Total pages in book: 110
Estimated words: 108165 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 541(@200wpm)___ 433(@250wpm)___ 361(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 108165 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 541(@200wpm)___ 433(@250wpm)___ 361(@300wpm)
“Yes. Livy is back where she belongs. And I’ve held Wylder.” The hint of a smile pulls at his mouth.
I hate that he’s suppressing his joy. I need to see his happiness. It validates all of my emotions. What happened wasn’t for nothing. It was for something so much bigger than anything in my life. Family is precious. So very precious. And Jackson has his back, and I have no regrets.
I smile, hoping he feels my sincere happiness for him. More smiles. More about his family. “I bet he’s happiness personified.”
Jack’s emotional struggle is palpable and heartbreaking, but he shows me a little more, and he’s never looked this beautiful. “He’s so innocent. It’s …” He shakes his head.
“Just as it should be.” I think of Steven at Wylder’s age. A little towhead too.
I’m not fooling myself; I know Jack can’t let this go, but he blows out a long breath and offers a grin that feels like a truce. “Pizza sounds perfect.”
CHAPTER FORTY-FOUR
JACKSON
Jackson spent years keeping other people safe, often strangers to him. Yet, for all the lives he helped save by taking a life that wasn’t worth saving, nothing makes up for losing Ryn. And nothing will erase the guilt he feels over Frankie.
She drives to the restaurant, talking non-stop about her students and all the work that went into her lecture today. Jackson smiles on cue and nods in timely intervals.
“Tell me to shut up.” She chuckles after they’re seated in a booth. “I’ve been yammering on about my life. Tell me about Livy and Wylder. Are you still Jack, or have you returned to Jude Day?”
Is she giving him the mere surface of her existence, or is she that strong? Is she a Jessica Day? An expert at shedding her skin and moving on. Are they really going to make small talk?
He sips his water, glancing around the restaurant. “Still Jackson Knight.”
“Why not go back to Jude?”
He shrugs.
With a sad smile, Frankie shakes her head. “Sorry. It’s not fair of me to ask you to go back in time if I’m not willing to do it.”
He wishes she would.
“I met my wife as Jackson Knight. He’s the one who fell in love with her.”
Before Frankie can respond, they place their order with the waiter. By the time they’re alone again, Frankie’s eyeing him intently. “I can’t believe you’re a grandpa.”
“No?” He leans back, crossing his arms. “Why is that?”
Her cheeks flush. “You have the uh…” her lips press together for a beat “…the stamina of someone much younger than fifty-something.”
“Thanks. You don’t fuck like an old lady either.”
Frankie snorts, covering her mouth.
Jackson’s trying hard to stay in the moment and follow her lead, but he can’t shake the reality of what happened. He’ll never forget.
“I’d like to think I’m feeding your ego, not bruising it.” She runs a hand through her straight dark hair that barely brushes her shoulders.
“Same.” He smirks.
She melts into a relaxed posture and an equally soft expression. “I’d say I’ve forgotten how much I’ve missed you, but that would be a lie. I’ve missed you every day in the most unforgettable way.”
“Same.”
She blushes again and clears her throat. “Can we talk about the present?”
“Of course.” He slides his glass and silverware out of the way when the waiter delivers their salads.
Frankie retrieves her fork from the rolled-up napkin. “Where are you living?”
“Boise, Idaho.” He stabs his fork into the lettuce. “Livy took a job at a law firm there, so I followed them. Bought a house right across the street.”
She nods while wiping her mouth. “Livy’s an attorney. That’s great.”
“It is.”
“Are you the nanny?”
He chuckles. “Much to my chagrin, Slade’s the nanny. I’m just the adult in the room.”
“Have you two buried the hatchet?”
“No. That hatchet can’t be buried.” He takes several gulps of his water while glancing around the restaurant. “A truce is as good as it gets. As long as he treats my daughter with the love and respect she deserves and swears to lay down his life for hers from now until eternity, I will tolerate him for the greater good.”
She taps her fork against her lip. “So you think he’s perfect for Livy. That’s all you had to say.”
“I said no such thing.” Jackson rolls his eyes, but it doesn’t stop him from grinning.
“You didn’t have to.”
Over the next hour, Jackson suspends his guilt over Frankie long enough to tell her everything Wylder does that’s irresistible, smart, and advanced—basically, all the ways he sees himself in his grandson. Then, on the way home, Frankie confesses everything she’s done to make things right with her parents after the incident at Eloise’s house.
He can’t help but wonder if ignoring the past bestows failure upon the future or if it’s the only way to ensure its success.
“Did you decide to stay at the Holter Hotel? Or did you get a room at a one-star motel with a high probability of bedbugs, unlaundered towels, and zero amenities?” Frankie steps out of the car and heads into the house.