“Why not?” He’d forgotten how aggressive her tone could get.
“Because the last time we were in the woods, we were shot at and nearly killed. It wouldn’t be smart for us to be separated like that.”
“Gah!”
He jumped at the shriek. She banged her head back against the seat, and her hands fisted in her lap. If he stood right in front of her, she’d probably pop him in the nose.
“We were shot at, yes, and I shot the bad guy. And did you forget the part where I rappelled down a cliff? And climbed back up?”
He huffed an angry breath. “I saw it, and it was amazing. I still say no.”
“You are such a man.”
Jackson narrowed his eyes. These were dangerous waters he was getting into. “Thanks for noticing. I’m not saying this because you’re a woman.”
“Sure you’re not.” She scoffed, turning her head from his. When he saw her fist wipe her eye, his gut clenched. He hadn’t meant to make her cry. But why couldn’t she understand?
“Mia—”
“No! Don’t patronize me, Jackson! Don’t act like Blaine and treat me like I can’t handle doing the tough things. Because I can.”
“That’s not what I meant,” he growled at her. Why was she being so difficult?
“Why are we wasting time?”
“Because you aren’t listening to me.”
“Jackson—”
“No!” He lightly pounded his fist on the steering wheel. “I’m not trying to tell you what to do, Mia. But I have failed too many people. My mom. My brother. I even failed you, back in high school. I’m not gonna fail you now. If I let you go off by yourself, knowing it’s unsafe, then I’ll be at fault again if you get hurt. I can’t deal with that.”
She was silent for a moment. He wondered if she was too angry to speak. The silence was nearly unbearable.
When she finally spoke, her voice was like velvet. “I guess I’ve gotten so used to believing that men can’t be trusted and that they always put themselves first, that I never gave you the benefit of the doubt.”
He was horrified. “I made you feel that way?”
She kept her gaze out the side window. “No. Well, not only you. I told you about my ex-fiancé. And you know how cold Blaine was growing up. I never understood that he didn’t love me until I was in seventh grade. My teacher had selected me for a special biology camp. There were only five spots, and I got one. I was so excited. My mom was on a trip, so Blaine promised he’d take me. But the day before, he told me he had business and I couldn’t go.”
“Oh, Mia.” Jackson patted her shoulder. “That’s rough.”
She shrugged. “You haven’t heard the worst. I overheard a phone conversation when he thought I was in bed. He was talking to someone on speakerphone. His ‘business’ was a date with a woman. He was cheating on my mom, and he put his girlfriend ahead of me. I knew then that I’d never been a priority for him. I guess I carried that with me. I expect men to fail me, so they do. I’m sorry.”
He thought about it. “Like I assume the worst will happen if I’m not in control.”
“Exactly.” Her chin jutted out. “You are treating me like a child. Worse than that, you’re treating me like I don’t have a voice in this argument. Just like Blaine.”
He couldn’t think of a worse comparison than being told he was like Blaine Turner.
But she was right that he wasn’t giving her a choice. He didn’t want to do that. But what if she got hurt? “You could get hurt. Or worse.”
She gave a watery chuckle, like she was laughing to cover a sob that wanted to break free. “Jackson, you’re a paramedic. People get hurt—and worse—every day. If I live trying to avoid that, it’s not really living.”
He stewed for a moment. He didn’t like it, but she had a point.
Her hand touched his arm. The warmth sank into his skin. “Jackson. I put my whole heart and soul into working with these kids. Now some of them are in danger because of something I advocated. If I don’t help and they get hurt, I’ll never forgive myself for staying safe while my kids were in danger.”
That was the argument that sold him. Because it was how he felt. He needed to be part of Dylan’s rescue. He needed to help make it right.
