Figured she’d like that, since she managed to make vague references to his momma every few notes.
“She blister your backside?” Kaci asked.
Jackson chuckled. “Nah. Daddy handled us instead.” Sent Craig home to Russ for a whooping, then sat Jackson down, looked over that old modified engine sitting there in the backyard, and said,Son, you owe your momma a new vacuum. Then I don’t care what it costs, you’re going to space camp this summer. Long as I got breath in my body, I ain’t gonna let you waste those smarts you got.
“So you fly planes now?” Anna asked.
He shook his head. “No waiver for what I’ve got.”
Her brow wrinkled.
“Damn shame,” Lance said.
Anna Grace’s wrinkle got wrinklier.
Jackson flicked a mosquito off his arm. “Don’t you worry none,” he said to Anna. “Doctors say I got at least six months.”
He was working up a little guilt for the way her eyes went wide when Kaci smacked him in the shoulder. “Don’t you be falling for that old line,” she said to Anna. “He ain’t dying, he’s color-blind.”
Jackson looked at Lance, who grinned. “Sorry, Bubba.”
“Your turn, Anna Grace,” Jackson said. “You got any fishing stories?”
She had that devil look going again.
She did it good.
“You betcha,” she said.
But she wouldn’t tell, and it was getting late. They carried their dishes in and got the kitchen mostly put to rights. Anna made like she was heading for home.
Lance tilted his head toward her, but Jackson was already on it.
“Let me get that door for you, Anna Grace.”
She did that cute thing where she tried to look like she didn’t want help and didn’t want him to see her smile about it. “Afraid your momma’s going to hear you let a lady walk to her car by herself?”
He pulled the door open. “More like wondering if you’ll let me get away with it.”
She puffed herself up a couple of inches and marched outside.
“Didn’t hurt a bit, now did it?” He tucked his hands in his pockets and moseyed beside her.
Her lips were fighting another smile. “Thank you.”
“You feel that, Anna Grace? That’s progress. I’m real proud of you.”
This time she smiled all the way. Between that smile and her pie, he needed to keep hunting season in mind. Didn’t like it when he couldn’t get away any old weekend he liked.
“Are you always this old-fashioned, or are you trying to goad me?” Anna asked.
“Shucks, ma’am, ain’t nothing old-fashioned about manners.”
“I suppose not.”
“But if you were thinking to reward me for good behavior with your phone number, well, now, I sure wouldn’t be put out.”
She laughed. “You wouldn’t, huh?”
