“But I do. I want you to feel safe here. We only take out the bad ones.”
I place my hand on his shoulder. “I know, Jackson. I do feel safe here.”
“Good. I’m glad.”
I glance over my shoulder when the truck starts. “Um, Dan and I are going to take a drive and talk.” It makes me laugh for some reason. I never dreamed I’d have so many people to converse with. “He’s raving about your local coffee and donuts.”
“Don’t be out all night, young lady,” he teases. He leans over and gives me a kiss on the cheek. “I’m proud of you.”
“Well, it’s dark out, and most everyone is in bed, so I figure it’s safe.” I mean it as a joke, but it only pulls the corners of his mouth down.
“It’s a start. Don’t sell yourself short.” He looks up at the barn, and a tear slips down his cheek. “You gave up your home,” his voice cracks, and he drops his head.
Without thinking, I pull him to me, hugging him tight. “Don’t you dare feel guilty about that. I’m right where I want to be, Jackson. I just needed Jesse to give me a little push.”
He chuckles while crying at the same time. “A little push? She burned your house down, Mom.”
“Nothing is ever ours to keep, Son. I’ll find my place here,” I say more confidently than I feel.
Jackson looks over at Dan. “You should get going. Dan is a patient man, but he has limits.”
I smile up at him. “He seems very easy to talk to.”
“He is. He’d be a good person to lean on.”
“Okay, I won’t be gone long.” I give him a final squeeze and then let him go before rushing inside to put on my shoes.
Jackson waits until I’m in Dan’s truck before he disappears into the house.
“That boy has always loved you,” Dan says, pulling out onto the road.
“I’ve always loved him.”
Dan and I chat all the way to the gas station. I was worried about leaving with someone I don’t know, but it doesn’t feel that way at all.
After we get our coffee, he drives around town, showing me all of the businesses including his own. “You should come in and get a tattoo sometime.”
“You know, I would love to get another tattoo. Let me think about what to get.”
“That’s how Lily and I met. She came in to get a tattoo from Jesse but ended up with me instead.”
“I know,” I say, covering my face.
“You know?”
“Yeah. When Lily came to town and figured out who Jackson was, well, that’s when Bill figured out who I was.”
Dan’s eyes widen. “Bill knew?”
“I never confessed my identity, so technically no, but he knew. He tried so hard, but I was pretty stubborn back then.”
He chuckles. “And you’re not now?”
“No.”
“Sure you’re not. All women are stubborn,” he says, turning into the state park.
I’d argue with him, but a beautiful lake suddenly appears in front of us. The moonlight ripples over it, and it’s all I can do to sniffle back my emotion. I’d forgotten how stunning the world was outside of my sanctuary.
