“Treating him like a criminal without cause.”
Jackson shook his head, dismissing her claim. “Not how I see it. He was sneaking around your property at night. Any fool would know that’s the easiest way to end up on the wrong end of a rifle in these parts. I don’t trust him.”
She threw up her hands and walked toward the stairs. “You are paranoid. Mat is harmless.”
“Mat could be a serial killer for all you know. Just because a man appears meek and mild doesn’t make him a saint.”
Aja waved her hand and rolled her eyes. Arguing with this man would take more energy than she had to spare. Rather than allow him to pluck her nerves anymore, she decided going up to her room was the best solution to end this debate with no bloodshed.
“So.” The deep rumble of his voice halted her steps. “Is there really pineapple coconut cake, or were you telling Mat that to make him feel better?”
“Are you really asking me for cake right now?”
He held his hands out wide. “What? I like pineapple coconut cake.”
The beginnings of a headache throbbed behind her eyes. She pressed stiff fingers against her temples, trying to relieve the dull, stabbing pain twisting the muscles of her neck and eyes tighter with the passing of each moment.
“Lord have mercy! You cannot be asking me for cake as if we’re two regular acquaintances retiring for the night. I have worked with that man for a year. He’s been nothing but supportive to the women who work for me. He’s helping them change their lives. And tonight you possibly destroyed all the work, all the goodwill we’ve all strived to create. Yes, there’s pineapple coconut cake. It’s damn good cake too. But I will not reward bad behavior. So as far as you’re concerned, no, there’s no cake.”
“I was trying to protect you, Aja.”
She shook her head, a stupid move considering the dull ache throbbing inside it. “Jackson, going out there and subduing him was you protecting me, but the overbearing ogre thing you had going on afterward had nothing to do with that. He was obviously not a threat then. Yet you were practically growling at him.”
She was still trying to figure out what that was about. Every time she showed Mat any kindness, Jackson’s mood seem to sour further. It was odd considering there was usually some professional respect between law-enforcement officers. But his speech along with his body language made it clear Mat was an unwelcome guest.
She waited for him to admit his mistake. Any reasonable person would have. But seeing him intimidate poor Mat that way rubbed her patience raw like an ill-fitting shoe against the back of her ankle.
It was painful, something she couldn’t ignore, and watching that sweet man cower in fear as Jackson behaved so badly made her blood boil with unspoken rage.
Doing his job was fine, but bullying wasn’t. And if he treated Mat that way, a man with no negative marks on his record, how far would he go with people like Seneca and Brooklyn? Women whose pasts were checkered, who were judged harshly by their mistakes.
She’d made a terrible mistake by kissing this man. Letting her guard down again in front of him was something she could ill afford. Not if she wanted to protect Seneca and Brooklyn from being on the receiving end of his brand of hard judgment.
Chapter 10
Jackson stood behind the guest bedroom door with his hands planted on his waist, contemplating his next move. He’d fucked up big time. After a rough night’s sleep, attempting to figure out how things had gone from the cozy warmth of their kiss to the chilly end of their night, he worried about what awaited him on the other side of the door.
If Mat hadn’t shown up when he did, things might’ve continued down another path, a path that led him to pineapple coconut cake and, if he were lucky, more satisfying treats than Aja’s baked goods.
Jackson shook his head. He didn’t regret securing the scene last night until he was certain Mat wasn’t a threat. But Aja was right—the way he’d gone out of his way to let Mat know he wasn’t welcome crossed a line. He wasn’t even certain why the sight of the slight man all hunched over at Aja’s kitchen table, accepting her tea and hospitality, made him so goddamned mad.
All he knew was he wasn’t able to let go of the fire that seemed to burn inside him with red, angry flames licking at his soul as he watched her rub Mat’s shoulder.
It was comfort. Logically he understood that. But a few seconds before Mat interrupted them, Jackson had been exercising his own form of comfort with Aja. And he didn’t know if he was conflating the two, but the idea that she could comfort Mat the same way Jackson sought to soothe her made him lose his fool mind.
“No sense putting this off. Time to go downstairs and man up.”
He turned the knob and took the back stairs to the kitchen. If Aja was anywhere in this house at this hour of the morning, she’d be there.
The rich aroma of fresh coffee was the first thing his sleep-deprived brain noticed, followed by the savory scents of various breakfast meats.
God, this woman knows the key to a Texas boy’s heart.
He found her standing at the stovetop. From his vantage point, he couldn’t tell what she was cooking, but the inviting aroma tickled his nose and made his mouth water. “Smells great in here.”
She didn’t turn around. Simply offered him a quick “Morning” as she continued monitoring the sizzling pans in front of her.
He caught a glimpse of the spread already taking up residence on the counter. There were chafing dishes marked Bacon, Sausage, Salmon Cakes, Grits, Oatmeal, Eggs, and Fruit, accompanied by a large bowl filled with yogurt cups on ice.
