Page 37 of Jackson's Redemption
“Yeah, Jackson. I know.”
I settled against him and closed my eyes. Tomorrow would be soon enough to deal with everything I had to deal with. As warm and comfortable as I was being his blanket, I could feel myself drifting off to sleep.
“Figure it’s about time we both face up to the past.”
I tried to open my eyes, to ask him what he meant, but I was too tired. I would ask what he meant tomorrow.
* * *
The next morning
Kate
My eyes blinked open and I reached out to touch Jackson. I knew almost immediately he was gone. It was strange how fast I had grown used to sleeping with him. How the minute he’d left the bed, I just knew it no matter how deeply asleep I was.
Sitting up, I shivered as the sleeping bag fell away. There was definitely a nip in the air this morning. Quickly, I got dressed and thought about what Jackson and I had talked about last night.
He thought it was time to head back to Hope’s Point. And I suppose I wouldn’t mind a real shower rather than a creek bath. Because now I refused to get all the way naked when I took them just in case Mountain Man stumbled on us again.
So this could be good. I still had a whole week with Jackson left before I had to leave. I could have a burger and a beer with Jackson. Maybe play cards with him and his friends, which is what he’d said they mostly did during their down time.
However, the thought of people intruding on us didn’t feel right. We had been the only two people in the world out here, minus the one memorable sighting of Mountain Man, and I had loved it. Relished in it.
Everything I could have wanted, Jackson gave me. Solitude. Time to think, time to grieve, time to heal. All the physical pleasure I could handle to battle the emotional pain.
Through all of that he’d given me himself. His body, his companionship. His total lack of judgment. He’d been the perfect balm for my wounded soul and even though I had admitted I was using him for that, he didn’t seem to care.
There were moments where I thought it was the strangest thing. That I could go from the depths of where I had been back home. To this slice of heaven in Alaska, where my every need was satisfied.
In a week it would end. In a week I had to go back to my life and face it. Jackson was right about that. I needed to decide what I wanted to do. Where I wanted to go. I couldn’t stay in Marana. That I knew. Too many memories, too many ghosts.
Too many enemies who had once been friends.
My mother wanted me to be with her in Florida, but I wasn’t sure that felt right, either. There was still too much tension between us. Too many things left unspoken about what she had known and had not told me.
No, wherever I landed, I was going to have to start over from scratch. The good news was I could always work. And cops were needed everywhere. Internal Affairs had cleared me. I hadn’t been suspended or fired. I had quit. Yes, my father’s history would probably rule out a lot of jobs for me, but it wasn’t as if I technically had a black mark on my record.
Which meant I needed to go where there was a need. Someplace where they would be desperate for law enforcement. Even the daughter of a dirty cop.
I stepped outside of the cabin, searching for Jackson. He was over by the campfire, probably putting on the kettle for coffee.
I noticed he was shirtless, wearing only his jeans and boots, and I was surprised because of the chill. Instantly, I thought I needed to make him warm.
Running toward him, I hopped on his back, my arms going around his shoulders, my legs circling his waist. He didn’t flinch, just used his hands to support my weight around his body.
“You forgot your shirt,” I said into his ear. “Figured I would play the part.”
He grunted.
I kissed his neck. “Did you hear the one about the dyslexic Satanist? He sold his soul to Santa.”
His arms dropped then and, without his support, I couldn’t hold on any longer. I dropped behind him and moved around to see if that one had made him smile.
“Come on!” I said when his face remained expressionless. “That was hysterical.”
Except when he looked at me, I knew he was deadly serious about something. Then I realized for the first time I could actually make out the letters of his tattoo. “Ooh, finally. I get to see what this is.”
The first thing I saw was the short block name underneath the two larger letters.
