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“That’s it? We’re in the middle of a discussion and…”
“No, we’re in the middle of you lashing out and finding different names to call your father. It’s not going to get you anywhere, and it certainly isn’t endearing you to me.”
His blue eyes went wide. “Endearing myself…? Sweetheart, last night I was trying to endear myself to you. But right here, right now? That is the last thing on my mind because from where I’m standing, you’re no better than he is.”
It was crazy how much that hurt, but…she’d be lying if she said this was the first time someone had formed an opinion about her because of her connection to Cash.
“Then, like I said, we’re done here,” she said, walking toward the door.
Jackson was in front of her in the blink of an eye. “I want to see him,” he all but growled.
“I’m sure you do. But not like this. I will not allow you to go to the house and verbally attack him. Maybe when you calm down…”
“Sweetheart, where the old guy is concerned, I’mnevergoing to calm down.”
Her back stiffened. “That’s the second time you’ve called me sweetheart and I don’t appreciate it. It’s obvious calling people names is part of your personality, but if you can’t address me by my name, then don’t talk to me.” Crossing her arms over her chest, she glared back at him.
Challenge extended…
His laugh was low and gruff and he was definitely not amused. “You’re a real piece of work, Savannah. And for your information, I didn’t think sweetheart was the equivalent of calling you a name.”
“It’s normally a term of endearment, but not the way you were using it. Now if you’ll excuse me, I need to collect my things because working for Parker is not going to work out.”
And this time when she turned to walk away, he didn’t stop her.
* * *
He stoodand looked at the empty doorway for a solid minute before he even remembered to blink.
What in the ever-loving hell just happened?
Of all the crappy luck, the first woman he’s ever felt such a strong connection to and she’s freaking best friends with his father! Dumbfounded, Jackson started pacing again and tried to figure out what he was supposed to do. Should he call his brothers? Chase Savannah down and demand she take him to wherever it was she and Cash were staying?
With a snort of derision, he imagined it was some fancy house right on the damn water. With all the money his father had gotten from his inheritance—the same money he promised to his sons—he knew they must be living large. It would be the perfect excuse for him to walk up and punch old Cash Coleman right in the damn face.
“And there’d be a line right behind me waiting to do the same thing,” he murmured, imagining him and Garrett and Austin all going in and wailing on their father—inflicting the kind of pain on him that he’d been inflicting on them for years.
But then that image was instantly replaced with another.
He remembered his brothers calling him the last time Cash came to Magnolia. They told him how much he’d aged and how he looked a little frail.
The trip across the country took a lot out of him and I think he needed a little time to recover before reaching out to anyone.
Savannah’s words came back to him, and for a moment, he was filled with shame. Here he was practically fantasizing about beating up a dying man. What kind of person did that make him?
Not a very good one.
“Shit.” His pacing stopped and he looked around his cousin’s office and realized this wasn’t where he needed to be. He needed to go downstairs and apologize to Savannah and…hell…hopefully he could convince her to give him her address so he could go over and talk to his father.
Maybe not right now, not today, but…soon.
Mumbling another curse, he walked over to the chair she had recently vacated and sat down hard. In his mind, he knew he had every right to be angry; he’d spent his entire life being pissed off at his circumstances. That didn’t mean he had to take it out on Savannah, though. All romantic thoughts of her were gone. There was no way he could be attracted to someone who had this kind of twisted connection to him. It just wasn’t possible.
With a weary sigh, he allowed himself a few minutes to get all his emotions under control before walking down the stairs to find Parker. Strolling back to the reception area, he spotted his cousin standing and putting some sort of product on display.
“Hey, Parks,” he said casually. “Thanks for…ow!What the hell?”
She had punched him in the shoulder.
