Handing over the cup marked with a scrolling black 'M' to Mildred as he passed, he set the other on Andy's desk and retained the last one. Jackson turned to see Mildred's eyes widened in surprise.
A grin curled the corner of her thin lips. "Thanks."
"Welcome." He sipped from his styrofoam cup to hide his shocked expression at receiving a smile from the dour woman.
"How'd your lunch date go?" Mildred asked, friendly to him for the first time since he had joined the small department.
Not that she wasn't professional and helpful to him, just not friendly. He briefly wondered if her change in demeanor came from the coffee. Shrugging the thought off, he couldn't keep the smile from his face. "Great."
"This is your fifth in two weeks."
Sixth technically, but not hearing a question, he hummed his reply while dropping into the nearest desk chair and booting up the computer. It would take ages for it to warm up so he had nothing to distract him from Mildred's chatter.
His non-commital hum didn't deter the woman.
"How many evening dates have you taken her on?" She leaned toward him as if waiting for the secret of life to spew from his lips.
Andy came over and propped his hip on the counter next to Mildred, presenting a somewhat united front. If the kid thought he could intimidate Jackson into answering he had another think coming. Jackson had dealt with sixth graders scarier than the twenty-three year old who hadn't traveled past the Mason-Dixon line. Inner city kids in the slums of Chicago would pull a gun on a cop rather than talk to them.
Letting the silence stretch for a few moments, he enjoyed watching the two squirm as they waited for him to answer and drew it out as long as he could by sipping his coffee. "We just went on the one movie date. I had to work nights last weekend."
They rotated night shifts making sure each deputy got some time with their family. Weekends during the summer required more of them on nights due to the kids getting into trouble as well as keeping an eye out for any fires. During the winter they could skate by with just three or four depending on what was happening that month. With deer season needing more since there were more accidents.
Disbelief left Mildred slack-jawed, if he'd known this would be her reaction he would have told her about taking Brianna to the movies last week. Why she was asking now and not then was a mystery. Maybe the coffee Frieda had given him was laced with something that made Mildred nice. Jackson would have to ask about the secret ingredient next time he was at the diner.
"You took Evelynn Spencer's granddaughter to the movies?" Mildred sounded as if she were forcing the words past some kind of obstruction in her throat, but as she wasn't flailing around gasping for breath, Jackson didn't worry too much.
"Yes, ma'am." He shifted uncomfortable at the intensity of her gaze. What was wrong with taking a date to the movies? That was normal behavior as far as he was concerned.
Then he remembered the surprise in Brianna's gaze when she saw where he'd brought her. Maybe in the south they took their dates somewhere else, but Jackson liked the classics. Dinner and a movie. The zoo. The Botanical Gardens. A museum. Places that were nice but casual so he and his dates could relax and get to know each other. Even dinner and dancing was nice, though he couldn't dance to save his life.
Tristan and Rafe could both cut a rug, but their mothers had taught them. Jackson had only had Ray, his adopted father, to teach him things and Ray was no dancer. He was no singer either as his voice could bring tears to a grown man's eyes. Tears of pain as Jackson liked to tease him. No, Callie had been spot on suggesting the movies and Jackson knew he owed the woman for the recommendation.
"Did you watch one of those Nicholas Sparks tear jerkers?" Andy asked joining in the conversation.
The question drew Jackson back to the present before he could become lost in his memories of growing up. "Nope, one of the new comic book action movies. I forget the name…" he trailed off and coughed to hide his chuckle at the dead silence the statement brought.
"Like men dressed in spandex with super powers?" Mildred's nose wrinkled in distaste.
"Yes, ma'am." He bit his cheek to keep from adding that the spandex costumes left little to the imagination.
"And you chose or she chose?"
He felt like he was being grilled by a parent. That sobered him. Mildred was probably as close to a parent as Brianna had. Based on the interaction between Brianna and Bianca, he knew there was no love lost there. At least not on Bianca's end of things, especially, since she called Brianna, Briony.
However, Mildred had connected with Brianna the second the woman sauntered into the Sheriff's Office. Thinking about it now, Jackson realized Mildred had asked several personal questions. Questions a mother or grandmother would ask.
What Brianna had been eating because she looked to have lost weight. Had she been resting enough? Because Mildred heard the birthing month had started rough over at the Stephenson's stables. And so many others. About Brianna's sanctuary, about the new animals, and about the business side.
Seeing the conversation for what it was now, it showed Mildred in a whole new light. Her gruff exterior hid a soft heart that worried and cared for Brianna. The polar opposite of Bianca who pushed Brianna to the background while she took center stage to the point of answering for Brianna and talking over her when her daughter asked after Briony.
Mildred however, had shown sympathy over Briony's death. The woman might have hated Briony, but she loved Brianna.
With the new realizations slamming into him, Jackson took the questioning in the vein it was meant. As concern for Brianna. "She chose it."
"Huh. That girl's got some hidden depths." Mildred's smile returned. "You did good, then." She stepped off her stool and patted him on the back, then returned to her perch.
"She enjoyed it and we went to Joe's Shack after for dinner." He had worried that she might hate BBQ or that the family atmosphere would repel her, but Brianna surprised him yet again when she'd smiled and greeted several of the patrons as well as the waitress and hostess by name and when she ordered the rack of ribs she won his undying devotion. Few women were willing to eat something that messy in front of a first date, let alone something that needed to be eaten using their hands.
It had been the highlight of his evening watching her delicate white teeth bite into the meat. No hesitation in sight.
"Are you going out this weekend?" Andy asked.
He felt his smile slip and he shook his head. Nerves crawled back into him twisting his stomach, as his thoughts turned to the upcoming Saturday. Oh, he could play pretend with the best of them, probably better than Brianna's parents even; however, his worry was falling back into bad habits.
After moving in with Ray, Jackson had done everything in his power to eradicate the teachings of his parents. Those that had been indoctrinated into him since birth up until he was twelve. How to draw all those unsuspecting victims into the web of deceit. His parents had been masters at manipulation and Jackson had been taught all their tricks. Even the basic pickpocketing, slight of hand, and reading marks for secrets they wanted to keep hidden.
He made a note to call Ray tomorrow, his adopted father was a smart man who had always given Jackson solid advice. Swallowing another mouth full of coffee, he finally answered, "She asked me to go to a garden party at her parents' house. I agreed as long as I did not need to call her Briony. Brianna suggested I use Bri or maybe a term of endearment."
Mildred and Andy gaped at him. It was Mildred who broke first. "A garden party? Are you going to be able to do that? We all know how you hate lying."
"I think so. I've been calling her honey and sweetheart the past few dates because it felt natural. I've used Bri a few times as well. But I will not ever call her Briony." He shuddered. "I won't use that name. If I use a term of endearment I won't be lying."
"Technically." Mildred hummed. "But you know everyone else will be calling her Briony."
"I know." His gut clenched at that. "But th
ey aren't me and as long as I'm not the one lying I'll let it slide for now. Besides, I wasn't expecting to actually have go to her parents' house but I'm needed as a buffer."
Andy arched his blond brow. "A buffer? Why?"
"She's been having issues with a guy named Christopher."
Andy humphed. "He's a douche."
Jackson's brows raised in surprise. The kid never had a bad word to say about anyone before, so for him to call Christopher a douche went a long way to settling Jackson's mind in going this weekend.
Mildred nodded sagely. "Sadly Andy's right. The kid is rotten to his core and his parents aren't much better. But he's more. He's vindictive so if he's been after Brianna then you'll be painting a target on your back and that kid uses anything and everything as a weapon."
Jackson growled, "He won't get to Brianna. I won't let him."
Whether he and Brianna made it after they hashed out the whole contract debacle was one thing. Jackson knew she might change her mind about ending the contract. Who wouldn't with all that money on the line.
But either way, he would make sure she remained safe. He had no problem being a target. His job basically put one on him anyway, another wouldn't ping his radar.
Mildred hummed and Andy leaned closer, "You're already that hung up on her?"
"I think she could be the one." Jackson hoped he wasn't being premature in thinking that.
Underneath where it counted, he and Brianna were alike. Wanting the same things. A forever love. A quiet life surrounded by family and friends. And a job they were passionate about.
The rest were just details as long as their dreams were the same. After many lunch and breakfast dates, where sex was off the table, he and Brianna had become closer. Talking about the future they envision and everything in between. He fell for her more each time they met, each time carving a little piece of his heart to keep with her. He just hoped she stuck with ending the contract when her parents started pressuring her.
"Damn, man, that's great news." Andy lifted a palm for Jackson to hi-five. Rolling his eyes he slapped the kid's hand.
Compared to Andy's twenty-three, Jackson felt ancient at thirty-five.
"Just be careful," Mildred warned. "And I think it'll be a good idea for me to give Evelynn a heads up so she can attend the event. When is it?"
"This weekend."
Mildred jotted a note on a yellow sticky and stuck it to the side of her screen as a reminder. "I'll call her tonight."
His computer finally pinged as the last of the software loaded. Each of them turned back to their work, Mildred's fingers flew over the keyboard, Andy's heavier tread headed toward the file room, and Jackson turned with a loud squeal of his chair back to the computer. Flipping open the first of several files stacked in the Inbox, he began re-reading his notes on Tuesday night's accident. The only sound between the clacking of the keyboard was the air conditioning as it kicked on doing what it could to battle the June heat and humidity.
Though he tried to immerse himself in his reports, his mind circled back to Mildred calling Evelynn Spencer. Jackson personally thought it was overkill but if it protected Brianna from unwanted attention then he was all for it. His hope had been that she would explain the contract this weekend since it was his first weekend off. He wanted to know what other hurdles, if any, she needed to jump through so that he could be prepared if there were any hiccups.
However, this garden party put a crimp in that plan. He refused to add yet another layer of stress to her. Instead, he would be her support and her shield this weekend. The contract would have to wait, it had been two weeks already, a few more one way or another wouldn't break them. He hoped.
Chapter Seven
Nerves stretched almost to the breaking point Brianna needed to relax before the garden party. She left her shoes on the rack by the front door and padded up to her bathroom. Double-checking the time, she had several hours before Jackson was due to arrive and turned to the garden tub. With a flip of her wrist, water began pouring into the bath, and she dumped a handful of vanilla-scented crystals into it.
Stepping out of her vile smelling clothes, she kicked them into the plastic basket. She should have asked Vince to come in and muck the stalls today, but as it was Saturday, she and Callie tried to let the hands come in later so they could enjoy their Friday nights. Sinking into the steaming liquid, Brianna moaned in pleasure as she used her toes to turn off the water.
Doubt and worry filled her almost as full as the neck-deep water she lounged in. She should have never asked Jackson to come with her today. He'd shared enough for her to understand some of his triggers. Her pretending to be someone she wasn't while at a party full of the social elite was just asking for trouble. If Christopher had stayed away, as he usually did through Alabama's summer heat, she would have been fine.
But he was back. Had Brianna's father called him when Brianna had set about ending the contract? She wouldn't put it past the man. As far as she could tell, he still hadn't broached the volatile subject with Bianca yet. If he had, the private investigator Grandmother had hired would have seen Mother at one of her therapy appoints. Instead, the woman held to her spa and club schedule.
The alarm on her cell beeped, alerting her that her time was up. She quickly washed and stepped from the tub, forcing the nerves and doubts to the furthest corners of her mind as she began getting into her Briony headspace.
Dry, she stepped naked into the hallway. She brought nothing from her private chambers into this room. Heading to the plain door on the other side of the hall, Brianna pushed as much of her personality down as she could.
Her hand shook as it hovered over the only door in her house she hated. She hated to think about this room. Her skin itched at even the thought of donning the clothes that would turn her into Briony. She would be so glad when this farce was over, and she could purge this room and anything else that smacked of Briony from her home. Only then would it be a true sanctuary.
Sighing, she rubbed her temple, a headache beginning to form. Another deep breath and she twisted the knob, opening the door to a room that led her into her own personal hell. A shudder passed over her as she inhaled the overly sweet scent her sister had always preferred.
Squaring her shoulders, Brianna stepped into the sparsely furnished room. A makeup table held everything she would need to transform into Briony. Racks of clothing took up three walls. Each hanger had a clear plastic sack of dangling from it and a purse or clutch that matched the outfit. Callie had helped Brianna set the room up, organizing it so she could get ready as quickly as possible.
Brianna hated fashion. Give her a pair of jeans, sneakers or boots and a t-shirt, and she was happy. Briony, however, had to be dressed in the current season's designs with flashy accessories that spoke to her parents' status.
Selecting a pale pink sundress, the purse, and chunky gold jewelry tumbling around the bag with a clink, Brianna headed to the makeup area and began caking on all the products for her hair and face.
She fastened the necklace and checked that she looked presentable in the tall mirror set in the closet door. A shiver at seeing her twin staring back at her made Brianna turn and hurry back to the makeup table to get her small purse. After adding her cell and lipstick to the tiny bag, she all but ran from the room, refusing to look into another mirror.
Just as her bare feet touched the wood flooring at the bottom of the stairs, the doorbell rang. Setting everything down on the foyer table, she opened the front door, expecting to see Callie. Instead, the sexiest man alive was on standing on her porch.
Holy Christ. Jackson looked better now than he ever had in his uniform, and that was saying something. That pressed and starched tan material made his muscles pop and formed a perfect V to his tapered waist. The aura of authority made her want to do naughty things, so he would slam her against the wall and frisk her. Slowly.
But this. Jesus. She never thought he would look this good in a tailored suit.
Jackson's lips
curled into a devilish grin. He knew the reaction he was having on her as his hand smoothed the teal tie over his muscled chest. Brianna's mouth was drier than the Sahara; her eyes tracked every inch his hand brushed. Where the uniform made him look bigger than life, the suit civilized him into cool sophistication even her parents' friends would have a hard time emulating. He oozed charm from his shadowed jaw to his blunt fingers as they lifted the aviator sunglasses to the top of his head.
His eyes tangled with hers. There was nothing civilized in his gaze, only a predator that had found its next meal. The gray darkened to slate as they raked her from head to toe.
Heat flashed in her, and she shivered. Her fingers curled into her palms as she fought the need to touch him.
"You going to invite me in? Or just stare?" Jackson gasped before stepping back and to the side. "Did you pinch me?"
"Yes, move your ass. I need to check our girl."
Callie pushed between them and swatted Brianna breaking the spell she was under.
"Damn, Jackson. I think you need to warn us next time," Callie teased.
"Didn't think I would clean up this well, did you?" He smirked as he smoothed his hand across his chest again while winking at Brianna.
The dark gray suit molded to his broad shoulders, the seams straining to hold the material together. He pushed his hands in his pockets, and Brianna couldn't help but narrow her gaze as the material tightened over his thick package. His smirk turned into a chuckle as he slid his hands out of his pockets. She wanted to drag him upstairs and tug each piece off of him. To see every inch of skin, it hid.
"You do not have time for that," Callie stated, yanking the glass from Brianna's hand.
Surprised, Brianna swung to face her friend. "I said that out loud?"
"You sure did, hon." Jackson grinned.
She ducked her head, heat burned across her face as she struggled to find something to say that would break the awkward silence stretching between them.
The Twin Contract (The Contract Series Book 1) Page 11