“I’ve watched you turn down more fellas in this bar than I can count. Now, don’t get me wrong, most of ’em weren’t worth the time it took you to brush ’em off. But some were mighty nice gentlemen, and all that stopped you was those damn rules.”
“My Rules are solid. They keep me from getting involved with anyone who isn’t good for me,” she argued as she crossed the room to stare out at the bright blue water beyond the white sand.
“Oh, that’s such horseshit. Your rules ain’t nothin’ more than a way of making sure no one gets close enough to hurt you.” She was about to contest that point when he said something that made her mouth slam shut. “If you keep goin’ as you are, Nessie girl, yer always gonna be alone. An’ I know that’s not what you want.”
No, she thought sadly. It isn’t.
“No one’s perfect, kiddo. Not even you, hard as that is to imagine.”
A hint of a smile curved the edges of her lips at his mild jab, but the fear of contemplating all that he said kept her joviality at the baseline. Was she truly destined to be alone if she held every man she met against her Rules?
Fritz added one last thought, holding back the avalanche of questions she was about to inundate herself with. “I’ve never met Jackson, but from everything our Lucie’s told me over the years, he sounds like a pretty good guy. After all, he practically raised her, so he can’t be all that bad. Maybe you oughta give him the benefit of the doubt and yourself a shot at being happy and see how things turn out. You might just be surprised.”
“Since when did you get so smart?”
His raspy chuckle warmed her heart and even made her a little homesick. Fritz’s Bar had been a huge part of her regular routine for the last decade of her life, and so had its owner. “Since always, but I try to keep it in check, ’cause I hate to see a pretty girl cry when she’s been outsmarted by an old-timer like me.”
She’d laughed and then changed the topic with a bit of small talk about the wedding before hanging up and spending the rest of her morning trying to focus on her casework as opposed to her conversation with Fritz.
“Where you at, V?”
“Hmm?” Blinking, she looked over at Jackson to find they’d stopped.
“You seemed miles away just now.” He stretched his arm over the back of her seat and leaned in as he shoved his shades onto his head. The golden brown of his eyes pierced through her flashback haze. “Where were you?”
She gave him a confident smile. Or at least what she hoped was confident. “Trust me, it’s nowhere you want to be.”
“I wouldn’t be too sure of that, honey.” He closed the distance between them and pressed his lips to hers in a gentle kiss. When he pulled back, he added, “As long as you’re there, I’m thinking that’s exactly where I want to be.”
Vanessa sat stone still, her brain analyzing at hyper-speed while a warmth like she’d never known spread through her heart. Could he possibly have feelings for her like she’d started having for him? Did he want more than what they’d originally agreed to?
No, that didn’t make any sense. He must be referring to the here and now. Today was their last contractual day together, and he probably wanted to make the most of it, just as she did.
“Come on, princess, get the lead out. We have a decent hike in front of us.”
For the next half hour, they trekked through some of the most beautiful country she’d ever seen, even on TV. Seeing the jungle up close and personal as opposed to a two-dimensional picture was like the difference between seeing Jax in pictures (oh, he’s cute) and knowing what it was like to make love to him (oh my fucking God he’s heaven). No contest.
Jackson led the way, making sure he held the brush aside for her as she trailed behind him or held her hand to steady her when they went over a slippery area. Little by little the sounds of rushing water grew louder. At last she caught sight of the light at the end of their foliage tunnel. Anticipation bubbled in her chest at what she would find. Maybe surprises weren’t so bad after all.
“Here we are,” he announced, taking her hand and leading her out into the clearing. “Welcome to Maris Falls.”
“Oh, Jackson!”
A clear pool of water surrounded on three sides by high cliffs dressed in lush greenery, and in the very center, a majestic waterfall draped itself over the edge, ending in a spectacular show of white spray and rainbows from the refracting light of the sun.
She turned to look at him. “This is your favorite place on the island.”
“Yeah. I come here to think, relax, contemplate existentialism. You know, the norm.”
She laughed and gazed back at the scene before her. “I’ve never seen anything so breathtakingly beautiful.”
“I have.”
At the husky sound of his voice, she found him staring at her, his meaning obvious in his heated gaze. Normally she’d throw out something saucy like, “Flattery will get you everywhere,” but suddenly her throat was dry and her wit seemed to have taken a hike up a different mountain.