"You have the right to change packs." She says and I scoff.
"Yeah, tell my dad that. As far as he is concerned, he has paid my way for twenty some years and he owns me." I sigh.
"I will and no he does not." Her brows rocketed up her forehead. I shook my head quickly.
"I didn't mean … " Shirley laughed and squeezed my thigh.
"Call Jackson, you can use my phone." Shirley went to the back of the store to the small kitchenette to make herself a cup of tea. I swear she drinks the stuff by the gallon.
"Hi Jackson." I'd pushed star six seven to block the number. If this doesn't go well, I don't want Dad to find me.
"Where the hell are you Summer?" His voice roared at me. Uh-oh, alpha and pissed, that is a bad combo. There is a long pause and then he sighed. "Summer, don't hang up, please tell me where you are." His voice is softer now and he sounds different than he did at first, nicer. My guard went up.
"I'm safe. I have a job and a place to live. The place where I am needs an alpha." I say, carefully choosing my words. I mentioned that you were available and they want to meet you. Their alpha died and they need one. Would you be interested in the job or would you rather wait around for my dad to cave and hand it over?" There now, he has an option and if he says no, I will hang up. He never needs to know where I am.
"Summer." He takes a deep breath and I know that his eyes are closed. He is leaning against a tree because I can hear the birds and his body scratching the bark. "Where are you?"
"Yes or no Jackson?" I will not give up my new independence.
"Yes, of course yes. I miss you. Where?" He sounds so lost and my heart clenches.
"No." I have one of those flashes of brilliance. "I will meet you and bring you here. I don't want you to know where I am, if you don't know, you can't tell. I do not want to come home. I do not want him to sell me like a cow Jackson. If you can't agree to my terms, I will tell them that you weren't interested."
"I won't tell on you Summer. Jesus, I'm smarter than that, don't you trust me? I don't want him to do that to you either. We've been best friends too long for that shit. Besides, since you ran off your dad is on a rampage. It's probably better if I don't know. I have to get out of here before he grabs my dick and sticks it in your sister." I gasp then giggle. "Where and when?" Shirley is lurking nearby and pointing at her watch mouthing ‘now.'
"He's like seven hours from here. I want to meet him and bring him in blind so if it doesn't work out he has plausible deniability." She nods.
"Who are you talking to Summer? Who are you mixed up with?"
"My boss. Meet me at the truck stop on route nine near Bartles, how long will it take you to gather your things?"
"Twenty minutes. I will see you in five hours give or take?"
"Leave your cell at home, he'll track it if he gets wind of you leaving, and Jackson, make sure that he doesn't."
"You got it babe." The call ended. Babe? Since when does Jackson Reynolds call me babe? Weird. I am nearly giddy. I can't wait to see him. My chest feels lighter.
I'm in Shirley's white sedan waiting for Jackson. She thought that it would be good for me to be in a car they didn't know if they'd followed him. I'm avoiding interested stares from truck drivers walking around. Jackson pulled in and parked in a lot off to the side. The sign said long-term parking. The truckers must use it while they are out on the road. He walks inside the store for a few minutes and I see him give the clerk money. He has a cup of coffee with him and he comes out and stands on the curb. I don't see any other passenger vehicles around that I haven't already identified as people that I don't know. I roll the windows down and I see his nose twitch. He's gaze flashes amber when he finds me. He looks around and hurries to my car then climbs in. His arms are around me in an instant and he's crushing me against him.
"Summer." He growls into my ear. Oh God that voice. He nips my neck. "I missed you, so much."
"I was gone a day. Chill out. Here put this on." I hand him the sleeping mask that Shirley gave me.
"Seriously?" I nod and he smiles. The dimples at the corners of his mouth deepen and he pulls it over his eyes. "You aren't going to take advantage of me are you? Please?" His smile broadens. I take his coffee from him and sip it. I'm already tired and I have to drive or give up my location. I see him stiffen but I start the car and pull out of the truck stop.
"I don't want to be found Jackson. You know if he thinks that you know he will bully it out of you."
"I know. I will do my best to protect you, I promise. You're dad is ape shit though. If you do go back, you are going to be beaten. He is livid. He's asked every pack member six times about your whereabouts. He is convinced that we are all in on it. Meanwhile, Autumn let Tim claim her." Jackson laughs, the deep hearty sexy sound fills the car and I smile while my core clenches. This has to stop. He will scent my arousal and he doesn't want me like that. I don't want him to know how stupid I am for wanting him. "When she stomped up to him in the middle of the playground and pulled her shirt collar aside for him to see Tim's mark, he slapped her so hard that I think her head spun around. When her ass hit the ground, she laughed, told him that she was moving out and that she wouldn't be his pawn either. It looked bad. I mean I'm glad that she did it but she should've confronted him at home, not in front of everyone." He was solemn now. "The pack is getting restless. Your dad can't control his own daughters so how can he control a pack. The pack is getting restless and he's getting more out of control. Your dad needs a woman." I made a face that he couldn't see. Eww. "Then when Autumn told him that it was your idea, the shit hit the fan. He tore the house apart. Freddy has been sleeping in the cave in the woods because he's scared to death. If this works out, we should bring him too."
"At least Dad hasn't any plans to barter with Freddy's future." Jackson is reaching for the coffee and I hand it to him after I take another sip. I hear a growl rumble through his chest when he sips it and I wonder what it means. I've never heard that one before.
"How long do we have to go?" Jackson asks and I hear his cell phone chirp.
"Did you bring your phone Jackson?" I nearly wail. He digs it out of his pocket and I snatch it from him. There is a text message from his brother that dinner is ready. At least he didn't tell anyone. I roll the window down then throw it out. "I told you to leave it at home."
"Sorry, I forgot." He reaches over and squeezes my arm. "I won't tell you that it was expensive and I need it. I screwed up, sorry, it won't happen again. How much longer?"
"An hour. We'll sleep at my place tonight then you'll meet Larry first thing tomorrow. If you're staying fine, if not I will return you to the truck stop and what you do then is up to you."
"And if I'm staying you are taking me back to get my damn truck." I laugh. His truck is his baby. It was his grandpa's and willed to him. Jackson spends most of his weekends working on it or rubbing it with a diaper.
"Okay yeah, I can do that." I adjusted my grip on the steering wheel.
"Damn right." He crossed his arms over his chest and I shook my head at his tough act in Shirley's pink sleep mask.
***
"So this is it." I turned the light on and let him into the living room. The kitchen is through there, the bedroom just there and the bathroom is in the bedroom.
"So this is it then. This is tiny Summer. How do you breathe in here?" He carried his backpack into the bedroom and tossed it on the bed.
"Well I suck air in and blow it out. It's clean, it's free, and it was furnished. My boss owns the building and she took pity on me. All I have to do is be home most nights to deter burglars." He nodded and went to the fridge grabbing the orange juice. I hand him a cup, which he filled and offered to me. I shook my head and he downed it in one gulp. "I'm exhausted. If you want to watch TV in the living room, it has basic cable but I'm going to bed after I shower." He nodded.
"You should eat Summer. I heard your belly growling."
"Then make yourself useful and make me a sandwich." He turned and opened the fridge. I like it when he's agreeable. I went to the bedroom and grabbed new panties and a sleep shirt. He planned to sleep with me. We haven't done that since we were little. It didn't ever feel weird to me. Dad had a problem with it. When Jackson hit puberty, Dad wouldn't allow him to sleep over anymore. We still slept curled up with each other out at the pond on lazy afternoons, but it's been a long time since that happened too. I let the hot water pound against my shoulders easing the sore muscles. This was a long day and I was ready to collapse. I dried myself and got dressed. I braided my wet hair then went to the kitchen. Jackson was sitting in a chair. God he's so gorgeous. How did the skinny kid with the gapped teeth grow into this? Who am I kidding? I liked him when he was skinny and gap toothed too. It's not so much the way Jackson looks even though he is beautiful with his dark hair, wide shoulders, and ready smile. It's him, his soul, the way he cares about me and for me. It's the way he says my name. The way he rubs my back when he hugs me and it's the way he is always willing to stick up for me. Jackson is my knight in shining armor, even if he acts that way because I'm like a little sister that he needs to protect. It is still hard to believe that he's here. It's hard to believe how small the kitchen looks with him in it. His eyes flashed at me. "Thanks." I sat down across from him and demolished his creation. Jackson is a better cook than I am. He bothers to put salt and pepper on the sandwich. I never do. I sip my glass of milk.