“This is wonderful.” Topaz carefully laid the drawings back on the desk. “They have a vibrancy and realism that’s amazing. Sapphire is already designing the jewelry to go with this line.” Topaz turned and leaned back against the desk, crossing her arms across her chest. “She’d very excited about the wildflowers and she has an entire butterfly collection in mind.”
“That’s good.” Emerald was pleased but she couldn’t really work up any enthusiasm.
“Yes, it is.” Her sister pushed away from the desk and sighed. “When are you going to tell us what’s wrong?”
“There’s nothing wrong. I’m fine.” The words came automatically and Topaz frowned at her.
“No, you’re not.” Her sister’s voice was flat as she strode forward, determination in every line of her body.
“Am I late?” Sapphire hurried into the office, slightly breathless as she balanced three large beverage containers and a bakery bag in her hands.
“We haven’t started yet.”
Emerald stared from one sister to the other. “What’s going on?”
Sapphire plunked what Emerald suspected were café mochas and a selection of treats from Althea’s Bakery, a favorite of all three sisters. The only time they brought out this much chocolate and calories was when there was a serious discussion on the table.
Topaz wrapped her arm around Emerald’s shoulders and propelled her toward the comfortable couch and chairs that created a sitting area in the office. Sapphire had already curled up in one of the chairs and was busily opening the bag and setting cream puffs and éclairs onto paper napkins.
She found herself seated on the sofa with her café mocha in one hand and a cream puff in the other. Topaz pinned her with her golden-brown eyes and Emerald swallowed. She’d seen that look many times before and knew that time had run out.
“Tell us what happened.” Topaz’s voice was like velvet over steel. If Emerald didn’t spill the story, her sister would end up on Jackson’s doorstep demanding answers.
Emerald opened her mouth to once again say that nothing happened. Instead the entire story tumbled out from deep inside her. She told them about running and how she stumbled upon the job at the farm. She left out nothing as she spun the story of what had happened when she and Jackson met and what had followed. She poured her heart out, stopping occasionally to sniff back the tears that threatened.
“So you see, it’s nobody’s fault that I fell in love with him. We’re both adults and there was no commitment on either side. It was an intense affair and now it’s over.” And if she said it enough times maybe she’d even start to believe it.
Sapphire handed her a tissue, which Emerald took gratefully. Topaz, on the other hand, was thinking, and that was always dangerous. Her older sister sipped her café mocha thoughtfully. “The man insists you stay with him, doesn’t seem to care that his home is almost destroyed and risks his life for you?”
Emerald nodded. “Jackson’s one of a kind. He felt responsible for me.” Her heart clenched. “He’s big on responsibility.”
Topaz was shaking her head. “The man loves you.” She said it so matter-of-factly that Emerald sat up straighter.
“How can you say that? He sent me away.”
“No, he didn’t.” Topaz laid her drink on the table and reached out and took Emerald’s hands in hers. “He set you free. Don’t you get it? From everything you’ve told us, his actions show that he has deep feeling for you.”
“The sex between us was explosive,” she muttered, feeling her cheeks heat. She’d skipped over those parts of the story. They were too private, too special to share even with her sisters.
Topaz shook her head emphatically. “No. I’m not buying that. The guy thinks he’s doing you a favor by letting you come back to the city and your life here.”
A seed of hope began to bloom within her and she suddenly realized that she’d never really lost it. “He did keep saying that my life was in New York and his was on the farm.”
Sapphire came over to sit beside her, offering her a quick hug. “I’d say he was too afraid to ask you to stay just as you were too afraid to tell him you love him. He would no more ask you to come live on the farm than you’d ask him to sell it and move to New York.”
“You really think so?” She so wanted her sisters to be right. It was an idea that she’d mulled around in her own mind, but Jackson didn’t seem to be afraid of anything. Except from what she’d learned about him, he’d isolated himself to keep from being hurt. His family had all left him, leaving him alone on the farm. He didn’t even have a pet for heaven’s sake.
“I do.” There was a certainty to Topaz’s words that had Emerald raising an eyebrow in question. “I saw him one night. I’d already left the hospital, but I’d forgotten my sweater and went back for it. The door was slightly opened and I peeked in just in case one of the doctors or nurses was with you. He was standing there watching you sleep.”
“I never knew he was there.” Emerald was shocked. As far as she’d known, Jackson had left the next morning and not returned to the hospital. He’d never told her any differently.
“I think that was the point,” Topaz pointed out. “The way he looked at you…” Her sister’s voice trailed off. She cleared her throat and continued. “I didn’t say anything sooner because I didn’t want to interfere. I kept hoping one or both of you would come to your senses.” Topaz arched her brow and Emerald felt her cheeks heating at the implication. “Let’s just say that if that man doesn’t love you, he should be making movies because he’s a damn fine actor.” Topaz grinned at both of them. “And he’s hot too, if you go for the rough and rugged type.”
All of them laughed. It was well known that Topaz only dated Wall Street, three-piece Italian suit kind of men. Topaz glanced away as if embarrassed. Emerald squeezed her sister’s hand tight. “Thank you for sharing that with me.”
“You’re welcome.” When she faced them again, all signs of embarrassment and discomfort were gone and Topaz appeared to be back to normal. “The thing I want to know is, what are you going to do about it? You going to just give him up without a fight?”
That’s what she’d done. It occurred to her that she was as bad as Jackson, hiding from her love for him to keep from being hurt. She should have sat him down and laid all her cards on the table. Her old life no longer suited her and it was time for a change one way or another.
Determination filled her as she grabbed an éclair and took a big bite. She hadn’t eaten much the past few weeks, her appetite nonexistent. It was suddenly back with a vengeance and she was starving. As she chewed she realized she’d already been thinking about making a big change. If her relationship with Jackson didn’t work out, she was still going to go ahead with her plans.
One way or another the time had come.
Wiping her sticky hands on a napkin, she took a sip of her drink and laid the cup on the table. “I’ve got a plan.”
Jackson glared at his sister. “I’m fine.”
“You certainly seem fine. You’ve been like a bear with a sore paw ever since Emerald left.” Erin crossed her arms over her chest and tapped her right foot on the floor.
Jackson didn’t know whether to be angry, amused or totally exasperated. His family had barely given him a moment’s peace since Emerald had left. His chest tightened and he swallowed back the ache that always accompanied thoughts of her. Jackson took a deep breath and ran his hands over his face. “Look, I know I’ve been a bit tense, but the bulk of the harvest is in, the barn is being rebuilt and everything is going back to normal.”
“Are you sure that’s what you want?” His sister was too perceptive for comfort.