desperately trying to make her marriage work, could imagine sharing the grief she’d felt when she’d first realized that the man she loved had never really loved her.
But in that direction lay danger.
Jackson shifted, and Morgan opened her eyes, realized that he’d leaned close, was studying her face with an intensity that stole her breath.
“What are you doing?” she asked, her throat tight with emotions she refused to acknowledge.
“Wondering if I should ask the flight attendant for an ice pack for your jaw. It looks like the swelling has gotten worse.” He touched her jaw lightly, his fingers cool against hot, swollen flesh.
“I don’t think an ice pack is going to help at this point,” she responded, pulling away from his touch.
“It might take the swelling down.”
“The swelling is the least of my worries,” she said, shifting in her seat and trying to put a little more distance between them.
“If you keep moving away from me, you’ll burrow a hole in the side of the plane.”
“I’m not moving away from you,” she lied. “I’m trying to get comfortable.”
“I see.”
“What?”
“I’m making you nervous.”
“Why would you think that?”
“Just a feeling I’ve got.”
“Well, your feeling is wrong. You’re not making me nervous. You’re crowding me.”
“I’ve got a choice between crowding you and crowding the guy next to me. I think I’m going to have to stick with you.”
“I’m sure the guy beside you appreciates it,” Morgan muttered, closing her eyes again.
Continuing her conversation with Jackson wasn’t a good idea. Jackson Sharo was trouble, and the sooner she got him out of her life the better.
In two hours, they’d land at the Chicago airport, and that was where she and Jackson would part company. He’d saved her life, and maybe he was genuinely concerned for her well-being, but Morgan had been taking care of herself for a long time. She had no intention of changing that now.
Once they landed, she’d explain that to her unwanted companion. No doubt he’d be reasonable and agree to get on the next plane back to Lakeview, and she’d be relieved to see him go.
Sure you will .
The thought floated through Morgan’s mind, and she frowned, opening her eyes and focusing on the blue sky outside the window. The past twenty-four hours had been tough, but she was a survivor. First as a young girl living in poverty and neglect. Then as an orphan fighting for her place in the orphanage. Now, as an adult facing her husband’s infidelity, his crime and his death. Survivors didn’t quit. They didn’t give in. And they certainly didn’t sit around hoping someone else would save them.
She’d better keep that in mind, because if she didn’t, she just might relax and let Jackson take control of everything. And that, she knew, would only lead to heartache.
SIX
D anger hovered just out of sight. Watching. Waiting. Hoping for an opportunity to strike. Jackson couldn’t see it, but he could feel it staring daggers into his back as he pulled Morgan’s carry-on case through the crowded Chicago airport. He lowered the handle of the case and lifted it. Easier to carry the case than to drag it through the crowd. Easier and quicker.
“Well, we made it,” Morgan said, with a false cheerfulness that Jackson didn’t miss. Could she sense the danger that seemed to hang in the air?
Maybe. Maybe not. Either way, Jackson knew what she wanted—him gone.
She wasn’t the only one. Whoever was watching was probably hoping for the same thing. Alone, Morgan was no match for the kind of men who’d attacked her. They knew it. Jackson knew it. The only one who didn’t seem to know it was Morgan.
“The question is, did the guys who are after you make it, too?” Jackson responded.
“Even if they knew what plane I was on, they’d have had to take a different flight out.”
“Maybe. I got a ticket. It’s possible they did, too. We have to think of all the
But in that direction lay danger.
Jackson shifted, and Morgan opened her eyes, realized that he’d leaned close, was studying her face with an intensity that stole her breath.
“What are you doing?” she asked, her throat tight with emotions she refused to acknowledge.
“Wondering if I should ask the flight attendant for an ice pack for your jaw. It looks like the swelling has gotten worse.” He touched her jaw lightly, his fingers cool against hot, swollen flesh.
“I don’t think an ice pack is going to help at this point,” she responded, pulling away from his touch.
“It might take the swelling down.”
“The swelling is the least of my worries,” she said, shifting in her seat and trying to put a little more distance between them.
“If you keep moving away from me, you’ll burrow a hole in the side of the plane.”
“I’m not moving away from you,” she lied. “I’m trying to get comfortable.”
“I see.”
“What?”
“I’m making you nervous.”
“Why would you think that?”
“Just a feeling I’ve got.”
“Well, your feeling is wrong. You’re not making me nervous. You’re crowding me.”
“I’ve got a choice between crowding you and crowding the guy next to me. I think I’m going to have to stick with you.”
“I’m sure the guy beside you appreciates it,” Morgan muttered, closing her eyes again.
Continuing her conversation with Jackson wasn’t a good idea. Jackson Sharo was trouble, and the sooner she got him out of her life the better.
In two hours, they’d land at the Chicago airport, and that was where she and Jackson would part company. He’d saved her life, and maybe he was genuinely concerned for her well-being, but Morgan had been taking care of herself for a long time. She had no intention of changing that now.
Once they landed, she’d explain that to her unwanted companion. No doubt he’d be reasonable and agree to get on the next plane back to Lakeview, and she’d be relieved to see him go.
Sure you will .
The thought floated through Morgan’s mind, and she frowned, opening her eyes and focusing on the blue sky outside the window. The past twenty-four hours had been tough, but she was a survivor. First as a young girl living in poverty and neglect. Then as an orphan fighting for her place in the orphanage. Now, as an adult facing her husband’s infidelity, his crime and his death. Survivors didn’t quit. They didn’t give in. And they certainly didn’t sit around hoping someone else would save them.
She’d better keep that in mind, because if she didn’t, she just might relax and let Jackson take control of everything. And that, she knew, would only lead to heartache.
SIX
D anger hovered just out of sight. Watching. Waiting. Hoping for an opportunity to strike. Jackson couldn’t see it, but he could feel it staring daggers into his back as he pulled Morgan’s carry-on case through the crowded Chicago airport. He lowered the handle of the case and lifted it. Easier to carry the case than to drag it through the crowd. Easier and quicker.
“Well, we made it,” Morgan said, with a false cheerfulness that Jackson didn’t miss. Could she sense the danger that seemed to hang in the air?
Maybe. Maybe not. Either way, Jackson knew what she wanted—him gone.
She wasn’t the only one. Whoever was watching was probably hoping for the same thing. Alone, Morgan was no match for the kind of men who’d attacked her. They knew it. Jackson knew it. The only one who didn’t seem to know it was Morgan.
“The question is, did the guys who are after you make it, too?” Jackson responded.
“Even if they knew what plane I was on, they’d have had to take a different flight out.”
“Maybe. I got a ticket. It’s possible they did, too. We have to think of all the
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