14. Chapter Fourteen
Jackson lounged on his oversized leather couch, the cushions sagging in a way that mirrored his mood. The Stoney Ridge Herald lay sprawled in his hands. He licked his thumb and flipped through the newspaper with a focus he hadn”t mustered since... well, since their college days when Maya”s byline was all it took to quicken his pulse.
”Where are you hiding, Maya?” he muttered to himself, leafing past ads for farm equipment. His anticipation built with each turn of the page, before he found it. The headline ”Lost in the Wilderness: A Journey of Love and Survival” glared up at him in bold, unapologetic print.
”Of course, she”d go for the dramatic,” he chuckled, shaking his head, the corners of his mouth turning upward at the memory of how she felt in his arms.
His eyes devoured the article, and he could almost hear Maya”s voice in his head. He leaned back, letting the paper rest on his lap. Jackson folded the newspaper carefully, setting it aside. He stood up, rolling his stiff shoulders back, the action more than just a physical movement; it was a shedding of doubts, a gearing up for what needed to be done. He grabbed his keys, patting the pockets of his jeans to make sure he had his phone and wallet. ”It’s time to make her mine completely.”
Kane caught him as he stepped off his porch. “You look like you’re on a mission brother,” Kane grinned at him.
“Go away Kane. You’re not ruining my mood today.”
“I’m here to help,” Kane said innocently, holding his hands out in front of him. “I thought you’d want to know I’m joining Maya and Sarah at Bear Ridge.”
Jackson stopped and turned towards his brother. “What the hell are they there for? That’s not a place they should go alone.”
Kane chuckled. “That got your attention then.” He said. “And they’re safe. They’re with Colt and his sister. Sarah has been meeting them about a new shelter there.”
Jackson grumbled something as Kane slapped him on the shoulder and started to walk with him to the car. “Come on. Maybe you can manage to get lost with Maya again on the way back.”
“We weren’t lost you idiot. We lost our gear. I knew where we were.”
“Just keep telling yourself that,” Kane said as Jackson glowered at him. “Anyway, it had the right effect regardless. You can thank me later for getting you two together.”
“We aren’t together yet. I need to make her mine still.”
“Better hurry up brother. She won’t stay waiting for you forever.”
Jackson continued grumbling under his breath as he got in the Jeep with Kane, knowing deep down Kane was right. He had to make his move. To make Maya his forever.