Jackson’s Jewel

Chapter Eight

Emerald followed Erin into Jenny’s, the local diner. They’d finished up their grocery shopping quicker than she’d expected. Erin was nothing if not efficient. When she’d asked Emerald if she wanted to go for a coffee, there was no way she could resist. She liked the other woman, plus, if she were honest with herself, she was hoping to learn more about Erin’s big brother. She knew she should be cautious, but for the first time in several months, she felt free and safe and wanted to celebrate that fact, even if was just with a cup of coffee.

Jenny’s was like a thousand other diners scattered across the country. It was clean and homey and filled with locals eating breakfast and gossiping. Several people called out to Erin as they passed and she returned their greetings. Must be wonderful to know everyone in the community, Emerald mused.

It was a far cry from the hustle and bustle of New York. The city was alive with a vibrant energy all its own. There were museums, cultural events, shows and shopping galore. It was what had attracted her to New York in the first place—the never-ending energy and fast-paced life.

The town of Meadows was entirely different. No one here seemed to be in too much of a hurry, including the waitress. Everyone was kicked back, chattering and enjoying the morning. It was…nice.

Erin led the way to a booth seat and slid onto the vinyl-covered bench. Emerald sat down across from her and plucked the menu from behind the napkin dispenser. Before she’d even had time to crack the cover on it, the waitress ambled over, coffeepot in hand and began to fill the clean mug in front of Erin. “Morning, Erin.” With short brown hair, blue eyes and a round face, the woman was pretty in a girl-next-door sort of way.

“Morning. Emerald, I want you to meet my best friend and sister-in-law, Carly. She’s married to Nathan, who you haven’t met yet. Carly, this is Emerald, the new housekeeper I hired for Jackson.”

Carly stuck out her free hand. “Pleased to meet you.” Emerald shook the other woman’s hand, noting the keen look in Carly’s eyes.

“Likewise.” Emerald was used to being scrutinized by people and it didn’t bother her. Not too much. Besides, this was only friendly curiosity, which was to be expected considering she was now working for a member of the family.

“Coffee?” Emerald nodded and Carly filled her mug. “What will you ladies have this morning? If you don’t want breakfast, there’s fresh apple, lemon meringue and peach pie as well as oatmeal and chocolate chunk cookies.”

Erin groaned. “I gotta start watching what I eat.”

Carly’s mouth dropped open. “Whatever for? You never have, so why start now?”

The other woman laughed. Emerald sat back and enjoyed the byplay between them. They reminded her of her and her sisters. A pang of envy flashed through her, followed swiftly by sorrow. She missed her sisters. Used to working with them every day, it was hard to not be able to see them or talk to them.

“I’m starting to put on some weight.”

Carly scowled. “So what? You can handle a few extra pounds with your height.”

Erin’s eyes twinkled. “I’m going to be putting on a lot more pounds in the next six months.”

The coffeepot hit the table with a thud. “Do you mean? You’re…” Carly stared at Erin, who nodded. Carly squealed and the next thing Emerald knew, both women were standing up in the diner, jumping up and down, clutching at each other. Erin had mentioned yesterday that she was pregnant. Emerald hadn’t realized that not many other people knew about it yet. But from Carly’s reaction, this was obviously news to her.

“You ladies disturbing the peace?” Emerald glanced over at the deep male voice to find a uniformed deputy scowling at them. As she watched, he took off his mirrored sunglasses and hooked them in the front of his uniform shirt. Damn, he was big. His large hands were propped on his waist, emphasizing the leanness of it. His brown hair was cut short and his blue eyes were shrewd as he sized her up. He looked vaguely familiar although she knew she’d never met him.

Carly released Erin and jumped at the man, who caught her easily in his arms. Nathan. This had to be the brother she hadn’t met yet. “Erin is pregnant.” A huge grin split his face, making him look rather handsome and reminding her even more of Jackson. Emerald blinked.

“Is that so? Congratulations.” He shifted his wife easily to one side, still hanging on to her as he hugged his sister with his free arm.

“You already knew,” his sister accused as she hugged him back.

Nathan shrugged, totally unrepentant. “I just came from Jackson’s. I promised to act surprised.”

The women laughed and Nathan released his wife when another customer called out to her. “I’ll be back.” Carly grabbed her coffeepot and hurried off.

“You got time for a coffee, Nathan?” Erin scooted back into her seat.

“Sure.” He sat down next to his sister, pinning Emerald to her seat with his laser stare.

“Hi, I’m Emerald.” She held out her hand and found it engulfed by his. He didn’t hold it for long, but still she was nervous. He knew something. She could feel it in her bones.

“Nathan Connors.” He picked up his sister’s coffee and took a sip, never taking his gaze off her. The tension mounted around them.

Erin stared from one to the other. “What’s going on?”

Nathan’s eyes bored into her. “Are you going to tell her or will I?”

Emerald closed her eyes and sighed. She really didn’t want to do this in public. “This might not be the best place to do this.”

He shook his head. “It’s the best place. There’s been a slight change of plans.”

Her stomach clenched and the small amount of coffee she’d drunk began to stir in her belly. She swallowed hard, but before she could ask any questions, Erin’s husband strode up to the table.

Abel nodded to her and then smiled at his wife before returning his attention to Nathan. “It’s parked right out front. I’ll be waiting outside.” He leaned over and planted a quick kiss on his wife’s lips before heading out again. He called out and waved to a few folks as he left.

“What was that all about?” Erin demanded. “What the heck is going on?”

Emerald licked her suddenly dry lips. “This has to do with me, I’m afraid.” Squaring her shoulders, she faced the woman she was beginning to think of as a friend. “I lied to you about my last name and about why I’m really here.”

Bewilderment flashed across Erin’s face, quickly followed by anger and disappointment. “I see,” she said slowly.

“No, you don’t see,” Nathan cut in. He leaned against the back of the seat and rested his hands on his belly. The pose was deceptively relaxed. Emerald could see his eyes were continually moving around the diner, assessing the patrons.

He was obviously leaving the telling of her story up to her. She didn’t know whether to be grateful or pissed off. He’d dropped this little bomb and was now leaving it up to her to pick up the pieces. Sighing, she knew she had two choices. She could either just get up and go, knowing that she’d have to pack her things and leave the farm or she’d have to explain.

She closed her eyes on a flash of pain. She should have known that it was all working out too easily. And, truthfully, what right did she have to drag these people into her problems? They were nice folks. Good people and they didn’t need the ugliness that had invaded her life invading theirs.

“This was a mistake. I’m sorry.” She pushed away from the table and grabbed her purse. “I can’t stay here.” She could see surprise flash on Nathan’s face, while Erin just looked concerned. “Thanks for everything you’ve done for me.”

Nathan surged from his seat and stared down at her. “So you’re just leaving your position as housekeeper with no notice at all?” His voice wasn’t loud, but still it carried, filling the diner. Emerald could sense the other patrons watching them.

“Yes.” She didn’t know what else to say. Really, there was nothing else to say. She knew now that she had to leave. She was better off not involving innocent people in her problems. Her heart began to throb painfully at the thought of leaving Jackson, but she ignored it. She’d only met the man yesterday. She refused to believe that he could mean so much to her in such a short span of time.

“Well then, your car is waiting out front for you. Don’t let us stop you if you want to leave.” Nathan’s voice was cold and, Emerald freely admitted, intimidating.

She whirled on her heel and stalked toward the door with her head held high. She would not cry. She wouldn’t, she promised herself, blinking back tears. She heard people whispering behind her, but ignored it. This town would forget all about her and by tomorrow she’d be old news.

She managed to get out through the door and, sure enough, her car was there. She had no idea how that had happened as the keys were in her purse, but she didn’t question it, not when she needed the transportation. A large hand fell onto her shoulder and she whirled around, gasping as she knocked it away.

Nathan stood behind her with Erin right next to him. “Are you okay, Emerald? I don’t understand what’s going on.” Emerald couldn’t bear the concern in Erin’s eyes. She’d lied to this woman and still it seemed she cared.

“I’m fine.”

“We’ll follow you back to the farm.” Nathan’s authoritative voice cut through her misery. It dawned on her then that he was a local cop. She couldn’t blame him for wanting a known liar off his brother’s property. Was it illegal that she’d given them a false name? She hadn’t signed any documents or anything.

Still, it stung to be treated like a criminal. “Afraid I’ll steal the family silver on my way out the door?”

Erin gasped, but Emerald was past caring. Her mind was already scrambling. Where would she go? What would she do with little to no money? She’d have to risk going to an ATM and then hightail it to another state. She didn’t have much choice with a maniac on her trail.

Sliding into her car, she dug in her purse for her keys and shoved them in the ignition.

She didn’t even check her rearview mirror as she drove. She knew that Nathan was probably following her in his police cruiser. And wasn’t that embarrassing. She was being run out of town by the local cops.

She laughed, the sound rough and loud in the confines of her small car. She bit her lip to keep from crying at the pain that filled her. It wasn’t fair what was happening to her, but no one ever said that life was fair. She’d have to suck it up and do what needed doing.

She braked at a stop sign and just sat there, contemplating just turning left instead of right. She had her purse. There was no need for her to really return to the farm. She could buy what she needed and send for her things in a few days when she was settled. Her laptop was the only thing of value that she truly needed, but she could do without it for now. It wasn’t as if she was doing much work these days.

Her palms were sweaty, so she wiped them on the folds of her skirt. Left or right. Her mind said left, but her hands went back on the wheel and turned right. She wanted to see Jackson one more time, to at least get the opportunity to say goodbye and thank him for his offer of help. She could understand why his brother wouldn’t want her here. He was a cop, and she’d not only lied, she’d brought a heap of trouble with her too. People took care of their own. She understood that.

Swiping at her eyes with the heel of her hand, she sniffed back her tears. “Stop that. You’re no worse off than you were two days ago.” Except she felt worse off. Jackson had touched something deep inside her and now there would be no opportunity to explore that. Not that she was sure she even would have, but now she’d never find out.

Shaking her head, Emerald sighed. She was really losing it. She had a stalker after her, she was being run out of town by the local law and she was worried about a nonexistent relationship with a man she’d just met.

By the time the farmhouse came into view, she had herself back under control. Her early years in the limelight had taught her how to bury her feelings in front of others. Drawing on that training now, she took a deep breath and blanked all emotion from her face. With any luck, Jackson would be working out in the orchards and she wouldn’t have to deal with him. God, she was being perverse. She wanted to see him and yet she didn’t.

The choice was taken out of her hands as Jackson was waiting on the back steps when she pulled up. He was wiping some grease off his hands, a large red toolbox sitting next to his feet. Emerald drank in the sight of him as the police cruiser pulled in behind her, followed by Erin’s truck.

Sighing, she wondered if she should even bother turning off her car. In the end, the need to conserve gas made her shut off the ignition. The silence was almost deafening. “You can do this,” she muttered as she got out of the car and headed toward the door. She kept her eyes on the door, ignoring Jackson.

“Emerald?”

She almost stumbled as he spoke her name. He reached out his hand to steady her, but she jerked away. She could hear the underlying concern in his voice and suddenly she wanted to turn back the clock to last night, to experience the closeness they’d shared. This time she wouldn’t let him stop without making love to her. No! She shook herself. It was better that it hadn’t happened. She was sure that, if it had, those memories would haunt her forever.

Her hand was on the screen door and she tugged, but it wouldn’t open. She could feel Jackson’s large body behind hers. Looking up, she could see his hand planted firmly on the door, keeping it shut. She should never have come back here. She should have taken her opportunity when she’d had the chance and just left.

“Will someone tell me just what the heck is going on?” Erin stomped up the steps and stood beside Emerald.

She sensed Jackson’s stillness behind her. “Just what the hell happened in town?” She could feel the vibration of his chest against her back, he was standing so close to her.

“I’m just doing what I should have done last night. I’m leaving.” Her voice sounded rough to her own ears. She cleared her throat, knowing she had to get through this quickly. “I’ll just pack my things and go.”

“You’re not going anywhere,” he growled. His muscled forearm wrapped around her waist and he shifted her so she was standing to one side. Yanking the door open, he practically pulled her inside.

She could hear everyone else piling in behind them. She wanted to yell and scream and cry. Instead, she pushed his arm away from her and sent up a prayer of gratitude when he released her. Turning, she cocked an eyebrow at him, ignoring Nathan, Erin and Abel as they ranged around the room.

His brows were drawn together in anger as he stared at his brother. “What happened?”

Nathan leaned against the kitchen counter and crossed his ankles. “Slight change of plan. Emerald decided that she was leaving instead of talking, but we accomplished what we set out to do. Everyone who was at the diner knows she quit without notice, and better still, they saw me following her out of town.”

“Good.” Jackson’s reply made her heart ache. She was so sure that he’d felt something for her beyond lust, that they had some connection. It was hard to realize that it was all on her side. “Don’t worry.” He laid his hand on the small of her back. “It’s all for the best.”

She swallowed back her bitter reply. “I’m sure it is. I’ll just pack and be gone in five minutes.”

He gripped her shoulders, practically forcing her to look at him. “Where do you think you’re going?”

“Anywhere but here.” She shot Nathan a glare before returning her gaze to Jackson. “Which I’m sure will make some people very happy.”

“You’re not going anywhere.”

She shook her head. “I don’t understand what’s going on. You just said that you’re glad that I quit and I’m leaving.”

“No, I didn’t.”

“Ah, Jackson.” Nathan’s smooth tones interrupted them. They both turned and scowled at him. “She doesn’t know about the plan.”

“What plan?” As she spoke, Jackson swore, practically drowning out her words. She was totally confused and her head was beginning to pound.

“Sit down, sweetheart.” He herded her to a chair and she sat. She felt sweaty and too lightheaded to object. He crouched down in front of her and took her hands in his. “I’m sorry about this. I’m not quite sure what happened in town, but we had to make everyone there think that you were leaving for good.”

“I don’t understand.” She wanted to smooth the worry lines away from Jackson’s face, but she kept her fingers clasped in her lap.

“I put you in danger.” He tucked a stray curl over her ear, the tender action raising goose bumps on her arms. “Until Nathan pointed it out, I didn’t even stop and think that your first name and your looks are very distinctive. Anyone who saw you in town while you were shopping would remember you. It didn’t occur to me that you and my sister would go gallivanting all over town.”

“It wasn’t all over town.” The need to defend Erin rose up inside her. “We only went the grocery store and the coffee shop.” Even as she said it, she realized that he was right. This was a small town and she was a stranger. Erin had introduced her to a few people at the grocery store and she knew she would be a source of gossip for them. It was a natural thing for them to do.

Just because she was in a small town and her stalker didn’t know where she was for the moment didn’t mean that she was safe for good. Her stalker had already proved to be smart and resourceful.

Jackson nodded. “Exactly. At this moment, half the county probably knows you up and quit without notice.” He gave her an almost apologetic smile. “The other half will know by suppertime.”

She couldn’t suppress a chuckle. “I guess you’re right.”

Nathan pushed away from the counter and strolled over to the table. “I’m sorry about how that went down. We figured you’d tell Erin what was going on and then I could let you know about our plan. You surprised me when you just got up to leave. I had to improvise.”

“You were just going to leave?” She could see the hurt on Jackson’s face, but she didn’t back away from it.

“Yes.” She cupped his face in her hands. “Look, I lied to you when I got here, and I brought a lot of problems into your life. You’re good people and I wouldn’t blame you for not wanting me here.”

“We settled this last night.” He was so close to her now, she could smell him. The scent of sweet grass, clean sweat and pure male filled her nostrils. God, she wanted to bury her face against his shoulder and just breathe. Her nipples tightened and her pussy clenched, remembering just how good he felt against her, naked flesh to naked flesh. His eyes flared and he leaned closer.

She pushed away her growing arousal and tried to focus on the situation at hand. “No, we didn’t.” Her voice sounded unusually low and husky to her ears. Knowing there was nothing to be done about it at the moment, she plowed forward. “Not really. You have a family that loves you and I can understand if they didn’t want me anywhere near you, given my problems.”

“Will someone tell me what’s going on right now?” Erin’s voice broke the connection between her and Jackson. It was just as well. She was becoming aroused in a roomful of people and that was totally embarrassing. Jackson covered her clenched hands with one of his and gave her a squeeze before he stood. As succinctly as possible, he outlined her situation to his sister.

When he was done, Erin reached across the table to her. Reluctantly, Emerald unwound her white fingers and took the other woman’s hand. “You poor thing. I’m sorry for what you had to go through, but the men are right. The best thing for you to do is to stay here until you know something.”

These people were amazing. She glanced over at Nathan, less certain of him than of the rest. He was impossible to read. He tipped his head to one side, staring at her. “If you’d turned left at that stop sign, I would have turned on the siren and hauled you back.”

His gruff assertion made her smile, even as her eyes widened. He’d known she was thinking about running. This man would be a formidable enemy and an unshakeable friend. She was glad that he seemed to be on her side.

“Erin and I are going to take off. I want to get started researching those names that Jackson gave us this morning.” Abel stood and peered thoughtfully at her. “I’ll also want a list of every male that you’ve come in contact with in the last six months. Everyone from the kid at the local deli to your dry cleaners. Anyone is a possible suspect.”

Emerald nodded. “My investigator has a complete list. I’ll get it from him rather than try to recreate it from scratch.”

“I’m not sure you should talk to him right now. He hasn’t been cleared as a possible suspect.”

“That’s crazy,” she protested, vigorously rubbing her hands up and down her arms. “Dane isn’t a stalker.”

“You sure enough to risk your life?” Abel’s stark reminder sent a chill down her spine. “He was interested enough in you to ask for a date.”

“Yes, but that was months ago.” God, would this nightmare never end?

Nathan, who been silently listening to her and Abel, added his two cents’ worth. “Maybe you should call him.”

“Are you out of your mind?” Jackson took a threatening step toward his brother.

“No, I’m not.” He held up his hands to placate Jackson. “Just listen for a second. I called it in and had one of my people do a quick search. So far this Hatcher guy checks out. Let Abel talk to him. He’s known for his investigative work and it’s less likely to piss Hatcher off than getting a call from the local police.” Nathan turned his attention to Emerald. “If he’s not the stalker, the work he’s done on the case would be a big help. If he is the stalker…” Jackson swore, but Nathan ignored him and continued. “If he is the stalker,” Nathan repeated, “then he’ll probably show up here fairly quickly and we’ll be waiting for him. Any stranger will stand out like a sore thumb, unlike in New York City where it’s easy to blend in.”

Emerald nibbled on her bottom lip. Her stomach was churning. There was no use in lying to herself. She was scared. But more than that, she was sick of running. She wanted her life back. “Okay.”

“I’ve already got his number from the list you gave Jackson.” Abel hauled out his cell phone and handed it to her. “If you could just give him a quick call and let him know it’s okay to talk to me, I’ll handle things from here.”

Emerald took the phone and dialed. Her head was spinning with how fast everything was moving. Less than a half an hour ago, she thought she was totally on her own. Now she was surrounded by people who wanted to help her. And she’d only just met them. Overwhelmed by their generosity, she barely kept it together as she spoke to Dane. Well, he yelled and she listened.

“What the hell were you thinking?” She could hear the barely suppressed anger in his voice as he continued, “Do you have any idea what I went through when you didn’t answer your phone? I contacted your sisters and they told me they didn’t have any idea where you were.”

The man obviously wasn’t pleased that she’d taken off without telling him. Her stomach lurched. Did that mean he was the stalker or was it just honest concern for her? Emerald no longer knew. When Dane finally wound down, she told him why she’d called. Once she’d made the introduction, Abel took the phone and strode outside to talk to the other man.

Erin stood and came around the table. Leaning down, she hugged Emerald. “Try not to worry too much. Everything will work itself out.”

Emerald sensed her hesitation. “It’s okay. You can ask me anything you want to.”

“I don’t mean to pry, but I’d love to see more of your work if you wouldn’t mind. The business you run with your sisters sounds absolutely fascinating.”

The normalcy of the question almost shattered Emerald’s composure. She could see the genuine interest in Erin’s face. “I’d love that.” She made up her mind then that the next time she talked to her sister, she’d ask her to send out a box of samples. It occurred to her that it might be easier to get Dane to pass the message along. After talking to Abel, her location was no longer a secret from him. In his profession, it wouldn’t take him long to trace the call. “If you’ll excuse me, I want to talk to Dane before Abel hangs up.” Pushing out of her chair, she went outside with the rest of them following her. So much for privacy.

She motioned to Abel just as he was about to hang up and he handed her the phone. Walking several feet away, she whispered her request to Dane who promised to pass it along to Topaz for her. Satisfied, she hung up the phone, walked back and handed it to Abel.

“I’ll call you as soon as I know something.”

“I appreciate all your help. I don’t know if it will do much good, though, if it really is just a crazy fan of my parents. I don’t believe the stalker is Dane and it’s definitely not Derek. I’ve known him since we were kids. And it’s not Fred.” Emerald shook her head. “Fred is kind to everyone. He always brings us flowers on our birthday…” Her voice trailed off.

Abel shrugged. “We’ll eliminate as many suspects as possible and go from there.”

“Flowers are something that your stalker likes to send you too,” Jackson pointed out to her before turning to Abel. “Check it out.”

“Her investigator is already on it, but I’ll double-check,” Abel assured him.

Erin gave her a quick hug. “I’ll see you soon.” Then Abel and Erin walked back to their truck.

“The groceries,” she called. She had completely forgotten about them. They’d been sitting out in the hot sun for quite some time. She hurried down the steps, thankful that Erin had had the foresight to bring along a cooler to pack the perishables in.

It didn’t take the men long to cart all the groceries into the kitchen and then Abel and Erin headed home. Nathan lingered behind as they stood on the porch and watched the truck fade into the distance. “I’m sorry again for what happened at the diner, but it couldn’t be helped.”

Emerald crossed her arms across her chest, but nodded. “I understand.” And she did. Nathan was the sort of man who would do whatever needed doing, even if he didn’t particularly like it. He and his brother were much alike. They were both dependable men. Good men.

He turned to Jackson. “Park her car in the barn.”

“Will do.”

Nathan nodded and headed for his vehicle. “I’m sure Carly will want to come out in the next day or so after I explain the situation to her.”

Emerald wasn’t quite sure what to say or do, so she inclined her head. “That’s fine.”

Then Nathan was gone and she and Jackson were alone on the back porch. The heat was like a living thing between them, making the air heavy and humid. Now that the others were gone, Emerald felt unsure and awkward with him. The sweet connection of last night was nowhere to be found.

“Emerald?” She turned away from the question she heard in his voice. Knew that he felt the same tension that she did. Arousal was there, low in her belly, but she ignored it. Now was not the time or the place. Her emotions were too all over the place.

She started to walk away, but came to a quick halt. Her throat ached as she swallowed up the emotions that suddenly swelled. Her heart beat heavily as she took a step forward and then another. Hanging from heavy hooks at one end of the porch was a white swing. Reaching out, she touched the thick chains that held it up and remembered that when she’d driven up, Jackson had just finished working on something.

She whirled around. “You put up the porch swing?”

He came toward her slowly. She noticed the way his jeans clung to his thick thighs, the way his T-shirt strained at the shoulder seams, and the heavy stubble on his chin. He hadn’t shaved this morning and it made him look dark and dangerous as he stopped in front of her. “I did.”

“Why?”

He cupped her chin in his hand and leaned closer. “Because I thought you might like it.” His lips grazed hers and she parted them without thought. His eyes closed and she stared at his thick, dark eyelashes. They looked so soft against the ruggedness of his face that she wanted to touch them.

He pulled back and stared down at her, tracing his thumb over first her top and then her bottom lip. She shivered, her nipples pebbling against her bra. Jackson heaved a sigh and leaned his forehead against hers. They stood like that for several minutes, neither of them wanting to break the mood.

Finally Jackson stepped back. “I’ll move your car.”

“All right.” She missed his presence next to her already.

“I’ll be back in time for supper.”

She nodded.

“You’ll be here when I get back?”

“I will.”

He nodded and then strode across the porch and down the stairs. He didn’t look back as he climbed in her chair and drove it toward a smaller barn just beyond the big one. Emerald slowly eased herself down onto the porch swing. Pushing off with one foot, she let it swing as she pressed her fingers against her still-tingling lips.