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“Parkinson’s.”
He said the single word like it explained everything that was going on with his mother. The disease was crippling but it was more than that. It robbed the person of their life, leaving them a shell of themselves as the disease progressed. She knew this without asking Jackson any questions.
“I’m sorry, Jackson.”
“Thank you. Mom’s struggled with it since we were in high school.”
“I didn’t know that,” she told him.
Another testament to their relationship. He hadn’t told her about this either. “Watcha been up to, Jackson?” She thought a change of subject would do them both good. Things were getting too sentimental for her which could lead to him thinking that things were the same and they weren’t.
He laughed at her.
“What’s so funny?”
“You’re acting like we’re strangers,” he declared. She didn’t miss the clipped tone he used with her.
She huffed at him. “Well Jackson, we are practically strangers. I mean I haven’t seen you in eight years. Did you think I would open my arms and welcome you home or were you expecting it was my legs I would open for you?”
He glared at her for a moment. Then he sat his glass down and stalked around the island separating them until he was standing right in front of Danni. He caged her between his two big arms. One hand on either side of her body. “That was just mean, Danni Rose.”
Jackson towered over her and usually men didn’t intimidate her but right now he was. Danni looked to the side of him, anywhere but at him.
Her heart slammed against her chest, not that he would know that. She lifted her chin defiantly and her eyes met his head-on. “Well Jackson, it’s probably because I’ve gotten a little salty in my old age.”
She saw the corner of his lip twitch. He was trying not to laugh at her. There was nothing old or salty about Danni. That would describe Sam and Jed, the two men at the bar not her. He nodded then. “I guess I should head home for now. Mom might need me.”
“I think that would be an excellent idea.” She didn’t want him in her home. She didn’t want him standing so close to her. She didn’t want Jackson Hand to be back in Sherwood thinking he had any sort of chance with her.
Danni didn’t walk him to the door. She didn’t want to get too close to him. She just watched him walk away, reminding her of the first time, then her front door shut. The latch clicked into place and she knew that Jackson was gone. Danni slid to the floor, her back against the solid, wood cabinet and she breathed deep breaths trying to clear her troubled thoughts.
Her head tilted back on her shoulders as she looked, into the lights on the ceiling of her sparkling, clean kitchen trying not to cry. Her chest heaved as her lungs filled with air then she exhaled just as sharply. Jackson Hand was back in Sherwood.
When her breathing returned to normal, she slipped her boots off her feet and massaged her aching arches. She removed the clip from her hair and let her curls cascade over her shoulder. She tried to picture the nineteen-year-old who left her eight years ago.
Same height. Same, soft, dark hair that was always falling in his eyes. His jaw was still rough with whiskers like he hadn’t shaved in days even though he probably had shaved just that morning.
Danni got off the floor and went to her bedroom. She had to stop this nonsense, right now. She stripped out of her clothes, tossing them in the hamper. She smelled like the pub. Peanut oil and beer.
In the bathroom, off her bedroom, she stepped into the shower stall and let the warmth of the shower water wash over her. She ran her hands over her head. Then she spread soap over her body, washing away the smells and the smoke from the bar. Then she turned off the water and grabbed a towel, drying herself with vigor until her skin was pink.
In her room, she grabbed a pretty nightgown and was about to slip it over her head when she thought she heard a noise outside the window. She thought it might be Walker. She went to the window. Naked. Not smart of her in case it was Walker. She peeked around the edge of the curtain, but no one was there.
She donned the nightgown and grabbed a sweater before going to her porch where she had a swing that her dad and her grandpa Hal had made her when she moved in here. She loved her grandpa’s swing at his house that he wanted her to have one too. He helped her dad as much as possible with the work but these days, his hands, just did
n’t work like they used to. Danni hated seeing him decline like this. She knew he couldn’t live forever but she didn’t like seeing the end of his life coming too fast.
Her legs were cold but the rest of her was warm as she drew the sweater around her body. Her foot gently rocking the swing as she stared into the distance remembering her younger, naïve self that thought Jackson was her soul mate. That was when she believed in a love that lasted a lifetime. She believed in fairy tales and prince charming. She believed in Jackson but not anymore.
Her brother’s truck pulled in the driveway. Ben got out. It only took him a second to see her on the porch. One year older than her and Jackson’s best friend at one time. Her lower lip trembled because she knew that he had come to check on her. They were close as brother and sister.
His boots made a thumping sound as he made his way up the sidewalk to her front porch. The Hatfield family were not quiet people. She swiped her hand across her face. He leaned against the post that the held up the roof over her.
“What are you doing here?” Danni asked keeping her eyes focused on his feet not his face, so he wouldn’t see the upset in her eyes.
He snorted at her. “I knew where I’d find you,” he said, his voice soft and concerned. Her brother’s hair was too long. He needed a shave. He looked like her dad without the gut that came with age. She smiled at him through her watery eyes.
“Awe, Danni don’t cry on me. I can’t stand your tears and I’d hate to have to kick Jackson’s ass.” She chuckled. He moved away from the post and walked to her. She made room for him, so he sat down and put his arm around her. Danni laid her head against his chest. “You okay?” He asked.
