A voice came from the doorway and I knew the voice before I looked up.
“That kiss changed my world Lacie. You changed my world from the moment I met you.”
My eyes met his, “Jackson?” His name came off my lips in a breathy whisper.
“Yes, Lacie, it’s me.”
He moved further into the room and looked at Gail.
“Hi, Mom.”
She beamed up at him, “Hi Jax. I’m glad you came.”
He grinned at her then looked at me, “So am I, Mom.”
I stood up and looked between the two of them.
“What is going on here?”
Gail looked at me and said, “Lacie, this is my son, Jackson, or Jax as we call him.”
I looked at Gail and said, “Why didn’t I know this? How could I have not known?”
I looked at them both before saying, “I have to go. I’m sorry Gail, but I can’t do this right now.”
I ran out of the room and only made it halfway down the hallway before Jackson caught me.
“Lacie stop. Don’t run away from me. Talk to me. Give me a chance.”
I spun on my heels and looked in his face. “You knew I worked here didn’t you? You knew I was working with your mother. How could you do this?”
Jackson’s face was turning angry. “No Lacie. I didn’t know until Sunday when my mom asked me to read to her, and Monday night when my sister confirmed what my mom had told me. I had no clue until then. Please, come with me so we can talk.”
I stepped away from him and shook my head. “No Jackson. I feel like a fool.” I turned to leave again and Jackson grabbed my arm.
“I’m not letting you walk out on me again. Not until I get a chance to explain, not until I can do this.”
He pulled me into his arms and kissed me.
I fell into him and I tried to resist him, his lips, but instead I opened my lips to him and pulled him closer to me. He parted my lips easing his tongue into my mouth and making a slow sweep of it. His hand was on my neck and pulling me to him. I heard a growl escape his throat and it made me crazy for him. I moved my head slightly to deepen his kiss and I was lost. Lost in him.
I don’t know how long we stood there, kissing, holding one another, but eventually Jackson broke the kiss.
“Oh God Lacie. Please don’t leave me again. Let me explain. Come with me.”
I looked up at him and nodded.
“Give me just a minute to talk to my mom. I’ll be right back.”
Jackson ran back to his mom’s room and was back in less than five minutes. He took my hand and pulled me out the door. “Do you want to go to your apartment to talk?”
I shook my head. “Take me to your house Jackson.”
He looked at me and said, “Are you sure Lacie?”
I nodded. We drove in silence. The silence held so many questions. I was questioning myself. What am I doing? Why did Gail not tell me that Jackson was her son? How did we meet, was it planned? Or was it fate? My story, Gail put it together, she figured it out that it was about me when I wrote about Jackson. Did she tell him? Does he know?
Before I knew it we pulled up at Jackson’s house. We went inside and I put my purse on the table just inside his front door. He moved to the kitchen.
“Can I get you a drink Lacie?”
I grinned as I followed him. “Anything stronger than a beer? I think I need it.”
He looked up at me and said, “Rum on the rocks?”
I nodded and Jackson fixed two glasses. He handed one to me and moved to the patio. He lit the torches and I saw that he still had the candles set in the yard.
“You didn’t bring the candles in?”
He shook his head. “I come out here every night and look at them thinking I need to bring them in and put them away, but I just can’t. I want to bring you here, light them and have you by my side night after night.”
I looked at him with shock running through my body. No one has ever talked to me the way he does. “Jackson,”
He moved to me and placed his fingers on my lips. “Let me talk, please. Just listen.”