Jackson's Destiny (Sawyer Brothers #2) (3 page)

Chapter Four

Jackson

Thank God my brothers had insisted I load myself up with a shit-ton of coffee, followed by enough water to flush out all the alcohol I had consumed last night. Because now I was sitting in Ryan’s truck as he drove me to Cameron Lane.

Once I was behind the wheel of Bailey’s Jeep, I would be driving straight to Noah’s place to pick her ass up. It didn’t matter how much I had going through my head right now. If she was staying anywhere other than her own apartment, it sure as shit would not be at my single brother’s cabin.

Bailey and I had been skirting around one another since the night Ryan and Amber found us at the side of the barn during our last annual cookout at the ranch. Both of us had a little too much to drink, and if they hadn’t stopped us when they did, I’m more than positive we would have had sex right there. Yeah, not one of my finest moments, especially since I was trying to convince Bay I was interested in her and wasn’t the playboy I used to be.

“What are ya planning over there?” Ryan asked as he turned off the gravel road onto Cameron Lane.

“Nothin’,” I said.

“You got that look on your face. The one you get when shit’s happening and you’re taking control.” Ryan knew how I worked, and he wasn’t buying my shit.

“I don’t know what’s going on with Bailey, and from the sound of it, neither does your woman. But I sure as hell ain’t leaving her in the care of Noah,” I said as I looked up the road just as Bailey’s red Jeep Wrangler came into view. She had only bought it a few weeks ago, and the thing was still shiny. I knew she was proud of it because it was the first vehicle she had ever bought for herself.

“What if she wants to be in Noah’s care?” Ryan asked.

I swiveled to face him and narrowed my eyes. “Ask me if I give a fuck,” I growled. “No, I don’t. I may not have gone about things with her the right way in the beginning. I may be shitfaced with my own grief, and my head may be full off all kinds of garbage right now, but the last thing I will allow to happen is Noah sliding in to be the man that was there for her when she needed a shoulder. So whether she wants to or not, her ass will be walking out of Noah’s place with me.” I turned back to look out the windshield as Ryan slowed to a stop just behind her Jeep. “Either that or I’ll be dropping her at Heavenly Temptations, but those are her only choices.”

When Ryan stopped the car, I pushed open the door and slammed it behind me as I stalked to the Jeep. After I found the keys under the floor mat, I started it up and did a U-turn in the road, then headed back toward the gravel road that led to my cabin and Noah’s. I took the left turn on the Y-shaped fork in the road which separated our homes, and drove up the hill to Noah’s place.

My father had given each of us a piece of land to build a house on, and Noah and I chose the property near Owen Lake. It was the second biggest lake on the ranch and the perfect location for a home. When we both wanted that spot, Dad insisted we divide the property in half, using the lake as the barrier. Noah went simple—a two-bedroom cabin with an open floor plan. I had to outdo him, of course, and went more extravagant.

I skidded to a stop next to his cruiser and placed the Jeep in park. I left it running because I had no intention of staying long. I was here to get the girl. My boots clicked against the wood porch as I climbed the steps. The front door was slightly ajar, and I entered without as much as a knock to announce my presence.

I found Noah in the kitchen drinking a can of Pepsi, and Bailey was nowhere in sight.

“Where is she?” I growled.

He spun on his heel to face me, and a knowing grin pulled at his lips. “Hey, brother.”

“I asked where Bailey was.”

He nodded toward the door just off his kitchen, which led to the bathroom. I leaned my hip against the edge of the counter and crossed my arms over my chest.

“She’s fine to stay here. I think she just needs a little cooldown time,” Noah said.

“She ain’t staying here,” I said, not taking my eyes off the closed door. “She needs someplace to crash, she can do that at my place.”

“What if she would rather stay with me?” Noah taunted.

I knew he was baiting me, but I didn’t bite. Instead, I focused on the door and waited. The moment the handle rattled, I pushed off the counter and walked toward Bailey as she stepped out of the bathroom. She turned and looked up as I approached, and her reddened eyes widened in surprise. She’d clearly been crying, which pulled at my heart, and she immediately looked at the floor to hide her face from me.

I cupped her chin and turned her head so she had no choice but to look up at me. “You ready?” I asked.

She looked back at me in confusion. “Ready for what?” My chest tightened again at the shakiness of her voice.

“I’m taking you with me to my place.” It was an order, not an offer. The moment she started to shake her head, I smiled. Like she had a choice. “You can come willingly, or I can just pick your ass up and carry you to the Jeep. You choose, sweetheart, but those two are your only options.”

She glared at me and went into her “I am Bailey, and you have no control over me” stance by putting her hand on her hip and cocking it out. She narrowed her eyes and wrinkled her nose in defiance. “You can’t force me.”

“You wanna bet?” I fired back.

“I’ll call the cops.” She looked over at Noah like he was gonna help.

“Darlin’, we’re standing in the home of one of the town’s police officers, and that sure as shit ain’t gonna stop me from loading you up and taking you to my place.”

I chuckled as she swallowed hard, making her throat bob. When she didn’t move, I knelt, grabbed her around the waist, and then tossed her up over my shoulder.

“Noah,” she squealed as she pounded her fists against my back. “Help me, dammit.”

I turned around and found Noah hiding his laughter behind his closed fist. He made no move to come to her rescue, which was in his best interest. I walked right past him with a kicking, squealing Bailey and carried her outside to the Jeep, where I yanked open the passenger door and dropped her inside, then closed the door just as she opened her mouth to argue with me. She tried to climb out, but I shut the door the second she opened it, then glared at her through the window.

I almost laughed when she huffed in irritation and crossed her arms over her chest before turning away from me. As I walked around the front of the Jeep and crawled in the driver’s side, she looked at me with a scowl, as if that would somehow intimidate me. Yeah, Bailey had always been feisty like that, and I couldn’t help but smile. This reminded me of the first time I hit on her and she sassed me, even though I could tell she was interested. She tried to hide it but always failed miserably. For the first time in four days, I felt a little lighter. Like a bit of the tremendous weight that had been bringing me down was lifted. I started the Jeep and cocked an eyebrow at the still-scowling blonde bombshell at my side. “You done pitching a fit?”

“You done being an ass?” she countered.

I shrugged and could no longer hold back my smile. “That depends on whether you’re done throwing a tantrum.”

“A tantrum?” she asked. “I do believe you’re the one throwing a tantrum. Showing up here and dragging me out. I was just fine with Noah.”

The smile fell from my lips, and I leaned over the console, bringing my face closer to hers. “Noah will not be the man offering you support. Not today, not ever. You need a shoulder to lean on—” I leaned in just a little closer, and she didn’t pull away. “—that shoulder will be mine.”

We spent a few seconds glaring at each other before I settled back against the seat, started the Jeep, and backed down Noah’s drive. I glanced back just in time to see him walking down his driveway toward his cruiser, shaking his head and smiling brightly.

Asshole knew this shit would fire me up, I realized then. He brought Bailey here to pull me out of my rut, and I walked right in to his trap without hesitation.

Chapter Five

Bailey

I wanted to smack him one second and kiss him the next. Jackson was infuriating. He was commanding and controlling, and goddamn it, he was sexy on top of all those things that drove me bat-shit crazy.

I refused to look over at him and instead concentrated on the scenery as he drove back down the gravel drive before turning up his own. I now found myself on the opposite side of the lake that separated Noah and Jackson’s houses.

Noah lived simple and rugged. Jackson, on the other hand, was more flashy and elaborate. I had never seen his A-frame cabin up close until now, and I was surprised by how beautiful it was. It was surrounded by a huge deck, and the north side that faced the lake was lined with large floor-to-ceiling windows. The landscaping was immaculate, and trimmed and well-manicured bushes lined the drive. He even had colorful flowers planted near the front of his house and surrounding his deck, which stretched out over the water on his side of the lake and included a gazebo. It was very impressive.

I’d been so busy staring in awe, I just now noticed my Jeep had come to a stop.

“Why so quiet, Fireball? You like what you see?”

I jumped at the sound of his voice and turned in the seat until our eyes met. I couldn’t help but smile at the sight of him. His grin was a thing of beauty, and that dimple in his left cheek melted away any irritation I had left. That smile worked every time, and I was sure he was aware of its effect.

“It’s beautiful,” I said.

His smile grew wider, and he nodded toward the front of the cabin. “Let’s go inside, get us a drink, and then we can sit down and you can fill me in on what has got you so upset.”

I shook my head and started to tell him it was nothing, but he stopped me immediately with a determined look. “Don’t even think about trying that whole ‘it’s nothing’ game. Ain’t gonna work, darlin’. I know you got some shit rolling around in that head of yours, and you need to get it out.”

He helped me out of the Jeep and placed his hand in the small of my back as he led me toward his front door. When we were inside, he pulled two water bottles from his fridge and nodded toward the couch. “Take a seat, Bailey. Whether you want to talk or not, we’re staying here until you choose to share.”

“Don’t you have a horse to train or a fence to fix?” I asked as I sat down. Sadness immediately filled his eyes, and I wanted to kick myself for bringing up the ranch. “Sorry,” I offered as he sat next to me. I laid my hand on his thigh. “I wasn’t thinking.”

“It’s okay.” He shrugged. “It’ll get easier. It just takes time, I guess.”

“You have something I never had,” I said, knowing I had just opened the door for a conversation I wasn’t sure I truly wanted to start. But it would be worth it to distract him from thinking about his loss.

“Oh yeah? What’s that?”

When he took the bait, I had no choice but to go forward. “You have an amazing support system. A group of people who love you and hate that you feel so alone in this.” I gently squeezed his thigh to emphasize just how true my statement was.

His gaze was focused on my hand as his jaw ticked. When he didn’t speak, I felt horrible for changing the subject to make it about his feelings and turmoil. Finally, he swallowed hard and looked up at me. His expression was so intense, I could feel the heat rising in my neck, and my ears felt like they were on fire.

“Does that team of supporters include you too, Bailey?”

“Definitely,” I whispered without hesitation.

A grin pulled gently at the corners of his lips as he nodded and looked out the large windows at the open land of the ranch that spread out for miles just beyond the porch. The ranch was his father’s pride and joy, and Jackson obviously loved it just as much. He was silent for only a moment before turning back to face me, his expression softer. “What has you so upset?”

“I don’t want to upset you.”

“Me?” he asked. “How would whatever you have to say upset me?”

I weighed my words, rearranging them over and over in my head. How could I tell a man who just lost his father—his best friend—that his loss reminded me of my own?

“Do you know anything about my past? My family?”

He shook his head, and I took in a deep breath. I had a feeling a lot of tears were about to be shed.

“I had a brother,” I began.

“Had?” he asked as he moved just a little closer, placing his arm over the back of the couch.

I nodded and took a moment to calm my racing heart before I continued. “Gabe was older than me, and he was always my best friend, my protector. He was the most amazing big brother. No matter what, I could count on him. When he graduated high school, he enlisted in the military.”

I leaned forward and grabbed my bottle of water from the coffee table. After I twisted the cap and took a drink, I rolled the cap between my fingers. I needed something to focus on; Jackson’s eyes were too intense.

“He eventually was deployed to Afghanistan, and we wrote every week—more often if we could. With each letter I could sense the change in him, but I never thought too much about it. I knew it had to be rough, and those conditions would be hard to live in day after day.”

I tensed as Jackson ran his hand along my upper back and twisted my hair away from my face.

“When he came back, we all thought he just needed time, some space to settle back into everyday life.” Tears began to form in my eyes. “But I couldn’t have been more wrong. We were all so wrong.” A sob escaped me. Jackson wrapped his arm around my shoulders and pulled me closer to him.

“He needed someone to save him, and we all failed. When I went over one day to make him get help, I was too late.”

I started to shake as I curled against Jackson’s chest. “I found him in his apartment. The image of my brother hanging from that beam is something I will never forget.”

“Bailey,” Jackson whispered, and I instantly felt horrible for dumping all this on him. I tried to sit up, but he pulled me closer and rested his lips against my temple. “I’m so sorry, sweetheart.” I could hear the tremble in his voice.

“You don’t need this right now with everything you have—”

“You can always talk to me. No matter what, I’m here,” he assured me.

“It’s just with the loss of your…”

“My father.”

I nodded against his chest. “It just brought back a lot of the feelings I had tucked away. Feelings I avoided.”

A silence set in between us.

“Carla being here in my face doesn’t help much, either. That woman makes me feel destructive and slightly murderous.”

I breathed in his manly scent as I felt him take in a deep, shuddering breath. “That woman is enough to make even a pastor feel hellish,” he offered with a chuckle.

“Yeah, especially when she slept with my father and ruined my mother’s life.” I squeezed my eyes shut, fighting back the tears that burned my eyes.

“What?”

I only nodded and opened my eyes as he pushed back and looked down at me. As the silence stretched on, he watched me as if waiting for a sign he’d misheard me.

“My family was already falling apart slowly after Gabe’s death. Carla made a ploy for my father and worked her skank charm. When she gloated about how she’d slept with him, she single-handedly finalized the end of my parents’ marriage. She also drove my mother into having a breakdown. She still hasn’t recovered.” I shrugged, because what the hell else was there left to say?

“Does Amber know?”

I shook my head, and he pulled me back against his chest. We sat in silence with only the sounds of our breathing filling the room as he stroked my arm, offering me the comfort I needed.

Jackson, the overpowering man his brothers refer to as Hercules, had a gentle side. Yes, he was dominant and had no problem doing things his way whether people agreed with his tactics or not, but he was also compassionate.

My eyelids grew heavy as he held me, and the emotional strain of the day slowly faded. I was hanging on the edge of consciousness when he kissed my temple and whispered, “You got me, Bay. You always have me in your corner.”