Catching Serenity (29 page)

Her dark
eyes grew larger. “
You’re
Dr. Ross? Forgive me, sweetie. I’ve heard about you moving to town, of course, but to be honest, I expected someone twenty years older and at least twenty pounds heavier with a whole lot less hair on top.” She broke into a wide grin. “You’re sure a long tall drink of water if ever I’ve seen one. You married?”

“
No, ma’am.” He felt a slow flush crawl up his neck.

She
waved her hand. “Fine looking man like you, I’m sure the women of Croisette Shores will help you out with whatever you need. Okay,” she said, giving him a sidelong grin, “I can see I’m embarrassing you, so here’s what you need to do. Go to the website for the
Croisette Shores Daily News
. I’m not sure how far back their online records go, so you might need to look at the paper on microfilm at the library. Ask for Myrtle and tell her I sent you. She’ll take good care of you and get you all set up. That should give you what you need to know.” Jillian tilted her head, brow furrowed. “If you don’t mind my asking, what exactly are you hoping to learn about that poor child?”

Jackson
’s heart palpitated as his mind raced for an answer that might satisfy her curiosity. He should have left the office when he had the opportunity and before he’d revealed his name. The way the grapevine worked, if she’d heard he was friends with Serenity, she’d probably figure out why he was interested. She’d mentioned she was new to the area, so that might be his saving grace. In a small town like this, everyone knew everybody’s else’s business. He imagined it was a mixed blessing.

Assuming what
he hoped was a neutral expression, Jackson shrugged. “In my profession, I’ve found it’s best to verify every fact for confirmation and accuracy.” Hopefully, she’d buy it and not ask any more questions.

“
Yes, I see your point. It never hurts to be too careful.” Jillian blew out a sigh. “Trust me, working in this office, I understand how important it is to get things right. Good luck with your research, Dr. Ross. Hope you find what you’re looking for.”

“
Thanks again, Ms. Montgomery. I appreciate your help.” With a wave, Jackson departed.

H
e needed to call Serenity, but what could he say? Inner Serenity was only a couple of streets over, and—as it always did—the urge to drop in at her office and say hi was overwhelming. If he stopped by today, though, he’d invariably say something out of place. As smart as Serenity was, she’d quickly pick up on the fact he was hiding something. He’d always been a terrible liar, an even worse actor. Best to stay away from her for now.

As he walked to his car,
Jackson thought over the session with Justin, recounting everything he could recall from memory from their previous sessions. Things were starting to simultaneously add up and bother him. When he got home, he’d make a list. At least as of two years ago, her mother was alive and living in Long Island, New York. And today? She might be right here in Croisette Shores with a boy who may—or may not—be Serenity’s son, Liam.

Walking back to his car, Jackson passed a ladies boutique. He paused, feeling silly, but pushed the door open and went inside. Soft music played and he heard laughter from the back of the store. One customer browsed through racks of clothing and another did the same by a display of shoes and purses.

“May I help you?” A blonde woman wearing too much makeup and about a hundred jangly bracelets on one arm moved toward him with a friendly smile.

“
Do you have any perfumes or bath...things?” he said, feeling ridiculous.

“
Yes, we have a line of products if you’d come over here with me.” He followed as she led him to a back wall. “Is there a particular scent you’re looking for?”

“
I can’t think of the name of it, but it’s honey something-or-other. Grows on bushes during the summertime? I think it’s yellow or white?”

“
Oh, you must mean honeysuckle,” she said, picking up a bottle on the display rack to read the label. “We usually have that one in the summer, so let me see what I can find.” He waited while she called to someone else. “Darla, do we have anything in honeysuckle?”

Jackson shifted from one foot to the other, hoping no one he knew came into the store until he could escape.
If pressed, he wasn’t sure he could come up with a plausible explanation for being here. When he was a boy, his mother sometimes dragged him into places like this on occasion while she shopped, and it drove him crazy. Shopping had to have been invented as a punishment for men. The only thing that would make it tolerable would be shopping for Serenity. He shoved that thought aside and tried to concentrate, although he realized he’d probably missed her birthday. The Newport Jazz Festival when her parents met would have been in August, and nine months later would have been May. Sometime in the last few weeks.

“
I think we have a body lotion in honeysuckle.”  An older woman emerged from the back, wiping her hands together and swallowing. “Sorry,” she said to him, “finishing up a snack. Let’s see what we can find. Another lady came in the other day asking about honeysuckle, too.” She gave him a quick once-over. “Maybe you know her? Tall, thin, short red hair and speaks with a more northern accent?”

His pulse quickened.
“Did she wear sunglasses?”

The woman laughed.
“Yes, she did, as a matter of fact. At least until I brought her back here. As you can see, the lighting’s not the best in this back corner, so she took them off.”

Jackson
’s mind raced as fast as his pulse. How could he find out what he wanted to know? “Did you, um, notice anything odd about her eyes?”

She tilted her head.
“What do you mean?”

Say anything
. “Well, she’s had a problem with her left eye and the ophthalmologist advised her to leave the glasses on.” He lifted his shoulders and gave her a smile. “Checking to see if she’s following the doctor’s orders.”
Forgive me, Lord.

“
Well, she seemed okay and read the label fine,” the woman said. “As a matter of fact, I noticed how blue her eyes were. They were really piercing and pretty and stood out against the color of her hair. As I recall, she bought two bottles of the honeysuckle lotion and I think this display tester bottle is the last one.”

“
Here’s the body lotion,” the first salesclerk said, pulling out a bottle and lifting the top. She offered it to him. “Take a whiff.”

As soon as he inhaled the sweet scent, Jackson recognized it
. The same one Mrs. Johnson wore. The same as lingered in Justin’s T-shirt. Honeysuckle.

The same
scent Serenity said her mother always wore.

~
CHAPTER 31~

Serenity dropped to her knees beside where
Jackson planted flowers on the church grounds—a row of pretty petunias in various shades of pink, purple, white and lavender. What an intriguing contrast to see such a big, strong man lowering the delicate blooms into the earth. Petunias were hardy, and so was Jackson. Removing a pink one from its container, he placed the flower in the hole he’d dug in the ground, taking great care to position it evenly in the row before spreading the soil around it.

He
sat back and swiped a glove-covered hand over his brow. Interestingly enough, the glove was pink and white with a paisley pattern.

“
First of all, you should have a cushion beneath your knees,” she said.

“
I’m not a girl. No offense.” His brow was furrowed, his jawline tense as he continued his work.

“
Someone’s in a good mood.” Serenity handed him a pink petunia but switched it out when he motioned at a white one tinged with pink.

“
I have a pattern going,” he said, glancing at her. “Probably what a decorator calls symmetry.”

“
You were right the first time. It’s more of a pattern. To be honest, if you’re worried about looking like a girl, then you definitely shouldn’t be wearing that girly glove.”

“
Hey, I borrowed them from Sue Martin and it’s all she had left. The manly gloves were all taken.” He grunted and positioned the next plant in the ground. “I’m not too proud to be seen in pink and white. Doesn’t offend my masculine sensibilities or whatever.”

She laughed.
“I was referring more to the paisley pattern.”

He shook his head
, but she caught a glimpse of that adorable dimple. “Are you here to work or insult me?”

“
Both.” She grinned. “You seem contrary today. Which color’s next?”

“
You tell me,” he said, “since you’re so color conscious today. Or pattern conscious. Whatever.” Reaching to the ground behind him, he tossed the matching glove at her. “Here. Better put this on so you don’t get dirt under your nails.”

“
Thanks, I think,” she said, tugging it over her hand. “I’m very cognizant of colors all the time, not just today. Because that’s what we decorators do.” She handed him a purple flower, pleased when he gave her a nod of approval.

They worked in silence for a
few minutes, planting the flowers along the low row. He dug the holes while she lowered the petunias into the ground and they alternated filling in the holes with dirt. A couple of times their hands touched and he playfully swatted her away and then she did the same. In a way, it reminded her of the way she and Danny used to play together. Silly fun stuff.

Finally, he
seemed to relax and initiated conversation. They laughed and talked about nothing in particular, enjoying the warm sunshine, slight breeze and one another’s company. She’d wait until they were done and she had Jackson’s full attention before hitting him with her questions. As it was, she was still trying to figure out how to raise the subject without just blurting it out.

When
Serenity noticed he’d stopped working, she glanced over at him. “Lazing about on the job, are we?” Laughing, she swiped a dirt-covered finger over his cheek. He mock-gasped, so she repeated it, rubbing more dirt into his tanned skin and smearing it around. She lowered her gaze, not wanting to stare at him. Breathe him in was more like it. Jackson’s bright blue tank was soaked in completely male, strategic places, and he wore shorts that showed his muscular legs to full advantage. A faint line of sweat peppered Jackson’s forehead and the skin on his shoulders glistened. She felt a bit overheated although not necessarily from the rising humidity. Sweat on a man never looked so absolutely...attractive.

“
You’re not playing fair.” His tone wasn’t teasing this time.

“
Neither are you,” she whispered. When his eyes met hers, Serenity held her breath.

With one hand, he smeared
a slow line of soil on her bare arm near her shoulder. That’s what she got for wearing a sleeveless top. Brilliant move.

She hadn
’t expected to be so sidetracked. They worked in silence again until they finished planting the last row of flowers. After Danny’s death, she never imagined she’d find another man to love. From the time she was a teenager, he’d been her world. Now she couldn’t stop thinking about Jackson with his confidence, his strength and his ability to make her believe everything could one day be “normal” again. A different kind of normal from what she’d shared with Danny, but a new normal.

“
Want to know why I didn’t smear dirt on your
face
?” Jackson tugged off his glove and gestured for her to remove the matching one she wore. “I have to say, it was mighty tempting. Took everything in me not to do it.”

“
Only if you’re dying to confess.”

“
You ponder that and I’ll be right back with water bottles.” Sprinting across the yard to a cooler beneath a tree, he chatted with one of the ladies and then left the gardening gloves on a table near the back door of the church. Serenity waved to a few of the others scattered about the yard and smiled when she spied Charlie trimming hedges. He waved and gave her a big smile as Jackson came back and handed over one of the cold bottles. She liked how he always considered her needs.

“
Want to go share a tree and some conversation, Miss Serenity?” Twisting off the cap of his bottle, he took a long swig, nearly draining the bottle.

“
I’m done pondering, so sure.” Grabbing her hand, Jackson pulled Serenity to her feet.

“
So, did you come to any conclusions?” he asked, walking beside her as they crossed the church grounds.

Unwittingly, he
’d given her the perfect segue. “Yes. I concluded there’s some things in your past I know nothing about. Things I’d like
to know.”

“
I’m happy to tell you,” he said. “Whatever you want, especially since you asked.”

Reaching
above her head, Serenity pulled down one of the sturdy evergreen leaves of a magnificent southern magnolia tree and inhaled the scent of an off-white bloom. “Bet you don’t have trees like this in Chicago. Here, take a whiff.”

Jackson
leaned closer. “Smells like lemon. That’s a surprise.”

“
I know. Kind of like sugary lemon,” she said. “Rich and sweet.”

“
Like you said, there’s a lot to love about Croisette Shores.”

She couldn
’t miss the implication of his words, but she avoided his gaze. “It’s a much slower pace of life, but that’s one of the reasons I love it so much.”

“
Yep,” he said, sliding down to sit at the base of the tree, leaning against it. “Just the way I like it.” He darted a glance at the ground beside him before tugging on her hand, catching her off-guard. Serenity tripped and landed in an awkward position on Jackson’s lap, and she cried out in surprise. Ignoring his soft laughter, she slid down to the ground beside him, her cheeks flushed with warmth.

“
Way to be subtle, Dr. Ross. Hope you enjoyed that little thrill.”

His
smile was so inviting with all those white teeth and that dimple winking at her. Charm could be a dangerous quality and Jackson had been blessed with more than his share.

“
Sorry. Guess I don’t know my own strength.”

“
Sure you do.” Leaning against the broad base of the tree, Serenity wrapped her arms around her propped knees. “Talk away. I’ve got time. My dad tells me you have quite a history, but he said I should ask you since it’s your
story to tell.”

Stretching out his long legs,
Jackson rested beside her. The pain didn’t seem to bother him today, although she’d think being on his knees to plant flowers would be hard on them. She’d prayed for his knee since that touch football game at the picnic.

“
How much did Clinton tell you, exactly?”

“
Is it true you were drafted into the NFL straight from college?”

Jackson chuckled.
“Yep, unbelievable as it sounds.”

“
What position?”

“
Wide receiver, same as in college. Let me back up a minute and give you the whole picture. I made the first-string football squad as a freshman in high school and played all four years and then got a scholarship to one of the powerhouse football schools in the country. They worked us to death, but I loved it. Expectations for the players are extremely high, to say the least. Even higher than my parents’ expectations, and that’s pressure enough to make anyone blow.” Propping his arms on his bent knees, Jackson shook his head. “The training was relentless and I was exhausted in my
bones
. I fell into bed fully-dressed most nights, no dinner, nothing. It’s a miracle I had any energy left to study.”

S
erenity smiled. “I’m still stuck on you not eating dinner. That’s serious business.”

He laughed.
“You’re not kidding. I’d grown really close to this cool older guy on the coaching staff named Gus Michaelson. Gus took some of the guys on the team, including me, under his wing. Taught us a lot, yelled at us a lot, but he made us better players. He’d been with the Bears for over twenty-three years, but he wanted to go back to college coaching the last few years of his career. Gus poured his all into the players. I mean, he was more than a mentor. That man cared for the heart and soul of each man and not just because it’d be good for the team. He was a great man and cared for the
entire
player, and he wanted the players to see the team was the sum of its parts. Some guys got too arrogant and pushed him aside. Once he helped get them where they needed to be, they forgot about old Gus.”

When a
strong, brisk wind blew a few wayward strands of hair across her eyes, Jackson tucked them behind her ear. His fingers brushed her cheek as he lowered his hand.

“
But
you
never forgot him, did you?”

“
No, I didn’t. He’s also the one who led me to the Lord. Believe it or not, it started at the dinner table one night. His wife, Helen, invited me over to their house at least once a week.”

She laughed.
“I can see it now. Pass the potatoes, please. Jackson, did you know the Lord loves you like you love mashed potatoes? This explains so much. Maybe that’s where the whole idea of seeing Jesus in a potato chip began.”

“
Could be.” He laughed with her. “It’s not really anything overly dramatic, but never one to pass up an opportunity to share about spiritual things, he seized the moment and laid out the plan of salvation. He grabbed his pen and drew on his napkin, kind of like a game plan in the locker room.”

Jackson
’s smile sobered. “My story turned ugly. You can’t sugar coat it, any way you look at it.”

She met his gaze.
“If you
didn’t
have any skeletons in your closet, I doubt you’d be sitting here with me now. Nothing you can tell me will change my opinion of you.” The softening in his eyes matched what was happening in her heart.

“
That means more than you know.” Jackson shifted his position and blew out a long breath. “My junior year in college, a couple of the guys started taking performance enhancing drugs to keep them strong. They found ways to get around the testing and convinced me to try them. I was low on my game one day, and—like an idiot—I tried them. Problem was, I liked it and kept taking them for a few months. My game improved and I had some stellar performances. We won a lot of games, all based on stupid lies.” Staring at the ground, Jackson picked at the grass between his propped legs.

“
What happened?”

“
Gus
happened. He hauled us into the locker room and reamed us out. I’d never seen him so mad. His cheeks were flaming red, his eyes bulged, and I was afraid he’d blow a gasket or fall dead on the spot from a massive coronary. Most of the guys laughed in his face and walked away, telling him to mind his own business, and I think some even threatened him to keep quiet. Before I knew it, I was the only one left in the locker room.” Jackson glanced over at her. “I couldn’t leave him there. Not after what some of those idiots said to him. He deserved better.”