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After buying the things he needed from the hardware store he walked over to Ben’s office. Ben glared at him as soon he walked in the station. Jackson held up his hands in mock surrender. “I know you’ve heard the gossip, too.”
Ben led him into his office and closed the door so no one else could hear them. Ben sat at his desk and looked at Jackson in a disappointed glare. “Well, is it true? You took Kelly back?”
Jackson gave him a disbelieving look as he sat down across from Ben feeling tired. “Don’t you know me better than that, Ben? Look, Kelly called me drunk from Randy’s crying for me to come and get her. What was I supposed to do, leave her there to drive drunk?”
“No, but you could’ve called me or her boyfriend, Eddie,” Ben answered with a deep frown.
Jackson sighed, putting his hands
through his hair in frustration. “Eddie dumped her, that’s why she was drunk. And you’re right. I should have let you deal with her. I forgot how people like to gossip around here. Damn, Grace must have heard the gossip, too.”
“And today when Grace called your house?” Ben asked, leaning back in his chair as he looked at Jackson and waited for an explanation.
“Kelly came by begging me to take her back. It took me forever to get rid of her. She’s like a leech,” Jackson complained, rubbing his hands tiredly over his face. “Believe me, I count my lucky stars every night that she leeched onto Eddie or I’d still be playing the blind fool.”
“So why didn’t you call Grace and explain all this to her. Do you know the hell she’s been through and is still going through?” Ben asked in a relieved voice.
“Things were going so good for us and I guess I knew she’d be mad so I put it off. I just came from the restaurant but they wouldn’t let me talk to her. What’s going on, Ben?” he asked worriedly, realizing something serious was happening besides town gossip.
“Her ex escaped from jail,” Ben stated in an angry, cold voice. “Just when things were looking up for her, too. I hate that this is happening to her again. She doesn’t deserve this asshole coming after her.”
“What? And she’s all alone?” Jackson stood up, feeling scared and tense, ready to go back and find Grace to make sure she was safe even if he had to go through Bill and Flo and the whole damn town.
“Relax, Jack. Stan is parked in front of the café, looking out for her. Flo said she took a sleeping pill and she is sleeping, so just stay away from her, Jack. If you would’ve seen her in here earlier, she looked like a damn ghost all pale and out of it. She was lost in her own thoughts, which I’m sure included you and Kelly, but she is ready to break down. Just leave her be for now.”
“She needs me, Ben. I promised to help her feel safe. How can I just leave her alone? No one is getting in my way of protecting that girl. She means the world to me!” Jackson yelled. “I love her!” Jackson sat back down, feeling the shock of his words go through his body but also realizing they were true. “Shit, I love Grace,” he said, reaffirming the words to himself, feeling the rightness of it in his heart. He looked at Ben with a sappy grin, feeling a little shaky at the grand revelation.
Ben smiled, patting Jackson on the back in congratulation. “I like Grace much better than Kelly. I’m glad to see you thinking clearly again, my friend. Just give Grace a few hours of sleep to escape this nightmare. I have a feeling that jerk may head this way. Then you go see your woman.”
Later that night he had Hannah call Grace since Flo wouldn’t put his calls through. He had explained to Hannah and Ida about Kelly. They had both been relieved he wasn’t taking Kelly back. It had infuriated him that everyone thought he was so foolish to be taken in by Kelly again but he put all that aside. He told his family he loved Grace but he was worried about her safety. He needed to hold his woman in his arms and keep her safe. He wouldn’t feel better until he saw her face-to-face. Even if she was mad as hell, he would stick to her like glue until James was caught.
* * * *
Grace picked up the phone, yawning and still feeling tired despite sleeping the day away. “Hello?”
“Grace,” Hannah said, relieved to hear her friend’s voice. “I’ve been so worried about you! I know your ex escaped. What can I do to help?”
Grace exhaled the breath she had been holding in when she picked up the phone without thinking. Flo had been with her all day and only left with the promise that Grace wouldn’t answer the phone. “Oh, Hannah. I’m so glad it’s you. Yes, it’s true he escaped early this morning. I just woke up so I’m still a little groggy.”
“Oh, Grace, this is just awful. Come stay with us,” Hannah suggested. “You’ll be safe here. I will shoot the bastard myself!”
“Thanks Hannah but I can’t. Jackson and Kelly—” She couldn’t continue with her voice breaking and the tears coming. Suddenly she heard pounding on her door and she screamed and dropped the phone on the floor. She stood up and hung up the phone without thinking. She stood silently looking around the living room for a weapon to defend herself. James couldn’t get here so fast, could he?
Chapter 12
“Grace? Grace?” Jackson heard his sister yelling into the phone with a panicky voice. She looked up into the worried faces of Jackson and Ida. “Someone banged on her door and she yelled and hung up.”
Jackson didn’t wait to hear any more. He grabbed his keys and ran out the door, yelling, “Call Ben!”
He jumped in his truck and sped off. All he could think about was saving the woman he loved.
* * * *
“Gracie, it’s Billy.” She heard a voice and jumped up, running to the door, and opened it with disbelief.
“Oh God, Billy, you scared the crap out of me!” Grace said, putting her hand up to her still loudly beating heart. But she hugged him all the same, so glad to see him. Because of his traveling it had been years since she had seen him.
Billy picked her up and twirled her around, closing the door behind him. “Sorry, the line was busy and it worried me. God, look at you. Where’s the skinny little frizzy-haired kid gone?” he said, setting her down and looking her over with a rakish smile.
