Page 45 of Jameson’s Salvation

Jameson was at a loss for words. But just because he couldn’t find his voice didn’t mean he hadn’t felt every word Kennedy had said—every single one of them had penetrated the fortress he’d built around his heart. She rocked the very foundation he’d spent years fortifying. He would’ve bet his life that his walls were so high, so armor-plated, that no one would’ve been able to scale them. Yet there she was, standing on the other side, seeing Jameson for the man he was, not the man he’d pretended to be. It was both disconcerting and soothing.

He had no idea how to deal with the riot of emotions that had taken over. He feared in that moment anything he said would scare the hell out of her, because the thoughts racing through his mind scared him to death.

It was too soon to say he loved her, but damn if it didn’t feel like it. Or at least what he’d imagined love would feel like. There was no denying what he felt went beyond friendship and attraction. It was soul binding. Unsettling and calming. He’d been honest with her and instead of condemnation she’d given him something he never thought he’d taste—peace.

“Come on, let’s get inside.” Her smile was small and tentative.

He nodded his acceptance, and when they made their way into the house, he took her hand and led her up the stairs into her bedroom, slowly stripped her clothes off, his followed, and he laid her down on her bed.

Then Jameson did one more thing he never thought he’d do in his lifetime. He made love to Kennedy Lane. No words passed his lips as they explored her curves, but they said everything he couldn’t. His hands roamed her body, strong and sure, and finally when his body covered hers the magnitude of their connection was undeniable. Moving slowly inside of her this time instead of taking what she was offering, Jameson gave her everything.

And it was then that Jameson realized he’d lied to her. He hadn’t meant to and at the time he had no way of knowing. But the first time they’d been together, he had held something back. Not his attention, not his lust for her, not his need. But he’d certainly held his emotions in check. And he knew that with a hundred percent certainty, because now he wasn’t.

Yes, Jameson felt a hell of a lot more than he let on, and maybe it was time to be honest about that, too.

14

Kennedy

Two days ago, something big changed, yet everything was still the same.

Peyton Marshall was still at large. The threat of Reggie was still looming over me, though I hadn’t heard from him again. Jameson was going to work every day, the team trying to dig up some sort of dirt on Reggie while handling their other business. I still worked every day. And Jameson came home to my house each night.

He’d packed a bag and brought it over, instead of going back to his house every morning to get ready. That was one thing that had changed, though it seemed small, I sensed it was huge for him and a pretty big step for me, too. It said he planned on staying awhile and strangely I was more than okay with that. Yet, we didn’t talk about it. As a matter of fact, since the night in his truck, conversation had been light.

I think after all the heavy we needed light. We were getting to know each other, the people we were now, not what had made us into who we were. It was like we’d slipped into this natural routine that was comfortable and exciting all at once.

I was in my truck when Jameson returned my earlier call.

“Hey,” I answered.

“Where you at?”

“On my way to my mom’s. She called to tell me her air conditioner’s not working. It did this last year, too. Hopefully it will be an easy fix.”

“Did she say what was wrong?”

I could hear a door slam shut in the background when I answered. “Honey, she doesn’t know anything about her AC. All she said was when she turned it on, it wasn’t blowing cool air. Last time it happened it was the run start capacitor. I’m praying it’s the same this time and a forty-dollar fix and not a two-thousand-dollar new unit.”

My response was met with silence so I called out, “Jameson? Did I lose you?”

“No. I’m here. I’ll meet you at your mom’s.”

“You don’t have to—”

“Is there a reason you don’t want me to meet your mom?”

Yes!

“No. All I’m saying is you’ve been working all day and it should only take me a few minutes to figure out what’s wrong and hopefully another thirty to fix it.”

“Good, then it will only take you fifteen with my help.”

Jameson ended the call without a goodbye and I spent the rest of the drive to my mom’s in a panic. I’d never brought a man around my mother. Mostly because there had been no man who lasted long enough to meet her, but also because I didn’t want to get my mom’s hopes up. No guy lasted because he eventually got fed up with my work schedule and never having time to go out. That may’ve been a slight exaggeration—I could’ve made time, but I never had because I’d never been all that interested in a man enough to rearrange my life.

I was still having a minor freak-out when I pulled in front of my mom’s house. I checked her mailbox which was empty, indicating Miss Janice had already done it, and made my way to the front door. It was unlocked as usual and I realized I’d have to find a way to tell my mom to keep her door locked from now on without telling her my house had been broken into.

Her doctor had said that not only did her diet have to change, but her stress level as well. My mom hadn’t held a job since I was born. She’d been a stay-at-home mom and a farmer’s wife. Both of those had been full-time work. Then after what happened to my dad she got his insurance money and it had been just enough for her to live on if she budgeted. When she bought her house in town, she’d used the money from the land to purchase it outright. But that didn’t mean she was flush with cash, it meant she had to live on a budget and she did. So instead of finding a nine-to-five so she could make more money than just meeting her necessities, she over-scheduled herself volunteering.