Chapter Twenty-Four ~
The next morning came all too quickly. Amy hadn't slept well. She tossed
and turned most of the night, only falling asleep as the first light peaked
through the blinds at the window.
The tinkling of silverware woke her out of her light sleep, and she
threw on a pair of the jeans and one of the t-shirts Jude picked up at the local
Wal-Mart last night. He'd brought her several pairs of jeans, some pretty
neon-colored tees, a pair of shoes, and some odds-and-ends-type stuff.
She scooted into new house shoes and dragged her feet all the way down
the steps.
The smell of coffee perked her up, even though she rarely drank it. She
scooted right past it, and to the refrigerator, where she grabbed a cold Dr.
Pepper and plopped tiredly down on one of the barstools at the counter.
"Jude, how can you possibly be so happy in the morning?" She asked in
disgust. It wasn't a good morning at all.
"It's a beautiful morning. The sun's shining and it's warm and
windy, perfect fishing weather."
"I thought you guys were leaving today."
"We probably are, but not until later in the day. Jackson has to
set it up before we go." He slapped a plate with bacon, eggs, biscuits and
gravy on the counter in front of her and ordered tersely, "Eat before you
dry up and blow away."
"Whatever, I doubt I'm gonna dry up and blow away anytime
soon." She picked up a piece of bacon and doused it with gravy before
poking it in her mouth and moaning in pleasure. “This is awesome.”
He laughed just as Jackson came out of his room and walked into the
kitchen. He gave them both a look that would kill if it could, and groused,
"Why are you two up so early?"
Amy was sure she heard a little suspicion in his voice, and she looked
at him questioningly. "Did Daddy wake up on the wrong side of the
bed?"
"No, Daddy didn't wake up on the wrong side of the bed." He sounded
snotty and childish; not at all what she was used to.
"Wow man, what's up with you this morning?" Jude had a puzzled
look on his face.
"Oh, I don't know, how about the fact I come out here at
five-thirty in the morning and find my new friend flirting with my nanny?"
"She's your nanny, huh? I
thought she was the kids' nanny.” Jude gave a quirky grin. "I didn't know
you had exclusive rights to her, man. I'll step back. I didn't know it was like
that." He finished on a full-throated guffaw.
"What are you talking about? You're not making sense."
"Man, it's obvious you got it bad for the babysitter. You should've
told me and I wouldn't have stepped on your toes." He winked at Amy and
she felt her face burning in embarrassment.
"Jackson doesn't like me like that. He's my employer.”
"You're not that blind are you, girlie? He's so struck on you I bet
he can't see for all the stars in his eyes." Jude used a fake-romantic
voice and batted his long, blond eyelashes.
Jackson shoved Jude up against the refrigerator with a handful of his
shirt fisted and twisted at his neck. "You can stop it right now, man. If
and when I want to take my relationship
with my nanny to a new level, I will
be the one to tell her, not some big, dumb oaf who has the manners of
a...a...elephant."
Amy teared-up and ran from the
kitchen in embarrassment.
***
Jackson shoved Jude up against the fridge again and said, "Now look
what you've done." He strode out of the room after the nanny he was sure
he was in love with.
Jackson got to the top of the steps just as Amy made it to her room and
slammed the door. The whole house would be awake now. He rushed to the door and
tapped on it lightly. "Amy come out, Jude was just being Jude. He doesn't
mean anything by it."
"Go away. You guys have used me for your amusement enough for one
day." She sniffled loudly. Jackson pictured her bright, blue-gray eyes
moist with tears, and his heart turned over in his chest.
"Come on honey, open the door. I want to talk to you."
"Jackson, please just go
away." She sniffled again.
Jackson stood there for a second in indecision before he turned and
strode down the hall and practically jumped the whole set of stairs to get back
to the kitchen and his reason for being angry.
He rounded the doorway and practically ran into a wall of Scott and Otis.
"You've got to be kidding me. How could you possibly be on his side? He
made her cry." He accused childishly.
"Are you addled? It wasn't Jude that made her cry, it was you. It's
plain as the nose on your face the girl's in love with you, and you just
spurned her publically." Otis told him with a look of disgust on his
wrinkled face.
Jackson stepped back as if he'd been slapped, with his mouth hanging
open.
Jude said, "Man, you better shut your mouth before a fly gets
in."
Jackson flailed his arms, trying to get past Scott and Otis.
"You're just asking for it." He harped loudly.
The three other men laughed out loud, and that made Jackson even
angrier. "Enough!" He yelled
so loudly the sound reverberated throughout the kitchen. Teenie started to wail
and the pitter-patter of two children’s feet could be heard on the wood floor
as Angie and Benji came running in to see what was wrong.
Amy came barreling down the steps to grab the baby and ran right into
Jackson as he was going to do the same. "Ouch, watch where you're going
you big galoot."
Jackson grabbed her gently by the upper arms and propelled her over to
the front door. He said, "Scott, will you get the baby for me,
please?" He guided Amy out the door and onto the deck.
As soon as the door shut his mouth crushed down on hers so hard she lost
her breath. She immediately began to feel things she knew she shouldn't be
experiencing. Her hands were in his hair, pulling him down closer before she
even realized she'd moved. With strength only acquired from God, Amy jerked away
from him and slapped him full in the face.
He pulled back with a look of surprise before he said in a half-whisper,
"I love you Amy. You are way
more to me than just a nanny."
"I love you too." She put her hand over the welt-mark on his
cheek.
His hand came up and covered hers. "I'm sorry I kissed you. I
should’ve asked, but I've been holding that back since about five minutes after
I met you."
"Jackson, I'm a Christian woman. I don't go around kissing men I'm
not married to."
"Then let's go get married."
Amy gasped in amazement. "You can't be serious."
"Oh, but I am. I've never been more serious about anything." His
face began to descend toward hers again.
Amy's hand came up, ready to slap him again, and he grinned tenderly.
"We need to get married fast."
"I don't know what to say."
"Say you'll marry me. We'll get one of these backwoods pastors to
hitch us up." He said in an attempt to sound like a hillbilly.
Amy laughed nervously. She looked toward the door and burst out laughing
for real. There were three male heads trying to stay hidden as they peeked out
the blinds. She pointed toward the door, and when Jackson turned to look, the
blinds closed, but not quickly enough.
"Okay you rats, get out here. If you want to be nosy, the least you
could do is help me out.”
The door opened, and they stepped out with Angie and Benji close on
their heels. Scott had baby Teenie cradled in his arms with a bottle shoved in
her mouth. He slammed into Otis's back when he stopped ahead of him abruptly.
"Watch out man, I got the baby." He said protectively.
"I'm having a hard time picturing you guys as the men who protect
the lives of Americans." Amy giggled. She swung Benji up in her arms and
took Angie by the hand. "Come on you guys let's go get you some
breakfast." She took them back in the house.
The gaggle of men followed closely behind. "Amy, you never gave
Jackson an answer." Her brother said sullenly.
They all stopped and stared at her expectantly. Teenie picked that
moment to let out a loud wail of anger because Scott had gotten preoccupied and
let the bottle fall out of her mouth.
All the men jumped and Amy said, "That's my answer." She went
into the kitchen to dish the children’s plates, the men on her heels.
She stopped in the middle of the floor, looked
at Jackson and said, "I'll marry you."
Jackson rushed over to grab her and her hand came up at the ready. He
stepped back quickly, like a little boy caught with his hand in the cookie jar.
"I want to give you a hug, at least."
"There will be plenty of opportunity when we're married. Now run
along and find that pastor."
"Whew, she's already giving orders Jackson, you sure you ain't
already married?" Jude teased.
"Not yet, but we will be before the day's out, if I can find a
preacher."
"I'm a pastor." Otis said as he stepped forward.
"Oh, you are not." Scott laughed.
"I most assuredly am, Lad. I got ordained when I was thirty-two
years of age." He pulled his wallet out and retrieved a little card. He
handed it to Jackson to peruse with a grin on his wrinkled face.
"Well, this says you are." Jackson replied. "You're full
of surprises, aren't you friend?"
"I am full of surprises.
That's what makes me so good at my job. If you two want to get married, I can
perform a ceremony, but you'll need a marriage license first. A ceremony without
the license isn't binding.”
"Jude, was there a courthouse in town?" Jackson asked quickly.
There were guffaws all around the room.
"I didn't see one, but then, I wasn't looking for one." He
answered. "Do you want me to go see?"
"No. If you guys will stay here, Amy and I will go into town and
look for one."
"I'll stay and watch the kids." Scott quickly put in.
"It seems Amy isn't the only nanny-material in the family." Otis
intoned.
Amy was happy at that moment. She knew no matter what, these men would
protect her with their life. "There's nothing wrong with liking kids
Scott, and don't let these brutes tell you otherwise."
"I know. I just didn't realize how much I wanted one until I got my
own. Being around these three just brings it home, ya know?" He gestured
toward the baby in his arms.
"I know, how could one help but fall in love with these precious
angels?" Amy walked over and brushed a kiss across Teenie's tiny little
cheek.
"Amy, do you want to go try to find a courthouse now, or wait until
this is all over?" Jackson asked.
"Oh, I definitely want to go right now. I don't want to give you
time to change your mind." She walked over to the bar and picked up her
wallet. "How did you get my
wallet, anyway? You never told me."
"Otis went and got it for me. He's the least suspicious of us.”
"But when did he go get
it? I don't remember him leaving.” She persisted.
"Do you remember when I asked Scott to watch the kids so we could
go do target practice?" When she shook her head he went on, "I sent
Otis and Jude to go get your wallet. I didn't know how long we'd be down here
and I knew you might need it. That's the 'real' fishing they were doing."
"But why didn't you just have them get some of my stuff from the
house instead of buying all new stuff?"
"I didn't want them going through your personal belongings, okay?
Does that make you happy? I was jealous." He threw his hands up in exasperation.
That got more laughs from the men, and a warm, cozy feeling for Amy. She
was glad he felt jealous, even though she figured it was probably wrong to feel
that way. She determined to pray about it later.
"Okay then, let's go get a marriage license." She put her arm
through Jackson's and practically pulled him out the door.
***
A couple minutes later Amy and Jackson were traveling down the road
toward town while a man with a scar on his face watched through binoculars from
high up in a tree across the street from the cabin. He laughed sinisterly as he
watched them go. He wouldn't make his move until the men were gone, but make
his move he would. Jacob Walsh had called him earlier and told him what they
were planning. He would be ready to make his move as soon as they left.
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