Scarlett was breathing unevenly when they finally came up for air, feeling a little dizzy from the combined effects of champagne and Jackson. She clutched handfuls of his white shirt to hold herself up, her legs a bit wobbly after that heady display of affection.
“Happy New Year, Scarlett,” he whispered, his own voice sounding unsteady. “I love you, babe. Best New Year’s Eve ever.”
She nodded, reaching up to press a little kiss against his unshaven jaw. “I agree. And Happy New Year to you, Jackson. I love you, too.”
He cupped her flushed cheek in his palm, his expression both tender and serious as he continued to gaze down at her. “I’ve never been a fan of making New Years resolutions,” he murmured. “Way too easy to break them, plus I’ve never really understood the purpose. If you’re going to change something just change it, why wait for the start of a new year? But I’m making one of those resolutions now, Scarlett. I vow that one way or another I’m going to make sure you and I can be together without having to hide away and take precautions all the time.”
She shook her head worriedly. “You know that isn’t possible, that your father will make life miserable for everyone if he ever found out who I really am.”
“He won’t,” declared Jackson firmly. “I don’t have any real answers yet, don’t know exactly how I’m going to make it happen. But it will happen. That’s my promise to you, Scarlett. My one and only New Year’s resolution to the one and only love of my life.”
Chapter Twenty
Phoenix – early January
“Hey, Neil. Got a few minutes?”
Neil glanced up in surprise at the sound of his brother-in-law’s voice, but beckoned him inside his office nonetheless. “Of course, Jack. Come on in. What’s on your mind?”
Jackson carefully closed the door behind him before taking a seat. “I need to tell you something, Neil. And I also need your help with what I’m about to tell you. Let’s say I’m calling in a favor or two that you owe me for convincing Scarlett to help Hannah.”
Neil frowned at the mention of his older daughter, leaving Jackson to believe that he hadn’t given Scarlett a moment’s thought since the bone marrow donation last summer. “Oh? Well, I guess I certainly owe you a few favors, more than a few actually. So of course, I’m all ears. Tell me what it is I can help you with.”
Jackson grimaced. “You might want to wait and hear exactly what it is I’m about to confide before you eagerly offer to help. Because I guarantee you aren’t going to like what I have to say. Not,” he added, “that you still shouldn’t be willing to at least consider helping me as payback for what I did.”
Neil looked downright wary now. “What exactly do you need my help with?”
Jackson hesitated, knowing his brother-in-law’s reaction wasn’t going to be pleasant. “I’ll get right to the point. And it involves Scarlett.”
Before he could continue Neil interrupted, his features contorting angrily. “What the hell does that pain in the ass want now? Because if she’s demanding more money, you can tell her to forget about it. I can’t scrape up another dime right now without arousing Laura’s suspicions. Greedy little opportunist, just like her loser mother.”
Jackson slammed his fist down on the desk, startling Neil.
“It isn’t about money,” he hissed. “Frankly, I think Scarlett would rather starve to death than ever ask you for anything. Or have to talk to you ever again. And I’m damned well not going to allow you to insult her, Neil. She’s nothing like her mother, nothing. She’s smart and funny and hardworking. She’s kind and generous and loyal. And I happen to be in love with her. We’ve been seriously involved since last July, and I’m fed up with having to hide that fact from the family. So like it or not, you’re going to help me figure out a way for the two of us to be together openly.”
Neil’s jaw dropped open in shock, and it was evident from his expression that this was probably the very last thing he’d expected to hear this afternoon.
“You’re - you’re what?” he wheezed. “For God’s sake, Jack, do I even have to tell you what a stupid, irresponsible thing you’ve done? Of all the women on this earth to get involved with - and you could have had your pick of just about any one of them - why in hell did you have to pick a basket case like Scarlett? Oh, I can see all too well what she sees in you - a meal ticket. No different than her tramp of a mother in that regard. But what in God’s name do you see in that skinny little troublemaker? Are you blind, deaf, and dumb all of a sudden? Or are you just trying to piss your father off, knowing full well how he’d react? And let me remind you of just how he’d react if he ever learns the truth about Scarlett. Heads will roll, Jack, starting with mine. Do you really want that on your conscience?”
Jackson sneered at his brother-in-law, making zero effort to hide the overwhelming distaste he felt right now. “I wouldn’t give a damn if your head rolled off your body and landed in a fucking ditch,” he hissed. “Your family is another matter, though, and they’re the only reason I haven’t told everyone about Scarlett. But I’m tired of hiding away, of having to think up excuses for why I haven’t dated anyone, and for sneaking out of town every other weekend to see her.”
Neil’s eyebrows shot up in surprise. “You’re that serious about her? You go up to see her in Berkeley twice a month?”
Jackson nodded. “Sometimes more often. Or we meet halfway in between. But that’s not important right now, Neil. You and I need to figure out a way to break the news to my father about Scarlett. Maybe if he learns the truth directly from you he’ll be more forgiving. Especially when you tell him she was the one who saved Hannah. And you know what? As long as he knows the truth - because you know damned well he’ll start digging for it otherwise - maybe we can all agree to keep the facts from the rest of the family. I know you’re worried about how Laura would react, and even Hannah, but I’m guessing my father would buy into a plan to not tell anyone else who Scarlett really is and - ”
“No!” exclaimed Neil, rising to his feet in alarm. “You’re out of your mind if you think I’d ever agree to a crazy scheme like that. Barton will rip me a new one if he ever learned the truth about Scarlett. Doesn’t matter that she was conceived before I even knew Laura. He’d still consider it a betrayal, would never accept her into the family. And the revenge he’d take out on my family. I don’t have to tell you how much my brothers and brother-in-law depend on their jobs with the company, Jackson. You’d bring financial ruin down on all of them. Do you need a fuck that bad?”
Jackson surged to his feet, reaching across the desk to grasp a handful of Neil’s shirt and yank the other man’s face dangerously close to his own. “Watch it,” he warned ominously. “I’m not going to stand for you insulting your own daughter any longer. My God, you ought to be sticking up for Scarlett, looking out for her, showing even a tiny bit of care and concern. She saved Hannah’s life, for fuck’s sake, and you aren’t even the smallest bit grateful. Oh, I know you think paying her that money - a drop in the bucket, by the way, for what you really owe her - washes your hands of the matter. But that doesn’t even come close to what you owe her, Neil. So like it or not, you’re going to help me figure this out. I have an idea or two of how to respond to my father if he does in fact threaten to fire your family. So do you think we could discuss this reasonably without you going off the deep end?”