The Return of the Rebel

“Maybe it’s best if you avoid talking about me. I won’t come between you and your family.”

“Speaking of which, Mom might tell Kurt about us. I didn’t even think to tell her to keep it to herself.”

“Don’t worry about it.” But by the frown lines framing Jax’s face, he was worried. “I told you that I’m not going to come between you and your family and I meant it.”

“Why?” She wasn’t going to let him off the hook until he answered her. “This thing between us is special. It’s worth fighting for.”

He raked his fingers through his hair. “It isn’t that easy. There’s still so much we don’t know about each other.”

“I’m willing to learn.”

“And what if you don’t like everything you learn?”

“Why are you making this so difficult?” She crossed her arms and stared at him. “Are you trying to tell me you’re having second thoughts about us?”

“I just want you to slow down. Don’t rush things, Cleo. There’s a lot to take into consideration.”

“I’m not rushing. But obviously we see things differently.”

“Maybe. I don’t know.” His face was creased with frown lines. “I came in here to tell you that I have to go to the police station. They might have a lead. I’ll be back later.”

This wasn’t the end. It was just the beginning. With time Jax would come to terms with that. She wasn’t about to let him walk out of her life again.

* * *

Cleo felt like a canary in a gilded cage. Only the saying didn’t quite fit. Though she loved to sing, her voice was best not heard.

She was tired of being confined, even if it was in this luxurious mansion. She would do anything to get out. Today’s follow-up appointment with the doctor sounded like a vacation. She couldn’t wait to kick back and feel the sun on her face while the breeze rustled through the open car window.

During the past few days, Jax had withdrawn from her. He was hiding behind a wall of indifference and acting as though they were nothing more than friends. When he said he didn’t want to rush into anything, he hadn’t been kidding. So how did she get through to him? How did she convince him to take a chance on them?

Not even her drawings could hold her attention—they had no flash or flair. They were flat and boring. She tossed the pad aside. It didn’t help that she had no fabric to work with or sewing machine to stitch together her ideas. She missed bringing her art to life. And as luxurious as this house was, it didn’t come with the one place she liked to unwind and lose herself—her sewing room.

The simple truth was she missed her life, even as mundane as it was compared to living here like royalty.

The buzzer on the dryer went off. She glanced down at Charlie, who was curled up on her lap. His eyes opened but his head didn’t move. She ran her hand over his silky smooth coat. With Jax holed up in the office at the back of the house, working on the computer, she’d decided to do some laundry.

“You’ve got to move, kitty.” She picked up Charlie and placed him on the couch cushion. “I might as well make myself useful since I don’t seem to be inspired to draw at the moment.”

With the laundry room on the second floor, she headed up the steps. In no time, she had a load of Jax’s clothes folded and placed neatly in a basket. The next task was figuring how to get the clothes to the bedroom. She couldn’t imagine juggling a full basket while using her crutches, so she got creative. She shoved the basket along the floor with her foot. Granted it wasn’t exactly the fastest approach but it did the trick.

She opened the dresser drawer to put away Jax’s T-shirts when she noticed the glint of a gold chain. She’d never seen Jax wear jewelry beyond a watch, not even as a teenager. She lifted a couple of T-shirts and froze.

She blinked, but the pocket watch was still there.

What in the world?

Her fingers trembled as she picked it up. She moved to the bed and dropped down on it. When her grandfather had suddenly died, no one could figure out what had happened to the watch—her grandfather’s pride and joy.

What did it mean that Jax had it?

She clutched the watch as the past unfolded itself in her mind. Like an old projector, the scenes of yesteryear started to come into focus. Her thoughts swept back to the last time she was with Jax in Hope Springs.

She’d been walking home from her best friend’s house after doing homework. She saw Jax hightailing it from her grandfather’s house. She’d rushed to catch up to him, wanting to show off her new outfit. It was the latest rage at the mall and she’d even put on some of her friend’s makeup, hoping to convince him that she was not just a little kid anymore... After all, she was going to be fourteen the following week. Looking back now, she realized how foolish she’d been. But at the time, no one could tell her that an eighteen-year-old was too old for her.

So she’d stopped on the road and waited for him to catch up, but he just kept walking. No greeting. No teasing her. No nothing. She’d rushed to keep up to his long-legged pace.

When he noticed that she was going to follow him wherever he went, he stopped and looked at her. “Hey, kid, can you keep a secret?”