“You’re working here too?”
“Part-time. At Gabe’s shop.”
Like her, Jackson had been friends with their housekeeper’s son, but he showed little reaction to hearing his name. “You’ve really settled back home nicely.”
Though there was no inflection in his voice, Livvy bristled. “What’s that supposed to mean?”
“Nothing.”
“If it was nothing, you would have said nothing. The fact that you said something means something.”
Jackson tapped his fingers on his knee. “You still think you know me so well, pipsqueak?”
“I will always know you,” she said quietly.I’ll always love you. No matter how far we run from each other and this place.
Jackson’s Adam’s apple bobbed. “Why’d you come back here?”
“To look after Mom.”
“Bullshit.”
Her eyes narrowed. “Watch your language. There’s a lady here.”
He snorted. “You always swore worse than me.”
“That’s because I talked more than you. Clams talked more than you.”
He ignored the dig. “Why did you come here?”
“To look after—”
“Bull. Shit.”
“What do you want me to say?”
“The truth.”
“It’s the truth.”
“Fine. I’ll hire a nurse for her tomorrow. Full-time, twenty-four hours. You can leave.”
She eyed him. If Jackson was kicking around prison cells, she imagined most of his money had probably gone to bail and lawyers. If he had money. Lord knew what he did. “How do you have that kind of cash?”
He ignored the question. “So you’re going to leave, right?”
“No.”
“Then why are you here?”
“Because I want my family back!”
They both froze at her almost-shout. She covered her mouth with a shaking hand. Shit, she hoped she hadn’t woken up her mom or her aunt.
Jackson had stilled. “Ah,” he breathed.
After long, tense minutes, she lowered her hand. “I got depressed after Paul died.”
His lashes lowered, hiding his eyes. “How bad?”
