Jackson took down two plates and began arranging them the way he’d seen her do it. Meat and vegetables on one side, starch on the other. He’d never really cared how his food make it on his plate, so long as it tasted good. But Truth was neat and fastidious with everything she did and for whatever reason he wanted to impress her. Jackson shook his head at himself.

Not wanting to over test his abilities without the cane just yet, Jackson brought one of the plates to the table and went back for the other one.

“Jackson, you cooked?”

“Yeah,” he said, turning to face her. “I thought I’d treat—”

His words were instantly forgotten as he gaped at her, letting his eyes run down the length of her. She was dressed in a warm orange sleeveless dress that clung modestly to her petite frame and stopped just above her knees. She paired it with a tan-colored opened toed heels, making her shapely legs appear longer.

But it wasn’t just her outfit that was building the heaviness in his groin. Her dark eye make-up and lush red lips made him think of damp, twisted bedsheets and fast pounding headboards. Her hair was straightened and pulled back with a clip, exposing her high cheekbones, while the bottom strands hung over her smooth shoulders and framed her slender neck.

There was only one word that came to mind.

“Wow.”

She blushed and let out a nervous laugh. “It’s not too much, is it?”

Jackson swallowed, his heart thudding in his chest. “For dinner at home? Yeah, I would say so, but I’m not complaining. You look gorgeous.”

Her blush deepened. “Thank you, but I’m actually going out tonight. To a place called Ziggy’s? Iggy’s?”

Jackson froze. She was going out? On a date?

“It’s Iggy’s.” He tried to take the harsh bite out of his voice, but it was hard. “Who are you going with?”

“I’m going with Mike.”

“Mike?” His sharp question splintered what little composure he had left.

“Yes, the deputy. Mike Justice.”

“You mean Guy’s cousin?”

“Who’s Guy?”

Jackson waved his hands dismissively. “Never mind. Why the hell are you going out with him? I thought you weren’t interested?”

She shrugged. “Well, I changed my mind. I’m fairly new in town, and I figured it wouldn’t hurt to explore the town with someone who’s pretty new here, too.”

Jackson gaze dropped down the length of her. He remembered the shape of her breasts and how perfectly round her nipples were.

“He’s not that new, and I’m sure our small town nightlife isn’t all Mike wants to explore.”

Her pretty red lips tightened angrily. “So what? We’re both adults and…unattached. Maybe I want to explore a bit more too.”

Jackson gritted his teeth at the thought of Mike getting to touch and kiss her, or see the small butterfly-shaped birthmark just above her crotch. He’s never hated the thought of something as much as he hated that.

“So, this is about scratching your itch? If that’s the case, there’s other ways to do it without wasting your time with that guy.”

Her face flushed angrily. “This isn’t just about scratching my itch. Mike’s a really nice guy who seems like a lot of fun to be with.”

“How the hell would you know?” Jackson snapped. “You just met the guy.”

“And he’s managed to speak and treat me with much more respect than you!”

They stood glaring at each other and Jackson clenched his jaw to keep from saying something else stupid. He had no right to be angry, and yet that silent acknowledgement did nothing to lessen the fire in his gut.

“Well, I’m an asshole, remember? What did you expect?”

She blew out a breath, and her shoulders fell forward. “Jackson, you’re not a—”

“Save it. Go have fun on your date, and I’ll get back to my damn dinner.”

He took the second plate of food and threw it in the sink with more force than he intended. She jumped as the plate shattered inside with a loud crash. Ignoring both her and the broken dish, Jackson went to the table and sat down.

Without another word, Truth turned and left, slamming the front door shut with such force it shook the rafters.

He sat there for a long movement, his gut still twisted with anger and jealousy. Daisy came to his side and began licking his hand. He scratched her behind her ears then took his plate and placed it down in front of her.

He’d lost his appetite. But what he would give for a beer right now.

* * *

“You look beautiful, lady.”

Truth planted a smile on her lips as she stopped in front of Mike. “Thank you. You look pretty handsome yourself. I don’t think I’ve seen you without your uniform.”

His lips kicked up and he winked at her. “You should see me without my clothes.”

She laughed obediently, but didn’t continue their flirtatious banter. She couldn’t. Her argument with Jackson was still fresh and though she tried not to let it sour her evening, it was easier said than done.

“Shall we go inside and make me the most envied man here tonight?”

Truth looped her arm around his and they entered the dark sport bar together. The place was more crowded than she had expected, but they managed to find a spot to squeeze in with some of his deputy friends.

“Sorry for the crowd,” Mike said close to her ear. “I didn’t know it would get like this.”

“It’s okay. I don’t mind the extra company.” She actually was relieved by it. Mike was an attractive man, and this was her first date in years. There seemed to be less pressure now that they weren’t alone.

“Yo, Rookie. Aren’t you going to introduce us to your new lady friend?”

“Guys, this is Truth. Truth, these are the guys.”

One of the men threw a cheese stick at Mike, which he expertly dodged.

“Damn rookies,” the man muttered then turned to her. “My name’s Clive. That’s Shawn and he’s Phil.”

“Nice to meet you all,” Truth said, nodding at the men.

“Rookie, why don’t you go get your lady a drink, while we scope her out,” Clive said.

“What are you drinking?”

“I have an early shift tomorrow so cranberry juice is fine.”

“You got it.” Mike turned to his friends. “You guys be nice.”

“Yeah, yeah,” Phil muttered. “We’re always nice. Now get the fuck outta here.”

Clive jabbed his elbow in Phil’s side. “Yo, language. The lady’s sitting right there.”

Truth laughed and shook her head. “Don’t worry about it. I used to work at a hospital in New York City. I worked with a ton of cops and believe me, I’ve heard it all.”

“Where in New York?” Clive asked.

“The Bronx, in Belmont.”

“Get the fuck outta here. I was born in Jersey, but grew up in Longwood.” Clive raised his beer mug to her. “Welcome to civilization.”

“How’d you like it up there?” Phil asked.

Truth smiled. “I fucking loved it.”

The men howled with laughter and just like that she won them over.

She and Mike spent the next few hours there with his friends and she got to learn a lot about the people in town, Mike’s unforgettable rookie mistakes and learned just how much these men cared about their small town and the people living in it. And how much they love their job.

“You know, I thought I’d never say this, but I miss Tank. He was the kind of trouble I looked forward to on Friday nights.”

Mike tensed beside her and tried to change the subject but Phil chimed in.

“That’s because you like a challenge. I for one am glad we don’t have to deal with his shit anymore.”

Clive scoffed. “For now. But once a drunk, always a drunk.”

“Okay guys,” Mike cut in. “Why don’t we—”

“Who’s Tank?” Truth asked the group.

“No one you have to worry about. Just know that if you run into Jackson Matoa, you better run the other way.”

“Or better yet, run to Mike.” Phil teased.

Truth turned to Mike and he looked away from her, clearly embarrassed. Yet as the men continued highlighting Jackson’s many encounters with them, he neither spoke up or against him. He said nothing. The louder the men laughed at him, the deeper her anger build.

“Why do you call him Tank?”

“Because Sherriff Lawson had us turn one of the cells into a drunk tank just for him. It was practically his second home.”

Phil scoffed. “You mean his only home. The guy’s a loser,” he muttered before bringing his glass to his lips.

At those callous words, something in Truth snapped. Before she could stop herself, she lashed out and knocked the glass from his hand. It went flying across the table before it crashed to the ground.

She didn’t remember standing, but there she was, leaning over the table and shouting in the stunned man’s face.

“No, you’re the loser! Making fun of a man who had a problem, who had just lost his brother, and whose clear cry for help had gone completely ignored by everyone at this table.”

Including me.

Truth let that knowledge sink in for a moment and the shame she felt for turning her back on him nearly staggered her.

“Look, I’m sorry,” Phil stammered. “I—we didn’t know any of that.”

Clive nodded. “He keeps a lot to himself and those who know him, don’t really talk about him.”

“Well, my brother-in-law is a pretty decent guy. Maybe you should try getting to know him before you make fun of him.” Truth gathered her things and left the table, not sparing Mike another glance.

* * *

Jackson lay in his bed staring up at the dark ceiling and listening to the faint sound of the front door opening. He turned his head to check the time. It was a little after midnight.

She hadn’t spent the night out.

He had no right to feel relieved, but he did. And that relief only heightened his guilt. Truth was a young, smart and beautiful. And a widow. She deserved to find love again. He couldn’t expect her to resign her life to being Danny’s widow. Instead of biting her head off tonight, he should have just complimented her and kept his mouth shut.

Just because he couldn’t be with her, didn’t mean he should keep her from being with anyone else. No matter how much he hated the thought.

Jackson pushed the covers away and swung his legs on the other side. He needed to apologize for tonight and get it over with or he knew they would spend the next few days in awkward silence and tense interactions.

His leg was feeling stronger every day and he was able to walk more without the support of his cane. He found her in the bathroom, still in her dress, her back to him. She was wiping off her makeup and it took a moment to realize he was standing at the door watching her.

When she did, she shrieked and whirled around to face him.

“Jackson! You scared the hell out of me. I thought you were asleep.”

“Sorry, I didn’t mean to scare you.” He fell silent, thinking of the right words to say next. She continued to stare at him expectantly.

“Did you need something?”

“Yeah…” He leaned against the door jam and ran his hand over his hair. “About tonight… I’m sorry I was a grade-A dick. I shouldn’t have jumped down your throat about it. It’s none of my business who you see. I just hope I didn’t ruin your night.”

To his dismay tears welled in her eyes and she glanced down at her hand and the washcloth clutched between her fingers.

He straightened from the door and took a step toward. “Truth, I said I was sorry.”

“And I appreciate it, but you didn’t ruin my night. Mike and his friends did that all on their own.”

The muscles in his shoulders bunched. Mike and his friends? “What the hell happened?”

She shook her head and turned away from. “Nothing. Never mind.”

“No,” Jackson bit out. He grabbed her arm and turned her back to face him. Misery and strain was all in her eyes—and the two things she hadn’t been able to wipe away. “Did any of them touch you? Hurt you? Tell me so I know how many bones I need to break.”

Truth eyes widened before she started to laugh. He cupped her chin and held it firm.

“Truth. I’m serious.”

She immediately sobered up. “Jackson, it was nothing like that. I just got to see a side of him and his friends that I didn’t care for, that’s all.” Pulling out of his grasp, she took his hand and gave it a squeeze. “You don’t have to go breaking anyone’s bones.”

He relaxed a bit. “Good. So…does that mean you won’t be seeing him again?”

She shrugged. “Probably not.”

Jackson schooled his expression to keep his relief from showing. “Well, I still owe you a trip to the fair.”

She smiled. “Yes, you do. I’m free tomorrow night.”

He returned her smile. “Then it’s a date.”

“Speaking of dates…” She hesitated then forged on. “I’m going to start dating again, Jackson. I know how much you cared about Danny, and it may seem like I’m dishonoring his memory by choosing to move on, but no one could ever replace him in my heart.”

“I never thought that, Truth. You dating Mike, or anyone else for that matter, has nothing to do with Danny.”

She tilted her head and frowned in confusion. “Then why were you so angry about it?”

Because I was jealous.

But he couldn’t tell her that without explaining his feelings for her. He would only drive her away like he did the last time. And as much as he hated to admit it, he was starting to enjoy having her around—even if her presence drove his libido crazy.

Suddenly, her cell phone rang from her room and she frowned. “That might be the hospital about my shift tomorrow morning. I should go get that.”

“Sure.” He moved out of her way and she hesitated for a millisecond before she left.

He started back to his room, but not before he heard her next words before she shut her door.

“It’s late, Mike. What do you want?”

Jackson’s steps faltered but he continued back to his room. He refused to eavesdrop though everything in him wanted to do just that.