Choosing Fate (Love in Eden 1.70)

"His name is Zander. He wasn't hurting me!" she snapped and then she was pushing at her ex. The guy climbed off and then Jolene was on her knees beside me, trying to examine my head. "Hold still," she said. "You're bleeding." She turned to look over her shoulder and yelled, "Travis, get me a towel."

The second guy looked briefly at Jackson, then went to do as Jolene said. He returned a moment later with a damp towel and handed it to Jolene. Then he looked at Jackson and said, "Are you okay?" When he made a move as if to check the bruises I'd managed to give Jackson, Jackson waved him off. He looked confused and pissed.

"He was holding you down, Jolene!" Jackson shouted.

"Cameron, honey, can you go wait in your room for me? Mommy is okay, I promise."

"’Kay," the little boy said.

"I'll take him," Travis said and then he put his arm around the boy's shoulders and led him from the kitchen.

"What are you doing here? You aren’t supposed to bring him home until tomorrow!" Jolene bit out.

"Our fishing trip got rained out. The cabin had some leaks, so I figured we’d just call it a day and come home early. I told Cameron we could go to the museum in Casper, so we were stopping by to see if you wanted to come. We heard you struggling—"

"Moaning!" Jolene snapped. "I was moaning, Jackson!"

Jackson looked so taken aback, I actually felt sorry for him. "But he was holding you down—"

"Because I like it like that! Not that you’d know anything about what I like when it comes to sex," she said bitterly. I put my hand over hers to try to calm her down.

"No, you're not like—" Jackson began to say.

"What? I’m not like that? Why? Because I'm a good girl?" Jolene responded. She shook her head. "Did you ever even know me, Jackson?"

"Yes, of course. I—I loved you." I wanted to strangle the man for the less than passionate declaration. But I also heard something in his voice. Something I couldn't put my finger on.

Jolene's anger fled just like that and the disappointment was clear in her voice when she said, "Just go, Jackson. Leave Cameron here and go. Please."

Jolene's hand clung to mine. I could tell she was just seconds from losing it altogether. I was about to tell Jackson to leave when I heard Travis say from the doorway, "Jackson…" Jackson turned his head to look at Travis. Travis just gave him the tiniest shake of his head. The unspoken message was clear. I shifted my attention back to Jackson. He looked back and forth between Jolene and Travis and that was when I saw it. The thing I hadn't been able to put my finger on before.

"I'm sorry, Jolene," Jackson murmured. He no longer looked like the same man who'd attacked me. Jolene didn't look up at him as he left, but I watched both men go.

"Are you all right?" Jolene asked as she continued to dab at the blood on my temple. I took the towel from her and nodded.

"I'm fine. Go check on Cameron."

I could tell Jolene was torn, but there was really no question about it. "Go," I prodded.

"Promise me you won't go anywhere. Promise me, Zander." The desperation in her voice broke my heart. I pulled her down for a quick kiss.

"Protective ex-husbands and their cowboy friends couldn't drag me away," I joked. "I'll be here."

I used the time she was gone to clean the cut on my head and then finished making the breakfast Jolene had been working on. When she returned, I had the table set for three and was filling the glasses with orange juice.

"Is Cameron all right?" I asked when I didn't see the boy with her.

Jolene nodded and then walked right into my arms. "He fell asleep after we talked. I'm so sorry, Zander."

"Is it weird that I like your ex even more now?" I asked.

Jolene laughed and shook her head.

"In all seriousness, he saw something he didn't understand and was just trying to protect you. He does love you, Jolene. I don't have any doubt about that."

"Doesn't matter," Jolene responded.

"I think it does," I said. "But let me ask you this first. Do you love Jackson, or are you in love with Jackson?" Admittedly, I was nervous about her response. I didn't think there was any chance she and Jackson would get back together, but if she was still in love with the man, not only was I screwed, but I suspected she was too.

"If you'd asked me that before you and I met, my answer would be very different than it is now."

My heart clenched at her words. Was she really saying what I thought she was?

"I love Jackson and I always will, but I'm not in love with him. I'm not sure I ever was."