Page 78 of Blue-Eyed Jacks
His hands hit the flooring, and he hung there, suspended and swaying from the momentum.
“Damn it.He’s going to make it.”Jackson said.
Bear answered back, “It’s that fucking reach of his.He probably wouldn’t have had to jump.He’s built like a fucking ape.”
A foot hit the edge and slipped.With it, his left hand tore loose.
Danielle leaned over the edge just in time to say, “Don’t fa—”
But he landed before she could finish.Flat on his back.
“Are you okay?”she called out.
Ma leaned over with concern on her face.
Sprout wheezed out a small, “Ow.”
“Oh shit.He’s hurt!”Danielle hesitated for a moment.“I’ll be right down.”
“Okay.I love you, babe.”Sprout’s reply was a bit stronger.
“He’s milking it.”Gina stepped away from the ledge to lead her daughter downstairs.
“Smoke, get your ass over here and try getting up that pole,” Jackson ordered.
“Hell no.I ain’t stupid,” he said.
“Not even for Poppy?”Bear joked.
By this point, Sprout was sitting up and twisting the kinks out.Danielle took his side and helped him up.Smoke helped on the other side.From his vantage point almost directly under us, he yelled up.“My beautiful wife wouldn’t let me, would she?”
“Damn straight, I wouldn’t.”
“Party pooper.I bet Smokey-Pop could do it.”
Poppy turned to her sister.“Oh, I know he could.But I don’tneedhim to.”
She followed Gina and Danielle.Soon, it was only Lily, Zoe, and me left.
“I’d do it.”Jackson moved Smoke aside and studied the pole.
He took a step back, similar to what Sprout did, and I got scared.“Don’t.”
“Babe.Trust me.I have a plan.”
I don’t know what came over me, but I yelled down, “The last time I trusted you, I ended up in Maine.Pregnant!”
Bear laughed and slapped Jackson’s back.“You dog.”
Jackson shrugged him off.“I’m coming for you, Kate.”
He never took his eyes off me as he unhooked his belt and slid it out of the loops.At the very end, he flicked it loose with acrack.
Behind me, Lily breathed, “Whoa.That’s sexy as fuck.”
I shot her a glare because Zoe was right between us.
He wrapped the belt around one fist and stepped forward.
