Looking for Trouble (Jackson: Girls' Night Out 1)

“So you’re just going to go ahead and be like both of them?”

Alex sneered. “I never said it was the higher ground. It’s just ground that’s nowhere near this fucking place.”

Shane grunted. “Well, if that’s the way you want to live, there’s nothing I can do about it. And nothing I can do to make you stay. But I still love you. You’re my brother. That won’t ever change.”

Jesus. Alex rolled his shoulders, trying to shake off the tightness in his chest. “It doesn’t have to be the way it was. We can talk. I’ll check in. I just can’t be here.”

“All right.”

Alex finally looked at his brother, but now Shane wasn’t looking at him. “I’m staying the night. You wanna grab a drink later?”

“I’ll see how Mom’s doing. Right now I need to help Merry. She put a lot of work into this, and now...”

Yeah. Now.

He suspected that Shane hoped Alex would volunteer to stay with their mom for an hour or two, but if the woman couldn’t be left alone, she was too far gone for him to help. Anyway, she’d been out of control for decades. This was nothing new.

“Maybe I’ll see you later, then. Tell Merry I’m sorry about all this shit. Pretty amazing she’s willing to put up with it just for you.”

“I know. She’s the best.”

Maybe. Or maybe Shane was a lot easier to put up with than someone like Alex. Women liked security. Stability. A man who knew how to stay put. Alex wasn’t ever going to have that. He didn’t know how to stop moving.

He headed through the house toward the front door. “Bye, Mom.”

“Alex, where are you going? I thought you’d stay for dinner.”

She always did this, acted like nothing had happened. She’d once dragged Alex and Shane all the way to Arizona to chase down a lead. She’d banged on a stranger’s front door, accused

the man of hiding her husband, then proceeded to take her kids out for ice cream before getting back in the car for the return trip to Wyoming. No big deal. Just a normal day in Rose Bishop’s world.

She’d cast herself as the hero in her story, and there was no changing that narrative.

“Goodbye,” he said as he pushed out the door. He wasn’t going to make a speech or a grand gesture and give her an opportunity to bleed her hurt all over him. She’d indulge her loud mourning whether he said a real goodbye or not. He didn’t have to stay and participate.

He breathed a sigh of relief once he was on his bike. He was doing the right thing. He’d get an early start tomorrow and get back to his real life. He still had a few weeks before he needed to be in Alaska, so he’d work his way northwest and spend some time in the Cascades before it got too cold. Then he’d store his bike in Seattle and head up to Alaska. After that, it was down to Texas for his next contract.

“Fuck yeah,” he muttered. Freedom.

Yet he was still sitting there on his bike, kickstand up, thumb hovering above the start. His hesitation wasn’t exactly a mystery. After all, his eyes were locked on Sophie’s front walk.

He checked his phone again. Nothing.

Shit.

He should at least tell her he was leaving. See if she had an explanation. He supposed whatever she said wouldn’t matter, since he was saying goodbye regardless. But damn...he couldn’t deny that it felt strange that he’d never see her again. Never taste her or touch her.

If he said goodbye, if she explained...maybe they could hook up when she finally came to California. He could show her around, take her for a ride. It didn’t have to be serious. It could just be a day.

He tossed a glance at his mom’s house to be sure she wasn’t standing in the window, then he eased the kickstand back down and headed up the sidewalk. But he needn’t have bothered. Her car wasn’t in the carport and there was no answer when he knocked. Shit.

He was just stepping off the porch when a car pulled up and the woman he’d seen in Sophie’s doorway the day before stepped out.

“Is she home?” she asked as she approached.

He shook his head and they stood in awkward silence for a moment.

“I’m Lauren,” the brunette said, sticking out her hand.