Chapter 35

Chapter Thirty-Five

Allison

I shoved clothes into a bag, not even bothering to think through whether or not they would be appropriate for the next few days. I couldn’t believe this was happening.

Mike had been in my home without me. Had taken my underwear and cut it up for his disgusting threat. Had watched as Jackson and I had kissed in the lake.

Had claimed me as his.

Had I just been too busy with residency to see what a creep he really was? Admittedly, I had never been entirely comfortable with him, and looking back now, I wasn’t sure why I had even been with him in the first place. He had been convenient, he had understood my schedule, and he had even been a great study partner. But maybe the reason I had never really opened my heart to him was because part of me had sensed something was wrong, even if I had been unwilling to look at it closely.

Unless this wasn’t Mike at all. But if not Mike, who else could it have been? It didn’t make sense.

My cell phone buzzed. Mama. I groaned, not wanting to talk to her right now—especially after what I had learned from Beverly. But I knew she would keep calling, and I really didn’t want to talk to her at the Morrisons’. Better to get it over with and keep all the negativity here, in a house I was starting to seriously dislike.

“Hey, Mama,” I answered, knowing I couldn’t keep the exhaustion out of my voice.

“Mike’s mother and I had lunch today, and we’re both wondering when you’re going to put all this nonsense behind you and take him back. She told me he made a grand romantic gesture, but you sent him away without any hope. Tell me that’s not true.”

I closed my eyes, raising my fingers to my forehead as I sighed. “It’s one hundred percent true.”

“Allison,” she began in the tone that let me know I was in for a lecture.

“Stop. This is not up for discussion.”

At that moment, Jackson came in, asking if my suitcase was ready. I nodded, tensing as I braced myself for Mama’s reaction to that one.

“Allison Bell, what man is there with you asking about your suitcase? You better be packing up to come back to Memphis.”

“No, Mama, I’m not.” I shook my head, steeling myself against her anger. Jackson raised his eyebrows before grabbing the suitcase and carrying it down the stairs. “‘That man’ is Jackson. I’m staying with him.”

“Jackson Sharp. You have to be kidding me.”

“It’s Jackson Ford,” I reminded her, “and he’s protecting me. Because I happen to have a stalker, and by the way, the number one suspect is Mike. So perhaps you should stop lecturing me on how I need to give him another chance.”

The phone was dead silent for a moment. “What do you mean you have a stalker?” Her voice was strained and quiet.

“Mike hasn’t been asking me for a second chance. He’s practically been harassing me. And today, I got a bunch of cut-up roses and a letter saying I’m his, and—” I stopped suddenly, realizing if I went any further, I would have to reveal that Jackson and I were together romantically. And I wasn’t sure I was ready for that conversation.

“And what?” she pressed.

I sank onto my bed, sighing. Things were bad enough. Might as well just get it over with. “That I’d regret it if I let Jackson put his hands on me again.”

“You’ve let that boy touch you?”

“We’re together, Mama.”

“Over my dead body.”

Anger bubbled up inside me. Considering her track record, she had no right to lecture me over my choices. Jackson was a good man, and I was done letting her speak about him like that. “What on earth do you have against him? You haven’t even met him as an adult, and he never did anything you could hold against him as a kid. He was my best friend!”

“He’s Russell Sharp’s son!”

“So? If that doesn’t bother me, why on earth would it bother you?”

“You don’t understand,” she began.

“Then explain it to me. Does this have anything to do with the fact that Dad used to make you pay off his gambling debts?” I didn’t mean to ask it, but I couldn’t stop it from coming out—especially as a terrible, horrible thought crossed my mind. Was there a chance—any chance at all—that Russell could have been… No. I couldn’t even think it.

“Where did you hear that?” Her tone had changed again. This time, there was fear in it. A fear that confirmed the truth.

“My receptionist,” I said. “Apparently everyone in Rosemary Mountain knew what was going on except me.”

Silence.

“Mama, I have to know. Was my father not my actual…” I couldn’t even finish the question.

“Your father is your father,” she replied frostily. “We married as teenagers and I’d never been with anyone else until years after you were born, when he’d lost everything we owned and was given a chance to get off the hook by trading me instead. I never wanted you to know about that shame.”

A tiny bit of relief passed through me. “So you’re not against Jackson because we’re…related in any way.”

“Related? Of course not. No, I’m against him because he’s a Sharp.”

I had to roll my eyes, considering how people felt about Bells in this neck of the woods.

“He’s a Ford ,” I said, emphasizing the difference. “He’s nothing like Russell. I met his parents. His real parents. They’re wonderful people.”

Mama sighed in defeat. “I’m sure they are. And I’m glad he’s made a change in life. But you have no business there. I’ve been saying that ever since you took that job. Now that you know the truth, do you not understand? Do you not realize what terrible people live there? They hide behind the veneer of their beautiful small town and their self-proclaimed family values. Allison, you’re in danger. I risked everything to get you out of that place! How could you throw that away and walk back into the heart of the lion’s den?”

“The lion’s den?” I wanted to laugh out loud. “I’m not denying there are bad people here. There are bad people everywhere. But compared to Memphis this place is a paradise. And in case you’ve forgotten, it’s my Memphis ex who is stalking me and making my life miserable.”

“I don’t—”

I interrupted her, softening my voice to reassure her. “Mama, I know you’re worried. But I’m happy here. Really. And Jackson’s taking great care of me. You’ll see when you meet him. Maybe we’ll drive down next month so you can get to know him. I promise, you’ll love him.”

Jackson reappeared at the doorway. Just seeing his face melted away the tension from Mama’s phone call.

“Listen, I’ve got to go,” I said, standing up and grabbing my purse. “I’ll call you later, okay?”

“But, Allison—”

I hung up and turned my cell phone off completely.

Sitting around Greg and Janet’s dining room table Monday morning, I found it hard to believe we were all here because of any kind of threat. It felt more like a weekend getaway with good friends. I didn’t ask for updates on the case, even though I noticed Greg and Jackson occasionally slipping off for private discussions. They were handling it, and I was happy to let them.

I’d kept my cell phone off and basically disassociated from the entire situation, which I knew wasn’t technically the healthiest response to what was happening. On the other hand, I was so blissfully happy to be with Jackson that I didn’t want to let any of that chaos close to us. Here, we were safe. We were whole.

The mood was light and cheerful as Janet served up a delicious quiche and fruit salad, saying we all needed a decent meal to fortify us for the workday ahead. Greg kissed her and said he always appreciated her cooking, no matter what the day held.

I smiled over my cup of coffee, watching them together. Technically speaking, they were practically newlyweds, having found each other later in life. But I liked to think that Jackson and I would share that same chemistry years from now, even after having been married for a decade.

It startled me, realizing how easy it was to picture marriage with him. Three years with Mike and I’d never once imagined married life or what we’d be like when we were older. I’d never wanted to share a home with him, always preferring my townhouse with my girlfriends over renting something together. I’d assumed I was simply more career-minded than marriage-focused. But with Jackson, I was already dreaming about what life would be like five, ten, twenty years down the road.

And when I caught him smiling at me, I knew it would be beautiful no matter what, because we would be together.

“So you have a big day at the store?” Greg asked, directing the question to Janet as he sat down at the head of the table, digging into the plate she had placed in front of him.

“I do. Willa just finished up her fall designs and we’re going to start changing our inventory over,” she said as she gracefully tucked a napkin into her lap. Janet was elegant in all the ways Mama had always wanted to be. I knew that, when they finally met, Mama would hate her for it.

“Isn’t it a little early for fall clothes?” Jackson asked, raising an eyebrow. “It’s going to be over a hundred degrees today.”

Janet just brushed him off with a wave of her hand. “Women like to start planning for the season ahead of time. You can’t wait until the last minute.”

“She knows what she’s doing,” Greg said, beaming with pride. “She’s turned that place into the most successful boutique Rosemary Mountain’s ever had.” He turned toward me. “Don’t worry. We’ll show you how to set the alarm when we leave. You’ll be safe here today. Help yourself to anything in the house. And Jackson, of course, if you need to take the day to stay with Allison, you’re welcome to do so. Hopefully we’ll have this wrapped up quickly and you guys can go back to your normal lives.”

“Um, I can’t stay here today,” I said, dabbing my lips with my napkin.

Greg and Jackson both jerked their heads to look at me.

“Why not?” Jackson asked.

“Because I have patients to see.” The idea of skipping work had never even crossed my mind.

“Surely you can cancel your day,” Greg said, placing both of his palms on the table like he was ready to spring into action. “Everyone will understand.”

“Will they?” I doubted it. “I’m just now actually getting a decent panel going. It took weeks for people to trust me enough to come see me. Besides, why would they understand when there’s no way I’m going to tell them what’s happening? This situation won’t help my credibility.”

“But—” Jackson started to speak, but I interrupted him.

“Mike’s not going to do anything today,” I said gently. “I know him. He may want to terrorize me, but I guarantee you he wants to succeed professionally more. His new job matters to him. He won’t blow off work to be here.”

Greg and Jackson exchanged glances. I saw Jackson give a tiny, almost imperceptible nod.

Then Greg cleared his throat. “Allison, we haven’t been able to locate Mike. We know he wasn’t home this weekend, and he hasn’t shown up there yet. He might still be here.”

I felt the first flutters of anxiety but refused to give them space. “He won’t do anything at my job. That would destroy his career.”

“Maybe you’re right.” Greg nodded. “But I don’t think we can count on that. Assuming this is him, he’s already crossed the lines into criminal behavior. That’s enough to destroy his career too.”

“Maybe,” I admitted.

“I’ve got a BOLO out for his car. I got the make, model, and license number from his mom. Hopefully we’ll locate him quickly and can wrap all this up.”

I felt myself go pale. “You called his mom?”

“Yep. She hasn’t been able to get in touch with him this weekend, either. And there’s more you should know,” he continued. “Mike’s desperate. His parents were furious when they heard what happened between you two. Put the blame entirely on him. Told him to make things right or risk losing his trust fund. Could be why he’s spiraled.”

“I can’t just blow off work,” I said helplessly, although the truth was I was starting to reconsider. This was Mike though. He was a creep, but I’d never seen even a hint of violence in him.

“I don’t like it,” Jackson said. The look in his eyes made me want to agree to stay with him. But I couldn’t.

“I’ll be fine,” I said, trying to reassure myself as much as him. “Beverly and Danny will be there. We’ll keep the back door locked all day. You can drop me off and pick me up.”

“Mike’s our number-one suspect at this point, but that doesn’t mean you should let your guard down. With anyone,” Jackson warned.

“I know. But I can’t just run away and hide because of personal drama. If I do, everyone will gossip about it for ages.”

Jackson put his hand on mine. “I don’t want to lose you again.”

“You won’t,” I promised.

I only hoped I wasn’t telling him a lie.