cost people their lives.”
“ You’re talking about Iraq aren’t you?”
Jackson was speechless. For a moment he wondered how she could possibly know, but then he realized how stupid he’d been. Of course she knew.
His jaw hardened and he looked away, disturbed by the penetrating honesty in her eyes. There was something about her gaze that made him feel stripped bare and vulnerable. He did not like the feeling. He glanced down at his watch and sighed.
“ I have somewhere to be and you’re coming with me. We can talk after,” he said as he and Mason continued on down the sidewalk. She trotted to catch up with him and the two walked in silence.
Jackson tried his hardest not to stare at her from out of the corner of his eye, but it was hard. What was it about this woman that drew his eye? She was nothing like any of the women he’d ever been with; if he hadn’t known what she was, he probably would never have given her a second glance. Why then, was it so hard to stop tracing the angular planes of her face with his eyes? Why did he keep glancing at her lowered eyelids, waiting for her to raise those intriguing eyes of hers to meet his gaze?
He was glad when they finally arrived at P.S. 129 and the little park across the street. He led Sarah to the park bench he occupied every morning and sat down. Mason lowered himself onto his haunches beside him. Sarah glanced from him, to the school, and back to him in confusion.
“ Just sit down, will you?” he snapped, his eyes locked on the front doors of the school. He glanced down at his watch for a brief second before his eyes went right back where they had been. “We’ll only be a minute.”
Sarah watched from where she sat on the park bench as a gleaming black sedan rolled to a stop in front of the elementary school. They had been sitting there for five minutes, watching children filing in through the double doors. Jackson had been silent and still as a marble statue, his eyes fixated on the building across the street.
He perked up when the black sedan appeared and Sarah was pretty sure he was holding his breath. Sarah couldn’t help but gasp when she saw the woman that stepped out of the vehicle. She was absolutely gorgeous. Her dark skin gleamed in the sunlight, as did her jet black hair. It framed her face in a sleek bob that stopped just below her chin. A pair of large sunglasses covered her eyes, but Sarah knew that they were dark pools framed by equally dark lashes. A three piece suit concealed a body that belonged on the cover of magazines. Her three-inch heels clicked on the pavement as she circled around to the back of the car.
The woman swung the door open and held her hand out to the little boy inside.
Jackson’s son, she realized as soon as she got a glimpse of the boy’s face. He was the very image of his father, right down to the gray eyes. He jumped down from the car’s backseat before slinging a red and green backpack over his shoulders. He smiled up at the woman and waved goodbye. The woman leaned down to kiss the little boy’s cheek. He squirmed uncomfortably under her attention, like little boys do, before taking off toward the front steps. Jackson’s eyes remained on the little boy until he was out of sight.
They both watched as the attractive woman circled back to the driver’s side and disappeared back into the car.
Sarah could feel the tension radiating from Jackson. She could also feel his every emotion. Sadness, anger, and loneliness all reached out to her and Sarah felt as though she would break down in tears at any moment. She also felt something else, the darkness again, clawing at the edges of her subconscious. Her stomach turned.
As she stood and followed him away from the park, she thought back over his dreams. The beautiful woman he’d been choking in the midst of his twisted nightmare was the same that had dropped the little boy off at school. Jackson’s ex-wife.
“ His name is Jackson Jr.,” he
“ You’re talking about Iraq aren’t you?”
Jackson was speechless. For a moment he wondered how she could possibly know, but then he realized how stupid he’d been. Of course she knew.
His jaw hardened and he looked away, disturbed by the penetrating honesty in her eyes. There was something about her gaze that made him feel stripped bare and vulnerable. He did not like the feeling. He glanced down at his watch and sighed.
“ I have somewhere to be and you’re coming with me. We can talk after,” he said as he and Mason continued on down the sidewalk. She trotted to catch up with him and the two walked in silence.
Jackson tried his hardest not to stare at her from out of the corner of his eye, but it was hard. What was it about this woman that drew his eye? She was nothing like any of the women he’d ever been with; if he hadn’t known what she was, he probably would never have given her a second glance. Why then, was it so hard to stop tracing the angular planes of her face with his eyes? Why did he keep glancing at her lowered eyelids, waiting for her to raise those intriguing eyes of hers to meet his gaze?
He was glad when they finally arrived at P.S. 129 and the little park across the street. He led Sarah to the park bench he occupied every morning and sat down. Mason lowered himself onto his haunches beside him. Sarah glanced from him, to the school, and back to him in confusion.
“ Just sit down, will you?” he snapped, his eyes locked on the front doors of the school. He glanced down at his watch for a brief second before his eyes went right back where they had been. “We’ll only be a minute.”
Sarah watched from where she sat on the park bench as a gleaming black sedan rolled to a stop in front of the elementary school. They had been sitting there for five minutes, watching children filing in through the double doors. Jackson had been silent and still as a marble statue, his eyes fixated on the building across the street.
He perked up when the black sedan appeared and Sarah was pretty sure he was holding his breath. Sarah couldn’t help but gasp when she saw the woman that stepped out of the vehicle. She was absolutely gorgeous. Her dark skin gleamed in the sunlight, as did her jet black hair. It framed her face in a sleek bob that stopped just below her chin. A pair of large sunglasses covered her eyes, but Sarah knew that they were dark pools framed by equally dark lashes. A three piece suit concealed a body that belonged on the cover of magazines. Her three-inch heels clicked on the pavement as she circled around to the back of the car.
The woman swung the door open and held her hand out to the little boy inside.
Jackson’s son, she realized as soon as she got a glimpse of the boy’s face. He was the very image of his father, right down to the gray eyes. He jumped down from the car’s backseat before slinging a red and green backpack over his shoulders. He smiled up at the woman and waved goodbye. The woman leaned down to kiss the little boy’s cheek. He squirmed uncomfortably under her attention, like little boys do, before taking off toward the front steps. Jackson’s eyes remained on the little boy until he was out of sight.
They both watched as the attractive woman circled back to the driver’s side and disappeared back into the car.
Sarah could feel the tension radiating from Jackson. She could also feel his every emotion. Sadness, anger, and loneliness all reached out to her and Sarah felt as though she would break down in tears at any moment. She also felt something else, the darkness again, clawing at the edges of her subconscious. Her stomach turned.
As she stood and followed him away from the park, she thought back over his dreams. The beautiful woman he’d been choking in the midst of his twisted nightmare was the same that had dropped the little boy off at school. Jackson’s ex-wife.
“ His name is Jackson Jr.,” he
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