“I understand and that’s why I brought you a tray,” Melissa said, her eyes full of understanding. “Honestly, I don’t blame you for needing some time to think about things; I felt the same way when I realized I was falling in love with Timothy, and I already knew about shifters. The idea that a man could control my life just didn’t sit well with me. After all, I had hopes and dreams, I wanted to go to law school, make a difference in the world. I was sure that falling in love and bonding with Timothy meant that I had to giveup those dreams so I fought it and fought it hard. It’s a miracle the man still wanted me when it was all over.”
She was silent for a second, understanding what Jackson’s mom was trying to tell her, but not sure she was ready to make that leap. “Were you ever sorry that you gave up your dreams?” she finally asked. “I mean, do you ever look back and wish you’d made a different choice?”
“Oh, honey, I didn’t give up my dreams, I just shifted them around a little bit when I realized that my life wouldn’t be complete without Timothy,” Melissa said. “Instead of going to the big city and following my plan to work for the underprivileged after I got my law degree and passed the bar, I married Timothy and opened up a small-town practice. I’ve never regretted that decision. In fact, my life has been rewarding in a way that I never could have imagined. Sometimes we have to be open to new plans, new dreams; if we’re not, we might lose out on something very special, something that only comes around once in a lifetime.”
“You still got your degree and went to law school. Wasn’t that hard, I mean…didn’t you miss him terribly?” she asked. “Jackson said if we bond, we’ll both be miserable if we’re separated. I don’t think we’ll get into the same medical school, and it would be a miracle if we got the same residency; we might be separated for years. I don’t know if I can live with this…I don’t know…cold spot for that long…”
“Oh, Abby, it won’t be like that, I promise. It won’t be easy, you will miss each other, but I think my son got a little carried away,” Melissa said, shaking her head. “He can be a bit melodramatic at times, but don’t tell him I said that, he’d kill me. I’m going to give you one more piece of advice before I leave you to think about everything we’ve talked about. Listen to your heart, it knows what’s right for you even if your mind is confused. Love doesn’t mean giving up your dreams, it just means sharing them with someone else.”
Melissa got up and slipped out the door before she could say anything leaving a deep silence in her absence, but her words echoed in Abby’s brain as she finished her dinner. As she chewed the last bite, it all slipped into place in her mind. The fear and uncertainty slowly faded away, leaving only the warmth of the love and affection she felt for Jackson. Grabbing her phone, she hit speed dial for Yvonne and waited impatiently as the phone rang. It was time to take control of her future, time to grab what belonged to her and claim it for her own.
“Abby, hey, what’s up?” Yvonne answered. “I thought you’d be studying.”
“I was, I am, but I have a quick question,” she said. “Is your offer to borrow your parent’s cabin still open?”
“Sure, any time you want,” Yvonne said. “But I thought you didn’t want to go up there, I thought you said it was running away.”
“I did, but I’m not running away,” she said. “I’m just finishing something that Jackson and I started.”
CHAPTER 21
***JACKSON***
Jackson sighed as the hot water poured over the tense muscles in his shoulders, glad that the week was over, but worried that he’d blown at least one of the three tests he’d taken that day. Telling himself there was nothing he could do about it now, he only let himself linger under the steaming water for a few more minutes, then got out and dried off. Wrapping a towel around his waist, he walked over to the mirror and looked at his reflection. The old him would have gotten dressed and gone out to celebrate making it through the week.
Too bad this is the new you, the one that spends most of his time thinking about a woman who was currently as untouchable as a live wire, he thought, turning away from the mirror. He’d just stay in and mope around in his room. Celebrating was out of the question as long as Abby continued to torment him with her silence, something she’d gotten even better at over the last few days. She’d barely said two words to him, had bolted the second they got home every afternoon, and then eaten all her meals in her room; itwas driving him mad, and he didn’t know when it would end.
A knock on his door made him jump, but then he saw the time and realized dinner must almost be ready. “I’m not hungry,” he called through the closed door. “I’ll grab something later.”
There was a brief moment of silence, then the knocking started up again and didn’t stop. “I told you I’m not hungry,” he said, throwing open the door to find Abby standing on the other side. “Oh, umm…hi, I thought it was one of the guys coming to get me for dinner.”
“Pack a bag for the weekend and meet me out in the garage,” she said. "We’re going away for a few days.”
Before he could say anything, Abby turned and ran down the stairs, but not before he saw the blush rising on her cheeks and the desire sparkling in her eyes. Heart racing, he closed the door and quickly got dressed, then threw a few things into a bag and took the stairs two at a time, arriving in the kitchen slightly out of breath. Everyone was smiling at him as he made his way across the room, and he wondered if they all knew what was happening.
“Umm…Abby and I are going somewhere for the weekend, I guess…” he stammered, suddenly embarrassed. “I hope she told someone where we’ll be.”
“Walker already went up to make sure it’s safe,” Cooper said, a big smile on his face. “We know where to find you if we need you.”
“Okay, then, I guess I’d better go,” he said but hesitated at the door, suddenly afraid he was making a mistake. “I’m not crazy for doing this, am I?”
“She’s perfect for you,” Ryan said. “Go to her before she changes her mind, you idiot.”
“If you don’t want her, I wouldn’t mind taking yourplace,” Gabe said. “She’s quite a handful, but life would always be interesting.”
A flare of jealousy had him throwing open the door. “Don’t even think about it,” he growled. “She’s mine, and don’t forget it.”
The sound of laughter followed him out of the house, but he didn’t mind, and he was smiling when he saw Abby sitting in the driver’s seat of one of the SUVs waiting for him. “Get in, I’m driving,” she called out of the open window, pointing to the passenger seat. And don’t even think about arguing with me. I know where we’re going, and you don’t.”
“Yes, ma’am,” he said, a big grin on his face. “You’re in charge.”
“And don’t you forget it,” she said, grinning back at him. “Now, buckle up so we can get on the road. I want to get there before dark if we can.”
They rode in silence as Abby navigated Friday afternoon traffic, but eventually his curiosity got the better of him. “Okay, I give up. Where are we going?” he asked. “Or is it a big secret?”
“Yvonne’s parents have a cabin up in the mountains. I thought we needed some time alone to work out a few things,” Abby said, her eyes on the road. “Don’t get me wrong, I’m grateful that I’ve been able to stay at the fraternity house, but there’s not much privacy.”
“Especially with my mom and dad there,” he said, trying not to get his hopes up. “Does this mean that you’ve figured out what you want?”
