Chapter 28

It was still dark outside Monday morning when Jackson slipped silently out of bed to go work out. He dressed in the bathroom, then closed the bedroom door gently behind him, careful not to wake Sabrina.

Jackson was still a news junkie despite the change in his job description, but now he felt more detached somehow, so rather than leave the television tuned to music, he flipped over to CNN and ingested the headlines like a starving man while the miles clicked off under his feet.

An hour later he returned to his quiet room, pausing at the bed to gaze down on Sabrina’s peaceful form. He wanted to touch her, stroke her cheek with the back of his fingers, but he didn’t want to wake her, so he carried his bottled water with him into the bathroom and turned on the shower instead.

With his hands braced on the wall in front of him and his head bowed under the spray Jackson felt the tension wash off in rivulets. His eyes closed and with the pounding spray hitting his crown and shoulders, he neither heard nor saw Sabrina slip in behind him. She ran her hands up and down his back, then over his bottom. He groaned and shifted with pleasure when her nails came out.

“You can go harder,” he said, letting his head drop even farther between his outstretched arms. Her nails scored his skin, and he rumbled deeper.

Sabrina smiled and let her hands flow out along his strong arms as far as she could reach, then drew them back, scoring his biceps as well. Then she wound her arms around his chest and pressed against him for a blissful moment of skin-on-skin contact.

“I’ll wash your back for you,” she said, kissing it.

“That’d be nice. Then I’ll do yours.”

As it turned out, that wasn’t all they did for each other, which left them no time for breakfast. Jackson had a spare travel mug that he filled with coffee for Sabrina before they dashed out the door. He dropped her at the Oasis a little early and drove on to the station, arriving right on time for his first day at the helm.

****

Marjorie popped into the office with Jackson’s mail. She looked around and frowned. “I understood you moved your things in this weekend?”

“I did.”

“Where are your turtles?”

“They don’t exactly go with the décor. I might need to rethink my pieces and find new ones.”

“That’s a shame. You need to personalize your space.”

“I’m giving it some thought.”

“Good. Did you see on your schedule you’ve got Angela coming in at ten from accounting?”

“Yes, thanks.”

“And I was able to get the names of the competitors already registered for the Skateboard Expo. Registration doesn’t end for another three weeks, but this is a start.”

“That’s great. Can I see it?”

“It’s already on your computer.” She walked around the desk and smiled at Crush, sitting on the desk but hidden from the other side by the computer screen. Using Jackson’s mouse, she showed him how and where to find the files she created for him.

Jackson read down the list of names. “I suppose since there are minors on this list we might have a tough time creating a bio for each.”

“Well, we have telephone numbers and addresses. We could create a questionnaire and send it out with a letter explaining what we’re looking at doing, or there’s always phone contact.”

“Let’s get to work on that questionnaire today.”

****

Sunday’s totals were low but comfortably within the margins, so Sabrina filed away the receipts and looked over the deposit. She rechecked the count and zipped it safely into the bag. She’d have to borrow a car to run it to the bank.

She looked up at the sound of the heavy back door opening and closing again. Footsteps squeaked along the tiles. Holding her breath, Sabrina eventually smiled when Tanya walked in.

“I thought it would be you. Morning,” Sabrina said.

“Morning.”

“Listen, I’m sorry I disappeared on you this weekend.”

“Don’t be.” Tanya seemed miles away as she hung her purse behind the door.

“Do I detect a dreamy look in your eye?”

“You just might.” Tanya released a contented sigh.

Sabrina perked up. “He actually called you?”

Tanya nodded and ran her finger along the back of the empty chair in front of her. “On Saturday. He took me to this German place for dinner. You wouldn’t believe how I was sweating over the menu. The last thing I wanted to put in my mouth in front of him was a huge honking bratwurst, but that’s about the extent of what I know about German food. It’s just too suggestive on a first date, right? Luckily he picked up on my dilemma on his own and recommended the Wiener Schnitzel. Wiener Schnitzel! I swear my face was redder than the ketchup bottle when I ordered it. Give me the Wiener Schnitzel, big boy,” she said impersonating Mae West. Then she laughed. “Guess what it turns out to be?”

Sabrina shrugged. “I don’t know.”

“It’s like prime veal with a crispy bread coating. And I tried spaetzle for the first time, and that was good. The beer was excellent. You know I’m not a big fan of bitter ales, so I usually just steer clear of all of them, but when I told him that he ordered something that was perfect for me. I loved it.”

“But how was he?”

Tanya’s face went soft and girly. “Soooo nice, really nice. I knew he would be. Didn’t I tell you?”

Sabrina nodded.

“His name is Peter, Peter Davies. Officer Davies. We played mini-golf and he let me win. He said he wasn’t throwing the game, but he totally was.” She laughed, remembering it. “He’s a lot of fun, too, great laugh. I did everything I could to keep him laughing and flashing those killer dimples at me.”

Sabrina gave her a bewildered smile. “I’ve never seen you like this.”

“I’ve never been like this.”

“So did you see him yesterday, too?”

“Unfortunately no, he had to work, but he called me twice, and we had stupid conversations about nothing whatsoever, and it still felt amazing. I’m smiling all the time now. I can’t help it.”

Sabrina grinned. “I see that.”

“Peter works a lot of nights, so I was thinking I might want to rearrange my schedule too.”

“Let me know when you’re sure. We can work something out.”

“Thanks.” Tanya drifted toward the door, her head in the clouds.

“Wait, don’t go away,” Sabrina called. “I need to borrow your car.”

“Take it. Keys are in my purse,” Tanya said and waltzed off, humming happily.

Leah called Sabrina late in the day in a panic. “Could you take Emma to soccer today? Aaron can’t get away from work, and I’m clear across town and won’t make it back in time.”

“Where and when?”

“Franklin Field at four o’clock.”

“Where do I pick her up?”

“Our house. She’s supposed to be home from her friend Ashley’s by three so she can get dressed and ready.”

“Sure, I can probably get out of here early.”

“Hey, before you go. I wanted to tell you how much we liked Jackson.”

“Thanks. I like him a lot too.”

“Emma has a crush on him.”

Sabrina grinned. “I gathered that on Saturday.”

Leah laughed. “Thanks for helping us out.”

“No problem. Want me to feed her afterwards?”

“It’s up to you. I’m not planning anything special.”

“I think I will, then.”

“You’re such a good aunt.”

“She’s good company.”

“Talk to you later.”

It wasn’t until Sabrina hung up that she remembered she didn’t have a car. She whacked herself in the forehead and went looking for Tanya again.

****

“Whose car is this?” Emma asked, buckling herself in. “It’s worse than yours.”

“It is,” Sabrina said, somewhat amused. “It belongs to my friend Tanya.”

“Where’s yours?”

“Back at my apartment. I got a ride to work today.”

“Are you going to stay and watch me play?”

“You bet I am.”

Once they got to the field, Emma ran off to join the other girls. When they saw her, they all squealed and shot up like exploding popcorn. Sabrina shook her head and laughed as she found a spot to sit along the side.

The grass was cool beneath her and the open air milder than she’d expected. It hit Sabrina that summer was winding down and long-sleeve weather was just around the corner. Hugging herself to conserve heat, she wondered idly what Jackson was doing right about now. She had her answer when he called five minutes later.

“Where are you?” he asked.

“I took Emma to soccer. We’re at Franklin Field.”

“Feel like a little company?”

“Sure.”

“I’ll be there in ten.”

Jackson looked good enough to eat, strolling up the hill toward her. His tie was history and his dress shirt was unbuttoned at the collar. He had his sleeves rolled back so she could see his tanned forearms. He was wearing his sexy shades, and the smile he gave her was pure heaven and luscious sin all rolled into one gorgeous flash of perfect teeth. She smiled back, her heart doing cartwheels in her chest.

“Where’s our girl?” he asked, scanning the field.

“She’s number twenty-seven. Look left.”

“Got her.”

He stood watching the disorganized action for a minute and chuckled softly. “You’ve gotta love kids’ sports, don’t you?”

Sabrina laughed. “There’s nothing quite like it.”

He pulled his glasses off and looked at her. “Are you cold?”

“A little.”

“Hang on. I have my jacket in the car.”

He ran down the hill and brought it back to her, draping it over her shoulders. Sabrina pulled it around herself and snuggled in, loving the feel of the silk lining and the smell that was all Jackson coming from the fabric.

He sat beside her and got comfortable.

Among the scattered spectators was a woman sitting several feet away from them. She turned and noticed Sabrina and Jackson and smiled suddenly. “Hi! We haven’t met. I’m Patricia Whittaker, Kaylee’s mom. I just wanted to tell you that your Emma is such a sweet girl. Kaylee absolutely loves her.”

Sabrina smiled proudly. “Thank you. Emma’s crazy about Kaylee, too.” She had no idea who Kaylee was, but where was the harm in telling a little white lie if it made the woman happy?

The mother beamed at the nice couple, then turned back to watch their daughters.

Jackson gave Sabrina a nudge with his shoulder. “You realize she thinks Emma’s your daughter, probably our daughter. Why didn’t you correct her?”

“This has been going on for so long I don’t even bother trying to explain anymore. What’s the point?”

He thought about it and shrugged. “I suppose. I thought she was yours once, too.”

“Nope. I’m sure I would have remembered.”

He chuckled and nuzzled behind her ear. “I missed you today.”

“I missed you, too,” she admitted, leaning into his soft kisses. Even with the coat around her she was getting goose bumps. “So how’d it go?” She eased back and hugged herself to warm up again.

“Great. We’re setting the Jackson Murphy plan into action. Which reminds me, don’t plan on seeing me tomorrow night because I’ll be in a late meeting hammering out the details of my creation with our dream team.”

“That sounds exciting.”

“I’m pretty keyed.” He looked out across the grass and watched two girls try and fail to stop the ball as it rolled past them. He laughed softly when a third girl bolted for it and gave it a good hard kick, accidentally sending it out of bounds instead. Jackson turned to Sabrina with twinkling eyes and said, “Maybe you’re normal.”

“You’re treading on thin ice, buster,” she said, giving him a shot with her elbow.

He laughed and gave her a playful squeeze in return. “So what’s happening after this?”

“We have to go pick up Tanya because I have her car, and then we’re all going out for burgers.”

“Can I tag along?”

“You eat fast food?”

“I don’t make a habit of it, but I allow myself the occasional treat.”

“Sure. I know Emma won’t mind.”

Emma threw herself at Jackson when practice was through. He patted her back and ruffled her sweaty hair, a major grin on his face. “So how’s it going, kiddo?”

“Great. Did you see me play?”

“You were the best one out there,” he said diplomatically. In truth, it was pretty hard to tell.

Emma stepped back and tipped her chin way back to look at him. “We’re going out for hamburgers. Do you want to come?”

“That’s the plan.”

“Yes!” Emma skipped down the hill to the parking lot. She came to a dead stop when Jackson hit his car fob and his doors unlocked. “Is that your car?” she asked, clearly impressed.

“Yep.”

She unleashed the full force of a young girl’s pleading on him—her eyes, her voice, her barely controlled trembling. “Can I ride with you?”

Sabrina grinned at him. The guy was toast.

He considered the request carefully, finally relenting. “No feet on the glove box.”

“As if.”

He turned to Sabrina now, realizing he didn’t have her permission. “You don’t mind, do you?”

“I don’t mind. I’ll pick up Tanya and meet you two there.”

“Um, where’s there?”

“How about that new place on Sixty-Eighth? They have a play land.”

“Play land?” Emma said with distaste. “That’s for little kids.”

“Whatever. Meet us there anyway.”

He pulled her close and whispered softly, “Please don’t drag your feet.”

Noting the anxiety in Jackson’s eyes she took pity on him. “I’ll call Tanya and tell her to watch for me, okay?”

“Thank you,” he said, clearly relieved he wouldn’t have to entertain Emma by himself for too long.

To Jackson’s dismay, the girl touched everything in his car, opening the window, messing with the lock. She snooped in the storage compartment between their seats and scowled at his CDs, then stuffed his phone charger cord back inside, creating a tangled mess.

“Are you satisfied now?” he asked with a hint of annoyance.

“Almost.”

He just about had a heart attack when Emma stretched up on her seat to check out her sun visor and her cleats kicked out, barely missing his dashboard.

“Do me a favor and move your seat back a little, okay?”

“How?”

“The buttons are on the side, down low.”

That kept her occupied the rest of the way. She went up, she went back, she dipped down, she dropped backwards with a giggle. “I like this,” Emma said, beaming up at him.

“That’s funny. It’s just about killing me.”

Jackson’s entire body heaved a sigh of relief when Sabrina came walking into the restaurant. He was so damn grateful to pass the kid off he could have fallen to his knees and professed his undying love for the woman. How pathetic was that? Pretty sad that he couldn’t cope with a sweet nine-year-old girl for more than fifteen minutes without breaking into a sweat.

“They’re here,” he said, stopping the back of Emma’s chair from making one more annoying swing back and forth.

What the hell? The kid couldn’t play in the playroom, but everything else was there for her amusement?

They went up to order and Jackson insisted on paying for dinner—it wasn’t going to break him—but as it turned out the only satisfying thing about the meal was looking at Sabrina. He wanted to be alone with her, but that wasn’t happening tonight, and tomorrow was ruined, as well. Wednesday couldn’t come fast enough.

He nearly choked on a fry when that thought finally registered, because he’d just failed his own test.

Naturally, after spending last week apart, it was understandable they were impatient to be alone together. What made no sense at all, no sense, was that they had their recovery time. He should be set for a while because they’d just spent an intense and uninterrupted thirty-six hours together. One day back at work, a mere eight hours without her, should not send him into a shaky withdrawal. It shouldn’t.

No, this wasn’t possible. He’d managed just fine on his own for years without adverse effects. He shouldn’t be feeling this miserable at having to go another day, two days, or even another week without seeing Sabrina. This was all happening too fast. How did he go from simply dating the woman to feeling bereft when she wasn’t around? Had he somehow missed the normal route to love and taken the shortcut instead? He should still be enjoying the pleasant leisurely drive along the coastal highway, not getting detoured over to the expressway.

What the hell was the hurry? He wasn’t ready to be fast-tracked, because it came with weight, with responsibility, with kids. He looked at Emma and thought no, absolutely not. He liked her in small doses, but he couldn’t face kids yet. They were fine somewhere in the hazy distance, years off if he was lucky. He could admit it, he cared about Sabrina, more than he expected, given their unorthodox start, but he…but he…Son of a bitch, he was his father after all. Jackson needed Rob. He needed to talk to Rob. Now. His brother would understand.