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Shit…
Yeah, it was complicated.
It was pointless to sit and obsess over different potential scenarios about him and Savannah and what was going to happen with his father. For right now, the only thing he could do was find something to occupy his mind so he wouldn’t think about either of those things.
The apartment complex had a gym and he decided to go and give himself a bit of a workout that included his PT exercises. It had been almost a week since he’d done a proper round of them and he knew for a fact that the only thing he was going to be focused on was how his range of motion still sucked and how much pain he still had.
“And yet it’s still a better option than sitting around thinking about what’s going to happen tonight.”
* * *
“Holy shit!Jackson? What are you doing here?”
Before he could utter a single syllable, both his brothers were hugging him. He’d shown up at Cash’s place a little after six and, after a quick knock, let himself in.
“Yeah, so…I came back a few days ago and was taking a little time for myself,” he said when they finally let him breathe.
“You needed a little me time?” Austin asked with pure amusement. “Seriously?”
“Long story, but…yeah.” He glanced around and spotted his father sitting in the recliner he’d been in earlier and wondered if Savannah was here. Her car wasn’t outside, but maybe she just wanted to leave the driveway open for them. With a nod in Cash’s direction, he walked over and sat down on the sofa. There was a tray of drinks on the small table.
“Pizza’s on its way,” Garrett said, “and I picked up some stuff from Henderson’s.” Smiling, he said, “It’s good to see you, bro. Glad you’re home.”
He’d by lying if he said it was good to be home, so he simply smiled and nodded.
They all made small talk while waiting for dinner to arrive. Garrett talked about how busy the veterinary clinic had been and how he helped deliver a litter of dalmatian puppies earlier in the day. Austin showed pictures of the new house and how they were putting the finishing touches on the nursery. Then, because Jackson figured they were all waiting, he explained how he decided to come to Laurel Bay for a little R&R before letting anyone know he was home.
“So…I’m confused,” Garrett interrupted. “I totally get why you wanted to have a little time to yourself, but how did you know where Dad was?”
He and Cash exchanged glances, and Jackson knew he could give his brothers the abbreviated version. “Um…long story short, I ran into Parker and she invited me into the spa and that’s where Dad’s friend Savannah is working.” He let out a small laugh. “Small world, right?”
If either of them suspected there was more to the story, they kept it to themselves, and by that time, the pizza delivery kid was at the door. For the next several minutes, they doled out food and ate and it almost felt normal, like it was no big deal for them all to be sharing a meal together.
But it wasn’t normal, and it was only a matter of time before things got serious and Cash laid it all out there.
Putting his plate down on the coffee table, he looked at them all with something akin to resignation on his face.
“I’d like to start by putting some minds at ease,” he began carefully. “Savannah James is not my daughter.” He gave them each a pointed look before going on. “She is the daughter of one of my best friends and through a series of devastating tragedies, I’m all she has left. I know that your Aunt Georgia put it out there and planted the seeds of doubt about who Savannah was, but I’m letting you all know that she isnotrelated to any of you in any way, shape, or form.”
His gaze lingered uncomfortably long on Jackson.
“Okay, great,” Austin said mildly. “So we don’t have any half-siblings. That’s fine. To be honest, Dad, that wasn’t our biggest concern.”
Cash nodded and then slowly recounted the same sad story he’d told Jackson earlier in the day, and even though he knew what was coming, it gutted him a second time. Leaning back against the cushions, he rubbed his temple and tried to wrap his head around how someone survives that much loss.
“Wait,” Garrett said when Cash was done. “You left town—basically like a thief in the night—to go and be with this girl?”
Cash nodded.
“And you didn’t at any point think to maybe make a phone call or send a text or…or…anything? What is wrong with you?” he demanded.
In typical Cash fashion, he wasn’t particularly fazed by the outburst. “I was in shock, Garrett. There was so much going on and I knew if I had called, everyone would want to argue with me and tell me how I wasn’t doing right by them. Well…I was a coward and couldn’t handle that on top of everything else. Henry was gone, Savannah still wasn’t out of the woods after her transplant, and for some reason, the universe thought I needed more on my plate.”
Austin groaned as he got to his feet. “Yeah, boo-hoo. You had to actually be there for someone and it was easier to be there for one person—a stranger—rather than your own family. Again!”
Jackson watched as Cash just took the harsh words with a small nod.
After that, there was a lot of yelling—mostly from Austin and Garrett—and Jackson found himself unable to chime in. Maybe it was because he’d had his time earlier to say the things that he wanted to say, but he had a feeling it was because he had some time to come to grips with the situation.
