Ian's sixteenth birthday was the last time Jackson's emotions burned the same way. For that occasion Mom and Dad presented his brother with a new Chevy truck. When Jackson reached that milestone, he'd gotten a five year-old Mazda from his paternal grandmother, and no matter how he aired it out, it had that distinct smell of old people and mothballs. Heat rose from the pit of his stomach to his throat, choking his breath. He had no claim to Greer and never would. He pushed the thought away, grabbed the flower box and opened the car door.

The guy looked at him and holstered the hammer, then strode down the steps to meet him half-way. He stuck out his hand. "You must be Emma's date. I'm Blake Eason."

Damn. Name sounded like a super hero or better yet, a thrill seeking adventurer. Jackson didn't like Greer providing the thrills. Not one damn bit. He switched the corsage to his other hand, slid his palm into Blake's, and nodded.

"Jackson Bellefonte."

"After the dance, we should go for a drink. I need a break from all the girls." He jerked his head toward the door.

"You mean Greer and Emma?"

"Yeah, and my wife and daughter. Outnumbered four to one. Can't watch sports because Emma wants the cartoon channel. Didn't bring my laptop because I promised myself no computer during vacation. Thirty hours into this trip and I'm already going stir crazy."

Jackson's chest relaxed. That was the best news he'd had all day. A cause for celebration. "Sounds good."

"I'll be ready." He grabbed the knob, pushed it and yelled. "Jackson's here!" Blake stepped aside and let him pass.

Emma came running, stopped short, twirled around, then smiled at her escort. "Do you like my dress?"

He knelt to face her. "It's beautiful. You'll be the prettiest girl there." He slid a purple curl through his fingers. "Your hair matches."

She giggled. "I know. I couldn't believe Aunt Greer let me do it." He opened the box and removed the wrist corsage, lavender roses, loops of pearls, and baby's breath. "This should finish the outfit."

She hugged his neck, then held up her hand. "Look, Aunt Greer. Jackson brought me flowers!"

"I see that. What do you say?"

"Oh, thank you. I love it."

Jackson stood and focused on Greer. "How are you?"

"Good. You?"

"Keeping busy."

"Me, too."

"I like your hair, too."

She twirled a lock around her finger. "Thanks. Emma and I went a little wild."

The stranger cleared her throat. "I hate to break up this reunion, but hi, I'm Nova Eason."

He shook her hand. "Nice to meet you. I'm Jack...."

"Oh, I know who you are. I've heard all about you." She cut her eyes toward Greer, then back at him and smiled.

He wondered what Greer had told her friend. Maybe he could find out from his date. "Well, I guess we'd better go."

Greer grabbed her phone. "Not before we get a picture. Y'all stand by the fireplace."

Jackson took his position and Emma hopped onto the brick ledge, then leaned into him.

"Okay, smile." Click. "That was good, but we'd better take one more." She snapped again.

Nova straightened Emma's collar, then brushed her hair back. "Do a crazy one."

Jackson stretched his lips to one side and widened his eyes. Emma put her thumbs in her ears, fanned her fingers, and stuck out her tongue.

Greer captured the goofy pose, then laughed. "That's a good one." She held the phone to show the results, and Emma fell into a giggling fit.

For a long moment, Jackson locked eyes with Greer, then turned away. "When we get back from the dance, I'm taking Blake for a drink."

"Thank goodness," Nova said. "He's driving us nuts. You'd think he'd enjoy days with nothing to do, but that's not in his DNA."

*

Greer stood at the door and watched them drive away, then spoke to Nova. "In a while, I want to check on them."

"Why? Don't you trust him?"

"God, yes. He's the best man I've ever met. I just want to see them together. Kinda hate being left out. It's her first social function with me."

"Don't you mean it's your first with her?"

Greer's eyes watered. "Didn't they look good together?"

"You mean like a real daughter and father?"

"Yeah. It makes me sad that she has to grow up without parents. I'll never replace Ava, but at least I can fill in. Once we leave here, what guy will do things like this for her?"

"Blake will help out when he can."

"I know."

"You said he has a girlfriend, but I can tell there's something going on between the two of you. Why push him away when that's not what either of you want. Besides, the woman might not be a romantic interest. Maybe she's another friend. Did he look at her the way he looks at you?"

"What are you talking about?"

"Don't play dumb. I know you too well."

Greer shrugged. It was easy to get men to fall in lust with her. She just couldn't get them to stay. "Sure. I've noticed his smoldering gaze and if he was my flavor of bad boy, I'd encourage it. But he isn't. He's a decent man who believes the fairy tale crap of until death do us part. I'm a novelty. Once that wears off, he'll realize he wants a woman who can fit into his world, and that's not me. Better to sever the relationship now before one of us gets hurt."

"Okay. I get it. But how do you feel about him...right now...this minute."

Greer bit her bottom lip to stop it from quivering. "If I was in the market for a long-term relationship, which I'm not, I could so love him."

Nova took a deep breath. "Babe, news flash. I think you already do."

"No, I don't. I'm attracted to him. Who wouldn't be? But that's all it is." She stated it with conviction because she believed it to be true. She fantasized about sleeping with him, not marrying him.

An hour later, Greer parked a half block away. Even from that distance, woofers and tweeters carried a heavy musical beat into the night. As she started across the lawn, she motioned for Nova to stay close. Greer flattened her body against the building and eased down to a wall of windows, with her friend right next to her.

Nova poked her shoulder and shouted above the music. "Good Lord. I feel like I'm the Black Widow on a covert mission, only without the leather riding up my ass. Why not just go inside?"

"I don't want them to know I'm checking them out." She tiptoed and gazed inside. "Oh, they look so sweet together." The slow song ended, and the DJ announced the next tune.

"Okay, here's the one so many of you have requested. Get ready. It's the chicken dance!" The song started, and the crowd flicked their fingers, flapped their arms, and waggled their butts.

Nova elbowed Greer. "You're making a mistake. You need to grab that man with both hands and not let go. Look how foolish he's acting for a child who isn't his daughter. Notice how she's looking at him."

"I know. She adores him. And that's why without him around, it'll be easier when we leave."

The music stopped, and Jackson and Emma went to the refreshment table where one of the lady servers sidled up to him. She leaned in, pressed her breast to his arm, and Greer wanted to rip it off and slap her with it.

Jackson smiled at the woman, then backed away. Greer wondered how many women came on to him. "Let's go."

"Yeah. We'd better before you go in there and whip that poor lady's ass for making a play for your man."

"He's not my man."

"Maybe not. But he could be. Think about that."

Nova's remarks stunned Greer. She'd never had a platonic relationship, and there'd not been that many sexual partners. The number had never been important, but now, she wondered about the count.

There was the one guy senior year of high school. A husband. She stopped and tried to recall who came after Mason. Oh yeah. Eric. Then there was Clay. Christopher. Cody. After the three C's, she swore off sex. Well, with an actual person. Her assortment of vibrators increased, and that was easier. She could get the same pleasure without having to shave her legs.

Nova's question snapped her from the math problem. "You're quiet. What are you thinking about?"

Greer sunk into the overstuffed chair, pulled her feet under her hips and shook her head. "Do you remember all the guys you've had sex with?"

"Uh...no." She pursued her lips and looked at the ceiling. "Three or four. That's not a lot, is it?"

Greer laughed. "Compared to who?"

Nova palmed her phone and typed. "Here's an NBC report from a while ago. Says 29% of males and 9% females have had more than 15 sexual partners in a lifetime. The median range is seven for men and four for women. So I guess I'm average."

"I've had twice that."

"Which figure? Fifteen or four?"

"Damn, Nova. Not thirty. There's been seven or eight, I think, but that still seems high. I should take a vow of celibacy. Give up men."

"You should. Right after Jackson."

"You're funny."

"I'm serious."

"I told you. He's involved. A redhead."

"I don't think so. If that was the case why would he spend so much time with you? Why take Emma to the dance? A girlfriend wouldn't stand for that. Not a serious one. That ginger was just a date."

Nova made sense. No need to argue. Besides, the sound of a car told Greer the man she had no interest in was back.

*

By the time Jackson dropped Emma off and picked Blake up, it was almost eleven. Still plenty of time for drinks before the bars closed at two. There weren't many places to just drink in Fairhope, so they ended up at Alchemy Tavern, with over 60 taps, including several house-made beers, boasted to have the largest selection in Mobile. Jackson figured this was his chance to show Blake, the south was more than flat land and farmers. He'd not impressed Greer, but he doubted even Atlanta had better watering holes than this one.

On the drive over, he kept the conversation focused on Blake. He'd asked about his job and daughter, two things his new friend seemed more than happy to discuss in length.

Arriving at the bar, Jackson found a table in the corner and slid onto one of the red vinyl chairs, then gestured for his guest to take the other one. After the waitress took their order, Blake leaned forward.

"Nova gave me strict instructions. What's going on with you and Greer?"

Jackson chuckled. "You mean what are my intentions?"

"I told her it's none of our business, but they've been friends forever, so I've got to give her something."

"I'm not Greer's type, and she doesn't want more than friendship, so that's it."

Blake raised a brow. "But you do?"

The server delivered the mugs and Jackson paid. He waited for her to leave before he answered. "What would be the point? In a few weeks she'll be leaving."

"Between you and me, she has no reason to come back to Atlanta. Most of her readings are done online, and she could sell her shop. Other than Nova, she has one other close friend there. And she's not serious about that guy, Andreas she's been seeing, so if the distance is the only thing standing in your way, you should go for it. Convince her to stay here."

"I've done my best to show her the good things about Fairhope. She still hates the place."

"Maybe she needs a more personal reason."

Jackson laughed. Hell, he'd done his best on that front too. "Hey, I've wined and dined her. And for a while, I thought we were getting closer, but she decided we shouldn't see each other anymore. I knew from the beginning I wasn't her type."

"She thinks you're seeing someone."

Jackson's face drew tight. "Why would she think that?"

"She saw you with a woman at a restaurant."

So Greer did see me. "I took an old friend out the other night." He wanted to change the subject before Blake asked too many questions. "Greer mentioned you and your wife got together under odd circumstances."

"About as odd as you can get. She got pregnant and never told me about the baby. Lied about who she was."

Jackson's mouth hung open. "So, she lied."

"That's an understatement. I didn't know her name where she worked or lived. Even her car was a rental."

When Blake finished the story, Jackson sat in stunned silence. Compared to Nova's lie, his seemed insignificant. "Damn. How'd you get past all that?"

"Easy. I loved her." He chuckled. "Not at first sight. Actually, she wasn't my type. But after our weekend together, she's all I thought about. And once I found her, because of what she'd done, I tried to hate her, but couldn't. Oh, I put on a good act for a while, but when she threatened to leave, I came to my senses."

"That's some story."

"Yeah. Similar to yours and Greer's."

Jackson choked on his drink. He didn't see anything comparable. "What do you mean?"

"You know. A card reader and a minister. Opposites. Like Nova and me. But you're ahead of the game, because there aren't any lies involved."

-------------------------

Haha. It just keeps coming back to bite him in the arse, huh :P

Sorry it's been over a week since an update. My sleeping habits are all out of wack and all I do is sleep all day, up all night binging on Netflix (in which, I think I've done the impossible and watched everything decent).

Til next time,

x zuz