Jackson’s Jewel

Chapter Five

It was so unexpected that Emerald laughed. Satisfaction flashed in his eyes and she knew that that was what he’d intended. Jackson was proving to be a much more complex man than she’d first suspected. He wanted her to relax so she’d spill more of her secrets. The man was diabolical and totally irresistible because, beneath the humor, she sensed that he really was interested in her, really wanted to know.

The lie had been bothering her since she’d first uttered it and it was time to come clean. “I lied to your sister.”

All signs of humor fled as Jackson slowly sat up straight. Emerald had the urge to flee. Not that he’d done anything threatening, but menace poured off him in waves. This was not a man to cross. “About?” His tone was mild, but she wasn’t fooled.

“Jones is not my last name.” She paused and took a deep breath. “It’s Jewel.”

His eyebrows came together in a frown. “I don’t understand. Why would you lie about something like that?” Some of the angry tension seeped out of him. He seemed more quizzical now than mad.

“My name is Emerald Jewel. My sisters are Sapphire Jewel and Topaz Jewel.” She watched his face for recognition, but saw none. She could have saved herself a lot of headache by not lying in the first place. Seems as if he didn’t have a clue who she was or who her parents were.

“You say that like it’s supposed to mean something to me.” He shook his head. “The names are unusual to say the least.”

Emerald laughed. “I guess my ego was a bit too big. I was afraid that someone might recognize the name, and I’m trying not to attract attention.”

Jackson pushed back from the table and ambled to the counter. He poured up two mugs of coffee and brought them back to the table, handing one to her. “Why don’t we go out and sit down on the back porch and watch the sun go down?”

As Emerald took the mug from him, his fingers brushed against hers. She shivered. “Okay, but I want to put the dishes in the sink to soak first.”

Jackson sighed as he plunked his mug down on the table and began to pile the dishes. “I’ll help. The quicker we get this done, the quicker we can continue our chat.”

Bowing to the inevitable, Emerald quickly put away what was left of the lasagna and rolls. Jackson eyed the plate as she covered it with plastic wrap and headed to the refrigerator. “You can have it for lunch tomorrow.”

He laughed. “That obvious, am I?”

She shrugged but secretly was pleased by how much he’d enjoyed the simple meal. “There would have been salad too, but you didn’t have anything in the house I could use to make one. I made a grocery list. It’s on the table.” She tugged open the refrigerator and popped the plate onto an empty shelf. “If you want to eat, you need to buy groceries.”

“Erin usually runs into town a couple times a week. I’ll have her take you tomorrow and show you around town. She can help you with the shopping and let you know what I like. Then next time, you’ll be able to go on your own.”

“Sounds good to me.”

“I’ll call her now.” While Jackson used the phone, Emerald took the time to wash the dishes and stack them in the drain tray to air dry. She hated having dirty dishes sitting around. Jackson glanced her way and raised a questioning eyebrow. She just shrugged and continued to scrub the lasagna pan.

She listened with half an ear as he talked with Erin, hearing the underlying affection between them. She squeezed her eyes shut as tears pricked them. She missed Sapphire and Topaz so much and she’d only been gone a couple of days. The main problem was that she had no idea when she’d be able to see them again.

“I would have helped you with that.” She jumped and almost dropped the pan. He’d finished on the phone and come up behind her when she wasn’t paying attention.

He was so close she could feel the heat coming off his large body. She had an urge to lean back against him and rub her ass against his erection. Instead, she carefully placed the pan in the drain tray and pulled the plug in the sink. When the dirty water was gone, she cleaned the sink and then hung the dishcloth to dry. “I know.”

Neither of them moved and then she thought she felt the slight brush of his lips against the top of her head. Then he was gone. Her knees felt weak, but she forced herself not to slump against the sink. Taking a deep breath, she turned and casually walked back to the table and picked up her mug of coffee.

“Erin said she’d pick you up at eight tomorrow morning. Better to get in and out of town early before it gets too hot.”

“I’ll be ready.”

Jackson held the door for her, his body blocking most of the doorway. She had to angle her body to slide past him and her hip grazed his groin. He groaned and her hand shook, threatening to spill her coffee. She grasped the mug with both hands and quickly sat down on the top of the three steps that led from the yard to the porch.

Jackson eased himself down onto one of the two large patio chairs that sat just to the right. Emerald loved the covered wraparound porch. The view of the orchards and farmland from every side of the house was spectacular and it could be used pretty much year-round. “This porch needs a swing.” She’d always wanted a porch swing and this two-story farmhouse just cried out for one.

“We have one. I just never bothered to put it up this year. Erin used it more than myself or Nathan did.”

And Erin wasn’t here anymore. Emerald could sense the thread of loneliness hovering just below his words. “You miss her, don’t you?” She turned sideways, resting her back against the top post of the stairs so she could see him better.

“Yeah.” He took a sip of his coffee and laid the mug on the wide arm. “I was more father to her than older brother. Both she and Nathan got married last year.”

“Erin mentioned that.”

He nodded and Emerald realized that he wasn’t going to say any more about the subject. “Tell me about you and your sisters. Why did you think I’d recognize your name? Are you famous?”

Jackson said the last half jokingly, but Emerald didn’t laugh. She nodded and then shook her head. “We’re not famous, not really. But our parents are.”

“Who are they, Emerald?” He kept his voice calm and low. A million questions were clamoring to be asked, but he wouldn’t press her too hard. Not yet. He’d have his answers one way or another.

She sighed. “Moon and Aloysius Jewel were a popular folk duo in the late Sixties and early Seventies. They had hits like ‘Under the Moon’ and ‘Sweet City Nights’.”

Jackson was surprised and impressed. “I know both those songs, although I couldn’t have told you who sang them.”

Emerald nodded as she picked at a loose thread on her jeans. “They were really big for a few years, but then came disco.”

She laughed and shook her head. The motion caused some of her black curls to slip from their anchoring clip and cascade over her shoulder so that one lock caressed her breast. Jackson longed to stroke that lock of hair and the nipple that it covered. He shook himself as he realized that Emerald was talking again.

“Long story short, Mom got pregnant with Topaz and they retired from touring. Dad found that he had a knack for managing money and making more and so they retired to upstate New York, bought a house and started a family.”

Jackson knew that there had to be a lot more to it than that, but it was a start. Still, the question nagged at him. “Why the unusual names?”

Emerald smiled and it lit up her entire face. “Mom and Dad were hippies and they wanted unusual names for us. With a last name like Jewel, they decided to name us after the birthstone of the month we were born in. Topaz was born in November, Sapphire was born in September and I was born in May.”

“That’s…” He tried to find a diplomatic way of putting it. “Different.”

Emerald chuckled. “It is that. I’ve just always been grateful that I wasn’t born in March.”

“Why March?”

“Would you want to be stuck with the name Aquamarine?” She laughed and it was overflowing with the love that she obviously felt for her family. Suddenly he was filled with a burning need to have that love for himself. He shook himself. What was he thinking? He was fine by himself here on the farm, and besides which, she obviously wasn’t staying. She’d grown up amongst the rich and the famous. A daughter of music stars. He was a farmer.

Emerald was clutching her stomach, she was laughing so hard. “I often wonder what they would have done if they’d had boys instead of girls.”

It boggled the mind. Jackson just sat back and enjoyed the sight of Emerald laughing. She was so beautiful that she took his breath away. “I’ll bet you met lots of famous people growing up.”

“Sure.” She was still smiling as she leaned back against the post again and took another sip of coffee. “There were always people coming and going. Plus, Mom and Dad would do the occasional guest appearance on some television special or award show. They still write songs, but now they just let other singers do them. Mom jokes that she’s too old to be on the road, but honestly she looks as beautiful now as she did in the Sixties. Maybe even more so.”

“You must take after her then.”

Emerald glanced away, but not before he saw the telltale blush on her cheeks. “Thank you.”

“Do you and your sisters sing?”

“Lord no. We all love to sing, but we didn’t want that kind of life. We made a record a few years back as a present for our parents. They loved it, but some record executives started pressuring us to cut a real record and go on tour.” She shook her head. “I know that a lot of people would give anything to have that kind of opportunity, but it’s not what we wanted.”

Jackson’s supper was churning in his gut. “What did the three of you want?”

“Sisters’ Jewels.” She said it with such pride that he smiled.

“Okay, I’ll bite. What is Sisters’ Jewels?”

“It’s our company. It belongs to me, Topaz and Sapphire. We started it all on our own about five years ago. It’s an upscale boutique in New York that sells accessories for women. We sell specialty journals, stationery, greeting cards, scarves and jewelry and we’re thinking about expanding into purses as well.”

“So you work in the shop?”

Emerald shook her head, sending her loose curls bouncing all around. “Only part-time. Topaz is the brain behind the day-to-day running of the boutique. She got a degree in business, so she handles that aspect of Sisters’ Jewels. Sapphire designs and makes the jewelry we sell. Her work is amazing.”

Jackson could sense the closeness between her and her sisters and he understood it. After all, he and his siblings had worked side by side for years to make the farm a success. It built a deep bond that could never be broken. He sat back in his chair, slightly amazed at that revelation. He’d been feeling slightly abandoned these past few months, even though he’d been extremely happy for both Erin and Nathan. But he realized now that nothing could break the close bond that they’d formed during all those years they’d spent working alongside one another. It was a good feeling. Life might change, for better or worse, but the strong bond with his siblings would never diminish.

“What about you?”

“I’m an artist. I do all the designs for the journals, greeting cards and stationery. I’m also just starting to design fabric for making scarves and that new purse line I mentioned. I’ve also been thinking about including extras like lipstick cases, makeup bags…stuff like that.” She ducked her head as if she were almost embarrassed to be talking about herself.

“I’d love to see some of your work.”

“You would?” He could see she was genuinely surprised.

“I wouldn’t have said so if I didn’t.”

“I don’t have anything new to show you.” Her smile faded and she looked pensive. “I’ve been in a bit of a creative slump the past three or four months. It’s been especially hard the last two.”

He sensed that they were starting to get to the crux of the problem. He wanted to ask her about her work, but there would be time for that later. Right now, he needed to know why she’d felt the need to leave the job she adored and the sisters she loved and run all the way to an apple farm in Maine. “What happened in your life, Emerald?”

His heart skipped a beat when she looked up at him. Her dark brown eyes were filled with worry and fear. “Someone is stalking me.”

Jackson was out of his chair in a flash. Emerald jerked back and knocked over her mug. Coffee spilled over the deck and she jumped up to keep it from seeping into her jeans.

He grabbed her arm to keep her from toppling off the steps. Her skin was soft beneath his hand, but he could feel the slight trembling that engulfed her. He drew her slowly into his arms and wrapped them around her. Her heart was thudding so hard he could feel it against his chest. “You’re safe here.”

She gave a bitter laugh that made his heart twist. “I’m not sure I’m safe anywhere.”

As much as he wanted to go on holding her in his arms, he needed to find out exactly what was going on. Why this woman had become so important to him in such a short time, he didn’t know. She just was.

Settling back onto the chair, he eased Emerald down on his lap. Instead of trying to get away, she snuggled closer. That alone told him that she was more than a little upset and distracted. He might not have known her for long, but one thing he did know for sure was that she had an independent streak a mile wide. Otherwise, she’d be tucked away on her parents’ estate with a ton of bodyguards rather than leaving her family and heading out on her own. “Your parents don’t know about this?” He already knew the answer, but he wanted her to tell him everything.

When she shook her head, her hair brushed against his face. He wanted to bury his face in the thick mass and just inhale her sweet scent. Tucking a stray lock behind her ear, he waited as she marshaled her thoughts. “No, they don’t know. They’re traveling in Europe right now and I didn’t want to bother them.” She rubbed her hands over her jeans in a nervous gesture as she gave a rueful laugh. “That’s not totally true. If Daddy knew, he’d lock all of us up on the estate and we might never get out again.” Emerald tipped her head up so that she was looking straight at him. “Daddy’s a mite protective at times.”

Jackson found himself drowning in her liquid brown eyes. He cleared his throat. “I don’t blame him for that.”

She laughed. “Thankfully, Momma is there to keep a tight rein on him. Otherwise we might all still be living at home.”

He could tell she was trying to work up to the issue at hand. “Tell me what happened.”

She sighed. “It started out innocently enough.” As she sat there on his lap, the entire story spilled out of her. The flood of presents that gradually escalated from the harmless to the perverse. The tampering with her e-mail account and the problems it caused for Sisters’ Jewels. And finally, the wedding dress and black cuffs that had been delivered to her apartment and the note that had been tucked in with it.

She shivered and he wrapped his arm tighter around her. “What do the police say?”

Emerald shrugged. “They’re looking into it and checking leads, but there really isn’t much to investigate. This guy hasn’t given them much to go on. They’re leaning toward the theory that it’s a crazed fan of my parents.”

“What do you think?” He rubbed his hand over her back, doing his best to comfort and soothe her.

She scrubbed her hand over her forehead. “I honestly don’t know. I guess it’s easier to believe that it’s some crazy stranger rather than someone I actually know. But…” She bit her lip and turned her head away.

He captured her jaw in his hand and gently turned her face back toward him. “But?”

“But it seems more personal than that.” She peered out over the yard. “It’s so quiet here.”

“Yes, it is.”

“I like it. You can really see the moon coming up in the sky. The air is fresh and clean and you can hear yourself think.”

They sat in silence for a few minutes. Jackson’s mind was mulling over what she’d told him and what she hadn’t.

“He called me.”

Jackson took a deep breath, biting back the surge of anger that shot through him. “Since you got here?”

She shook her head. “No. When I was on the road. He called me on my cell phone. It was a new phone I’d just gotten before I left the city. Only Topaz and Sapphire were supposed to have the number.”

It was a battle, but Jackson forced his body to stay relaxed when he felt anything but. The urge to find this guy and beat him to a pulp was almost more than he could stand. But right now, Emerald needed him to be calm. “So this guy knows his way around computers and electronic equipment.”

“Yeah. He also knew where I’d stayed the night before. I knew then that he was tracking my credit cards.”

Knowledge flooded through Jackson. “That’s why you took this job.”

Emerald glanced up at him and nodded. “I needed a safe place to stay, where no one could find me while the investigator I hired looks into things.”

“This investigator any good?” Jackson was filled with the unreasonable urge to go to New York and check things out for himself. Which was totally crazy. He wasn’t an investigator. He was a farmer. But he did know several people who might be able to help him.

Emerald nibbled on her bottom lip. Jackson realized that it was a nervous habit. He smoothed his thumb over her lip, soothing the abused bottom lip. She jerked but didn’t pull away from the small caress. “He’s very good. My father has used him in the past for other things. I figured my sisters would be safer if I left town. I mean, this person seems to be fixated on me, not them.”

He realized that she was looking for some kind of reassurance that she’d done the right thing. “You said that they have a bodyguard?”

“Yes, one each. And they’re keeping their activities to a minimum.”

“Then they should be fine.”

Emerald sighed, her warm breath brushing across his face. “That’s what I thought too.”

Jackson shifted, trying to get more comfortable. Having Emerald in his lap was having a predictable effect on his body. He did his best to ignore the erection pressing against the zipper of his jeans. “Have you made a list of men you know for the police to check out?”

She stiffened in his arms, but he continued to rub her back and arms and she gradually settled back. “Yeah. It was hard though. I mean, I know these people. Or at least, I think I do.” She buried her face in her hands and took a deep breath. “I don’t know anymore.”

“What about that Derek guy you mentioned on the phone?”

Emerald shook her head. “He’s a friend—the son of my parents’ former manager. No, that’s not quite true. He’s more like an overbearing older brother. I’ve known Derek since we were both kids. He’s a successful promoter for big-time musicians and movie stars. Appearance and success mean a lot to him. He’d never do anything to jeopardize what he has.”

“What about the rest of them?”

His anger built slowly as she told him about her ex-boyfriend, Beau Vater, who just happened to run his own computer software company. Then there was Fred Kirby, who was a delivery guy by day and computer geek by night. Finally, there was the odd assortment of acquaintances, people she came in contact with through work and friends of her sisters.

“What about the investigator?”

“Dane Hatcher? What about him?” Her brows were drawn together as she frowned. “He’s not very happy that I disappeared without telling him. Apparently he raked both Sapphire and Topaz over the coals for not contacting him immediately.”

Jackson’s hackles rose immediately. “He knows your father, your family. It would be easy for someone like that to trace phone records and credit cards, maybe hack into your e-mail account.” He shrugged when she continued to frown, his mind working furiously. “Makes sense that if you were having trouble you’d turn to an investigator you knew and trusted.”

“I never thought of that.” She chewed on her bottom lip and Jackson barely swallowed back a groan. The urge to sooth the small hurt with his tongue was almost overwhelming. “He’s probably just worried about me.”

“How old is this guy?”

“Mid to late thirties, I think. Maybe a bit older.” Her eyes widened and she sucked in a breath.

“What?” He continued to smooth his palm up and down her spine, as much to relax himself as to soothe her.

“I just thought of something.” She rubbed her hands against her jean-clad thighs. “He asked me out about a year ago, more than once. I turned him down.”

Jackson swore under his breath. “Tomorrow, I want you to sit down and write out all you know about these guys, including Hatcher, and if you can think of any reason why any, or all, of them would be angry with you or possibly hold a grudge of some kind.”

“I already did that for the police.” She stared at him, slightly bewildered by his request. “Well, I included everyone except Dane.”

“Yes, but I know some people who can do a bit of poking around as well. Very discreetly.” Jackson was already planning to call Nathan and Abel tomorrow morning as soon as Emerald left to go shopping with Erin.

“Who? And why would you bother?” Her innocent question stopped him cold.

He cupped her face in his hands and gently skimmed his thumbs over her cheeks. He’d known her less than twenty-four hours, but already it was as if she were a part of him, a part of his existence.

One section of his mind was yelling at him to walk away, to protect himself from the hurt that was bound to come by getting involved with her. Emerald would be going back to her life as soon as the stalker was caught. New York, her sisters and their company were her life.

Another part of him already knew it was too late. He was already involved. Emerald was special and he knew that if he walked away from what might happen between them, he would always regret it.

And yet another piece of him knew that he could never walk away from her, knowing that she was in danger. His overriding instinct was to protect her at all cost.

She was shifting restlessly in his arms and he knew he’d been silent for way too long. “Who? My brother and brother-in-law. Nathan is in law enforcement and Abel has contacts everywhere from his years as a crime writer.” He paused, trying to find the words to make her understand. “Why? There is something between us, Emerald. Something I can’t explain, but I can’t deny it either. Whether it goes anywhere or not, it’s there. I could no more walk away from you now than I could walk away from Erin.”

“But I’m not your sister. I’m not related to you at all.”

Jackson barely swallowed a groan as her hip pressed against his throbbing erection. “Believe me,” he gritted out between his clenched teeth. “I know.”