Page 42 of The Usual Family Mayhem

“I can provide any information you need.” Brock pulled out a business card.

Jackson waved it away. “I can go through Kasey. After all, this is her project, correct?”

Brock hesitated. He had that could-explode-at-any-minute expression on his face. The man did not like being told no. He really didn’t like being told I was in charge.

That crush on Jackson? It kicked stronger than ever. I couldn’t deny it this time.

After a few stressful minutes, Brock relented. The fight ran right out of him. “Of course.”

Really? That worked?

“I’ll be in client meetings in South Carolina for a few days.” Which was code forplaying golf with my buddies. “Then I’ll be back, Kasey. I’ll need to see some progress.”

Then he was going to be disappointed. “Sure.”

“Jackson.” Brock nodded.

Jackson nodded back.

I had a first-row seat to the odd male ritual.

A punch of relief hit me as soon as Brock stomped off until I realized that meant I was stuck paying the bill for anything he’d ordered. I was about to thank Jackson for jumping in and playing along when he ruined it.

“Tell me what the hell is going on.”

It looked like my procrastination days were over. Time to come clean. Maybe being in a public place would prevent this from being as terrible as I feared.

Knowing Jackson, probably not.

Chapter Twenty-One

“He seems like a big fan of yours.”

That was some expert-level sarcasm by Jackson. He’d honed his satire skills since the last time I was home.

“Picked up on that, did you?” I scanned the table for the menu but didn’t see it. Did Brock take both of them with him?

Jackson folded his arms in front of him, looking far too satisfied with himself for comfort. “At least we’ve answered one of the open questions between us.”

“You’ve lost me.” Probably because it was now clear no one intended to buy my lunch.

“You’re in town for exactly the reason I predicted.”

“It sounds like you want to saygotchaor some equally immature thing.” Didn’t blame him. I would have in his place.

“Care to explain what just happened?”

“That’s annoying. That tone. The words you use.”

Jackson exhaled loud enough for the people in the next building to hear. “Is there anything about me you do like?”

Not answering that. “Fine. Brock recently caught me off guard during a boring meeting. He demanded I make an on-the-spot pitch, clearly hoping I’d fail. I didn’t want to give him the satisfaction and, honestly, I panicked and talked about Gram and Celia’s business.”

Jackson nodded. “What I’m hearing isyou sacrificed Mags and Celia to save yourself.”

Damn. My behavior sounded so much worse when Jackson described it. “I wouldn’t put it like that.”

“Of course not.”

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