Jackson turned and shuffled the wrenches into their appropriate slots before pulling them out again. "It's so easy, you know? When I slipped on Derrick's suit, it was like I slid back into being Beau Gregson."
That had been the name he was born with. A name Jackson had changed the second Ray adopted him, choosing Jackson McCord. Jackson, in honor of Ray's late wife Edna, as it was her maiden name, and taking Ray's last name as his own. With all the media surrounding his parents' trial and Jackson testifying, he had wanted a clean slate. Needed it for his sanity.
"But, you pulled yourself out when Christopher cornered her."
"Yeah." He swiped up the cloth and rubbed the oil smudges from the tools. "I just worry. I don't want to turn out like them."
His parents had trained him well, and the easy-going persona he had donned for the garden party had been effortless. Their teachings so ingrained he knew what to say, how to flatter, and how to keep the conversation centered on everyone else, so he could fly under the radar. All the while remembering to refer to her as Briony the few times it was absolutely necessary.
"You won't."
"I hate lying, Pops."
There was a weighty sigh before Ray responded, "I know you do. Do what you need to do to help her. If lies are what you need to tell. Then show them how much of a master you are and lie her straight out of that situation." Ray growled. "You have my permission." His voice softened. "I love you, Jackson, and I can't wait to meet the woman who's stolen your heart."
He felt more settled in his skin when he hung up with his adopted father but shocked that his dad would think he was already in love with a woman Jackson only met a few weeks ago.
* * * *
Brianna dragged herself into her home. After kicking off her shoes, she set the heavy medical bag next to the shoe rack, so she could restock it tomorrow. It was then the aroma of garlic and cheese greeted her.
"If you want to get cleaned up, feel free. Dinner still has about another half an hour," Jackson called out, then sauntered from the kitchen into the hallway.
"You stayed." She grinned and walked to him, her arms outstretched for a hug.
He took a careful step back. "No offense, but you need to soak those clothes and scrub off whatever is all over you before I'll hug you." Jackson leaned forward, his eyes narrowed on her shirt. "Is that blood?"
She jerked back. She'd forgotten. "Yes. I was setting up the barn to treat the alpaca who apparently got into Mrs. Kilby's back garden and ate a few Azalea leaves. Mr. Kilby caught it and shooed it away. I flushed the poor thing's stomach and put it on an IV drip. When I got done, one of their hands came racing up to get help. A heifer was giving birth to a turned calf. Needless to say, it was messy."
He wrinkled his nose. "Smells it and looks it. I hope you didn't leave any of that in your car."
She snorted. "Heck, no. We have garbage sacks and old towels we put down when we're like this, specifically to keep the van clean." She headed for the stairs, beginning to smell the stench of dried blood over the tantalizing aroma of dinner. "It will take me about twenty minutes to get clean."
"Take all the time you need. The longer the sauce simmers, the better it is."
She hurried up the stairs and darted into her bathroom. Leaving everything on the tiled corner nearest the hallway door, she snapped on the water and stepped under the spray and shivered. She should have waited for the water to heat but wanted to hurry. She couldn't believe Jackson was still here. What had he done all day? She hadn't checked in, assuming he had left and would call or text her later. But he hadn't reached out, and she hadn't had time.
When she stepped from the shower, she froze. A smile crept across her face.
He actually stayed. Not just stayed but cooked dinner for me.
In no time, she was dressed in a pair of lounge pants and a t-shirt. Racing back downstairs, she skidded to a stop on her socked feet in the kitchen. Her eyes widened to see her table set with her plain white dishes and all the food placed in between the two place settings.
"I didn't know you could cook," she said as she took the chair, he held out for her.
"Pops would never have let me loose on the world if I couldn't feed myself." He held up a bottle of red wine.
She took her wineglass and held it aloft. "Yes, please."
After pouring her wine, he motioned toward her food. "Eat."
She took a helping of lasagna and snagged a chunk of garlic bread. Stabbing the small salad he had placed next to her plate, she moaned at the Italian dressing coating the leaves. "Jesus, Jackson. You could open a restaurant."
He laughed. "First, I hear that Callie has the claim to the Jesus nickname, and second, a restaurant would need more than one or two items on the menu."
She shrugged. "Maybe not with this meal."
"People would get bored with it." He wiped his mouth with a napkin. "So, tell me about your day."
She filled him in on what all had happened on her calls.
Was this what it would be like to have him as a husband? A partner? Not that they had gotten that far.
Who was she kidding? Her heart was involved, and she knew it. She liked him. He protected her and asked for nothing in return last night except to know she was safe. The sex had been amazing, and she definitely wanted more of that.
I could fall in love with him
But she also craved more time with him. More kisses, more touches, and more skin. But more than that, she just wanted to be with him. Sit down and find out about each other's days. Unburden herself when she lost an animal. Or when she was forced to play Briony for so long, she was a hair's breadth from losing herself in the role. Would he be strong enough to reel her back? Would he even want to?
"Enough about sick alpacas and breached calves. Tell me what you did today." She sipped her wine and ate the delicious lasagna while listening to him. Surprised, she held a hand up. "You changed my oil?"
His face flushed, and his eyes held a challenge in them. "Yes, and your farm vehicles too. At least the ones I was comfortable with handling. Then I worked on Derrick's."
Her smile felt as if it would split her face.
"You're not mad?"
"No, I'm happy."
He frowned. "It's just oil."
"Uh-huh"
"And beer and pizza."
Confused, she frowned. "You put beer and pizza in the farm trucks?"
"No." He raked a hand through his hair. "I was paid by Derrick in beer and pizza."
The smile returned. "You ate with Derrick?"
"Well, yeah. He's your best friend's husband. If we become serious, I'll be hanging with him a lot. So we talked cars while eating beer and pizza. We're going with them to the car show next weekend." He stabbed his fork into his lasagna.
"You made a double date with my best friend and her husband."
His cheeks reddened. "It's not a big deal."
It felt like a big deal to her, but she knew enough not to point it out. She patted his hand. "I appreciate it. It's always hard to get all the farm equipment in at the same time for the mechanic. Thank you. And I love going to those car shows, so that will be fun."
His gaze lifted from his plate. "Anytime. Also, I talked to my pops, and he invited you to the Fourth of July party."
He mentioned her to Ray? She had doubts, but to hear Ray's name put those doubts to rest. However, she would never be allowed to go away on the Fourth. Screw that. If Jackson could tell his father about her, then the least she could do was go meet the man. Grandmother would just have to figure some way to cover for her.
"You're awfully quiet over there. What's going on?" he asked.
She had never heard him nervous until now. "Nothing. The fourth is a huge deal at my parents' house. They have a company picnic, which I'm required to attend—"
"As Briony?
"Yes."
His shoulders slumped.
"Grandmother and Father will just need to figure out an excuse for me not being there. Because I'm going with you."
"But, won't that screw with your contract?"
She shrugged. "You're more important." She lifted the last bit of her wine to her lips. "Besides, it will be moot anyway if Grandmother forces Mother into counseling. Maybe Father will release me a week early?" Brianna had serious doubts that her father would be so benevolent, but she could hope.
A smile curled his lips. "I'll let Pops know tomorrow so he can get started on cleaning out the guest room."
Brianna returned the smile and didn't correct him. By the time the fourth rolled around, she planned on them sharing a bed. Not only at Ray's house, but here too. She wanted Jackson in her life and was ready to do whatever she needed to get him there. Even if that meant confronting her father again. Brianna could be the damned squeaky wheel. She could squeal just as loudly as Briony.
She had given up so many dreams because of that damned contract. She refused to give up Jackson.
Chapter Ten
God, he was more mouthwatering than the last date. Brianna knew she was staring, but couldn't help it. Jackson was gorgeous. His black hair held a hint of silver, but that was the only sign of his age. He carried his thirty-five years well. The muscled chest that Brianna craved to explore was covered by a green Sheriff's Department t-shirt. Jeans that adhered lovingly to his legs, thighs, and they set his ass off.
A smirk curled the corners of his lips. "Done checking me out?"
"Just need to make sure you're not armed, officer." Brianna's voice sounded husky even to her own ears, making her wince until his deep laugh poured into the room.
"By all means, check away. As long as I get to do the same." he leaned forward, the light scent of aftershave and darker musk that was all Jackson distracted her briefly.
"Wait. Did you say you use your hands?" She gulped, her eyes dropping to the blunt fingers much larger than her own.
"Of course, I have to check for hidden weapons."
Her mind immediately pictured her assuming the position while he frisked her … thoroughly. She imagined he would be slow and take his time. Not miss an inch of her just to be safe.
His eyes roved over her, and she swiped her tongue over her lips as heat licked along her nerve endings. She wondered if they could just cancel the entire date. Then she remembered they were meeting Callie. "Shit."
"That's not quite the response I was expecting." He took a step back.
"Not you. Ugh! We're meeting Callie and Derrick there."
He chuckled. "Yes."
"If we don't show up Callie will come looking."
"Not show up?" His gaze turned molten, and he stepped into her home, crowding her. "Screw it. We can choose not to show up."
"Callie has a key to the house and will come looking no matter the message I leave."
He shrugged. For every step back she took, he matched her remaining in her space. She finally put a hand on his chest. "No. Even if we lock my bedroom door, she'll still get in, and that's not how I want the first time you're in my bed to go."
He froze. "Are you serious?"
"Yep." She popped the 'p' on the end, trying to get the lust filling her mind to clear. No way did she want Callie anywhere near Jackson while he was naked. Brianna would lose her shit on her best friend.
Jackson all but raced back to the porch. "I am so not putting on a show for Callie."
"Me neither. Let me grab the backpack, and we're vapor."
He squinted at her.
"What?" she asked, snagging the strap of her brown backpack.
"Vapor?"
She grinned. "Yep. Like gone—"
He held up a hand and winced. "No, I get it. It's something Ray would say."
"Oh, God. You're saying I sound like an old man?" She teased as she locked the door.
"Something like that."
"I'll show you old man! Get in the car or we're going to be late." She hurried to her car. A fully restored Gremlin Jackson had drooled over when he had seen it.
"No speeding, you have an officer of the law in the car with you. Callie and Derrick can wait a few minutes for us."
She flipped him off as she started the engine. It wasn't meeting her friends that she was worried about missing. She had a surprise set up for Jackson. A kind of thank you for being a buffer between her and Christopher at the last several events she'd been forced to attend as Briony.
It was like the second she wanted the contract to end, her father and mother conspired to find even more events to send her to as her sister. Did they think it would convince her to remain Briony forever? Did they think she would really be stupid enough to fall for someone like Christopher if they continued slamming them together?
Neither would happen. But she was dreading the next several weeks as even more dinners, brunches, and lunches had been added to her already overburdened schedule. And would Jackson be able to make all of them? It was something she would need to ask after today.
Today, she wanted to focus on them. On just being a couple and having fun with their friends.
Brianna spun the wheel to the right, the tires barely gripping the dirt-packed road as she pressed the accelerator.
"Brianna, this isn't a race," Jackson said for what felt the millionth time.
Instead of answering him, she focused on getting to the car show. She'd expected to leave her house thirty minutes ago, but he'd been running late, which made both of them late. Chancing a glance at the dashboard clock, she hid a grin as the big muscle-bound police officer hung onto the 'oh shit handle' with a white-knuckled grip.
She released a whoop as she literally skidded into a parking space.
"Jesus, Brianna." Jackson's face looked pale even under his tan as he stepped from the car. "You drive a fully restored Gremlin, but drive it like you're a Bootlegger running from the cops."
"Well, considering the 'cops' were in the car with me, that just sounds weird." Taking her purse and backpack from the trunk, she smiled when she heard his gasp.
Cars spread around them. Old models that had to date back to the '30s shared space with their more modern counterparts.
"Look at these beauties." The awe in his voice drew a laugh from her.
"If I'd known it was this easy to impress you, I would have offered to take you to the car show in Birmingham when we first met."
He mock-frowned at her. "As if I would be that easy."
"I don't know there, Deputy Delish, you looked pretty easy naked on that fold-out couch," Callie called out from the far end of the aisle.
"Hey! I wasn't naked, short stack." Jackson slipped his aviator sunglasses over his eyes.
Brianna met Derrick's gaze, and they both grinned as Callie and Jackson traded quips. Each more outlandish than the next.
"Hold up, hon." Derrick snagged Callie's hand and yanked her to his chest. "No doing the poor deputy any more damage we're here to look at cars."
Callie rolled her eyes. "Fine, I'll behave."
Jackson guffawed. "As if you have ever seen a 'haves' for you to 'be' in your life."
Callie flipped him off as she and Derrick pointed to a tent set up on the far left. "That's where they're showing he vintage cars."
Callie and Jackson continued tossing quips as they tromped through the grass and dust to check the cars out.
* * * *
"There's too much to see," Callie complained. "We've been here for two hours and barely made a dent."
Jackson snickered. "We've not made a dent because every time we stop to look at a car, you know the person or another person who's there too, and you talk their ears off."
Brianna stepped in front of him when Callie turned a death glare his way.
"Are you saying I'm a busybody?"
He roared with laughter getting confused looks from Brianna and Callie. He shook his head. "No. But a gossip? Yes."
Brianna sighed before interrupting the two again. "How about we split up?"
He frowned. "We're just teasing." He tugged her into his side. "If it bothers you, we can stop."
Curious, Jackson looked from her to Callie then Derrick, who rejoined them from his bathroom break.
"What's up?" he asked.
Callie scowled at Brianna before snarling. "Nothing."
"Um … Okay," he said, shrugging when he met Jackson's eyes. "So, did Brianna mention about checking the livestock?"
"Yes," Callie replied, calming down now that Brianna had closed up.
Jackson wanted to know what she was about to say. But from her panicked expression, he decided he would talk to her later about it.
"Do you two want to come with us?"
"I want to keep looking at cars. I've already sent Ray four pictures, which has gotten one bird emoji and a frowny emoji." Jackson felt his phone buzz again but refrained from pulling it out to see what his father sent him.
"You two and your competition." Derrick clapped him on the shoulder. "You're not going to beat that Mustang GT500 he saw in Chicago. That is like the unicorn of rare."
"Ummm … You do know we saw a Mustang GT on the way here, right?" Callie shook her head.
"Not like this one. It was a 1967 convertible that had been originally disguised as a 1968 which was accidentally slipped into a public lot which they sold."
"I'll beat him. Maybe with an airplane … " Jackson wondered if that would count and yanked his cell out to text Ray for the finer points of the competition.
"If it was in Chicago, why didn't you see it?" Brianna asked.
Done with the text, he pocketed his cell. "Because I was on a training exercise one state over. It was horrible getting all those texts from Ray." And fun as they'd been teasing each other about it ever since.
"Okay, so Derrick and I are going to the animals, Jackson's sticking with the cars … Callie?"
Callie's cat-like eyes bounced from each of them before she sighed dramatically as if suffering the worst fate imaginable. "I'll go with Jackson. At least that way I can chat with more people."
The Twin Contract (The Contract Series Book 1) Page 17