pretty much always sucked, but I don’t want you to go either.”
She looked down at the hand he offered and then met his gaze. Though everything inside her yearned to take his hand, she shook her head and took a step back. “I’m sorry, but I can’t do this now. We should go back. Stuart’s probably looking for me.”
She turned to go, but he didn’t let her get far.
“Huh-uh. I don’t think so.” He grabbed her by the wrist and spun her back around and into his arms. “Not this time.”
Then his lips were on hers in a smoldering kiss that she had no will to stop. God help her, she’d known that it would be this way with him. Desire burst into full bloom in an instant, and she found herself drawn to the heat. Slipping her arms around his neck, she sank into the kiss with reckless abandon. This is it, she thought. This is what she’d been craving.
Jackson.
Time spun out and moments passed as her world seemed to narrow down to only him. She could taste the cold beer he’d been drinking and smell the combination of soap and sunshine on his skin.
And then the sound of a child’s giggle broke up the moment.
She and Jackson sprang apart in guilty fashion just as three children ran by them on either side.
“Kissy-face, kissy-face,” the littlest of the three, a cherub with golden curls and big blue eyes, yelled at them as she raced after the older two.
On their heels came a woman calling out, “Sasha! Angelica! Grayson! Come back here this instant.”
The woman rolled her eyes and shook her head as she got closer. “Sorry for the interruption. Sometimes I wonder why I had children in the first place,” she said with an apologetic grin before continuing after them.
Elise stole a glance at Jackson, who continued to watch the woman’s receding back with a half-smile playing about his lips. When he turned back, the smile slowly faded. “I’m sorry, El. I shouldn’t have pushed.”
“Jax, I—”
She was interrupted at that moment by a woman’s scream and raised voices coming from the direction of the road. Without another word, they both ran back up the row of vines, and when they emerged, saw Harmony Gates and her ex, Bud Thornton. Bud had a hold of Harmony’s wrists and she seemed to be struggling to get free.
“Let go!” Harmony screamed. “You’re hurting me.”
“Baby doll, would you stop and just listen to me for a minute?” Bud yelled back.
Elise and Jackson got there just seconds behind Ross and Darrell Yancy. Darrell stepped between the two and shoved Bud back several paces.
“What the heck’s going on here?” Darrell asked. “Are you trying to screw up my cousin’s wedding reception?”
Bud shook his head. “No, of course not.”
“I want to take out a restraining order,” Harmony cried dramatically, tears and mascara running down her face. “He’s been stalking me, and I’m afraid for my life.”
“What?” Shock flooded Bud’s face as he stared over Darrell’s shoulder at her. “Harm, you know that’s not true. Why would you say that?”
“Bud, why don’t we take a walk and you can tell me what’s going on?” Darrell said as he led the big man away.
“Why would she say that? I just wanted to talk to her. That’s all,” Bud told Darrell as they headed down the road toward the Wine Barrel.
“Harmony, are you okay?” Ross asked, offering her his hand-
kerchief.
She took it from him, blotting her eyes before sniffing and nodding. “I am now. Thanks.”
“Would you like to go up to the house and freshen up?” Elise offered.
“That would be good.” She looked over at Ross with a shy smile. “I must look a mess.”
He smiled back at her. “You look fine, but why don’t you go with Elise? Might make you feel better.”
When Harmony looked away, Ross gave Elise a look that very clearly said help, so she took pity on h
im. “Come on, Harmony. Ross is right. It will make you feel better.”
They walked up the road to the residence in silence. When they got there, Elise showed Harmony to the powder room then gave her some space. Ten minutes later, the woman came out looking almost as if nothing out of the ordinary had taken place.
“Hey, what happened back there? If you don’t mind me asking.”
Harmony waved the question away. “Oh, nothing really. I probably just overreacted. Bud’s been nagging me something awful since we broke up. He just won’t let go. I’ve tried to tell him that I’m in love with someone else and what we had is over, but he doesn’t want to hear it.”
“I’m sorry. Breaking up can be hard if the feeling isn’t mutual.”
Harmony nodded. “Exactly. People grow apart or take different paths every day, but sometimes it’s hard to accept.”
“That’s true.”
“And sometimes timing that hasn’t been right suddenly is and you have to act. Kind of like you and Jackson.”
“Me and Jackson?” Elise gave the woman a puzzled look. “What are you talking about, Harmony. I told you the other night at the Dew Drop that I’m seeing someone from Dallas. Stuart is actually here this weekend.”
Harmony nodded, but her smile was sly. “Yeah, that’s what you said, but I’ve seen the way you look at Jackson and the way he looks back. Like I said, Elise—timing.”
Elise stared at the woman for a moment. Her attraction to Jackson was something she didn’t want to discuss with anyone, let alone Harmony Gates. But it had her wondering who else had noticed. Was their spark that obvious?
“What are you going to do now?” she asked in an attempt to change the subject. “Are you going to go through with the restraining order?”
“No. I don’t know why I even said that. I don’t want to hurt Bud. He always treated me like a princess, and I really do wish him the best. I just can’t keep going through this with him. I’ll probably have to sit him down and explain it again. And hope that it finally gets through to him.”
As they walked back to the reception, Elise thought about what Harmony had said. Sometimes people did take different paths and grew apart when they found they wanted different things out of life.
Like you and Stuart, a little voice in the back of her mind whispered. It was something she was going to have to face. And soon.
The Great Lawn was alive with activity when they returned to the reception. Harmony saw a group of her friends and headed off in that direction. Elise scanned the crowd for Stuart but didn’t see him anywhere. Nor did she see Jackson, which was probably for the best. She needed some time to herself and decided to slip out to the greenhouse for a few minutes for a much-needed break.
On the way there she ran into Ross, who was obviously coming back from his house farther up the drive.
“Hey, sis. Where’re you goin’? The party’s that way,” he said pointing back toward Lodge Merlot.
“Very funny. I needed a break, so I thought I’d take ten minutes of quiet time and do a quick check of my hybrids. What about you? Why aren’t you down at the reception dancing with your wife?”
“I’m on my way to do just that right now. The boys got into a scuffle that ended with Caleb scraping his knees in the gravel. I took them back to the house so Sancia could clean them up and watch them for the rest of the afternoon.”
“Aw, some adult time without worrying about what the kiddos are up to.” She laughed and began to walk backwards toward the greenhouse as he walked backwards toward the reception. “Enjoy your brief window of opportunity.”
“I intend to. And don’t you take too long with your vines.”
Elise turned and made her way to the greenhouse with a smile on her face. Unfortunately, her joyful mood came to an abrupt end when she opened the greenhouse door and found her boyfriend standing at her desk, digging through her personal files.
Sixteen
“Stuart?” Elise stood just inside the door, stunned that he would violate her privacy in this blatant manner. “What do you think you’re doing?”
“Elise,” he stammered. “I didn’t hear you come in.”
“Yes, that’s obvious.” He looked as guilty as one could after getting caught going through someone else’s personal files without permission.
“I was just …”
“Yes? Just what?”
She watched him struggle to come up with a plausible answer. When he couldn’t quite find the words, she shook her head, disappointment bitter on her tongue. “How could you do this? I trusted you and this is how you honor that trust?”
He put out his hand in a plea. “Elise, darling, let me explain.”
“Seriously? I don’t think a verbal explanation is necessary, do you? Here you are, rifling through my desk, through my personal papers and notes. When I’ve been very clear about boundaries.”
“Sweetie, I know how this looks, but I was just so darn curious that I couldn’t help myself. I thought if we were going to be living and working together that I should get a handle on your process.”
“You mean you wanted to get your hands on my hybridization notes, don’t you?” She narrowed her eyes and wondered how many times they were going to have this conversation.
He dropped the offending papers on the desk like they were on fire and took a step toward her. “Elise, be reasonable.”
“Be reasonable? Oh, that’s rich. Did you really think invading my personal space would be acceptable?” When he didn’t comment, only continued to stare at her, she shook her head. “My guess would be no since you snuck in here during the reception when you thought you wouldn’t be caught.”
“Okay, now that’s not entirely fair. I have asked to see the notes on your hybridization method. Several times.”
“That’s right, and I’ve told you no. Several times. So, what? You thought you’d just come in here and steal them?”
“That’s a terrible accusation. I was doing nothing of the kind. I was just looking.”
“You know, Stuart, I was going to tell you tomorrow that I’d decided not to accept your job offer, but in light of current circumstances, I think now is the perfect time.”
He came to her then and took her arm. “I’ve offended you, I see that now. But this isn’t the time for rash decisions over hurt feelings. You have to know that I meant no harm by it.”
“Oh, I do know.” Tilting her head, she gave him a sad smile. “That’s part of the problem, Stuart. You don’t think about how your actions affect others.”
“Elise, I’ve offered you the opportunity of a lifetime. Please think about what you’d be giving up.”
“I’ve been thinking about the job offer—as well as our relationship in general—for several weeks now.”
Though he tried to hold onto her, she pulled away from him. “I’ve come to the conclusion that I don’t want to move to Dallas. Yes, it’s a terrific offer, but I’m happy working for the vineyard—working with my family. And they need me right now.”
“All right, we can talk about that.” He lifted his hands in a plea. “Maybe we could work out some kind of agreement where it’s possible for you to do both.”
“It’s not just about the job, Stuart. We both know that.” She heaved a sigh, knowing that she had to be honest, not only with him but herself as well. “I think the time has come to make a clean break—to move on with our lives—separately.”
He took a step back and stared at her with his mouth hanging open. “You’re breaking up with me? Over this?”
“Stuart, you’re not listening. It’s not just about this, though it does emphasize the bigger issue. Our relationship hasn’t been working for some time. I know you’ve felt it, too. Don’t deny it. And that you would sneak in here like this shows how little you really know or understand me.”
“But to throw away the las
t six months without notice? Can’t we at least discuss it?”
“I’m sorry, Stuart. I wish you all the best, I really do, but I don’t think there’s anything left to discuss. I know you’d planned on staying until tomorrow, but I think it might be best if you left now.”
Stuart’s features hardened with anger. “I can see that you’ve tried and convicted me without giving me a chance to state my case.”
“Stuart—”
“No, your mind is made up. You’ve made that perfectly clear. I’ll respect your wishes and go. But you’re wrong about one thing, Elise. I do know you. And you will come to regret this decision.”
She’d never been afraid of Stuart but now felt an odd chill skitter down her spine. “Is that a threat?”
“A threat?” He gave a disappointed sigh. “Really, Elise? I’ve gone from snooping to theft and now to threats—all in the space of five minutes? Maybe you’re right. Perhaps we do need a break.”
The menacing feeling disappeared as quickly as it came, and Elise was sure he would have said more, but Jackson cleared his throat from the doorway, drawing their attention. “I’m sorry. Am I interrupting?”
Stuart sent a glare in his direction. “Not at all, Deputy Landry. It seems we’re finished.” He spared her a brief glance and then stalked past Jackson and out the door without another word.
Elise let out a long breath and stooped to pick up a handful of papers that had fallen to the floor. When she stood up, Jackson took them from her and lifted her chin with a finger. “You okay, pal?”
She narrowed her eyes at him. “Do not be nice to me right now. I just hurt his feelings, accused him of awful things. I’m a terrible person.”
He made a pfft sound and waved the papers he held at her. “Sounds like he got just what he deserved.”
“Still, I was a little over the top with—wait.” Crossing her arms, she cocked her hip. “Jackson Landry, were you eavesdropping on a private conversation?”
“Uh, El … this is a greenhouse, remember. The walls aren’t made of stone. Kinda hard not to hear an argument when it’s being carried out at a supersonic decibel inside a plexiglass building. With the windows open, I might add.”