10. Helen
Chapter 10
Helen
“Knock knock.”
I opened one eye to find my bedroom in darkness. “Did someone die?” I mumbled.
“Nope, but you promised me a date, so I have a plan,” a far too chirpy Jackson announced from my now open door.
“Too early. Why would you wake up this early on a Sunday? Do you hate me?”
He chuckled, placing a mug of what smelled like coffee down on my bedside table. “You have fifteen minutes, otherwise we’ll miss it.”
“Fifteen minutes for what? What time is it?”
“5.45.”
“In the morning?”
“Yes, in the morning, but the sunrise won’t wait, young lady. So, get your backside out of bed, get dressed, pack some comfy, warm clothes, a swimsuit, towel and—”
“I didn’t hear a word after you confirmed it was 5.45 in the am .”
“I thought you’d be happy. You told me the beach was your happy place.”
I buried my face in my pillow, mumbling, “Only in the afternoons.”
Suddenly, the warm cocoon of my thick duvet was gone as Jackson yanked it off me. I screamed because I was only wearing panties and a nightshirt, which, from how cold my stomach was, had ridden up in the night.
“Shit, Helen. Sorry. I didn’t realise… I’ll go, but I’m leaving in fifteen.”
I pulled down my nightwear frantically before looking up at Jackson as he walked out of my room. “I’m coming. I warn you, though, I’m not a morning person.” He turned around, running his fingers through his hair, showing off his corded, beautifully tattooed forearm.
“That’s okay. You can nap on the way and then hopefully you’ll be back to your usual happy self soon.”
Jackson took the bag I’d packed and placed it in the boot, along with the others he’d apparently packed earlier. I climbed into the passenger seat while he ran back inside to lock up.
“For you,” he announced as he got in the car, handing me a to-go mug along with a blueberry muffin that I’d made earlier in the week. “You’re going to need your energy today.” He winked, making me feel nervous as hell.
“I’m not great at surprises,” I admitted.
He started the engine. “Because you genuinely don’t like them or because no one has ever bothered to plan one for you?”
I thought about his words, realising no one had ever planned me one. “Shut up,” I muttered, hating that he saw through me so easily.
“You shut up,” he joked. “Now eat your muffin, you grump.”
“Wake up, sleepy, we’re here.”
I lifted my head, stretching my arms, my body aching from the strange position I’d fallen asleep in. “Oh, God. Did I snore?”
“No, there was drooling, but no snoring.”
I wiped my mouth, and Jackson laughed.
“Cruel… so cruel,” I declared.
“Come on, we don’t have long.”
I stepped out of the car, looking around so I could work out where we were, but all I could tell was we were in a dimly lit car park, which had a few cars in it already as well as a food truck and a surf shack.
I took in a deep breath. The familiar salty smell filled my nose.
“Come on.” He held out his hand, and I stared at it like he’d lost his mind. “Okay, there are some rules today. I’m in charge, so you have to say yes to whatever I ask of you until midnight tonight.”
I furrowed my brow, unconvinced by where this was going.
“There is to be no overthinking, no worrying, no putting yourself down. All that matters is having fun and seeing how big I can make that smile, because…” He dropped his eyes before he looked up at me again. “I like making you happy, Helen, and I want to show you how well you should be treated by any man you invite into your life.”
This man is too good to be true.
“You in, Fischer?” He wiggled the fingers on his hand that was still outstretched.
“I’m in.” I smiled, and he grabbed my hand, tugging me toward the surf shack.
“Tor?” he called.
A tall, blond-haired man stood up from behind the counter. “Cutting it close, Jax. Everything is down there for you. You need anything else, give me a shout.” I looked at Jackson, confused.
“Thanks, man. I appreciate the last minute help. I’ll come, catch up with you later.”
“Yeah, and I want an introduction to your new lady.” He nodded in my direction, making my cheeks blush.
“Shoes and socks off,” Jackson instructed. I bent down and pulled them off, tucking my socks inside my trainers as he did the same. Taking my hand, he led us down the short causeway onto a sandy beach.
I let out a groan, dropping Jackson’s hand as I turned around. The sun had started to come up and the sky lighten, so I could see the stunning bay we were standing in.
There were a few people walking their dogs or putting on their wetsuits to head out into the water, but otherwise, the place was deserted.
“Come on.” I found my hand in his again as we walked over the cold sand to a blanket surrounded on three sides by huge windbreakers. He dropped to his knees, looking up at me through his long, dark lashes before tapping the space next to him.
“What did you do?”
He shrugged as I sat. “Nothing you don’t deserve. But remember the rules.”
I smiled because this was perfect. “I remember.”
“Good, now let’s watch the sunrise.”
And just like he’d commanded it, the sky gave us the most stunning sunrise I’d ever seen, rising out of the sea, turning the sky pink and orange, and by the time it turned blue, my face hurt from how wide my grin was.
“Well, that was almost worth getting woken up in the middle of the night for,” I declared as I turned my attention to Jackson, surprised to find his eyes already on me.
“It was,” he let out in a low, husky tone. I shivered from the intensity of his gaze. “Cold?”
Before I could answer, Jackson pulled a blanket out from beside him and threw it over my legs. “You’re going to have to move closer or else I will freeze too.”
I shimmied over, lifting the blanket so he could get under it. Before he moved, he handed me a pillow, and he laid one down for himself.
I laughed. “Oh, my god, is this how you get the ladies? A make-out spot on the beach?”
He wiggled his eyebrows before he laid back and I followed him, staring up at the blue sky, letting the sound of the waves soothe my soul.
After a while, I felt eyes on me again. I rolled over onto my side to find Jackson mirroring my pose.
“I like how relaxed you look when you’re by the water.”
“Oh, yeah?” I quirked my eyebrows.
“Why do you like it so much?”
I pursed my lips as I tried to put it into words. “I like the idea that I’m connected. I felt so alone in my marriage that I came to the beach to feel a part of something bigger. Sounds strange, I know.”
He shook his head. “It makes perfect sense. When we moved, I felt alone. I think it’s why I joined the fire service. I wanted a family because mine had let me down so badly.”
I wanted to ask him to explain, but Jasper warned me he didn’t want to talk about his past, so I left it. “Did it help?”
“It did. It gave me purpose, but most of all, it reminded me that I’m a good person, despite what my dad taught me.”
The urge to reach out and touch him was so strong that my fingertips twitched and I was glad they were buried under my cheek.
“Warmer?” he asked, pulling the blanket up higher, letting his knuckles graze my chin.
“Jackson…”
He pressed two fingers to my lips, silencing me. “Helen, when you think about me, do you think about me as Jax or Jackson?”
“You’re Jackson,” I replied.
His eyes narrowed, his fingers running over my jaw again. “I’m not him. I need you to stop. I’m a thirty-one-year-old man. I’m not the kid you remember; I’m not Jackson. I meant it when I said I stopped being him when I moved. I fought really hard to become who I am, so please, drop the Jackson… even in your head.”
The truth was, if I stopped thinking of him as my son’s best friend, I would get lost in these feelings I was having.
“But—”
“You’re saying yes, remember, so today I need you to leave Jackson in the past. I was your son’s best friend… a lifetime ago and now I’m a grown-ass man and I’d really like you to notice that.”
I swallowed. “Oh, I’ve noticed you’ve grown up, Jax.”