“Are there any other secrets you’re keeping?” Malcolm asked him.
“One night I snuck some scotch after my watch shift and I switched out my pillow with Banks’ when he was on watch. His was a nice memory foam job,” Quinton confessed. “That’s it.”
“Good. I don’t want any more secrets around here. I’m not saying that my initial reaction wouldn’t have been to get rid of the freak but if you’d explained it to me, laid out your reasoning, I would have listened. I respect you, I hope you know that.”
Quinton looked embarrassed, running his fingers through his hair to rub at the back of his neck. “I respect the hell out of you too. Who would have thought it after the way we met?”
It seemed like it had been years ago that they’d faced off at the sheriff’s station, guns pointed at each other, both of them willing to kill each other to protect their families.
“Yeah, we’ve come a hell of a long way,” Malcolm said. “Hopefully it’ll be the same for the others.”
“We can do it, we’ve just got to make them feel a part of it,” Quinton said. “All of us working on the tower will help, a community project. We might want to think of doing more things like it.”
“You want to dig more of these holes?” Malcolm asked with a raised eyebrow.
“Definitely not,” Quinton answered with a chuckle, “But more community projects or events. Remember on the road when we’d all end up around the fire, just shooting the shit. That bonded us just as much as the life and death moments. We should start considering formally organizing something each night in the lodge. Board game tournament, sing-a-longs...hell, there’s an old television and VCR in that crawlspace with a box of tapes. We could even have a movie night.”
It had been those fireside chats that had firmed out the friendships between all of them. If he thought back to their time on the road, those moments had been the only good ones out there. They needed the same thing here and they had the luxury of safety to do lots of things. They could let their hair down for a little while and remember that they were still people who could be happy and have fun.
“You’re right,” he said. “So, come on, we’re all going to take a break and go down to the beach to wash up and have a swim.”
Quinton’s eyes shot over to the twins and he gave Malcolm a small smile. “I appreciate the offer but I already convinced Elaine to let me sit in with her on her broadcast today. I’ve been curious how her setup works and she’s going to show me. I should be getting over there.”
Malcolm knew Quinton was just doing what his sister asked and he should be glad Quinton was listening to her but it irked him at the divide it caused. Just when they were needing to pull together, there was now this rift.
Then again, maybe managing this break up was the kind of practice he needed. They were settled here and relationships were going to pop up everywhere and some of those relationships were bound to end.
“Alright,” Malcolm said, “But be back in time for the afternoon work. You’re not gonna get out of getting those pretty surgeon hands dirty.”
Quinton saluted him before heading in the direction of the clinic and Malcolm went over to join the others in the shade. Matthew spotted him first and his eyes lit up.
“Can we go to the beach now Uncle Malcolm?”
“You got it,” Malcolm said and then raised his voice so everyone could hear him. “Everybody did a great job this morning. I know it was hard work and y’all did it without complaint. So I’m thinking we should all take a break. I say we grab our swimming gear and head down to the beach. We can wash off the dirt and the sweat, cool down a bit before we get back to work.”
He was met with the sounds of happy agreement and an excited “Hell yes!” from Banks. It didn’t take long for the others to pack away the remnants of their lunch and soon the twins were flanking him as they headed to the cabin to grab some towels and a change of clothes.
Mark reached out to lay a finger on his wrist and Malcolm looked down at him.
“Thank you for bringing us here, Uncle Malcolm,” he said in his shy voice. “I really like it.”
“You’re welcome, little man,” he said, reaching out to rub an affectionate hand over his hair. “I’m glad you like it.”
“It’s gonna be a good home,” Mark said with confidence, his narrow shoulders thrown back and his dimpled chin jutting out.
Malcolm chuckled and clapped a hand on the boy’s back. “You’re right, little man. We’re gonna make it a good home.”
Subject File #745
Administrator: You must be happy to see Travis back with the group.
Subject: He was gone ‘fore I met up with the others so he’s only ever been a story to me.
Administrator: That’s right, I forgot. Still, you must be happy for the others to have him back. I know Veronica was still torn up about his death.
Subject: Yah, she’s happy to have him back alright.
Jackson sat beneath one of the trees that grew along the far edge of the beach, sharpening his knife on a whetstone. The ring of metal against stone almost drowned out the squeals of laughter from the water. Though it probably didn’t help that he kept glancing up every few seconds to look out at the people in the water.
Banks had brought down a frisbee and he and Craig had come up with a game that seemed to be a combination of football and soccer. They’d divided up into teams and had been splashing and cheering up a storm as each team tried to get the frisbee past the goaltenders that stood in waist deep water thirty yards apart.
He watched as Veronica caught the frisbee and splashed through the shallows to hand it off to Hannah who sprinted towards where Craig was tending goal. Hannah tossed the frisbee sloppily at the goal and Craig took a giant dive in the opposite direction. Hannah let out a loud whoop, not caring that Craig had obviously let her score.
Hannah ran back to high five Mateo and Alejandro, her grin big enough that Jackson could spot it even this far away. He grinned himself at the sight, his heartstrings tugging sharply to see Hannah filled with pure glee. It was exactly how a little girl was supposed to look.
His gaze darted over to Audrey, who was playing on the other team. Malcolm had negotiated this little break from her punishment, telling them that this was a community event and she was part of the community. Audrey had jumped at the chance to play on the team opposite Veronica and her sister. Judging by the way she had been treading water close to Trey the entire time, the boy was the entire reason she picked that team.
The only good thing was that Trey kept finding reasons to tackle Claudia during every play and she didn’t seem to mind one bit. At least Jackson didn’t have to worry about Audrey being chased around by an older boy.
His gaze drifted back to Veronica, who had gone out to deeper water to help defend their goaltender, Banks. Travis was treading water beside her and Jackson could see their mouths moving as they talked. He couldn’t catch their words at this distance but he heard Veronica’s laughter a moment after she threw her head back.
He pressed the knife harder against the whetstone, the metal singing. They’d been tied at the hip the entire game and Jackson suspected a lot of it had to do with the fact that the tank top Veronica wore was stuck to her like second skin.
He looked down to check the edge of his knife, deciding it could be sharper. Anything to take his attention away from the water.
He knew he was jealous and he had no one to blame but himself. There was nothing stopping him from joining in. Except himself.
He wished he had the confidence to go out there and join them. Be the one playing with Veronica and the girls, helping them win the game. The group might know about his past but the idea of stripping off his shirt and showing them the scars was too much. He could go in with his shirt on, but then that would just make them think about why he kept himself covered.
And he couldn’t leave them to it and go somewhere else on the island because he’d just end up imagining Travis flirting with Vero
nica and her enjoying it. Better to sit here on the outside and watch it all with his own eyes, pretending that the cool lake breeze was enough enjoyment for him.
He caught movement from his peripheral and saw Kim approaching him, a towel wrapped around her waist. She sat down beside him, reaching up to untie the wrap around her hair and shake it out.
“The water was nice,” she said, twisting the wrap to wring the water from it, “But those kids can’t control their splashing. Getting a face full of water isn’t my idea of fun. You’re smart to sit it out.”
She took a moment to spread out the wrap so it could dry before she turned to him, flashing a smile. “So how are you doing?”
“Fine,” he replied, not sure why she was asking.
He was pretty sure this was the first one on one conversation he had with her. Then again, same could be said for most of the group. He wasn’t exactly Mr. Friendly. Still his Gran had knocked some manners in him and he put down the knife and whetstone to give her his attention.
“How are ya doin’?” he asked.
“Fine,” she said with a small smile. He smiled back but then the silence stretched between them.
Nerves had him reaching for his water bottle, his hands needing something to do as he became painfully aware of his own awkwardness. He focused on unscrewing the cap and taking a drink, his eyes darting away to look out at the beach. It was only after he had pulled the bottle away from his lips that Kim spoke.
“So, when are you and Veronica going to stop playing and get together?”
He choked on the mouthful of water he was swallowing, falling into a violent coughing fit as he tried to clear out the water he’d inhaled. When he got his breathing under control he looked up with watery eyes and saw Kim laughing at him.
“Sorry, I didn’t mean to kill you,” she said.
“Why’d ya gotta go and ask a question like that?” he complained, his voice rough from the coughing.
“Just curious. We also have a bet going.”
“That what passes for entertainment ‘round here?”
Kim hummed and nodded. “And it looks like things just might get even more entertaining. A love triangle plot twist.”
He followed her line of sight to see that Travis and Veronica had moved to the shallows to join the kids in the splash war. Travis had an arm around Veronica’s waist, holding her against him as a human shield while the twins splashed them. Veronica was shrieking with laughter, doing nothing to get out of Travis’ grip.
Jackson made an angry sound low in his throat, shifting his gaze to his water bottle, picking at the rim with his thumbnail.
“Jackson, I was just teasing,” Kim said in a friendly tone.
“I know,” he said, trying to hide his embarrassment that she’d been able to read him so easily. It was stupid to be jealous and hurt.
Her smile disappeared and she reached out to put a hand on his elbow. “I didn’t mean to upset you.”
“Ya didn’t,” Jackson lied.
She stared at him for a moment and then leaned back against the tree trunk, crossing her ankles.
“Yeah, there’s no reason to be upset. It wasn’t even a good joke. Everybody knows Veronica is crazy about you and Travis is in love with Jenny.”
His heart thumped in his chest at her words. “What do ya mean he’s in love with Jenny?”
“That’s right. You only met him yesterday. It was pretty obvious from the moment I met them that he was wild about his sister-in-law. Made for some interesting spectating when we were stranded on the highway.”
Well, knowing the man had his sights set elsewhere made it easier to stomach his friendship with Veronica.
“Shit, thought my family was messed up,” Jackson said instead, thinking back to the reunion between Travis and Jenny. He hadn’t noticed anything there but he wasn’t exactly good at picking up on the subtleties of attraction. “Makes me grateful I never had a brother to worry ‘bout sniffin’ after my wife.”
“I wouldn’t say Travis was ever sniffing after her. He was more the suffer-in-silence type. Look at her with moon eyes when she’d go into the tent with her husband but I never saw him make any inappropriate moves. He didn’t even check her out when she wasn’t looking. Now, her husband on the other hand...”
“Couldn’t keep his damn eyes in his head any time ya women dropped somethin’ in camp,” Jackson finished for her and Kim let out a delighted laugh.
“Yeah, he wasn’t a subtle one, was he?” Kim pulled her knees up and rested her chin on them as she looked out at the water.
“I’m pretty sure Travis got all the gentlemen genes in that family.” Her gaze slid over to him. “You said you didn’t have a brother. Did you have sisters?”
He shook his head. “Only child.”
“Me too,” Kim said, “I always wanted a sibling. You?”
“Nah, my ma did a shit job raisin’ me, can’t imagine what woulda happened if’n she had another one,” Jackson admitted, speaking without thinking. “Wouldn’t wanna see a little one get dragged ‘round with me to the crack dens or havin’ to pretend she ain’t makin’ ya sleep out on the porch ‘cause she got a john in the trailer.”
He snapped his mouth shut, realizing he’d gone too far. He usually tried to keep the details of his childhood vague for the decent people. The only time he’d gotten that deep into it was at a meeting when he was surrounded by people whose stories made his own look like Full House in comparison.
“I’m sorry it was like that for you,” Kim said, her voice soft. “I worked in the system. Social worker.”
“Then ya seen worse than that.”
She nodded. “But it never makes any of it easier. People can do horrible things to children.”
“Ain’t that the truth.” Jackson picked at the glue from the water bottle label that had long peeled off. “Least that’s the good thing ‘bout the world endin’. People’ll start treatin’ kids right, seein’ them as the future of the human race.”
“I hope so. I’d hate to think what would happen to kids out there alone.”
His eyes skirted over to Audrey who was chasing after Hannah. Nightmares of what would have happened to them if he hadn’t found them sometimes had him waking up in a cold sweat some nights. Seeing the girls devoured by freaks or taken in by someone with bad intentions, wanting to hurt them or use them.
“Wouldn’t be pretty, I tell ya that.”
Janet picked up her head wrap and began to fold it into a neat square. “Well, I know one thing. Hannah and Audrey are lucky girls that you found them. You’ve done right by them.”
He felt uncomfortable under that kind of praise. He’d only done what any good person would have done.
“It ain’t nothin’.”
“Don’t dismiss it like that. I don’t know you that well but I’ve been living with you for a while now and I see things. You’re way too hard on yourself. I get that you have a past but you aren’t just that past. I was a teen mom. People looked down on me, thought I would be another statistic who wouldn’t be able to keep myself above the poverty line. I made myself better than that and so did you. You could have become a statistic too but you didn’t. Embrace that. Make that be who you are now.”
Heat filled his cheeks that had nothing to do with the day’s sun. Before he met these people, the only person who ever sung his praises was Gran. He figured the only reason she did it was because she felt bad that she couldn’t protect him from his ma so she was just overcompensating.
He wasn’t used to this sort of thing from people who didn’t share his blood and he still wasn’t sure how to take it.
“That why ya came over here? Thought I needed a pep talk?”
She laughed lightly. “That was just a by-product. I did come over to get some inside info to win that bet about you and Veronica.”
The heat rose in his cheeks and he tossed back what remained in his water bottle, focusing on not choking on this mouthful of water.
“Fine
, you don’t have to say anything,” she said. “Just do me a favour, give me a day’s notice before you’re going to announce it to everybody so I can take the pot. Janet put in her last Mars bar and I want to win it.”
“Ya sure we can’t go back to gossipin’ ‘bout Travis wantin’ his brother’s wife?”
“Now, that seems a bit mean spirited,” Kim said with a frown and then she raised an eyebrow. “We could talk about Craig’s crush on Lorraine though.”
Jackson chuckled. “Even a backwards hick like me sees that one. Is Lorraine blind?”
“No, she knows. She just ignores him.”
“If she ain’t interested, she should tell him to back off.”
“I think she would if she wasn’t. She hasn’t said anything but I think the age difference weirds her out.”
“Easy to forget he ain’t that much older than your boy.”
She nodded. “He’s got an old soul. From what he’s said about his childhood, he had to grow up pretty quick. I hope she gives him a chance someday. I think they’d make each other happy.”
“Ya like the idea of everyone pairin’ off, dontcha?”
“What can I say, I’m a fool in love and I want to spread it around.”
He followed her eyeline and saw her staring at Malcolm as he swung the twins around in a circle before tossing them into the water as they laughed.
“Can I ask ya somethin’?
“Shoot.”
“Heard through the grapevine that ya were on yer own before all this started. Didn’t have a husband or nothin’. Then the world goes to hell and ya meet Malcolm and ya fall for him. Why?”
“Well, it wasn’t really a decision, just something that happened. You can’t help who you fall in love with and you can’t help when it happens.”
“Ain’t ya worried that all the other stuff is cloudin’ yer judgement? Maybe yer just desperate to feel somethin’ now so ya think ya have feelin’s for someone who ain’t right for ya. Way things are now, yer ‘round people ya wouldn’t normally be ‘round. People who ain’t the right kind of people to be with. Maybe yer willin’ to settle for less than ya deserve ‘cause there ain’t much else.”
The Complex (The Omega Protocol Chronicles Book 3) Page 9