Blurry eyed, Jackson stared at the clock, then rolled to his back and gazed at the ceiling. Two weeks since he'd seen Greer and shared a drink with her friend, Blake. Because of what Jackson learned about the couple's love story, and how Greer had been a part of the deception, surprised him. Blake encouraged him to pursue Greer. Sure, he'd be risking heartbreak. Even if he asked, she might leave anyway. But what if she didn't?

How would he ever know if he didn't try? Emma already liked him; that had to count for something. And once the truth came out, Greer would admit there wasn't as much difference between them as she thought. An architect and a tarot princess had more in common than a reader and minister.

He swung feet to floor and rested his elbows on his knees. No time to think about his love life. He'd promised to mow his parent's lawn. Dad had always insisted on doing the yardwork, but since being diagnosed with angina, the doctor had ordered no exertion for a while. The grass had two weeks growth. Besides, the exercise might do Jackson some good.

An hour later, with each strip he cut, his brain played the manly version of she loves me, she loves me not. One minute he thought the attraction was one-sided, and the next mutual. His imagination? Sure. Why else cancel the meetings? She'd said to make leaving easier, but if he convinced her to stay longer, say thought the summer, maybe she'd change her mind.

It was the logical thing to do. She had a house here. Emma was happy. And if Greer didn't have family or Andreas waiting in Atlanta, the transition should be easy. Blake pointed out both of her best friends were married, so it wasn't as if she had a regular posse to hang out with in the singles scene.

But then again, she hated Fairhope. A big problem. The bad boy syndrome posed another threat. Jackson had let his hair grow longer. Add some piercings, and additional tattoos, then she might be more interested. He chuckled, made the last pass with the mower and reminded himself, no permanent relationship for her. Didn't believe they were possible. She was all about casual sex. If he continued to see her he'd care more, and it'd be Julie all over again. Best to leave well enough alone. Greer was right. Break all ties and move on.

He killed the engine, rolled the mower to the shed already happy about his decision. Starting tomorrow, like the last two weeks, he'd be swamped at work, with plenty to keep her off his mind.

After he put the mower away, he walked back to the front of the house. His mother came from Ian's place with the twins in tow. Lila reached for him.

"Sorry, baby. I'm hot and sweaty. Let me get washed up and I'll take you." He went to the faucet, picked up the garden hose, and ran a gentle stream over his face. The twins broke free and toddled to him. He spread his thumb over the end of the tube and sent a spray into the air. Both girls ran in circles, raised their arms to catch the drops and giggled.

"Jackson! You're soaking them! Stop!" Mom threw her hands up, but when he aimed the spew toward her, she stepped back. "You'd better not get me wet."

He looked down at his nieces. "Think we should give BeBe a bath?"

She retreated and narrowed her eyes. "You wouldn't dare."

"Oh, wouldn't I?" He pointed the hose and a fine mist showered down.

She screamed and jumped back, but he followed. The toddlers laughed and ran to keep up. Sunlight broke through the clouds and even the trees seemed greener. Damn, about the time he pushed Greer from his mind, Mother Nature reminded him of her.

*

A few weeks ago, hearing from Andreas would have sent Greer's heart into a spin, but not now. He'd called to say how he liked Vegas and missed her. Yeah, right. Before the conversation ended, he'd asked her to mail a package to him. Once she returned to Atlanta, she could pick it up from the guy who'd bought the tattoo shop. Some old designs from Andreas's early years, before he put everything on computer. Funny, she never considered him the sentimental type, but he'd said they were important, so she agreed.

She went into the bedroom and marked the desk calendar. Two more weeks until school ended. Fifteen days until she headed back home. She wrote Andreas' name and drew a heart around it. Silly. Her stomach knotted and she didn't understand why. Other than a good time, he'd meant nothing. A convenient distraction. A scratch for an itch. Meaningless sex. Maybe his nostalgia proved he could have been more.

Tears threatened and she wondered why. Heaving a deep breath, she knew the answer. It'd been thirteen days since she'd seen Jackson, but who was counting? Probably not him. Lord, she was a mess. Like a fickle woman who didn't have a clue. Told him to go, but hoped he'd stay. Talk about screwed up. She deserved to be miserable. She wiped her eyes and scolded herself. Toughen up.

Once she left this place, she could forget about Jackson Bellefonte. The kindest, most selfless, trustworthy man she'd ever met. She'd block him from her mind, but one thing was for sure. In the future, she'd compare every man to him.

By seven o'clock, Emma helped Greer clear the dishes. Dinner provided the perfect time to catch up on Emma's day. Her niece had come a long way. When she mentioned either parent, she still talked about them in present tense, but not as often. She didn't cry for Ava anymore, and the nights Emma crawled into Greer's bed had gotten less.

She'd still not told Emma about moving, but had been thinking of a way to break the news. Ease her into it in place of springing it as a permanent relocation.

"Hey, Em. When you get out of school, I thought we might travel. Would you like that?"

"Where would we go?"

Greer raked leftovers into a plastic container. "I need to take care of some business in Atlanta, so I thought we'd stay there a while. Then to Carolina's for grandma's wedding. Maybe on way back we go to Florida. Spend time on the beach. Work on our tans. Go to Disney World."

"We'd swim in the ocean? And see Cinderella? And find seashells?"

"Mhmm."

"Could I get a camera to take pictures?"

"Absolutely."

"Okay."

A loud clap of thunder caused Emma to jump. She came around the counter and hugged Greer's waist. "I'm scared."

"It's okay." Another new discovery. She'd not known her niece was afraid of storms. "Tell you what. I'll run you some water and let you take a bath and I'll do the same. We'll get our jammies on, and build an inside tent. Your mom and I used to do that when we were young."

Greer made quick work of filling both tubs. While Emma bathed, Greer sank deep into perfumed water. The talk went well. Maybe by the time school started, she'd be okay with staying in Atlanta. Greer would introduce her to Addy's two boys. They knew girls Emma's age. If she forged a friendship with one or two, then she'd forget about Fairhope.

By the end of bath time, the weather turned worse. Lightning streaked across dark clouds, while angry thunder protested. She gathered comforters and pillows from the beds and spread them in the hallway. Thumbtacks held sheets to the walls forming an overhead covering, while the sides draped to the floor. In the center of the makeshift shelter, she took the shower rod from Emma's bathroom, anchored it into the opening of an antique churn Ava had by the fireplace and attached an open umbrella to form a roof.

She nestled Emma in her arms. "Your mom liked to tell scary stories when we did this, but I liked fairy tales with princesses." Greer wished she still believed in those.

Emma shivered. "I wish Daddy was here."

Greer didn't know what to say. She wished the same thing. Or Mom. Or Nova. Or anybody more experienced in comforting a terrified little girl. "I know you do, sweetie. How about I get your favorite books? I'll be right back." She doubted that was the way to handle the situation, but it was the best she could do. Direct Emma's attention away from the storm and the memory of Evan. Rain pounded. The sky exploded with fiery bolts and roared with one crash of thunder after the other.

Her phone chimed and she searched beneath the mound of bedding, but then Emma handed it to her. Odd. Greer glanced at the caller. Jackson. Her heart jumped into her throat. "Hello."

"Open the garage so I can pull my truck inside. It's about to hail."

Now she understood. He was out in the weather and needed shelter. She jumped from the tent and rushed to find the opener. Regardless of the reason, hearing his voice made her warm all over. As the door lifted, he pulled into the drive. She waited until he parked. The sight of him caused her heart to falter and her words to freeze in her throat. He was different. Four hours past a five o'clock shadow, dark stubble peppered his handsome face, and he needed a haircut. He looked good enough to eat. "You get caught out in the storm?"

"No. Emma called. Said she wanted me to come over because she was scared. You didn't know?"

"No." Before she said anything else, Emma nudged her out of the way and hugged him.

He lifted her into his arms and she pressed her head to his chest and cried. He stroked her back and spoke in a tone soft enough to melt butter. "Hey, little bit, it's just a storm. It'll be over soon."

At that moment, Greer realized no matter how hard she tried, or how good her parenting skills, there would always be things she couldn't provide for Emma. Like the loving comfort of a man's arms. Using her most cheerful voice, she invited him in. "Come inside. Emma and I made a tent."

He moved forward with the child clinging to him like a little spider monkey. Greer wanted a turn at that. To feel his arms around her if only for a moment. To have him tell her everything would be okay. Assurance she was doing a good job, even though she was an epic failure.

For the next two hours, while hail pounded in waves, she and Jackson took turns storytelling. She made popcorn and he told the silliest knock-knock jokes she'd ever heard. She couldn't remember a more violent storm or being happier. Unable to pull her eyes away, he'd caught her looking at him more than once. Inside that homemade tent, she got a glimpse of family life, and it affected her.

By ten o'clock, Emma was asleep, the hail had stopped but rain continued to fall. Greer moved around the dimly lit kitchen putting popcorn bowls away while Jackson stacked books on the counter. As if on cue, the room went dark.

"Power's out. You got a flashlight or candles?"

"I'll get them. There's a flashlight here somewhere and I have candles in the bedroom. You get the lighter off the mantle."

She left him and moved down the hall, eased past the tent. Out of habit, she flipped the light switch and for a second expected it to come on. Crazy. Beside the bed she took a scented pillar from the nightstand, then stepped into the bathroom to get votives. When she returned to the bedroom, she gasped. Jackson stood in the doorway.

She set the candles down, rummaged through the drawers and found a small Maglite, and shined it toward him. "Who said let there be light?"

He chuckled. A low mellow tone from deep in his chest, and Greer's toes curled. Then he did something unexpected. He closed the door and locked it. Her heart hammered. He walked to stand behind her and switched the flashlight off. Her knees weakened.

"I do some of my best work in the dark." He laid the mag aside, then placed his hands on her waist and leaned into her hair.

She drew a shallow breath. "I bet you do." She wanted some of that manual labor. And that was wrong. So wrong. She should step away. Send him home. But instead, she leaned against his chest.

He moved his hands to her stomach and pulled her back tighter against him. "Want me to show you?" Slipping fingers under her silky pajama top, he stroked bare skin.

Every cell screamed yes, show me everything. She blew out a heavy sigh, but words wouldn't come. Her brain said no, but her body told her to keep her mouth shut and let the man do his job.

"Since you didn't say no, I take it as a yes." He planted a kiss below her ear.

She squeezed her legs together as heat spread between her thighs.

He slid his lips down the side of her throat, and sucked soft flesh into his hot mouth. She lolled her head over to give him better access. Then he moved to the crook of her neck. "God, you smell good."

[[ Warning, mature themes ahead]]

His warms hands explored higher and cupped her breasts. She tingled everywhere. Her nipples hardened into tight beads.

"You like that?"

Did he have to ask? It was obvious she did, but apparently he wanted verbal confirmation. "Yes." His naked body flashed in her mind and her vision blurred.

The hard length of his erection pressed into her butt and lust pooled low, then lower. Oh God, she'd wanted him. Her breasts were hot and heavy in his hands. He rolled both nipples between his fingers and thumbs, and she moaned her pleasure.

She didn't want him to hate her. She couldn't live with. The thought of hurting him was too much. "Jackson."

He spun her around to face him. "Don't talk. Don't think."

The orders landed in her brain like a grenade, a hundred thoughts exploding at once. He covered her mouth with his lips. Hot. Demanding. She licked the tip of his tongue.

He boosted her onto the desk. Stood between her thighs. Cradled her face. Dragged her mouth back to his. This time the kiss so slow and sweet, she melted against him. Over and over again, his lips covered hers. Deep, intimate kisses. That yanked her heart and stole the air from her lungs. The kind that made her feel like if he kissed her a thousand times, it wouldn't be enough.

He broke the connection, lifted her top. "When I got here tonight, and you weren't wearing a bra, I decided I was going look under this blue silk before I left." He rubbed the fabric, then trailed fingers down the swell of her breasts. "God, you're beautiful."

This was different. Like nothing she'd ever experienced. His tone and soft caress. The words he said. So sincere, respectful even. She didn't feel dirty or used like she did most of the time with casual sex partners. Every touch and word soaked deep into her soul. She raised her arms and he removed her top. Then cupped her breast and drew it into his wet mouth. The ache between her legs intensified. She moved her fingers to the button on his jeans and undid them. He straightened and kissed her again.

[[Mature themes over]]

She lowered his zipper.

Then he ended the kiss but kept his face close to hers. "I've got to tell you something."

"Can't it wait? You know, until after we're done." Each word came out on a ragged breath.

"No. I really should..."

The power came on casting the room in bright light. She jerked her hands back as if shocked, knocking the flashlight off. He stared down for a moment, then looked into her eyes, his expression cold. Suddenly, he stepped away and zipped his pants. "This was a mistake."

Greer blinked, then blinked again as the door closed behind him.

What the hell?

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

What do you think happened to Jackson right then??

And Emma calling Jackson unknowingly to Greer? Hope that kid isn't making collect calls to China. :P

Til next time,

x zuz