Page 30 of Redemption

He seemed so confident that to see this uncertain side of him was…interesting.

“I’m happy if you just wanna take the week to get the cabin habitable and get settled in. Let me get you the keys. Where’s your stuff?” I looked around and he had nothing with him.

That sheepish look was back on his face. “I checked out the cabin while you were waiting, the door was pretty easy to pop open, but I’ll fix that.”

“But you only had one shoulder bag when you arrived?”

“Funny thing about prison, you don’t tend to accumulate a lot of stuff,” he joked then looked around awkwardly.

I didn’t know what I was expecting, just that he would havesomething. “Did your parents not keep any of your things from when you were a teen?”

“Wouldn’t know, haven’t spoken to them since the sentencing.”

I momentarily felt some sympathy for him and that shocked me. He had no one. That must be so lonely, especially now that my father had died. The reminder of my father brought me out of my empatheticthoughts for the person who had taken my mother from me.

“How about them keys?” he asked, like he knew we’d reached our maximum politeness for the day.

I went inside and dug around in the kitchen drawer for them. When I came back out he was once again looking at the land surrounding us.

“Here you go,” I held the keys out. He turned sharply, putting us closer together than I was prepared for. I noticed some freckles on his nose and a small scar that puckered his brow and wondered if it was from prison or a childhood incident. His light blue eyes shone and my stare locked on a ring of deep cobalt blue which held me captive. When he took the keys and our fingers brushed, I wasn’t sure if I imagined the electric spark that leapt between us.

Clearing my throat, I stepped away, ducking my head. “I’ll see you next Monday morning then?”

“Yep,” he replied, jingling the keys. “And, seriously Kat, thank you. I know you didn’t have to do this. Had the best reasons in the whole world not to do this, but this is a true lifeline and I’ll never forget it.”

His words were so earnest that I felt tears burn the backs of my eyes and decided this was enough proximity to him for one day. I went back into the house.

Later that night, as I sat in my father’s office, procrastinating instead of going through more statements and past due letters, I looked out the window. Normally I wouldn’t be able to see much in the dark but tonight, I could see the cabin, lit up with a warm light flickering like there were candles lit.

And then a moment later I saw a shirtless Jack wandering around.

He was tanned and toned, body built and strong, overpowering. I strained my eyes, was that chest hair Icould see? Oh God, why am I staring at him? Why is he so attractive?

Just at that moment he looked up and through the window, our eyes connected. I squeaked and threw the papers I was holding in the air and ducked down onto the floor.

“Oh shit!” I couldn’t believe he caught me staring at him. I wanted the ground to open up and swallow me whole.

Now I was in a pickle. I couldn’t get up in case he was still there. I crawled along the floor towards the door to the office and when I was safely out of view of the window, I flicked the light off and ran upstairs to my room.

I couldn’t work out if my pounding pulse was from the dash upstairs, being caught perving or who I was perving on. It was probably best for all of us if I didn’t think about it too closely.

CHAPTER TEN

Jack

“Stop thinking about her, she’s not for you,” I growled as I paced across the floor of the cabin.

I’d felt her stare, her probing eyes on me. I couldn’t see much out there in the darkness but I saw the light in that window then I saw her. That pale blonde hair and pensive expression. Then she was gone.

Why couldn’t my brain, and body, be focusing on any other woman in Reverence? Why did it have to bethiswoman, the one woman I could never go there with. Not only because she wouldn’t let me but because I could never do that to Charlie or Sherry. I’d done enough.

But her sass, her strength and bravery were like sparks in my veins. I didn’t know why, maybe I just had a thing for sassy blondes who could verbally chew me up and spitme out. I’d be no good to her anyway. No experience, no game, no future, no money to take her any place nice.

“No money,” I muttered to myself. My words were loud in the rustic, empty cabin. There wasn’t much in here, just one bedroom, one bathroom, but it was enough. There was an actual bed, sure it needed some of the slats replacing so I could only sleep on one side but I was excited to fix it. There was a two-unit countertop with a hotplate so I could cook some incredibly basic food, which is just as well as my culinary skills haven’t exactly been put to the test over the last twelve years.

The living area was open with a red brick fireplace that looked too dusty to use but luckily, it was late spring. A raggedy but comfy-looking dark red couch sat in the center of the room, and lining the wall was a battered bookcase with a couple of classic novels in there. The electrics weren’t great so I’d resorted to using the candles dotted around the place which gave it a warm cozy glow.

There was a pile of tattered fabric in the corner which looked like it had some animal fur on it so I was kinda worried that a family of raccoons had made a bed here. I guess I’d find out soon. Charlie’s scent filled the room and it was like he was here with me which gave it a homey feeling.

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