Jack sighed as he pushed himself up and winced at the pain in his head. The doctor gave him a prescription for a light pain-killer, but he wasn't planning to take any more than the hospital had made him take already. Hopefully Drake was halfway to Mexico by now, but Jack wasn't going to take any chances. He wanted to be alert and awake in case the son of a bitch showed up at Cross Falls.
Which was all the more reason for him to leave the hospital and get back to Gabrie. He patted Philip lightly on the shoulder. "I'll be back later, Dad." With that, he made his way through the hospital and ignored the looks the staff gave him. Fucking small towns. One of the best things about moving around so much was that no one knew him. Now that he was back home, it was impossible to take a piss without everyone knowing about it.
Of course, for the moment, he had no way of getting home. He couldn't even call Gabrie considering she never actually gave him her phone number. Darren was still out of town, not that Jack would call him anyway. Luckily there was at least one person in town who would still give him the time of day.
Fifteen minutes later, Penny's beat-up Jeep came to a stop in front of the hospital. Jack climbed in, smiling through dizziness brought on by moving.
"So what's going on with you and the Moss girl?" Penny put the car in gear.
He grimaced as he slid the seatbelt into place, not taking any chances. "She's just staying at the house a few days."
Penny narrowed her eyes as she pulled out of the parking lot and onto the highway that would lead to Cross Falls. "Don't bullshit me, Jack. I've known you way too long for that. How did the two of you meet up again?"
He leaned back and closed his eyes. The pain wasn't as bad as it had been earlier that morning, but he made sure to look like thinking too hard hurt like a bitch. "She's here for a bit, helping us make Cross Falls livable again. That's it."
"No. I drove all the way out here on my day off to pick your sorry ass up. The least you could give me is some honest gossip."
Jack glanced out the window to the farmland passing him by. "I wish I could tell you something more juicy, but there isn't much to tell. She met Darren in the city and came here to help him fix up Cross Falls. I met her when she knocked on the door yesterday."
Penny grunted. "So Darren's convinced he's getting the plantation?"
"Hey, if he wants the place, he can have it. I've had enough bad memories in that house to last me a lifetime."
She glared at him. "I seem to remember one or two fun memories we made back there."
He couldn't help but laugh as he thought back to the times they'd spent together. "One or two," he agreed.
"Damn straight," she muttered as she pulled off the highway and onto the secluded road that led to Cross Falls. "Mr. McGregor kicked the bucket a few weeks ago. Want me to call up his widow and see if I can get a good deal on his truck?"
"Depends. What kind of truck?"
She rolled her eyes. "I don't know. The kind with four wheels and an engine. But it's more than what you have and she's not hurting for cash. I can probably get it for a steal."
"Who am I to turn down a steal?" he said. "But a make and model would be nice."
"I'll text you what I find out. Do you think you can get some cash together? Even if it's a good deal, it won't be free."
"I have money," he assured her as Penny came to a stop in front of Cross Falls.
She nodded. "Well, I'm glad you're doing okay. If you need another ride or anything, feel free to call. If you feel sick, you make sure to let the sheriff know. Don't be too proud to go back to the hospital."
"The sheriff?"
"Chris was parked out at the end of the drive. Didn't you see him?"
Jack blinked a few times. The damn doctors must've given him more pain meds than he thought. "It's hard to focus on much when I'm sittin' next to someone as beautiful as you." He grinned.
Penny wasn't fooled. "Right. Go lie down and get some rest. You're sure the doctors cleared you?"
"I don't have a concussion," he said, deliberately not answering her question.
Penny glanced to Gabrie's truck and back to him. "If there weren't anyone here, I'd never leave you," she muttered. "That girl had better take care of you."
"I'm fine!" He hopped out of the passenger's seat. "Thanks for the ride."
She looked him over once more as though debating whether she needed to come in with him. "Any time," she said. "Take care."
He nodded and shut the door before he turned back to Cross Falls. The sun shone directly on his face and his already heavy eyelids fought to stay open. He needed to be awake and alert. What the hell good was police protection if he wasn't even near the house? No, if he wanted to keep Gabrie safe, he needed to be on guard.
As the silence wrapped around him, he realized Penny hadn't left. He glanced around to see her staring at him expectantly. Damn it. He should be in the house already. He pushed himself up the stairs and to the door. Of course, the damn knob wouldn't turn. Though considering everything that had happened, it was a good thing she locked up. He banged on the door and waited. After what felt like forever passed, he slammed his fist into the wood even harder. His only set of keys for Cross Falls were somewhere in his totaled car, and he didn't want to have to break into the place while Penny was watching.
He started to bang again when the door finally opened. His mouth went dry at the sight of Gabrie. She was a mess. Tiny pieces of white paper were stuck to her t-shirt, shorts, and the bare skin of her arms and legs. Her entire body was coated with a fine sheen of sweat that glistened in the sunlight streaming in.
"Jack! I didn't realize you were being released today."
Her words didn't even compute. All he could think about was stripping those dirty clothes off her body and climbing into the shower with her. Kissing her under the stream of water as his hands roamed over her curves. He'd push her up against the tile and spread her wide for his invasion.
"Jack?"
He took a deep swallow as he forced himself to focus. "It's not a prison. I can leave when I want."
She bit her bottom lip, and his mind was transported right back to that steamy hot shower he'd imagined.
"You look like hell." She pulled him inside and waved to Penny. Apparently her thoughts weren't going in the same direction as his. "Can you make it up the stairs to your room?"
"I'm fine," he insisted, pulling away from her to prove he could stand on his own. "I'll be even better once these damn meds are out of my system. Where's Tank?"
She motioned with her head. "Come on."
As he followed her, he realized why she was so dirty. She'd been working on peeling down the old wallpaper and already had a decent chunk of the living room done. The giant dog was sprawled in front of the couch, which was moved into the middle of the room so she could reach every wall. Tank lifted his head at Jack's approach but didn't seem too interested. "Not much of a guard dog," muttered Jack.
Gabrie set her hands on her hips and looked him over. "Or maybe you're not much of a threat at the moment."
Jack held his hand over his heart as he flopped onto the couch. "Ouch. Careful. My ego is delicate."
"Mmmm hmmm. Normally you're very manly and scary, I promise. But for now you need to rest."
He set his head on the lumpy and aged cushion and stroked Tank's rough fur with his hand. "I can rest right here."
~~~~~
Gabrie plopped on the floor and stared up at her progress. A wall and a half done. Using the relatively clean back of her arm, she wiped the beads of sweat from her forehead. At this rate, she could probably get most of the outdated paper off the entire lower story in a bit over a week. Faster if Jack felt good enough to help.
She glanced over her shoulder to where Jack was sleeping soundly on the couch. She was sure he'd be right back to his annoying self as soon as he was awake and alert, but she kind of enjoyed the quiet time to herself. But now that she'd worked until her arms and legs ached from the strenuous work, she needed a break.
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She pushed herself up and tiptoed out of the room. Of course, Tank heard her and immediately padded after her. "Go back to Jack," she whispered as she reached the stairs.
The dog merely looked up at her with a silly expression as if to say I don't understand English, stupid.
"Jack needs you. Go lay with him." She pointed back to the living room.
The dog's eyes followed her hand, but his body didn't leave her side. Gabrie pursed her lips and looked to where Jack was snoring softly on the sofa. "Fine. I suppose he won't miss you." She turned to walk up the steps. She half-expected Tank to stay at the foot of the stairs considering he'd seemed so lethargic that morning, but the big dog obediently followed her up the steps and into the bathroom.
"No. No, no, no, no. You're not coming in here with me," she insisted as she pushed Tank back into the hallway. He looked up at her expectantly as she shut the door in his face and she felt bad for some stupid reason. She shook her head. She wasn't feeling bad for a dog who wanted to get into the bathroom with her as she showered.
Yet the thought didn't stop her from rushing through soaping up her dirty arms and legs and quickly running shampoo and conditioner through her hair. This habit of taking in strays she had no reason to help was becoming dangerous. First Jack, now Tank. This trip was supposed to be about her figuring out what she wanted and sorting out a place for herself in the world.
She sighed as she stepped out of the shower and thought back over her whirlwind twenty-four hours: meeting Jack, realizing Darren had a hidden twin, being told she used to live in the town, and some guy who claimed to be Philip's attorney telling her she was going to inherit Cross Falls.
Maybe she should be resting too.
Gabrie opened the door to the hallway and Tank's tail thumped against the floor. "I give you one meal and you're suddenly my shadow?"
She shook her head as she wrapped the towel tighter around her and crossed to the small room she'd claimed as hers. She sat on the full-sized bed covered with her sleeping bag. Damn it. She'd completely forgotten about washing the sheets today. There was still time, she supposed, but she wouldn't mind crawling in for a nap right away.
After looking at her phone to see that Darren still hadn't called her back, she pulled on a pair of denim shorts and a black t-shirt. Right as she buttoned the last button on her shorts, the doorbell ringing vibrated through the house. Damn it. She ran out of the room and down the stairs, trying to get to the door before Jack woke up. The guy needed all the sleep he could get.
She yanked open the door, shooting another quick glance over to Jack to confirm he was still sleeping. She caught her breath as she looked at the tall man who filled her doorway. It was the "lawyer" who'd confronted her on the street that morning. "I don't have time for any more of your crazy, Mr...." Damn it, what was his name?
"Robert Carson," he supplied. He didn't seem to be fazed by her abrupt dismissal. "I'm actually here to see the boys. Are they around?"
She tightened her lips. "I haven't heard from Darren all day, and I'm sure you've heard about Jack's accident by now. He's resting and I really don't want to wake him." The big dog tried to poke his head out from behind Gabrie's legs, and she shuffled to keep him inside.
Carson frowned at the dog, but didn't say anything about him. "I'm afraid it's important."
"I can have him call you as soon as he wakes up, I promise." She was still convinced the guy was insane, and she wasn't about to let him in the house. He'd pulled her aside early that morning while she'd been running errands and warned her to get out of Cross Falls as soon as possible. According to him, Philip Cross had revised his will in the last twenty-four hours and made sure that all his assets were going straight to Gabrie upon his death.
Which might've made her happy if it made any sense at all. She'd met the dying patriarch only one day ago, and he'd almost kicked her out of his hospital room and home. He only changed his mind when Jack promised to keep an eye on the changes she made to Cross Falls during the renovations. So Gabrie found it hard to believe this "lawyer."
Carson shook his head. "This can't wait. I'm sorry to say that Philip passed this afternoon."
Gabrie squeezed her eyes tightly shut and rubbed her temples. "Are you serious?" But she knew this wasn't a joke. The "lawyer" in front of her might be crazy, but no one would tell a joke that cruel. Philip was dead, and she was going to have to break the news to Darren. And what the hell was she supposed to do with Jack? Wake him up to deliver even more bad news?
"I can't wake him up for that," she whispered.
"If you want, I can stick around. My laptop is in the car, and I can get a few emails and phone calls out of the way."
"You don't need to stay." She'd rather have him far away from the house and her. She'd have to be the one to tell Jack...just as soon as she confirmed that Philip actually had passed.
She felt as if she were being paranoid, but it wasn't as though she were imagining things. The police told her some drug dealer she never met might want her dead, and this guy in front of her thought she'd inherited a home worth well over a million dollars. These days, she was skeptical of everything.
Carson narrowed his eyes, as though considering whether he should insist on staying. "I still think you should leave," he said finally.
She blinked. By now she'd half convinced herself she'd imagined his crazy insistence that Cross Falls would be hers. "I'm not doing anything until I figure out what the hell is going on. Philip didn't give you any indication about why he changed his will?"
He shook his head. "He mentioned something about the attic, but I haven't had a chance to look. Lord only knows how much stuff is stored up there, though. It might take months to sort through it all. Philip didn't like to throw anything away, and years' worth of his company files are stored right above us."
"At least that might be some clue," she muttered.
"I'm assuming you haven't told Jack yet?"
"Yeah. First thing I said to him after he totaled his car was 'Hey! Your childhood home might be mine now. How long will it take you to pack?'" she said sarcastically. "Of course I didn't tell him, and in all honesty, I'm not going to until I see something in paper."
"I will be filing the will with probate court tomorrow. From there, it could be a few months until things are sorted out enough for you to actually take ownership. Allow me to repeat my earlier statement. Leave Cross Falls. I don't recommend you living with the boys when they find out. Money—"
"Makes people strange. I know," she agreed. She'd seen firsthand what a desperate person could do for cash. "It's on my mind, trust me." It was so much easier to believe the guy was just some jokester when he'd randomly pulled her aside on the street. Now that they were, for the most part, alone and he was using lawyerly words like "probate," it was harder for her to believe this was all an elaborate prank. "Do you have a card?"
He pulled out a shiny silver card holder and handed her a rectangular piece of paper. "If you have any questions or concerns, call me any time. For that matter, if you find out why he wrote you into the will, I wouldn't mind knowing."
"Definitely. When will you be telling Jack and Darren about this?" Rather, how long did she have until both men might hate her guts?
"I'm not planning on bringing it up. But if one of them asks for a will reading or a copy of it, I'm not going to hide anything."
She took a nervous gulp. "Good to know. Well, I'll take it from here."
"Are you sure you don't want me to stay?" he asked with what sounded like genuine concern.
"Do you and Jack have a good relationship?"
Carson shrugged. "I haven't seen him since he was in high school."
"Then I don't think you need to stay. I'll grab him some beer and comfort food and make sure he takes it easy tonight."
Carson smiled. "He's lucky to have you around."
She nodded, trying her best not to think of how unlucky Jack had been since she'd shown up.
"I'll be in touch."
Carson turned and walked back to his car.
Gabrie watched him drive off as her mind struggled to find footing. What was she supposed to tell Jack? How was she supposed to tell him?
A snore sounded from the living room and Gabrie bit her bottom lip as she shut the door and moved to study him. Even with everything that had happened that day, he managed to look so peaceful in his sleep. She'd let him have that peace for at least a little bit longer. As she convinced herself she was putting off breaking the news to him for his own good, she grabbed her truck keys and slipped out the front door, careful not to shut it on Tank, who still shadowed her every step and apparently didn't like the idea of being left behind.
She started up the truck and hit the gas, wanting to put some distance between her and Cross Falls. As she saw the familiar tan and black cruiser, she slammed on the brakes. Chris was still faithfully parked at the end of the long driveway of Cross Falls. She jumped out of the truck and pounded her feet on the gravel drive, trying not to get any of the small stones in her shoes.
"Everything okay?" he asked as she approached.
"Who was that guy?" she blurted out. She held her breath as she waited for the answer.
"Mr. Carson? He's Philip's lawyer, I think. I've only met him a few times."
Her breath came faster. The crazy guy wasn't lying to her. He really was Philip's lawyer. "Philip's dead." She wasn't sure why she told Chris. It was Jack who needed to hear it. Who deserved to know his father was gone. Who deserved to know his family home wasn't going to him.
Chris tensed. A somber expression replaced his normal charming smile. "Do Darren and Jack know?"
Gabrie shook her head. "I have no idea where Darren is. I've called him at least twenty times, but haven't heard a damn thing. Jack is passed out on the couch. He was complaining about the pain-killers and now he's probably not going to take them and I have to tell him about his father dying when he has a damn headache."
Cross Falls Saga - Southern Suspense Box Set Page 9