Page 97 of The Usual Family Mayhem

Jackson took the bolt cutter out of my hand and set it on the ground. “Tell me exactly what he said.”

“The point is Gram and Celia won’t cave to your dad’s relentless lobbying unless they have no choice. He could make things miserable for them and force them into a position they can’t escape.”

Jackson swore under his breath. “That must have been a hell of a conversation.”

I’d killed off Jackson’s good mood. The flirty, cute side of him vanished in favor of the ticked-off side. I knew his frustration wasn’t aimed at me but that didn’t make being the person delivering the news any easier.

“It will all be fine.” I’m not sure I believed that, but...

I refused to dwell on what this all meant for what was happening between me and Jackson and how it would play out. Right now, I was taking life one minute at a time, avoiding any talk of the future. To act in any other way would let my mind wander into dangerous territory and paralyze me. Lock me in a state of confusion and sadness that might be impossible to escape.

“You’re giving Dad too much credit. He’s not that powerful.”

Someone should tell Harlan that.

“And he’s way out of line. I’ve placated Dad on this political thing and clearly that was the wrong call.”

“It’s understandable. You wanted a relationship with your dad. That’s probably a healthy thing.” Sweet, actually, but I didn’t have any experience on this particular topic. “I know you don’t want to lose contact.”

“That will be up to him.”

I didn’t like the sound of that. “What are you saying?”

Jackson brushed his fingertips over my arm. He took my hands and put them on his hips. Held me close. “What if I asked you to trust me?”

“I do trust you.” Totally. That had never been a question.

“Then trust me to handle Dad.”

This time his fingers skimmed my cheek. The temptation to lean into his touch swept threw me. My body swayed and my self-control bobbled. “What if he—”

He leaned in and kissed me. Soft and quick. Sweet and inviting.

“Trust me.” He whispered the plea against my lips.

“The poison—”

His hands slipped up my back and his fingers plunged into my hair. “Isn’t going anywhere tonight.”

My concentration blinked in and out. I struggled to hold on to my original plan because Harlan clearly didn’t intend to back down. “What if we can’t beat him?”

“You continue to underestimate my skills.”

No, I feared the potential blowback on Mags’ Desserts from the mess I’d created. “If I get even a hint of this going sideways, I’m breaking into the shed, stealing the poison, and hiding it.”

“I can and will beat him.” He finally smiled. “But now is the time to concentrate on a more enjoyable topic.”

Really. So cute. “Eating muffins?”

He pretended to think about it. “I guess we can do that naked, too.”

Chapter Forty-Five

After a second night with Jackson, in his bed, snuggling with him in his condo, talking about nonsense things and important things, I walked around in a daze. Every kiss dragged me further under his spell. Problems that used to stick out, like how different we were, started to fade in importance.

The hopeful, in-love side of me battled with thethis could goreally badside. I didn’t know which side would win, but I feared I knew which one should.

Jackson headed for work later than usual and dropped me off at Gram’s. The scene had a homey feel to it. The only thing that could make the morning better was a scone. Warm with jam. I dreamed about the taste during the car ride over here.

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