Chapter Eleven
Vanessa crawled into the tent with Emily and slept for nine straight hours.
She’d almost forgotten how it felt to sleep an entire night without waking. She hadn’t obsessed about Paul or rehashed their argument. She hadn’t been plagued by feverish dreams. She’d just passed out cold and stayed that way.
In the morning, she emerged with a fresh outlook. The full night’s rest hadn’t eliminated her problems or restored her faith in men, but it had done wonders for her sense of wellbeing. After a breakfast of donuts and coffee, supplied by Jackson, she’d helped him pack up the tent without complaint.
Although Vanessa hadn’t decided where to go next, she was tired of camping.
She longed for the creature comforts of indoor plumbing, air-conditioned rooms, and an internet connection.
Even so, she had mixed feelings about leaving Lost Lake.
It was a place of childlike joy and high spirits.
It was summer personified. She went for a rousing hike with Jackson while Emily participated in arts and crafts at mini-camp.
When they returned, the kids were playing board games in the youth center.
Jackson and Vanessa sat together on a nearby bench and waited for the activity to finish.
“So,” Jackson said finally. “About your new friend.”
Vanessa sipped from a bottle of water in an attempt to stall.
“What did he apologize for?”
“Nothing important.”
“If it wasn’t important, why didn’t you accept?”
Vanessa twisted the cap back on her bottle, annoyed. “How do you know I didn’t?”
“Because he looked like he’d sucked a lemon.”
She laughed, despite herself. Emily must have repeated Paul’s lemon story to Jackson.
Her brother smiled encouragingly and made a fess up gesture.
He was a good listener, non-judgmental, and she wanted to talk to someone.
She’d been lonely. Her social group had fallen apart after she’d filed for divorce.
Jackson was the only person she confided in regularly, other than their mother, and she couldn’t tell her mother about Paul without getting the third degree.
So she gave Jackson a summary of the events leading up to last night’s apology.
She didn’t mention Paul’s gunshot wound or any other health issues.
Although he wasn’t her patient, she felt obligated to respect his privacy.
“He said, ‘You need to keep an eye on her,’ and stormed away.”
Jackson’s brows rose with understanding. “Ah.”
“Can you believe it? He was implying that I’d neglected Emily in my desperation to hook up with him.”
Her brother didn’t dispute this claim, though he wore a skeptical expression.
“That’s not all,” she said, getting irritated again. “He said I don’t trust men because of my bitter divorce.”
“Hmm.”
“I don’t need psychoanalysis from a day laborer.”
Jackson chuckled at the snobby remark. “Does he have kids?”
“No, why?”
“Emily likes him.”
“Emily likes everyone.”
“Did I tell you how we met?” Jackson asked.
“No.”
“I was responding to a theft report. One of the neighbor’s guns went missing. Paul was new to the area, so I knocked on his door.”
She froze at the news. “He was a suspect?”
“Not really. But I considered him worth talking to.”
“Why?”
“Cop instinct.”
She studied her brother’s face. “You still feel that way?”
Jackson shrugged. “When I saw how he interacted with Emily, I thought maybe I’d misjudged him.”
“Maybe you didn’t.”
“You’re mad at him.”
“For good reason.”
“He didn’t steal the gun—I know that much. It was found by the owner.”
“That doesn’t mean he’s harmless.”
“No,” Jackson agreed. “It doesn’t. For what it’s worth, I ran a background check on him. He doesn’t have a criminal record.”
Vanessa was relieved to hear it. She didn’t believe Paul would harm her or Emily. He’d explained his reasons for being on edge, and she’d found them compelling. “What do you know about his injury?”
“Nothing. Why?”
After a short pause, she leaned forward and lowered her voice. “He’s recovering from a gunshot wound.”
Jackson’s gaze sharpened. “I thought he got hurt on the job.”
“He did. He said he worked for a security company.”
“I’ll look into it.”
“I guess it doesn’t matter,” Vanessa said. “We won’t see each other again.”
Jackson drummed his fingertips against the table. He seemed disturbed by the news of Paul’s injury, but anyone could become a victim of gun violence. She pictured Paul’s tortured face as he’d recounted the details. He was no cold-hearted criminal.
He wasn’t summer fling material, either. The problem wasn’t just him. It was her reaction to him. He was too intense for a short affair.
You’re afraid of what you’ll let me do to you in the dark.
As much as she hated to admit it, the statement held a grain of truth.
She’d been celibate for over a year, and she was more than ready to exorcise Bennett with a new partner.
She wasn’t afraid of anything Paul might do to her body.
The greater concern was her bruised heart.
She didn’t want it to get trampled again.
Sex with Paul would be passionate and all-consuming, based on the heat they’d generated with a single kiss.
It might lead to an emotional connection, and that would be disastrous.
Vanessa couldn’t afford to catch feelings for a man who was all sharp words and rough edges.
Last night, after she’d spouted off that nonsense about responding equally to any man, Paul had given her a look of such carnal intent she’d almost swooned.
She’d braced herself for another kiss, an angry one.
To her disappointment, he’d refrained. The memory made her squirm with discomfort.
Given half a chance, she might run to his cabin and beg him to finish what they’d started.
“Mom didn’t date for years after the divorce,” she murmured.
“You’re not Mom.”
Vanessa gave a rueful smile. She was nothing like their mother, who’d raised them with selfless dedication and stern teachings, but little joy. The split with their father had left her with a lasting melancholy.
“That’s a compliment, by the way.”
“I know.”
“You deserve to be happy.”
She swallowed past the lump in her throat. “Do you think I’m a bad mother?”
“Not at all,” Jackson said. “You’re devoted to Emily.”
“She’s spoiled and difficult.”
“She’s lively and imaginative.”
Vanessa glanced over her shoulder at Emily. “What’s that saying about well-behaved women?”
“They seldom make history.”
Vanessa smiled and shook her head. “I’ve been so exhausted lately, between my job and my classes and the divorce. I haven’t given her enough attention. That’s why I wanted this vacation to be perfect. Instead it’s been a complete disaster.”
“Does she look disappointed?”
“She doesn’t know any better.”
“Exactly,” Jackson said. “And the summer just started, so give yourself a break. Where are you going next?”
“Last Chance.” The town was about an hour from Lost Lake, and it had a laidback vibe. “We can visit some of the parks.”
“I have a few days off next week. I’ll join you.”
“All right.”
“Let’s stay at the Grand.”
“I can’t afford the Grand.”
“I can.”
Vanessa turned to watch Emily play checkers with a boy twice her size. Her little brow furrowed with concentration.
“Dad’s making carne asada for lunch. You should come.”
Her stomach rumbled at the thought of grilled steak tacos, their father’s favorite dish.
He liked to cook the meat outdoors and serve it with homemade salsa.
Vanessa had agreed to a visit between her father and Emily.
Vanessa hadn’t planned to accompany them, but staying here at the campground, in Paul’s general vicinity, seemed worse.
“It will mean a lot to him,” Jackson added.
“Okay,” she said, on impulse. “I’ll go.”
Jackson grinned at her easy agreement. He slapped his palm against the bench in triumph. The family rift had put more of a strain on him than she’d realized. It had been difficult for him to play mediator.
“So, who are you dating?” she asked.
His smile faded. “Nobody, lately.”
“What happened to your girlfriend?”
“She moved back to Austin.”
“She didn’t ask you to go with her?”
He shrugged and looked away. His girlfriends always fell in love with him, but the relationships didn’t last. He seemed content to drift from one woman to another. She suspected their parents’ divorce had made him wary of marriage.
“Will you transfer out of Lost Lake?” she asked.
“It’ll be easier to move up the ranks here. Then I’ll transfer.”
Vanessa knew he wanted to make detective eventually. He’d applied for a first deputy position earlier this year. They’d given the job to someone with more experience. “Who’s going to keep Dad out of trouble when you’re gone?”
“The new guy. Wade.”
“Is he good?”
“He is,” Jackson said. “He was on the scene during the hostage situation. He went in unarmed and tackled the gunman.”
Vanessa had heard the story. Her father had shot the gunman and saved the other officer’s life.
She pictured Paul’s scarred flesh once again and shuddered.
Her father or brother could end up with a wound like that, or worse.
They could get killed in the line of duty any day of the week.
She’d seen enough high-velocity trauma in the ER.
It was one of the reasons she’d left the profession.
The strain of dealing with emergency situations had worn her down, and the long hours didn’t mesh well with motherhood.
After Emily finished her game, they went to the bathroom to get ready. Vanessa changed into the dress she’d worn the night before and applied careful makeup again. It was a twenty-minute drive to her father’s house. Vanessa followed Jackson in her car. They would go on to Last Chance from there.
So long, Lost Lake.