Marry Me, Jackson Excerpt
Did you ever drive past a guy's house, just to see what it looked like? In this excerpt, Emily does just that. She's run into Jackson Hart at the hardware store and wonders if he's seeing anyone. As she creeps toward the house, he lets the dogs loose....literally.
The bushes rustled around them. Josie swished the light left and right in a slow arc. Either Josie was breathing really loud or that sound was her own labored breathing.
“Think of this as a mission, Emily. The goal is to discover the nature of Jackson’s relationship with Victoria. We’re gathering intelligence.”
“You watch too many spy shows.”
“I like them. They fill my evenings.”
“Try romantic comedy. At least I can get to sleep after those.” This driveway felt endless. “What is he doing out here in the woods? I don’t understand why he's not living in town.”
“You kidding me? A lot of guys would love to have this property.”
“No. Never.” Her shoulders loosened. But the farther they got from the car, the more uneasy she felt. Emily grabbed her friend’s hand.
Josie giggled. “Hey, we’re not in Girl Scouts anymore.”
Right. She could handle this. “Why isn’t this driveway straight? We can’t see what’s ahead.”
The road kept taking loopy turns around large pockets of trees. “I suppose it’s really pretty in the daylight.” Josie swung the flashlight to either side.
“Hold it. I see a light.” Straining her eyes, Emily saw something up ahead. “Looks like the driveway swerves to the left, goes down into a valley and then up again.”
The darn owl hooted again. The deep, lonely sound echoed in Emily’s churning stomach. But up ahead were some lights.
“Your friend’s house is just ahead. Watch the roots in the road.” Josie kicked at one with her tennis shoe.
When they came around a curve in a semi-crouch, the trees thinned. Amazement made her blink. A huge house sprawled before them, resplendent with lights.
Emily sucked in a breath. “I wonder if there are two Jackson Harts in the area.” The size and elegant lines of the home left her breathless. This just didn’t look like the guy she knew.
“Does he drive a black pickup truck?”
“Yes. And that looks like it.” In the distance, lights bounced off what sure resembled Jackson’s truck.
“I don’t see a red convertible.” Josie was whispering. The house grew larger as they drew closer. “Will you look at this? He must have one heck of an electric bill.”
But no red car. Emily’s relief was dimmed by a terrible thought. “What if her car is parked in his garage?”
They were close to the garage now and lights blasted on, blinding them for a minute.
Emily glanced at Josie, now in a crouch. No doubt she’d seen that in those spy movies. “Maybe he has motion detectors.”
Emily forgot to breathe. What started as fun began to feel dangerous. And potentially very embarrassing.
Josie crept to one of the garage windows.
“What are you doing?” Emily asked in a hoarse whisper.
“Looking for a red convertible.” The window needed cleaning. Josie rubbed a spot in the glass with her elbow. “Nope. Only a Porsche and a...wow. I think that’s an Austin Healy. Vintage.”
“Then this isn’t his house.” Emily joined her at the window. In the dim light thrown by the overhead lamps sat two primo cars. Glancing back at the black truck, she tried to put the two together.
“He’s got good taste.” Her friend’s brows raised. “No red convertible? No Victoria. Looks like it’s open season on Jackson.” Even in the darkness Emily could see Josie’s pleased smile.
“Don’t be silly.” This house didn’t feel right. And those cars in the garage?
He had some explaining to do.
Somewhere dogs barked. They both froze.
“Cripes!” Josie gave her a shove. “Run!”
They streaked toward the driveway as if their lives depended on it.
“Those dogs better be in a pen,” Josie huffed.
Emily had to save her breath for running. No way did she want to be caught by those dogs. The barking behind them got louder. Sounded closer. She ran faster. Slippery needles underfoot, she wondered if she was still on the driveway.
As if she could sense Emily’s panic, Josie gasped, “Pretend we’re doing walk-run, like we do in the morning. But stay in run mode.”
“Easy for you to say.” How could she have forgotten Jackson’s dogs? “Their names are Maximillian and Spartacus.”
“No way!” Josie stared at her with disbelief. “Faster!”
Thunder cracked overhead like bowling balls hitting a strike. Rain began to fall in fat drops that blinded her. When Emily’s foot caught something, she went sprawling. “Josie.”
Behind them, the landscape brightened. Lights on the house had flashed on.
Josie helped her up. “On your feet, girl, unless you want to become dog chow.”
Knees and elbows burning, Emily heaved herself up. This reminded her of when they ran track in high school. Josie had always been ahead of her. Now fear and embarrassment sent a jolt of adrenaline through her body. Finally she could see Josie’s car ahead of them. It had never looked so good, even with the bumper that was held on by duct tape. They were both gasping, and Emily’s side was killing her. Behind them the dogs kept coming, their yapping filling the night.
Just when she was at her limit, they reached the car. Emily fell against it, chest burning and knees wobbly. Behind her the dogs barked. As if she’d been hit with a cattle prod, Emily yanked open the door. Josie ran around to the other side. Emily cannon- balled into the seat, yanking the door shut. She pressed bloody palms to her knees.
“I'm a mess,” she moaned as Josie jerked her door shut.
Their heaving breaths were the only sound as they stared into the darkness. “What do you think? German shepherds? Dobermans?” Josie asked.
The thunder rumbled away, and the downpour became a shower. From behind the moving clouds, the moon came out just as two furry masses threw themselves at the car. Emily leaned back into Josie while nails clattered against the door.
“There goes the finish.” Josie started the car and the dogs backed off, still barking. The moon threw shadows over two panting golden retrievers, their tongues lolling out the sides of their jaws. If she had a treat, she would have tossed it to them.
Josie howled. “Are you kidding me? Those two might lick us to death, but that would be all.”
“They could've been German shepherds.” Emily pressed a hand to a heartbeat that was slowing.
Grab your copy now! https://geni.us/MarryMJ
Did you ever drive past a guy's house, just to see what it looked like? In this excerpt, Emily does just that. She's run into Jackson Hart at the hardware store and wonders if he's seeing anyone. As she creeps toward the house, he lets the dogs loose....literally.
The bushes rustled around them. Josie swished the light left and right in a slow arc. Either Josie was breathing really loud or that sound was her own labored breathing.
“Think of this as a mission, Emily. The goal is to discover the nature of Jackson’s relationship with Victoria. We’re gathering intelligence.”
“You watch too many spy shows.”
“I like them. They fill my evenings.”
“Try romantic comedy. At least I can get to sleep after those.” This driveway felt endless. “What is he doing out here in the woods? I don’t understand why he's not living in town.”
“You kidding me? A lot of guys would love to have this property.”
“No. Never.” Her shoulders loosened. But the farther they got from the car, the more uneasy she felt. Emily grabbed her friend’s hand.
Josie giggled. “Hey, we’re not in Girl Scouts anymore.”
Right. She could handle this. “Why isn’t this driveway straight? We can’t see what’s ahead.”
The road kept taking loopy turns around large pockets of trees. “I suppose it’s really pretty in the daylight.” Josie swung the flashlight to either side.
“Hold it. I see a light.” Straining her eyes, Emily saw something up ahead. “Looks like the driveway swerves to the left, goes down into a valley and then up again.”
The darn owl hooted again. The deep, lonely sound echoed in Emily’s churning stomach. But up ahead were some lights.
“Your friend’s house is just ahead. Watch the roots in the road.” Josie kicked at one with her tennis shoe.
When they came around a curve in a semi-crouch, the trees thinned. Amazement made her blink. A huge house sprawled before them, resplendent with lights.
Emily sucked in a breath. “I wonder if there are two Jackson Harts in the area.” The size and elegant lines of the home left her breathless. This just didn’t look like the guy she knew.
“Does he drive a black pickup truck?”
“Yes. And that looks like it.” In the distance, lights bounced off what sure resembled Jackson’s truck.
“I don’t see a red convertible.” Josie was whispering. The house grew larger as they drew closer. “Will you look at this? He must have one heck of an electric bill.”
But no red car. Emily’s relief was dimmed by a terrible thought. “What if her car is parked in his garage?”
They were close to the garage now and lights blasted on, blinding them for a minute.
Emily glanced at Josie, now in a crouch. No doubt she’d seen that in those spy movies. “Maybe he has motion detectors.”
Emily forgot to breathe. What started as fun began to feel dangerous. And potentially very embarrassing.
Josie crept to one of the garage windows.
“What are you doing?” Emily asked in a hoarse whisper.
“Looking for a red convertible.” The window needed cleaning. Josie rubbed a spot in the glass with her elbow. “Nope. Only a Porsche and a...wow. I think that’s an Austin Healy. Vintage.”
“Then this isn’t his house.” Emily joined her at the window. In the dim light thrown by the overhead lamps sat two primo cars. Glancing back at the black truck, she tried to put the two together.
“He’s got good taste.” Her friend’s brows raised. “No red convertible? No Victoria. Looks like it’s open season on Jackson.” Even in the darkness Emily could see Josie’s pleased smile.
“Don’t be silly.” This house didn’t feel right. And those cars in the garage?
He had some explaining to do.
Somewhere dogs barked. They both froze.
“Cripes!” Josie gave her a shove. “Run!”
They streaked toward the driveway as if their lives depended on it.
“Those dogs better be in a pen,” Josie huffed.
Emily had to save her breath for running. No way did she want to be caught by those dogs. The barking behind them got louder. Sounded closer. She ran faster. Slippery needles underfoot, she wondered if she was still on the driveway.
As if she could sense Emily’s panic, Josie gasped, “Pretend we’re doing walk-run, like we do in the morning. But stay in run mode.”
“Easy for you to say.” How could she have forgotten Jackson’s dogs? “Their names are Maximillian and Spartacus.”
“No way!” Josie stared at her with disbelief. “Faster!”
Thunder cracked overhead like bowling balls hitting a strike. Rain began to fall in fat drops that blinded her. When Emily’s foot caught something, she went sprawling. “Josie.”
Behind them, the landscape brightened. Lights on the house had flashed on.
Josie helped her up. “On your feet, girl, unless you want to become dog chow.”
Knees and elbows burning, Emily heaved herself up. This reminded her of when they ran track in high school. Josie had always been ahead of her. Now fear and embarrassment sent a jolt of adrenaline through her body. Finally she could see Josie’s car ahead of them. It had never looked so good, even with the bumper that was held on by duct tape. They were both gasping, and Emily’s side was killing her. Behind them the dogs kept coming, their yapping filling the night.
Just when she was at her limit, they reached the car. Emily fell against it, chest burning and knees wobbly. Behind her the dogs barked. As if she’d been hit with a cattle prod, Emily yanked open the door. Josie ran around to the other side. Emily cannon- balled into the seat, yanking the door shut. She pressed bloody palms to her knees.
“I'm a mess,” she moaned as Josie jerked her door shut.
Their heaving breaths were the only sound as they stared into the darkness. “What do you think? German shepherds? Dobermans?” Josie asked.
The thunder rumbled away, and the downpour became a shower. From behind the moving clouds, the moon came out just as two furry masses threw themselves at the car. Emily leaned back into Josie while nails clattered against the door.
“There goes the finish.” Josie started the car and the dogs backed off, still barking. The moon threw shadows over two panting golden retrievers, their tongues lolling out the sides of their jaws. If she had a treat, she would have tossed it to them.
Josie howled. “Are you kidding me? Those two might lick us to death, but that would be all.”
“They could've been German shepherds.” Emily pressed a hand to a heartbeat that was slowing.
Grab your copy now! https://geni.us/MarryMJ