Chapter 32

April was turning into a fine month. The sun was finally kicking out serious heat again after months of weak light. Lawns were filling in, greening up, and the air hung heavy with the fragrance of mown grass. Heaven. On Jackson’s quiet morning jogs there was nothing quite like the pleasure of drawing that fresh crisp air deep into your lungs after having to make do all winter with an indoor treadmill.

Everything was a delight to his senses. He felt alive, rejuvenated by spring. Bright green leaves unfurled all across the bare canopies overhead and dappled the sidewalks beneath. He was caught and beguiled by sudden splashes of color from flowerbeds and boxes, planters, and stalwart weeds along his route. He’d even stolen a few tulips the other day and carried them back to Sabrina. Tiptoeing to the edge of their bed, he drew the silky petals across her cheeks and eyelids. Her eyes slowly opened and she gave him a drowsy smile that infused every cell in his body with happiness and peace.

Their love was transforming. The intense attraction remained, but it was merely an aspect of what they brought to each other now. They had truly bonded over the winter—not surprising, really, because necessity demanded that he help her in some rather intimate ways. The closer they got, the more they laughed. The more they laughed, the more they needed and appreciated their time together.

“So everything’s set?” Jackson asked Marjorie.

“All set.” She smiled at him. “Don’t you think you should get going?”

He glanced at his watch and his eyes bugged. “Whoa. I didn’t realize it was this late.” He ran into his office.

“I’ll turn everything off,” she called after him. “Don’t worry about it.”

He came out with his briefcase in hand. “Thanks again for all the help. I’ll see you Monday, okay?” Jackson walked past her desk.

“Have a nice weekend, Mr. Murphy.”

“You too,” he said, chuckling. From day one he’d tried to get her to call him Jackson, but she insisted on formalities. Come to think of it, she insisted on a lot of things, but he’d learned not to question her judgment.

He picked up a tail in the corridor.

“Tell me you’re not really going to do this,” Van said anxiously, pursuing him out the door.

“It’s going to be fine.”

“But putting a club in her hand? That’s just tempting fate. All I’m saying is if you don’t watch it you’re going to find yourself needing serious dental work next.”

Jackson laughed and popped his lock, tossing his briefcase onto the passenger seat. He turned and put his hand on his friend’s shoulder.

“Listen, I heard this already from my dad, my brother, and now you. I appreciate your concern, but I know what I’m doing.”

Van threw up his hands in surrender. “Fine, but when I take over your new office—and I’m looking forward it—the turtles are history.”

“You’re not getting my office,” Jackson said sliding onto his seat. “The turtles and I are staying.”

“We’ll see.” Van bent down and smiled through the window. “Be sure and call me with your hospital room number so I know where to have Marjorie send the flowers.”

“Jackass.”

“Sap.”

“I’ll see you Monday.” Jackson laughed at Van’s uncertain head shake and waved good-bye.

Jackson rolled down the window and set his bare arm on the edge to soak up the sun. He enjoyed the way the wind rippled through the hairs. It would seem that the lush summer was already asserting itself, cheeky bugger.

Still worried they were rushing things despite the doctor’s assurances and Sabrina’s enthusiasm, Jackson placed a call on his hands-free phone to check on her. He smiled at the sound of her voice.

“You better be on the road,” she said sternly.

He laughed. “I am. Right on time. Are you sure you’re up for this?”

“I’m raring to go.”

“How’s your leg?”

He could just see her impatient eye-roll. “Don’t go there.”

“It’s my job.”

“Well, you’re fired.”

“How’s your damn leg feel today?”

“Great,” she said perkily.

“Liar.”

“Fine. It’s still a little stiff, but the exercise is supposed to be good for me, and you know it. You can’t coddle me forever.”

“I know. You’ve worked really hard, but if it gets too much I’m renting a cart.”

“I figured.”

“And don’t think you can fool me. I always know exactly how you’re feeling.”

Sabrina knew that was the truth. Half the time Jackson seemed more attuned to her than she was, and that could be good, inconvenient, or downright intense under the most intimate circumstances. That well-applied intuition of his was a big reason she willingly dealt with the occasional annoyance. She sometimes wondered if the wrong Murphy brother went into psychiatry.

“Aye, Aye, Captain. I’m hanging up now,” she announced.

“I’ll see you there.”

Sabrina cut the call and smiled. “He’s doing it again.”

Tanya turned and looked back at her. “The mother-hen treatment?”

“Yep.”

“You know you love it.”

Sabrina laughed. “I do. Just don’t sell me out.”

“Wouldn’t dream of it.”

“I might,” Peter said, glancing in the rearview mirror.

“Just drive,” Tanya ordered.

****

Peter Davies’ blue Crown Victoria was already in the parking lot when Jackson pulled in. The car still screamed cop even though it wasn’t a service vehicle anymore. Jackson had more than a few chuckles when he saw how often motorists hit their brakes at the sight of it. He parked next to Pete and popped his trunk.

“Could we get a nicer day?” he asked the birds as he walked back for his clubs.

Slipping his hands into his gloves, he hoisted his bag over his shoulder and strolled to the tiny clubhouse. Tanya was just inside, and she turned and smiled at him. Jackson bent and gave her a friendly peck on the cheek.

“How ya doing, Squirt?” he asked.

“Dandy.”

“Hey,” Pete said with a scowl, “find your own woman.” He tossed money onto the counter and picked up their scorecard and a pencil.

Tanya laughed and sidled up to her boyfriend, offering her cheek to him next. He took her lips instead.

“So where is my woman?” Jackson asked, looking around.

“Guess,” said Tanya. “She was afraid if she didn’t go now she’d end up hiding behind a bush somewhere on the course.”

Pete shook his head. “It’s nine holes. She can’t make that?”

“Probably not,” said Tanya.

Just then Sabrina came out wiping her hands on her pants. “Man, I hate those blow dryers. They never work.” She stopped and gave Jackson a long, heated appraisal, then sauntered right up to him. “Hi, there.”

“Hi back.” His kiss was soft and promising.

Sabrina stepped back and fanned herself. “My god, you’re sexy in that get-up.” She gave the underside of his visor a playful flick. “I’m going to need a cold shower.”

“Or we could just shove you into a water hazard,” said Tanya helpfully.

Sabrina smiled sweetly back at her. “Try it and you’ll be digging sand out of your underwear.”

“Um,” Peter turned and held up his hand, “that would be my job, and I’d do it with my teeth if she asked me to.”

The guy behind the counter was listening attentively to everything they said, so Jackson cleared his throat and asked his party, “Are we ready?”

“All set,” Peter said. “My clubs are outside, and the ladies’ clubs are already on carts.”

Although Jackson had brought Sabrina to the driving range twice before, this was their first foray onto a golf course. This one was a small, carefully maintained community nine-hole. It wouldn’t provide much of a challenge for him, but it would be a good start for the women, because Tanya was a beginner too.

“Ladies’ tee is over there,” Jackson said, pointing the way. “Pete and I will hit from here first, then meet you over there, but heads up, okay? I don’t want anyone getting hurt.”

Sabrina pouted. “No ladies first?”

He gave her a long look. “That goes for everything but driving and golf, sweetheart.”

Tanya’s head whipped around. “Does it now?”

“No comment,” Sabrina said, walking away, trailing her clubs behind her.

Jackson followed her with his eyes. He called out with a wolfish grin, “Babe?”

She turned impatiently. “What now?”

“Love your ass in those pants.”

Sabrina flashed him a brilliant smile. “Same here.”

****

Pete was already placing his ball on the tee when Jackson crested the hill. Pete studied the fairway and noted the wind direction before taking a strong, competent swing.

“Nice,” Jackson said, trading places with him. He set his tee and sighed. Damn, it felt good to be back playing the game after the long winter hiatus. He drew back his club and let it rip. His swing was textbook perfect.

Pete’s mouth dropped open. “You knocked the hell out of that one.”

Jackson chuckled and bent to retrieve his tee. “It felt good.”

Tanya was in mid-swing when they reached the women’s tee.

“Damn it!” she swore, chasing her divot.

“Nice swing, honey,” Pete said.

She grumbled as she put the grass back and stomped on it. “But it would have gone so much farther if I didn’t have to hit the stupid ground so hard.”

“It’s the first hole. Give it time.”

Sabrina was looking down the fairway, transfixed by the beauty. “I think I want to live on a golf course. Can I just buy one and put a house right in the middle somewhere and have the groundskeepers take care of the rest?”

Jackson smiled. “Don’t think so, but you could live along a golf course and still have the views. Just be aware you might lose a few windows.”

She turned and sighed. “Small price to pay. God, I love this.”

“I thought you liked the apartment.”

“I love the apartment. I’m just thinking somewhere down the road.”

“I see.” He stood beside her and pointed out how the fairway curved to the right. “But don’t worry about that yet. Just try to hit it straight down the middle if you can. You’re not going to get any farther than, say, that line of trees there.”

She followed his finger and frowned. “We’ll see about that. Do I have the right club?” Sabrina held it out to him. He looked at it, pulled it out of her hand, switched it with another club, and handed that one over instead.

Taking several steps back, he said, “Keep your head down.”

“I know, I know. You’ve drummed that into me.”

Jackson grinned as Sabrina shifted and fidgeted in front of her ball. Tanya and Peter looked at each other, then at Jackson, and took a couple more paranoid steps back. Sabrina’s swing was awkward, but it was a vast improvement over the driving range start she’d had less than two weeks ago. She was visibly disappointed when her ball fell short of Jackson’s estimate.

“Don’t sweat it,” he said. “It was a fairly straight shot. Just keep it up and you’ll be fine.”

They tromped down the fairway, scattering to find their individual balls. Tanya’s and Sabrina’s were only a few yards apart.

Jackson played caddie for Sabrina, making sure she used the right club. Why he even bothered he didn’t know, because she rushed her next swing and sliced right into the trees.

“Ugh!” She threw out her hands, and the club whistled mere inches from Jackson’s head.

“Shit!” he gasped and pulled it out of her hands. “Babe, you have to be more careful.”

She stared back at him, horrified at what she could have done. “I’m so sorry.” She crept over and pressed against him with a sad apologetic expression.

He leaned down and kissed her nose. “You’re forgiven, but if it happens again I’m taking you home.”

“It won’t. I promise. I never do the same thing twice.”

“Small comfort,” he said and chucked her under the chin.

While Tanya made her slow and undistinguished march down the green, Jackson and Sabrina waded into the brush after her ball.

“I found it. Here it is!” Sabrina called.

Jackson yelled to the other couple. “Hey, do you guys mind if she just takes a drop?”

“No,” was the joint answer.

Jackson scooped up the ball and dropped it on the edge of the fairway.

“Now the bend is coming up,” he said, positioning her so she would put the ball where he wanted it. It worked perfectly.

Then it was Peter’s turn. He set his bag down and pulled a club, stalking his ball thoughtfully. He drew back his arms and reversed. Everyone watched his ball curve left instead of right and disappear in the rough. “Damn.”

Towing her clubs behind her, Tanya hurried to catch up with him. She was grinning from ear to ear and made no effort to keep her voice down when she said, “Looks like everything curves to the left with you doesn’t it, honey?”

Peter laughed and gave her a hip check that hit her mid chest and sent her right over. They were both laughing as he hauled her back to her feet. “Sorry about that.”

“Don’t worry. I’m not going to press charges.”

He kissed her on the top of the head, then retrieved his clubs.

Sabrina and Jackson caught each other’s eye and shared a smile. Nothing was sacred with Tanya. If she and Officer Davies had hot monkey sex wearing jungle-striped loincloths while swinging from ropes, she’d tell them all about it without a blush. Tanya would forever be Tanya. Good thing it worked for Peter.

Tanya sought out Sabrina while Jackson took his shot. They ended up walking to the next hole together.

“I hate not seeing you every day,” Tanya said.

“We see each other two or three times a week, and we talk almost every day.”

“But it’s not the same thing.”

“Yeah, I know.”

“Did you hear? Nickelby’s is already for sale.”

“No kidding? Why?”

“I’m not sure—conflicting stories. I heard from Missy, who knows a woman who worked there who said the owners only wanted to make it profitable enough to turn it over for more money. They didn’t actually want to run the business. You know, short-term investment types.”

“Or?”

“There’s another rumor going around that they got nailed by the Department of Health for safety violations, but that’s unconfirmed.”

Sabrina shook her head at the predictable hearsay. Some things never changed. “So how’s the Oasis doing?”

“Good. Do you ever miss it?”

“I miss a lot of the people, but I guess I was ready to move on.”

“It was pretty shitty what they did to you.”

Sabrina brushed that off. “They had a business to run. I was going to be out for too long, and I know they were probably scared that when I came back hobbling on my crutches I would end up slapping them with a worker’s comp claim on top of everything else.”

“Well, you’re lucky Jackson hooked you up with The Greater Lewiston Youth Council. How is that going?”

“I love it. It sounds a lot more glamorous than it is, doesn’t it? Just a small non-profit agency with three employees.” She laughed. “But seriously, everyone is great, and I love the pace and the way we’re encouraged to dream big and rattle the cages. You wouldn’t believe how many things we’ve got our hot little hands in. That’s probably the biggest thing we do, coordinating complementary groups to get more done.”

Tanya’s footsteps slowed and she studied Sabrina thoughtfully. “Your face was lit up exactly like it is when you’re talking about Jackson—You must be happy.”

“I am, I really am, but I miss you, too. Maybe you and Pete should come over tonight, bring your suits, and we’ll hit the pool and hot tub. I’m sure my leg is going to need a good soak after all this walking.”

“Sounds good. Let’s run it by the guys.”

****

Sabrina and Tanya stopped keeping track of their strokes after the third hole. They were laughing nonstop by the sixth, and everyone was falling apart by the eighth. Jackson did his best to rally them for the ninth hole.

“It’s a par three, straight shot. Come on, people, I know we can do this.”

“You guys can,” Tanya snorted, giving Sabrina a nudge.

Sabrina nudged her right back. “Well, I’ll try if you will.”

Jackson looked over at Pete. “And this is without a bar cart. I can only imagine what kind of lunatics we’d have on our hands if they were three sheets to the wind.”

“But we’re having fun,” Sabrina said defensively.

“Yeah!” Tanya said.

“Forget I said anything. Last hole, can you at least try to be a little serious now?” Jackson asked them.

“I said I would,” Sabrina said.

“Me too.” Tanya nodded and turned to Peter. “If I beat you on this hole, you have to be my slave tonight.”

“And that would be different from every other night how?”

“Good point.” She grinned.

Sabrina glanced over at Tanya when they reached the men’s tee. “Don’t say it.”

“Come on. It’s the last time,” Tanya whined like a teenager with an early curfew.

“Oh, fine.”

Tanya beamed. “Jackson, you’re on her.”

Sabrina rolled her eyes. “That’s so stupid, so sophomoric.”

Tanya shrugged and sashayed away, impervious to the criticism.

Jackson simply ignored her while he placed his tee. He shifted on his feet, looked down the fairway, and squinted into the bright sun. He stepped back with a sigh. “Babe, can I please have my hat back?”

“I suppose.” Sabrina smiled and pulled it off. She walked over and placed it on his head.

“Thank you.” He readjusted it himself, then caught her hand and pulled her over for a swift kiss.

Sabrina backed up beside Peter, attributing the dazzling stars in her eyes to the kiss and not the direct sunlight. She sighed as she watched her lover reposition his feet and shift his broad shoulders and hips. She loved his fantastic ass.

Jackson lowered his head, eyes on the ball, and said calmly, “Tanya, shut up.”

“Wha’?” she gasped in surprise but there was a guilty grin on her face. She’d been taking liberties at inopportune moments for the last several holes.

“Shh,” Pete said with his finger over his lips. She made a face at him and he smiled.

Jackson’s swing was a thing of beauty. Pete actually wandered up to Jackson’s side, his eyes following the ball as it bounced onto the green and rolled toward the cup.

“You suck,” he said. “You almost got a hole in one.”

Jackson grinned and whipped his hat off. He walked over to Sabrina and pressed it onto her head, then turned to slip his club into his bag.

“That was very pretty,” she said, brushing against him.

“Thanks. I’m pleased with it.” Jackson draped his arm across her shoulders.

Peter set his ball, squinted into the sun, and rose to the occasion, proving he was no slouch at sports either. His club was still coming back down when Tanya leaped on him, attaching herself like an alien creature and sucking the breath right out of him. She slowly drew back and slid down to her feet. There was a dazed look in his eyes and he swayed a little, but what really amused Sabrina and Jackson were his bright red ears. The man was toast.

On their way to the women’s tee, Jackson watched Sabrina for telltale signs of pain or strain. “How’s the stiffness?”

“About the same.”

“I told you not to bother with the white lies. I can tell you’re slowing down.”

“Maybe just a little.”

“How about a soak in the Jacuzzi when we get home?”

“Mmm. I’m thinking you’re too good for me.”

“Being good to you and too good for you are two different things. You always get them mixed up.”

“Do I?” she asked with a smile.

He tugged her close and kissed her temple. “Yes, you do,” he whispered.

“I think I love you.”

“I know you do.”

She laughed. “And I think you love me.”

“Babe, I was a goner the second I saw you.”

“The second time you saw me.”

“Checking out my boys.”

“How many times do I have to tell you I was staring at your butt? You just happened to turn and catch me with my eyes in the same vicinity.”

“You’ve got a strange fixation.”

“Not from my angle, and you like my butt.”

“I love your ass.”

“There you go.”

“I’m getting better at this,” Tanya said brightly after her ball landed right where she wanted it.

“That wasn’t bad, not bad at all,” Jackson said, acknowledging her effort.

“I can still surprise,” she said, strutting away.

Peter hooked her around the waist and spun her against him. “You don’t have to convince me.”

She stretched into his kiss and grinned over at Sabrina. “Bionic woman, you’re up.”

“Bionic woman,” Sabrina muttered and bent to plunge her tee into the grass. She looked over at Jackson and smiled. “Do it. Hit me with it one more time.”

“Keep your head down,” he said, smiling back.

Even Sabrina felt how right this swing went. She turned back with a huge smile and asked, “Did that look as good as it felt? It felt fantastic!”

Jackson tugged her club out of her hand. “That was by far your best yet.”

When everyone was finally on the green, Jackson walked over and lifted the flag. He turned to Sabrina. “Sweetheart, would you go into that pocket on my bag and get me a marker so I can move my ball out of the way?”

“Sure.”

She bent and drew down the zipper. A red velvet jewelry box tumbled right into her hand. Sabrina’s mouth fell open and she turned in shock—to find all three smiling at her.