by Jillian Neal
She’d imagined kissing Jack Denton a thousand times in the last few years. He’d never seemed remotely interested, which only further pissed her off. Perhaps it was the enveloping fog that made it more difficult to remember what it was she’d been so angry about.
Her determination to become the DA might’ve been all-consuming, but determination doesn’t necessarily equal results. Jack took her shaky hand as they stepped down onto the perfectly manicured lawn. Her head turned methodically one way and then the other, but she could never have seen it all from their current location. Only a wrought iron fence with a rather colossal D every ten feet was really discernible.
“Are you okay?” Jack’s husky whisper reached her ears like a lifeline being hurled toward her at sea as she went under for the last time.
“Not really.” Her words were barely audible, almost eaten by the fog.
“Me or all of this?” The desperate concern that pierced his words centered in her heart.
She considered the question and only had the power to be honest. “Both.”
His powerful arm—my god, how had she never noticed how substantial he was—wrapped around her and pulled her close. His warmth soothed her. The flutter of her heart found a rhythm and her mind settled some. “I’ll get you home any time you want to go. Just say the word.”
Going home before the wedding would be akin to giving up, and that was not something she would ever allow herself. He guided her through the fog. The farther they walked away from the river the clearer the grounds became. Checking her surroundings with more assurance now, she noted that Muriel and Beckett were still back at the plane. “The kiss,” she whispered.
“Yeah, I know,” he assured her with a tender grin she wasn’t certain she’d ever seen him display before. “We’ll talk about that as soon as we’re out of earshot of the spies. Oh, and welcome to River Chase Estate.”
Meridian scanned the periphery again and saw no one. Her brow furrowed.
Jack nodded his head toward some kind of garden shed cottage that looked absolutely nothing like the serviceable work sheds on Holder Ranch and more like something she’d seen on Downton Abbey. It was surrounded by lavender bushes, hostas, and a few dozen other bushes and flowers that Meridian didn’t even know the names of. The entire estate seemed to have cobblestone paths that led in multiple directions.
She narrowed her eyes and saw someone move behind the shed. A gardener pruning the already perfectly pruned landscaping. She nodded her understanding and felt stupid for not noticing the gardener before.
Tucking closer to Jack served two purposes. It made her feel safe, and it was precisely what she would do if they were really in love and coming to meet his family, right? She told herself not to overthink it.
The quiet sound of an electric motor drove up behind them. Meridian spun on her boot heel half expecting to be attacked, but Jack grinned. “I wondered when you’d show up.” The man driving the golf cart exited and chuckled as he approached. Jack whispered, “One,” in Meridian’s ear. He held up his index finger only furthering her confusion. Seeing that she wasn’t getting it, he quickly explained, “I can count on one hand…”
The people in his family he actually likes, she recalled. Apparently this guy wasn’t like the pilot and the gardener and Muriel.
“Meridian, this is my cousin, Sloan,” he introduced. “Sloan, my girlfriend, Meridian Holder.” The way the word girlfriend rolled off of Jack’s tongue with such ease sped her heart yet again.
Sloan shook his sandy-blond head as he took Meridian’s right hand and brought it to his lips. She yanked it back. Who the hell did these people think they were? Jack ran a reassuring hand up and down her back.
“It’s a pleasure to meet you, Miss Holder.” He steadfastly ignored what she supposed was her own rudeness. “Man, Aunt Bev has been on a tirade about you two. I figured you were bullshitting all of us. I kept thinking that first, you’d never fall in love, and then that if you somehow did you’d sure as hell never bring her here. Guess I was wrong on both accounts.”
Meridian was going to need to sit down. The almost-violently green grass kept swapping places with the grey skies. The stone statues and wrought iron fencing and buildings and every other physical structure suspended in odd animation somewhere in between. In love? They looked like they were in love? Maybe Sloan had a penchant for sipping a little of the Denton brew early in the morning.
He eased a monogrammed, silk handkerchief from his jacket pocket and handed it to Jack. “Got a little something there you might want to get off before you go in the house.” He motioned for Jack to wipe the collar of his shirt.
Meridian blinked several additional times in an effort to make the ground and the sky stay in their correct locations, while also noting what Sloan was referring to. It took her four full blinks to see her vivid red lipstick on Jack’s collar and lip-shaped smears on his neck.
She didn’t even recall kissing his neck. Now, she wanted to do it again so she could remember it.
“Thanks,” Jack huffed as he scrubbed the lipstick from the collar only somewhat successfully. It went from red to pink at the very least.
Determined to pay much better attention and to not let Jack’s physical presence, or his lips, or his voice, or his warmth, catch her off guard anymore, she noticed when Sloan delicately let what appeared to be a leather checkbook slip from the arm of his custom fit suit coat right into Jack’s palm. He quickly placed it in the internal pocket of his own jacket. What the hell?
When her brow furrowed, Jack turned and brushed another kiss at her temple before he whispered, “I’ll explain later.”
“Might want to, uh,”—Sloan gestured to his own lips—“do your mouth too.”
An embarrassed chuckle sounded from Jack as he cleaned himself up. Self-conscious now, Meridian whipped a compact from her purse and removed the out-of-place lipstick from around her own lips.
Sloan couldn’t seem to wipe the stupid grin from his own features, however. “Hey, we going to Watershed while you’re here?”
“Of course,” Jack assured him. “The sooner the better. Meridian’s going to hate it here as much as we do, so blowing off some steam will be necessary.”
What the fucking hell were they talking about? She hated nothing more than not understanding things. Never in her life had she been anywhere that her family’s reputation didn’t precede her. Even at Northwestern, people knew her. Blades of discomfort and confusion raked under her skin, inciting her blood. She resisted the urge to stomp her booted feet and demand to understand what was happening.
With a deep breath of dewy Kentucky air, she managed to quell that particular sensation but just barely. Even the air here didn’t make sense to her. She’d couldn’t recall the last time she’d been anywhere that the scent of hay and manure didn’t perfume her lungs. Her teeth clenched with enough force to make her jaw ache. The fact that she wanted to race to the gates and shake them until someone, anyone, released her from this bizarre insecurity only made her angrier.
The riptide of fury constantly threatened to yank her under. She needed Sloan “the suit” Denton to leave so she could demand that Jack explain everything to her right now. Patience had never been her virtue, and he was playing with fire. She suspected he knew that. Intimidation was not something she would ever handle well. She was the one who intimidated people in the courtroom. Once again, the sensation that everything she’d ever known had been turned upside down upset her.
Jack gave her a reassuring squeeze that did nothing but piss her off even more and then he gave Sloan a nod. “I’ll call Drew and Finn once we escape introductions and get something planned.”
“Just let me know when.” Sloan gave them a wave and headed back to his golf cart.
The tight clench of Meridian’s lips unhinged. “Do you all just ride around on golf carts? I thought you had horses.” Why that was what came out of her mouth right then she had no idea, but it was as good a question as any.
&nb
sp; Jack’s smirk did nothing to soothe her rapidly disintegrating mood. “I’ll take you out to see the horses in a little while. Maybe that will improve your mood. This is an estate not a ranch. The horses are only for the jockeys to ride, and I suspect that Sloan was coming off of the Denton golf course, saw the plane land, and needed to get to us before we got inside, hence the cart.”
“To give you the…”
Panic flared in Jack’s eyes and then suddenly, his lips were on hers again, consuming the rest of her question.
Feeling much more herself this time, Meridian jerked away from him. “Who the fuck do you think you are?” seethed from her.
Jack ran his hand over his mouth again. “Your boyfriend, remember?” He spoke through his teeth. “Now hush and let’s go inside. I told you not to come,” were his last hissed words before he took her hand and half dragged her toward a three-story monolithic home.
Chapter Twelve
An American and a Kentucky flag few across the wide front steps of the wraparound porch. Meridian’s temper cooled just enough for her to manage another deep breath. “I’m never going to get used to not smelling Oklahoma,” she commented to herself.
Jack spun on the porch and tucked them between two sets of windows. “I’m sorry,” he sounded like he meant it. “I know you hate not knowing things. I just can’t explain everything right now, but I swear I won’t keep anything from you. You just have to play by my rules.”
Meridian gave him a slight nod. “I don’t like that any more than I like not knowing things,” she admitted.
He winked at her and she really, really wished that something as stupid as a wink would not melt the icy chill she’d been planning on giving him, but it did. Stupid, traitorous reproductive organs. “I know that too.” He grinned. “It might be good for you. You ever think of that?”
“You ever had someone knee you in the balls on this front porch?”
That got her a deep, husky laugh that only further stirred her attraction. “Yes. Twice actually. Now, are you ready?”
“No.”
“Yeah, well, me either, but here goes.” They made it to the lead-paned front door just before it opened.
“Welcome home, Mr. Denton.” A maid, who was about Meridian’s mother’s age, dressed in the full-on black and white uniform deal, beamed at him. “We’re all so pleased to see you.”
“It’s nice to see you too, Rosalind. I’d like you to meet my girlfriend, Meridian Holder.” He gently placed a hand on the small of her back and guided her inside the largest home she’d ever even seen, much less stepped inside of.
Rosalind curtsied. She actually, really, legitimately curtsied, and Meridian almost vomited. She extended her hand, took Rosalind’s, and lifted her back up so they were eye level. “Please never do that again,” she pleaded. “That is completely unnecessary. I’m just…me.”
Jack grinned at Rosalind. “Remind you of anyone else you know?” Again, he was speaking cryptically.
Rosalind nodded and gave both of them kind grins. “Oh, I see why you like her, for sure, Mr. Denton. Sounds like you two were made for each other, but don’t you let your mother know I said as much.”
“Never,” Jack assured her. “And Mr. Denton is my father, remember? I’m just Jack.”
“Your mama doesn’t like that either.”
“Even better.”
While they bantered, Meridian took stock of the interior of the house. It much reflected the outside. The walls of the massive entryway were wallpapered in the blue and white equivalent of old money. Every room she could see off of the grand hall looked like Laura Ashley and Southern Living had a baby who’d vomited all over the house. Large oval-framed paintings, taller than she was, hung high above her head. She recognized a very young Jack in one of them and could only assume that the other was one of his brothers. Despite his insistence that he had three brothers, there were only two paintings.
Still, it was as oddly impressive as it was intimidating. And there it was again. The feeling of intimidation was like swallowing bile by the gallons. She hated it. There was another person dressed similarly to Rosalind dusting a nearby room that held a grand piano and was lined with old bookcases.
“Is that Maggie?” Jack gestured toward the woman as he asked Rosalind the question. “Sloan mentioned her to me.”
Rosalind nodded. “She’s been here a few months. She has the cutest little girl. Maggie was going to the university, but the baby needed some medical treatments so she took a year off to work.” Rosalind’s voice dropped so low Meridian almost missed the last sentence.
Jack matched her whispered tone, “Is my mother going anywhere today?”
“She has a meeting at the university,” Rosalind stated. Meridian still had no clue what was going on.
“When she leaves, send Maggie up to see me if you get a chance,” Jack instructed.
The air in the hall electrified with tension as the low click of heels echoed closer. Jack’s Adam’s apple bobbed with a hard swallow, and Meridian straightened her back so she more closely matched both Maggie’s and Rosalind’s stances.
Meridian had done enough research on the Dentons to know precisely who was approaching when Mrs. Beverly Denton entered the hall. She gave her son and Meridian a visual appraisal that said she thought they were vastly overpriced.
“I see your new venture hasn’t managed to correct your habitual tardiness, Jackson.” Beverly angled her cheek to her son to be kissed.
Jack left her hanging there, and Meridian coughed over her giggle. Fury sizzled in Mrs. Denton’s eyes as her head jerked away.
After clearing his throat, Jack pulled Meridian tighter to him as if he could physically block her from the stench of his mother’s pretentiousness. “This is my girlfriend, Meridian Holder.” He lowered his tone to a lethal level. “Be nice.”
“It’s lovely to finally meet you, Mrs. Denton.” Meridian extended her hand which Beverly begrudgingly accepted.
“Yes. I’m sure. Jackson, I’ve arranged for a few friends to come by for dinner and drinks this evening. The wedding festivities begin tomorrow, but the Beaumonts and the Parkers wanted to see you prior so I indulged them on your behalf. The Fitzgeralds are making time for you tonight as well. I’m sure you don’t mind.”
“Dinner is fine,” Jack begrudged. “But tomorrow night, Meridian and I are going into town to see Finn.”
Meridian grinned like she was excited to go hang with Finn, whomever he turned out to be.
His mother continued speaking as if Jack had said nothing at all. “The ladies’ bridal tea we’re hosting is Wednesday morning. I’ve kindly added Ms. Holder to the guest list.” She gave Meridian another once-over. “I do hope she has something appropriate to wear.”
Jack made no effort to hide his eye roll as Meridian narrowed hers. “I’m so thrilled Tiffany has moved on. I can’t imagine ever having to get over Jack. He’s everything I ever could’ve dreamed of in a fiancé.” She made certain her syrup-sweet drawl contained pure venom. Take that, bitch.
Jack’s eyes goggled. His mother huffed and puffed like the big, bad wolf. “Fiancé?!”
After a few uncomfortable nods, he recovered. “Yes, we were going to tell you at dinner. I planned to ask for Gran’s ring while we were here. We’re both thrilled, so it’s difficult to keep it secret, of course.”
Okay, so clearly Meridian’s effort to royally piss off his mama had more consequences than she’d originally estimated. Oh well. In for a penny, in for a pound.
Beverly Denton was the visual interpretation of appalled—eyes the size of silver platters and mouth hanging open for every fly in Kentucky to vacation inside. Meridian couldn’t quite contain her grin. If she’d set fire to their stupid golf course using their own bourbon, it likely would’ve gone over better. At some point Beverly would learn not to mess with Meridian.
Feeling much better about everything, she plastered what she hoped was a kind smile and gazed at Jack like he placed the moon and
stars in the sky for her. After he’d gotten over his shock, he actually seemed pleased his mother was so thrown.
“I’ll just take Meridian up to our room,” he informed everyone within earshot.
“Rosalind will carry up your bags,” Beverly spoke robotically.
Jack guided Meridian toward one side of the double spiral staircase. “I don’t need anyone to carry my bags, Mother. Never have. Never will.”
Almost as if to prove his capability to his mother, he managed all three bags in one hand and kept the other arm around Meridian as they made their way up the staircase and down a hallway that contained, she counted, twelve doors before he stopped.
Chapter Thirteen
Rushing them inside his childhood room, Jack sealed the door shut, set down his jacket and luggage, and checked both closets and the adjoining bathroom before he rounded on Meridian. “Fiancé?”
“Sorry.” She wrinkled her nose adorably, and to his shock, his irritation melted. How could one woman be so lethal one moment and cute the next? “I was trying to piss her off. It’s fun. I get why you try to do it so much.”
Rubbing his temples, he supposed he had to agree. She was standing in the middle of his room slowly turning to take it all in. “Who is that?” She pointed to the painting of his great-grandfather hung in pride of place on the center wall opposite the bed.
Trying to remember how very odd everything about this world would be to her, he sank down on the bed. “Uh, that is my great-grandfather Barnsley Denton the third.”
She mouthed the word, “Wow,” as she continued to turn. “Wait.” She halted. “We’re both staying in here? Together?”