Chapter 10
Katie took a deep breath and tried not to run away. Jackson had been avoiding her since the kiss and she was tired of it. He claimed he was busy typing on that laptop of his, finishing the latest manuscript of JD Emerson. She was pretty sure he was lying. Then again, her judgement in men was skewed. They’d travelled, had dinner with the congresswoman where Katie had only managed to spill tea into Jackson’s lap, done three more book signings and now she had a room full of people waiting in the ballroom of a fancy hotel. Andrea had told her there were two hundred people out there.
She was terrified. She wanted Jackson to hold her and tell her in that deep voice of his that everything was going to be okay. She felt like fainting.
She spotted him at the back of the room and it definitely wasn’t close enough. Katie didn’t know what his problem was but she needed to know. She marched from the room beside the stage and walked quickly down the aisle where women were milling around before the event.
Jackson watched a determined Katie stride toward him. Today she had on some blue sunflower type dress. It was pretty. She was beautiful and he sucked in a breath to brace himself. It had been all he could do over the past couple of days not to haul her into his arms and repeat the kiss. Katie was filling far too many of his thoughts and he wasn’t sure what to do.
Katie stopped in front of him and wet her lips nervously. “Jackson, I need to know what’s going on.”
“Excuse me?” he frowned. “What do you mean?”
She gave him a pleading look. “You’ve been avoiding me. Ever since we tried to fix that scene between Sara and Monroe. You’ve been distant and it’s difficult because I need you… to be my friend.”
Katie mentally kicked herself at the lame finish to what she had just said. She didn’t want to be friends with Jackson.
“Friends?” Jackson echoed. So that was where they stood. She just wanted to be friends. “You know we’re friends.”
“Well, you haven’t been acting like one lately,” she said quietly. She felt silly and childish. “I’m sorry, I have to go on stage.”
Jackson grabbed her hand as she turned away. He tugged her back and gave her a hug. “I’m sorry Katie. We are friends and I promise to do better.”
“Thank you,” Katie gave him an awkward hug and then made her way to the stage where Andrea was waiting impatiently. She smiled and waved to the crowd as she started what was starting to become routine. Katie kept her eyes on Jackson while she did the introduction. Her heart fluttered and she almost dropped the book before she was supposed to read the chapter but she recovered.
Jackson watched Katie with mixed feelings. If she just wanted to be friends then that was all that they would be. He wondered if she loved the mystery guy, whoever he was. Jackson tried to unclench his jaw. He found he didn’t want Katie loving anyone. He didn’t want her marrying anyone.
He wondered what it would be like to be married to Katie Sutton, what it would be like to have a family with her, to watch her grow old. Surely, she had felt the heat and desire in their kiss too?
The evening was a long one because there were so many women there asking questions and getting their books signed. There were even a few men, to Jackson’s surprise. Katie seemed tired afterward and she lightly massaged her writing hand. He hoped Andrea didn’t have too many large gatherings like this one set up. He escorted Katie to the next hotel where once again they were billeted in the same room. Jackson carried her bag, ever the gentleman. He was surprised when she pushed her way into the washroom, shoving the door so that it half shut. Jackson could hear her lose her supper.
Well, he guessed that answered that question.
Jackson put her luggage on her bed then got a cup from the tiny kitchenette. He filled it with cool water and approached the washroom. He tentatively opened the door to find Katie blowing her nose in some toilet papers. She looked up at him miserably and he offered the glass to her. She gratefully took it and drank some of it.
When she was finished he set the glass on the counter and helped her to her feet. “Are you going to be alright?”
Katie nodded. “I’m fine.”
They both knew it was a lie but Jackson let it pass.
“Andrea says the television spot on Ruby is tomorrow,” Katie whispered.
“Hey, it’s going to be okay,” Jackson tried to reassure her. “You handled tonight like a pro and you’ll do great tomorrow.”
“I don’t feel like a pro. I feel like a fraud,” she complained. “I’m taking credit for your work.”
“That’s the deal we made,” he agreed. “I’m asking you to do this.”
“I still feel bad about it,” Katie wiped her eyes tiredly.
“Hey,” Jackson folded her into his arms. “Don’t feel bad about it. You’re saving me from all the jokes the guys at home would make if they knew. I really appreciate that.”
“I just know that tomorrow is going to be a disaster somehow,” Katie sighed.
Jackson rubbed her back and enjoyed holding her. “You’re going to do just fine. Nothing is going to happen.”
“I’m walking bad luck,” Katie said morosely. “My friend Sylvie says I should write a blog called Katie’s curse.”
He smiled against her hair. “I don’t think it’s that bad. Just think about it, if you hadn’t thrown your keys in the dumpster I wouldn’t have offered you the job of being JD Emerson right when you needed a new income since the daycare let you go. If you think about it, it was actually a good thing the keys went into the dumpster.”
Katie supposed she hadn’t looked at it that way before. She also wouldn’t have experienced that soul searing kiss of his. “I suppose so.”
“Why don’t you get some rest? It’s been a long day,” Jackson gently pulled away. He let her have the washroom first. While she was busy, he grabbed his phone and texted his brother, asking if Katie was seeing anyone. Almost immediately Trent texted back that he didn’t know, Katie hadn’t told him that she was involved with anyone. Jackson texted, asking if Trent had been involved with Katie over the summer and received a green faced emoji and Trent assuring him that dating Katie would be like dating his sister. Then his brother asked Jackson was interested in Katie. Jackson hesitated a moment before typing and sending a simple maybe. Trent then texted if he should ask Katie if she was seeing anyone? Jackson put an emphatic no and sent it to his brother. The last thing he wanted was Trent getting involved in this. He hoped his brother would leave it be. When Katie came out of the bathroom, he put his phone away, feeling almost guilty. He took his turn and when he came out, Katie was hugging a pillow and snoring softly.
Jackson shut off the lights and lay sleepless in bed, staring at the ceiling. He supposed the only thing he could do would be to ask Katie herself. However, Katie had said that she only wanted to be friends. Did he even want to know who the father of her baby was?
