20. Jackson
twenty
Jackson
“ Y ou’re sure it’s okay for us to stay in your space like this, Jack?”
“Mom, it’s fine. I’ll stay at Riley’s.”
My mom and dad always stay at my place when they visit. I usually sleep on the pull-out sofa, but this time I have a better place to lay my head, and I can’t wait for them to meet Riley.
Mom smiles warmly and opens her arms for a hug. “I’m so happy for you, honey. Doesn’t he look glowy, dear?” She’s talking to my dad who’s already poking his head out the door to check the outside light that I still haven’t changed.
“Glowy? Is that what we’re calling it now?” Dad smirks, pleased with his quip, and I release my mom from the hug. “Where’s your ladder, Jackson? Let’s fix this right now.”
Dad can never sit still, and I don’t even bother to argue. “Give me a minute and I’ll get it.” Kissing my mother’s cheek, I whisper, “Thanks Mom. I’ll fill you in after we change the lightbulb that Dad clearly needs to fix right this minute.”
“I’ll make some tea.”
She pats my arm, and I follow Dad to the old barn in the back. When I bought this place ten years ago, I thought I’d turn the barn into an indoor practice facility of sorts. But then I got into hydroponics and it’s now my greenhouse. Practice happens at Hunter’s place instead.
“I’m sorry it didn’t work out with the business, son. It’s a shame Cameron left you like that.”
“Thanks, Dad. I’m still working on something. Just not with Cameron. I can do it myself on a smaller scale.”
Dad pokes around my hydroponics setup with a smile on his face. He’s always supported everything I’ve done; from building a complicated LEGO to gardening to steer wrestling—he’s been there.
“Um, so Dad. About Riley. His aunt is Agnes Benton.”
“Small town, right?” Dad chuckles and follows along as I carry the ladder back to the house.
“Minuscule. We’re far enough apart in ages that our paths never crossed. We’re still really new and everything, but Dad.” My throat squeezes and tears prick my eyes. “He’s the one.”
My dad stops walking and turns towards me. “Really?” The absolute hope and joy on his face tears me apart. Mostly because when my parents are happy, I’m happy. But also a little sad because Riley never had this kind of support from his parents. “Yeah. I mean, I haven’t told him that yet. Well, not really, but yeah. I don’t want to spend a minute away from him, you know?”
“I know, Jack. Very well. Have you told your mother?”
Shaking my head, I lean the ladder against the house. “Not yet. You were in a hurry to change my lightbulb, and I couldn’t wait another minute to talk about him.”
Dad shrugs as he hands me the lightbulb and holds the ladder for me. “Safety lighting is important. I raised you better than that. ”
He’s right. Riley was here in the dark once, and I could tell it spooked him. When I opened the door and the house lights flooded into the blackness, he visibly sagged in relief.
After taking care of the bulb and putting the ladder back, we join Mom inside for tea. She’s already made a giant pitcher of it to chill. Since my parents moved to Arizona, they’re into iced tea like it’s the answer to all life’s problems. Not sweet tea either. Plain iced tea.
“I’m sure you guys are tired from your trip, but there’s something I’d like to talk to you about.”
Mom and Dad sit on the sofa together, and I sit in the oversized chair by the window.
“I’ve already told you a little about Riley. You’ll meet him tomorrow. His aunt just had a hip replacement, and she’s all the family he has. He’s…upset about it, of course, and I’ve been helping him as much as possible.” Leaning forward, I meet my mom’s gaze. “He’s the one, Mom.”
Her eyes get all shiny and she carefully places her glass on the coaster. “Really?”
“Yeah, Mom. I’m madly in love with him and…yeah.”
I don’t know what else to say about Riley that could be better than admitting he’s taken my heart in every way. I don’t want to rush into marriage or anything. Riley deserves to be wooed for longer than a week before I confess how much I want him. Not to mention he makes a living delivering romance for people. I need to make sure I do all this right for him.
My mom takes the two steps over to me and hugs me tight. She’s wanted me to get married since, well, since I was old enough to voice my vision of a future .
“I can’t wait to meet him, honey. I love him already.”
After an hour of talking about the rodeo this week and me staying with Riley and all things in between, I excuse myself and leave my parents to rest. We normally have dinner the first night they get here, but with all the hospital stuff and taking care of Riley, we left it until tomorrow, with Mom insisting she’ll make her prime rib and Yorkshire dinner to welcome him.
My mom locks the door after I leave them even though it’s barely 7 P.M. Gabe left Riley with his aunt a few hours ago and I’m about to pick him up and get him fed. Gabe graciously offered to stay at a hotel and while I didn’t want to let him do that, he shook off my weak attempts to get him to stay at the condo. I’m grateful for the alone time, but a little guilty for kicking the guy out since he came for Riley.
After parking the truck at the hospital. I head towards Agnes’s ward. She’s in a regular room now that surgery is complete and she’s recovering. Following the signs, I finally find her room, with Riley dozing in the chair next to her.
Agnes hears me first, even though I’m trying to be quiet. She smiles and lifts her heavy eyelids briefly. “Good. You’re here to take my nephew home. He doesn’t need to hover. I’ll be back to playing Scrabble in no time.”
Smiling, I pat her good arm. “He loves you and being here makes him feel better. I’d never tell him to stay away.”
Agnes blinks slowly. “Thank you for being there for him. You’re what he needs.”
Riley stirs and sits up, rubbing at his eyes. “Jackson, hi. How long have you been here? ”
Leaning down, I press a kiss to his cheek. “Hey, Sleeping Beauty. I just got here. You need to eat and sleep in your own bed. Those chairs are a disaster.”
Riley nods, and the deep circles under his eyes break me. He’s been trying to do so much the last few days.
“I’ve got dinner and I’m taking you home.” He nods, and after grabbing his sweater, he leans down to kiss his aunt.
“I’ll be back tomorrow, Auntie.”
“Don’t rush, Riley. The staff here know what they’re doing.”
“I know but—”
“Let Jackson take care of you. Do it for me, please?”
Riley’s face twists into a pout, and I want to laugh at how adorable he looks.
“That’s mean, Auntie. But I’ll wait since you asked me to.”
Riley seems just as frail as Agnes right now. He’s almost clinging to her and even through the haze of pain drugs, she still comforts him.
“You need to take care of yourself, too, Riley. I need you just as much.”
“I love you.” He goes in for a gentle hug and Agnes smiles as she sinks back into her pillows.
Riley takes my hand as we leave the room and leans heavily into me.
“You okay?”
“Yeah. You’re right about those chairs, but it just didn’t feel right not to be there.”
“I understand, Rye. It’s hard when someone you love is not well and you want to help but can’t. Agnes knows you love her, but she wants you to take care of yourself, too. ”
“I know. It’s just…like I feel so damn guilty going home to have dinner and sleep in a bed without monitors and such.” Riley sighs as we reach my truck, and I open the door for him. “What are we having for dinner, anyway?”
He climbs in and raises an eyebrow when all I do is smile at him.
“It’s a surprise, but I know you’ll like it.”
Riley’s soft smile is my reward as I round the truck and drive him home. I picked up the groceries before I went to the hospital and I’m glad I did. Riley’s exhaustion is clear as he leans his head back and closes his eyes.
“Gabe said he already set up an account at the hardware store so we could renovate the house for Aunt Agnes. Six months with no payments.”
“He told me. We have a plan in the works for that.”
The truck is silent and when I sneak a peek at Riley, a single tear slides down his cheek. I want to pull over and wipe it away, but instead, I wait. Something about the way he’s silently holding himself makes me back off a little.
Once I’ve parked in a visitor space and turned the truck off, Riley keeps his eyes closed and more silent tears streak his face. This time I can’t ignore it and reach for his hand over the console.
“Riley…” I whisper and stroke the back of his hand with my thumb. His fingers curl around mine as he sucks in a breath.
“I’m sorry.” He swipes at his cheeks before finally turning to me. “I’m not used to all this. I…it feels like some kind of dream and nightmare all at once.”
“There’s nothing to be sorry about. It’s a tough time for you and bound to be overwhelming.” He nods and gulps while he wipes at his cheeks more. “Let’s go inside, okay? ”
Riley nods and exits the truck while I grab the grocery bags from the back. We walk in silence to his condo and he enters all the codes. It’s not until we exit the elevator and cross the door into his place that I reach for him.
“Rye.” Setting the bags down quickly, I take his hand and gently pull him into my chest. He wraps his arms around my waist and squeezes while he rests his head on my chest. “The first thing I want you to do is relax in a shower or the tub. What do you prefer?”
“God, I haven’t had a long soak in ages. The tub sounds amazing.”
His voice is muffled against my chest, but he sounds a little lighter.
“Good. Let’s get you in then.”
Grabbing the bag from the pharmacy, I lead him to his bathroom as he cocks his head in question. I say nothing until I’ve started the water and put the stopper in his bathtub.
“Bubble bath or bath bomb?” I ask, and he finally smiles.
“Bath bomb.”
Reaching in the bag, I pull out the soothing one the lady at the counter said is great for muscle aches and stress. She said it was amazing when she was pregnant, and that was all the endorsement I needed to buy it. After unwrapping the bath bomb, I set it on a dry cloth while the tub fills.
“Take your clothes off, Riley. Unless you prefer soaking in them?” When he doesn’t move, I step over to him. “Do you want me to do it for you? Trust me, I don’t mind.”
He takes my hands and places them on his hips. “I don’t mind either. ”
His red-rimmed eyes break my heart, and I lean down for a soft kiss before my hands sneak under his shirt to pull it over his head. When I kneel before him to remove his loose-fitting pants, he gasps and brushes his hand through my hair.
Tapping his leg for him to step out of his pants, he does so and steadies himself on my shoulder. His underwear comes next, and I kiss his hip bone before standing to turn off the water.
“Sweetheart, step in and relax, okay? Drop the fizzy thing in there and just shut it all out. I got you this pillow thing, too? The woman at the pharmacy said all bathtubs need one.”
Rummaging in the bag, I pull out the bath pillow, which is in the shape of a peach, and I suction it to the place I think he’ll put his head. “Do you want me to bring you wine? Maybe tea?”
“You’re not gonna join me?”
“Not this time. This is for you. I’ll make dinner and you stay here as long as you like.”
Riley nods as he exhales a shaky breath. He lowers himself into the tub with a low groan and immediately rests his head back on the little fuzzy peach pillow.
“God, this feels so good. Drop the bomb thing in for me, please?”
I do as he asks, and he cracks one eye open. “Thank you, Jackson. This is perfect.”
“You’re welcome.”
Before leaving him to relax, I turn the lights down low and close the door.
With my heart slamming in my chest, I retreat to the kitchen to make dinner.