by Lexie Davis
“I’m getting you out of here, Autumn. Dad’s waiting out front and this time you will stay with him. No negotiations. We don’t need to worry about you while we look for Jackson. Do you understand me?”
They were at a distance from the main crowd. Autumn stopped and fell to the ground to heave the contents of her stomach in the grass. Davis waited, patiently giving her a little space yet being there all the same.
“Come on. Dad’s right around the corner. He’ll take you home, okay?”
Autumn clutched his shirt. “You’ve got to find him. Please, Davis. Don’t let him get hurt.”
Liking passing bread around the dinner table, Davis handed her off to Jeffery, who then put her in their father’s care. He wrapped his arms around her as she broke down, all the emotion of the night finally catching up with her. She pictured in her mind the dogs that died due to fighting and then pictured Jackson and Frank going at it with the probability of one ending the same way. The thought made her sick all over again.
“Sweetheart.” Her father brushed her hair from her face and lifted her chin to look into her eyes.
“I can’t leave, Dad.” She shook her head, a sob slipping out. “I can’t leave him.”
A gunshot rang through the air and Autumn sank to the ground again, waiting for the news of who had been killed.
* * * *
Life was a bitch. This was something Jackson always knew but hadn’t had thrown in his face until recently. When Gallagher’s fist contacted his stomach again, Jackson finally decided he had enough. After knocking him to the ground, he repeatedly pounded his fists into Gallagher’s face, unable to control himself.
“Stop, Jackson.” Davis and Nick were both there pulling him off the nearly limp Gallagher. “He doesn’t deserve his blood on your hands. Let Jeff handle the rest.”
He wiped the sweat from his brow with his arm, his knuckles covered in both Gallagher’s blood and his own. His lip was swollen, and he’d probably have a few bruises but he was essentially okay otherwise. He’d been scarred much worse in battle zones, so the minor bumps and bruises were nothing to him.
“Where’s Autumn?” He spat, the metallic taste of blood lingering in his mouth.
“She’s with Dad.” Davis nudged at his shoulder forcefully to get him to turn away from Gallagher. “Come on. She’s scared to death that you’re hurt. Go be with her.”
They turned their backs and started walking. Jackson couldn’t believe the way the night turned out and didn’t want to think about what Autumn had been through. He pulled his shirt up and wiped his face, hoping to rid himself of most of the ugliness that lingered from the fight.
“You think you’re so smooth?”
Jackson and the two Callahans turned around to find Gallagher pointing the gun, right at Jackson’s chest. “If she just stayed out of my business, out of my family, then none of this would have happened,” Gallagher said, jerking the gun then bringing it back level with Jackson’s chest.
Jackson swallowed hard. He wasn’t threatened by the gun so much as he was the damn dog standing next to his side. Dodo had nothing on this macho pit bull. Thankfully though another man held the dog’s leash, hopefully able to hold the beast back.
“And if you left her the fuck alone, you wouldn’t have that broken nose either.” Jackson fisted his hands to his side, knowing the gun at the small of his back was there for his utilization.
“Such a cocky bastard. I don’t see how you and that bitch ever got along. It’s not like she’s good at anything but running her damn mouth and being Little Miss Perfect all the time. Hell, she couldn’t even get sex right.”
Davis gripped Jackson’s arm. “He’s not worth it.”
Jackson jerked away from his friends grip. “Funny. She said the same thing about you.”
Anger rolled off Gallagher in waves. He pointed the gun at Jackson, poised to pull the trigger. Although when the gunshot came, it wasn’t from Gallagher’s gun. Jeffery stood behind him in official police mode.
“Get the hell out of here,” he said shifting the gun to the man who held the dog.
Jackson didn’t have to be told twice. He, Davis, and Nick headed for higher ground, away from the madness of the night.
* * * *
Autumn was flooded with relief when she saw Jackson running toward her. Davis and Nick were nowhere to be found. He wrapped her in his arms and glanced over at the Major.
“Jeff said we need to get out of here. I’ll take Autumn in your car and meet you at her house.”
He nodded and made his way to Davis’ truck. Jackson helped Autumn in the passenger seat of the Lexus and hurried to the drivers side. After they were on the road, he reached for her hand and brought it to his thigh.
“What happened?” Autumn squeezed his hand.
“Don’t worry about it.” He glanced over at her. “Why didn’t you stay at home?”
“You know why, Jackson.”
“No, I don’t. Do you deliberately try to raise my temper or is it spontaneity that drives you?” He blew out a breath. “I nearly lost it when he put that gun to your side, and I saw red when he trapped you in the cage with the dog.”
Autumn glanced out the side window. “I’m sorry.”
“Autumn, I love you. Please believe me when I say I’ll take care of you.”
“I was scared. After all that’s happen, all you’ve told me, and all I’ve seen, I was scared you’d do something stupid and go to jail for it.” She pulled away from him and folded her arms across her chest. “Or worse, die trying to avenge my name. Jackson, I can handle the bad reputation, the going nowhere career and all the other shit—even the pictures. I can’t handle losing you again. I’ve done it once and it was the hardest thing I’ve ever had to do and I don’t want to do it again. If you can’t understand that then there’s nothing else I can say to make you see my point of view.”
They rode in silence the rest of the way home, stopping only to pick up some fast food. Autumn didn’t bother waiting for Jackson. He carried her food to her bedroom, closing and locking the door behind her. She relocked the window and spread the food out on the floor beside her bed. It’d been a long day and an even longer night.
“Jeff just called. It seems Gallagher wasn’t licensed to practice. The board revoked his license for a previous dog-fighting allegation and never renewed it. They investigated and found dried blood on the ground but no animals. He wasn’t charged, but the board saw him unfit to practice and pulled his licensure.” Jackson came in and grabbed a box of French fries. “That was three years ago.”
Autumn nodded and bit into her burger.
Jackson stopped eating and set the box down. “I understand where you’re coming from, sweetheart, I do. But you got to have a little faith that I know what the hell I’m doing and that I can take care of myself.”
“Why can’t you have that same faith?”
“Why should I? Let me take care of you. You’ve spent most of your life fighting your own battles whereas it’s my job. Depend on me to win your wars for you, Autumn.”
“I don’t depend on anyone to do anything for me.”
“Why is that?” He tilted his head to the side. “You told me you wanted Prince Charming to rescue you from distress. I know you don’t believe in fairy tales anymore, but I want to be your Prince Charming. I want to be the one who makes you feel safe and secure because you know no matter what the world throws at you, I’m there. All you have to do is wake up in the morning and I’ll take it from there.”
Jackson lifted a hand to her cheek and brushed away the tears. “I love you, Autumn. I’ve waited so long for my life to finally mean something and I thought I’d found meaning in my work but I didn’t. You gave me a new meaning and I want to give you the same. You’re the one I want to be with, the only person in this world that I love and care about. I want you to be my wife.”
Autumn wrapped her arms around his neck, the food forgotten. “I want to be your wife.”
&nbs
p; * * * *
Three weeks after the raid, all the Callahans pitched in to clean up the old clinic. Autumn and Jackson adopted a brand new six-week-old puppy from Gallagher’s puppy mill and named it Roscoe.
“So are all the loose ends tied with Gallagher?” the Major asked Jackson while they shared a beer on the back deck. Roscoe chewed on a toy at his feet.
“Pretty much.” Jackson grabbed a toy of Roscoe’s and pitched it out in the yard. The little puppy took off after it, running as fast as his little legs would carry him. Jackson tipped his beer to his lips. “His alibi fell through, and he was charged with arson for Autumn’s clinic on top of everything else. Two or three police officers made note that he tried to buy them off to cover his ass. I’d say Frankie is staying in the ole pokey for a while.”
The Major nodded. “Job well done, son. I guess I need to pay you for your time.”
Jackson set the beer on the table between them and picked up the toy Roscoe brought back and threw it again. “Use the money to buy Autumn the clinic she wants. She’s been talking nonstop about a doggy ambulance service and from what I hear it’ll be expensive.”
The Major took a drag from his bottle. “She has so much of her mother in her. She’s always wanting to help someone or something. Faye would be so proud of her and what she’s doing with her life.”
Jackson nodded watching Roscoe lay in the grass and chew on his toy. “It’s hard not to be proud of Autumn.”
They shared small talk for a while enjoying each other’s company. The Major talked about his time in Africa and all the work they were doing. Jackson asked him about getting a local job and the Major couldn’t have been happier to help him out.
“Hey, guys.” Autumn slid the door open and Roscoe immediately grabbed his toy and ran to her. “Hello, baby. You want to play?”
She grabbed the toy and threw it out in the yard. “The boys went to the movies without me. Mind if I spoil your party?”
Jackson waved her over. Autumn sat in his lap and picked up Roscoe. The puppy licked her face. “Roscoe, calm down.”
The Major laughed. “Someone’s happy to see you.”
She rubbed his head and kissed him. “He’s such a good boy, aren’t you?”
Jackson rested his hand against her hip. “I was thinking of a June wedding. Maybe at the ranch if the Major will let us. What do you think?”
She smiled. “That sounds great. Mom’s birthday was in June. We could have it on the twenty-third in memory of her.”
He drank from his beer. “Whatever you want.”
The Major rubbed his hands together. “Will I be getting a grandbaby anytime soon?”
“Dad.” Autumn groaned. “Jeffery told me two days ago he and Kristin are having a baby. And we got you a grand dog. Isn’t that enough?” She turned the puppy to face him, pouting as she positioned him against her cheek.
The Major laughed. “Not the same. You’d make an excellent mother and we all know it.”
Jackson grinned. “I think he wants a little girl. One that’s just like his little girl.”
“Damn straight I want a little girl. I’m already planning Jeffery’s to be a boy. Yours will be a girl.” The Major chuckled. “Got any names picked out?”
“I’m thinking Chloe.” Autumn set the puppy down and turned to face Jackson. “It’s a beautiful name. It would be perfect for our first child.”
Jackson smiled at her, feeling so much love in his heart. “Chloe Faye.”
* * * *
Autumn crawled into bed while Jackson took a shower. She pulled on a sexy red baby doll nightie she picked up at Victoria’s Secret around Valentine’s Day when she was feeling sorry for herself and her pathetic love life. If she couldn’t have sex, the least she could do was look sexy. Though when she brought it home, she found it pointless to put on such a erotic garment when there was no one to wear it for.
She lay back against the pillows in the middle of the bed, feeling giddy inside. Jackson turned the water off and she smiled to herself. She felt like a teenager on prom night waiting to have sex with the hot guy on campus for the first time. She forced herself to relax, to appear as if there was nothing out of their normal routine.
When the door opened, steam flowed out around him. Jackson stood with a towel wrapped around his waist and flipped off the light switch. The candles she lit earlier cast the room in a soft light, making the room romantic and sensual.
Jackson didn’t comment on her attire as he walked to the bed. She saw the lust in his eyes, something that almost overpowered his love. Almost.
“Where have you been hiding that number?” He dropped the towel and crawled across the bed toward her.
She smiled, crazy in love. “I bought it for Valentine’s.”
“But I wasn’t here for Valentine’s.” His hand slid along her stomach in between the two ends of the fabric. “God, your skin is so soft.”
He leaned forward and licked her cherry-flavored lip gloss–covered lips. She opened her mouth, and he plunged his tongue inside. With Jackson, his kisses were anything but calm and gentle. He was like a starving man and she was his first meal after the fast.
It’d been a couple days since they last had sex, though the intimacy of their relationship never dwindled. He was the boyfriend she’s wanted, the fiancé she thought she never needed, and the one true love she’d waited her lifetime for. He held her hand for no reason at all. He kissed her when he wanted to, where he wanted to. Although he didn’t say, “I love you” too often, when he did say it, it meant so much more than three simple words coming from his mouth. He was by her side when he could be and missed her when he couldn’t. And she loved the man, with all her heart, mind, body and soul.
Autumn ran her hand over his chest and brushed against the dog tags she bought him. “I can’t believe you’re still wearing these.” She fisted them in her hand and kissed his lips.
“You never did tell me what yours said.” She pushed him up and reached for the bedside table. After searching in the drawer she pulled her set out and handed them to him.
He laughed as he read it. “I heart horny boy.”
“Yeah. I was mad at you that day and found myself typing in it into the engraving machine. Totally messed up, huh?” she joked.
He kissed her again and then gave her a devious grin. “Hold that thought. I want to do something we talked about earlier.”
Autumn gave him a questioning look though she didn’t say anything. She watched Jackson walk to the door naked, open it to look out into the hall and then step out completely in the buff.
When he returned, she laughed at what he held in his arms. “You are crazy. I put on a very expensive piece of lingerie to turn you on and you want to get messy with whipped cream and strawberries?”
Jackson set the dish of strawberries on the nightstand and then shook the can of whipped cream. “Take it off.”
“It cost seventy bucks. You take it off.” Autumn laid back waiting for him to make the next move.
“I have to take it off because it cost seventy bucks?” He knelt on the bed beside her.
“At least acknowledge it.”
“Sweetheart, I’m hard. How much more acknowledgement do you need?” He set the whipped cream down and pushed the front of the baby-doll nightie apart to feel her warm skin. He leaned down to kiss her stomach while he pushed the sheer fabric up towards her breasts.
“Okay. You acknowledged it.” She reached for the tie around her neck.
Jackson was poised over her, waiting for the ties to fall free from their bow. “You are so beautiful.”
Autumn pulled the top over her head and threw it across the room. “You’re already going to get laid, ace. You don’t have to compliment me.”
Jackson moved between her legs and pulled her body down, off the pillows. “I’m just speaking the truth whether I get laid or not.”
His hands glided up her legs to her thighs stopping when he reached her hip. “Cute panties.” He traced
the black lipstick impression on the front of the sheer red thong with one finger. “These I like a lot.”
“What’s with guys? I think I’m sexy in a seventy-dollar piece of lingerie and you like a ten-dollar pair of panties. What the hell is up with that?” Autumn wrapped her legs around him, locking him to her body.
“Sweetheart”—Jackson leaned down to kiss her—“you should know less is more when it comes to clothing.”
He reached for the whipped cream. Autumn knew they were about to make a mess in her bed, and almost regretted not changing the silk sheets before they began. She planned a romantic night of sex taking Jackson in as many different positions she could think of. Jackson had evidently planned a night of sticky, dirty food sex that she was helpless to say no to.