AllFreeNovel
Share Us
Jackson stood and held out his hand to help her to her feet. Savannah started walking toward her room and noticed he was walking to the front door.
“Jackson?”
Turning, he looked at her. “Hmm?”
“I don’t want to be alone,” she admitted, her voice barely a whisper.
With a nod, Jackson made sure the front door was locked and shut out the front light. Savannah turned out the living room light and together they walked to her room. It wasn’t until they were there that she realized how pitifully small it was and how the bed was only a full size. “Um…it’s not the biggest bed…”
He pulled his shirt up over his head and tossed it to the floor. “Doesn’t matter. This isn’t about anything except getting some sleep so we can face whatever comes our way tomorrow.” He kicked off his sneakers and shucked his jeans and tugged off his socks. In nothing but his briefs, he looked at her.
That’s when she realized she was naked under her robe. “Um…I’ll be right back.” Rummaging through one of her drawers, she pulled out a nightshirt and quickly went to change in the bathroom. It seemed silly to do that considering just how many times Jackson had seen her naked, but…tonight wasn’t about sex, and being a little modest seemed fitting.
Back in her bedroom, she found Jackson sitting up under the blankets and she immediately crawled in beside him. Together, they shifted until their heads were on the pillows, and then he slowly pulled her into his arms.
“I’d like to kiss you,” he said gruffly.
“I’d like for you to kiss me.”
It was the sweetest, most tender kiss she’d ever experienced in her life. When Jackson lifted his head, he smiled. “Sleep, beautiful girl. I’m here. You’re not alone.” Then he reached over and turned out the light.
She settled against him and he held her tight and heard him say those words again.
“You’re not alone.”
And oddly enough, they were the greatest three words anyone had ever said to her.
* * *
The sun was barely up,but Jackson was wide awake. He’d managed a few hours of sleep, but there was too much on his mind to truly rest.
Beside him, Savannah slept and he didn’t want to disturb her. He had no idea what the day was going to bring and if she could have a few more hours of rest, he wanted her to have them. Placing a soft kiss on her shoulder, he carefully slid off the bed and got dressed. The idea of grabbing a shower was tempting, but he figured he’d go back to his place and do that and grab a change of clothes before going back to the hospital.
Quietly, he left the room and closed the door behind him so he wouldn’t disturb her. His phone vibrated in his pocket and he was almost afraid to look.
Almost.
Now wasn’t the time to be hesitant.
Pulling the phone out, he walked to the living room and sat in the recliner before swiping the screen.
G: Heading home to grab a shower. Peaceful night. I’ll be back up around nine. Need to check on the clinic and spend some time with Em.
That’s when Jackson noticed it was a group text and Austin was in on it too.
Austin: Sounds good. I was planning on being there by ten. Mia’s got a doctor appointment at 8:30, so I’ll be there right after.
Jackson: I’ll be there at 9 with ya, G. Austin, bring something from Henderson’s. Cash mentioned her cinnamon rolls the other day. Maybe he’ll actually eat one today.
Yeah, he knew it was a long shot, but should his father rally enough to want to eat, it would be nice for there to be something there he genuinely enjoyed.
Austin: Done. See you guys later.
Putting the phone down, he sighed. It was good to know that his brothers were going to be there with him today.
Him and Savannah.
And that’s when he realized there were some things they were going to have to address. Not him and his brothers—they both really liked her and openly praised the fact that she’d been taking care of Cash. No, he and Savannah needed to have a conversation—soon. The timing sucked and the last thing he wanted to do was add any more pressure to her, but he thought of his conversation with his father yesterday and so much of it was weighing heavily on his mind.
