Rori and Jackson: The Sons of Dusty Walker (3 page)

After closing the bedroom door behind him, he padded into
the kitchen and started a half-pot of coffee brewing. Leaning on the counter as
the dark brew trickled slowly into the carafe, he checked his phone. His
architect, Louisa Verdigra, had emailed some questions for him about the site
visit they’d done together yesterday. She’d already gone back to her office in
KC, and was busy working on the blueprints he’d commissioned.

Jackson responded, and told her to call if she needed more
information. He wanted to surprise Rori with the finished drawings by the end
of the month.

He and his brothers had chosen their plots of land on Osprey
Lake, two on each side of Dusty’s big house. They’d decided to go by age, in
case there was a plot that more than one of them wanted. It went smoothly, each
of them having a preference for a different plot, amazingly.

With Rori’s help, Jackson had chosen one near a small inlet
with tall weeds for fishing. He envisioned a long dock with an extension in
that direction, where he could spend hours casting and reeling in the big ones.
He flexed his right hand where the hook had gone in. It wasn’t too sore, but
the small scar would be a permanent reminder of one of the craziest bonding
experiences he’d ever had.

He checked his emotions again, thinking about this next step
in his life. Mixed. He wanted Rori in his life, he missed her when he was
traveling. But the commitment of a house together? That seemed to get his
nerves edgy. Was that why he’d kept his visits with the architect a secret
instead of just bringing Rori in on the planning from the beginning? Was he
somehow giving himself room to back out if things didn’t work out with her?

“Hell.” Why wouldn’t things work out with Rori? She was
everything he’d ever dreamed of finding in a woman, a lover, and someone to
share the rest of his days with. His relationship with her had gone farther—a
lot
farther—than he’d ever gone before. Where were his doubts coming from?

A knock sounded on the downstairs back door.

He checked his watch. Seven-fifteen? It had to be a personal
visit, or they’d be ringing the doorbell on the street side of the building. He
didn’t want to wake Rori, but he didn’t have a shirt on. “Ah, hell.” He’d tell
whoever it was to come back later, when she was awake.

He opened the upper door and jogged barefoot down the steps.
Cracking open the outside door, he peeked out.

“Surpri…” The female voice trailed off. “Oh.”

Jackson opened it a few more inches. An older woman with
short, brown hair and brown eyes glanced at his bare chest.

“Oh, uh…” A man’s voice. He held a small package wrapped in
orange paper. Standing next to the woman, he topped her by nearly six inches.
His black hair, and eyes the color of the noon sky immediately reminded Jackson
of the photo in Rori’s bedroom. Hair and eyes just like Rori’s.

Her parents. Shit.

“Hi there.” Jackson had probably never spoken more
unintelligent words in his life. Standing there, shirtless, barefoot, wearing
just his jeans, he held on to the handle of the door that led to the back
entrance to Rori’s apartment.
Their
apartment. Evidently, her parents
didn’t know anything about
that
arrangement.

The woman held a box with a huge, frosted sweet roll in it,
bearing a lit candle. She bent forward and blew it out. “We’re looking for
Rori?” Her gaze shot upward to the open door at the top of the steps.

Jackson needed to pull himself together. He wasn’t seventeen
any more, getting caught with a girl in his room. “She’s still in bed…still
asleep.” He stepped back, opening the door and gesturing upstairs. “Please come
in, and I’ll wake her.”

The man looked at his wife. “Should we just come back?” He
looked extremely uncomfortable.

She shrugged and smiled at Jackson. “We’ve already passed
the most awkward part, Simon.” Rori’s mother walked past them both and started
up the steps. “Let’s just brave our way through this.”

The man held out his hand. “Simon Hughes.”

Jackson gripped it. “Jackson Walker.”

Halfway up the steps, Rori’s mother stopped and turned.
“You’re one of Dusty’s sons?”

“Yes, ma’am. I’m the rodeo cowboy.” He didn’t know why he
said that, but as long as they were getting the dirty laundry out, he figured
he’d might as well give them the whole clothesline full.

“Huh. Well, that’s something.” She wandered up the rest of
the steps, her husband close behind her.

Jackson had no idea what she meant by that. He looked out
the back door. Tempting. If only he had his keys, his boots, his wallet, he
could make a run for it. “Chicken shit.” He closed the door and followed the parade
upstairs.

The scent of coffee hit him as he shut the upstairs door. “I
just made a fresh pot. Help yourself while I…” He gestured to the bedroom.

“Thanks. We’ll just make ourselves at home.” Rori’s mother
set down the pastry box and opened the correct cabinet for coffee cups. Holding
up a mug, she looked at Jackson. “I’m guessing you’ll need one of these?”

He lifted his brows. “Sure will, and I do believe your
daughter might, also.”

She chuckled, sounding a lot like Rori, as she got to work
pouring coffee. Her husband plopped down on the couch in the living room and
picked up a computer magazine.

Jackson hightailed it into the bedroom, closing the door and
leaning against it for a second. Holy hell. The “meeting the parents” step was
something Jackson figured would have happened sooner or later, and so far, he’d
been successfully pushing it out later and later. This morning’s surprise
visit, though? This was more like something he’d seen in a big-screen comedy.

Rori stirred. “Hi, cowboy.” The words rolled sexily out of
her pouty lips. She stretched her arms above her head and made a sultry
groaning sound.

“You might want to keep it down a bit.” He pulled a fresh
T-shirt from the drawer and tugged it on. “You’ve got company.”

“Company?” She rubbed her eyelids. “This early? Why would…”
She gasped and shot to a sitting position. “What’s the date today?”

“It’s October 1. Why?”

She used both fists to knock on her head. “Mom and Dad.”

“How did you know?” He frowned at her.

As she pulled on underthings, sweatpants, and a loose
sweatshirt, she mumbled something about them always showing up, and why hadn’t
she kept her eye on the calendar. Running a brush through her silky hair, she
let out a long breath. “I’ve been so distracted lately, I lost track of the
days.” She dropped the brush and ran to the door. “I’m sorry.”

What was going on? “Wait, what…”

She yanked open the door. “Hi!” Nearly shouting the word,
she ran out and gave her parents hugs.

He followed, seeing the filled coffee mugs on the small
table, along with the giant roll with the candle, knives and forks, and four
plates set out like they were expecting to all sit and eat together.

Jackson stayed back as Rori and her parents talked about
everything except the Jackson-sized elephant in the room.

Rori turned to him. “You’ve met Jackson.”

“We have.” Simon pulled out a chair at the table and sat.

“Mina.” Rori’s mother held out her hand. “Good to meet you,
officially.”

They each took a chair, Jackson and Rori across from each
other.

Simon pulled a lighter from his pocket and reignited the
candle. “Are we singing?”

Rori shook her head. “No, we are not.”

Mina smiled. “Okay, baby girl. Happy birthday.”

Jackson’s gaze shot to Mina’s then to Rori’s. “It’s your
birthday?” Shit, had he said that out loud?”

Her cheeks turning pink, Rori blew out the candle and used a
knife to cut the roll in quarters.

“Our girl.” Simon sipped his coffee and gave Jackson a look.
“She’s never liked celebrating her birthday.”

“Yet, here you are.” Rori gave her dad a smile along with
her words. “Making me celebrate it anyway.”

Jackson felt a little relief that he hadn’t totally missed
any hints from her about her big day. “You know, Rori, you still get a year
older, even if you don’t celebrate it.”

The room went silent.

Shit, had he just said that out loud? What the fuck was
wrong with him?

Rori let out a laugh. “Shut up.” Her parents laughed at
that, and the tension eased a bit. They talked about Cyber Wise, D. Walker
Mineral, and about the school where her parents taught and the vacation they’d
had during the summer break.

Simon stood. “We have a surprise for you.”

Rori shook her head. “You didn’t have to do that.”

“We know.” Mina patted her daughter’s hand. “But this is
something we’ve been talking about for a couple of years.”

“Uh oh.” Rori pulled an exaggerated frightened face at
Jackson.

Simon brought the wrapped package to the table and set it in
front of his daughter. “We want you to be closer to us.”

Rori’s brows dropped. “What is it?” She ripped off the paper
and lifted off the top of the box. A framed picture sat in tissue paper. She
lifted it out. “A storefront?” Turning the picture toward Jackson, Rori looked
at her parents. “Thanks. I feel closer to you already.”

The Hughes both laughed, but Jackson had a sick feeling in
his stomach.

“We’ve gone and done something impulsive.” Mina grimaced.
“We’ve rented this store for you. In Kansas City.”

Rori’s face colored then blanched. “What?” She turned the
picture around and stared at it. “Really?” A smile broke across her face.
“That’s so amazing.” She jumped up and hugged her mother, then her father.

Jackson forced a smile on his face. “That is a really great
gift.” They wanted Rori to move home to KC? Away from Red Creek? Away from him?
A lump formed in his throat and he gulped some coffee to keep it from
expanding.

Rori and her parents chatted while Jackson made more coffee
and served it, his gut aching as he heard her plans for the new place. KC
wasn’t that far away. They’d see each other often after she moved. Wouldn’t
they?

Her parents stood. “Well, we should get going. We have early
check-in at the motel.”

Jackson looked at Rori, seeing her disappointment. She
really loved her parents, and didn’t see them often enough. “If you’d like,
you’re welcome to stay at Dusty’s house out on the lake. Rori, too. There are a
lot of empty rooms.” He hated to see them using the old motel at the edge of
town when they could be in a comfortable place, making Marliss and Lou happy to
have something to do.

“That’s kind of you, but…” Simon looked at his wife. “We’re
planning to stay three nights.”

“That’s perfect.” Jackson swallowed, missing Rori already.
“You three can have some time together.”

“Jackson.” Rori looked confused. “You’d be there too,
right?” She took his hand. “So we can all get to know each other.”

“Sure.” He glanced at the uncertain looks on her parents’
faces. “If that’s what you’d like.”

Mina shrugged. “It sounds lovely to me.”

Jackson pulled out his phone. “Let me make sure none of my
brothers are planning a retreat out there, or a stag party.” He texted. Within
seconds, three replies came in. Less than a minute after sending a text to
Marliss, he received a reply telling him to
bring ‘em out here!

“The coast is clear.” Jackson smiled. “Should we all head
out to the lake?”

****

At Dusty’s house, Rori settled into the bedroom Jackson had
claimed as his own, and her parents took a room down the hall. Jackson brought
his things as well, at Rori’s insistence, placing them in another room a little
ways away. For the sake of her parents.

Marliss and Lou were excited to have people to fuss over,
and the birthday pontoon ride they all took, with Jackson’s trademark grilled
cheese-stuffed hamburgers, charmed her parents until they treated the cowboy
like he was already one of the family.

On the way back to the house, Jackson swung over toward the
property he’d chosen for himself, with Rori’s help. She’d loved that day, when
they’d walked the long spit of lakeshore he favored, and she agreed it was the
perfect place. After that, he’d never said any more about it. As if he’d
changed his mind about moving out to the lake. She shook off the panic. It
seemed everything lately was making her question what she and Jackson had.
Their connection, their future, their hope of finding a perfect balance between
his two jobs and her very time-consuming one.

Especially now, with her parents renting a storefront for
her in KC. When would she have time to get it set up and find someone to work
there? It was very sweet of them to do, but she wished they’d waited until she
was ready to expand Cyber Wise.

Jackson throttled back the pontoon. About fifty feet up from
the shore, a couple of big tanks sat, and a rectangular piece of ground had
been leveled.

“What’s all that?” Rori sat up as her parents stood to see.

“I’m putting a mobile home out here.” Jackson coasted slowly
along the shoreline. “Until water and power can be run, it’ll be holding tanks
and a generator, but I think it will be a good fit.” He winked at Rori.

She felt her heart drop. A mobile home? What had happened to
his plans to build a big, sturdy, permanent home? To move out here and live? To
have her with him, and start their life together? She forced a smile. “Good
idea. The portable tanks and things.” She felt sick to her stomach.

“It just came up last week. Abby, at the office…” He
clarified for her parents. “Her cousin has a business setting these up for
places that don’t have utilities run to them.”

Could this project and the woman at the motel be connected?
“Is Abby’s cousin a woman?”

“Ah, no.” Jackson looked at her for a few seconds. “Why?”

Rori shrugged and shook her head. What was going on with
this man?

“The double-wide will be delivered tomorrow, then the
furniture comes the day after.” Jackson kept eying Rori, as if he knew
something wasn’t right.

Simon walked toward the console. “This is a nice piece of
land.” He gestured to the far end, where cattails and lily pads took up a lot
of space. “Good fishing here?”

“Hell, yeah!” Jackson grinned. “Pardon my language, ladies.”
He looked at Simon. “Do you fish?”

Her dad moved closer and sat, and the two guys talked
fishing as they headed back to the dock.

“What’s wrong, baby girl?” Her mother sat and wrapped her
arm around Rori’s shoulders.

How could she tell her mother that the man she’d met seven
weeks ago had stolen her heart? How could she explain that he was having
nightmares that sent him traveling around the country pursuing a rodeo career
when he could be staying in Red Creek with her, working at his father’s
company, and finding a life with Rori?

If she told her mother that Jackson put a mobile home on his
property as a subtle beacon, a warning to Rori that he was a temporary-kind of
guy, Mina would think her daughter was insane.

“Just so much to think about.” Rori put her head on her
mom’s shoulder. “The storefront, the new guy in my life, and why the hell my
parents refuse to believe I hate my birthday.”

Mina laughed. “I’m sorry. But you have to remember, the day
you were born…” She sighed. “Baby girl, that was the most perfect and
incredible experience of our lives, for your father and me.” Her mom kissed the
top of Rori’s head. “Think of it as not a celebration for you, but a
celebration
of
you. The day you came into our lives.”

Rori’s eyes filled with tears. “Oh, Mom.” She let loose with
a sob then started crying silently. Everything going on in her life right now
just overwhelmed her, and her mother’s comforting arm felt so wonderful.

The guys looked over, but Mina just smiled and waved them
back to their conversation.

Rori got control of herself and dried her tears. Why didn’t
cowboys come with an instruction booklet, written in five languages?

Late that night, once her parents were settled in their
room, Jackson snuck into Rori’s.

He undressed then slipped under the covers bare-naked and
spooned her, pressing his cool body against her warm one. She’d been tossing
and turning. “What if my parents and I had decided to swap rooms?”

He laughed and she shushed him. “Then I guess this would be
another half-naked cowboy surprise for them.” He kissed her shoulder. “Why
didn’t you tell me it was your birthday?”

“I don’t like to celebrate it.” She reached back and put her
hand on his hip. “I was not a popular girl in school. I didn’t have friends
because I was too smart, too klutzy, and the teachers’ kid.” Those were hard
times, but nothing compared to what she was going through right now with
Jackson.

“No one wanted to come to your parties?” He sounded so sad.