Angel's Redemption (2 page)

They couldn't hurt him anymore.

He would be free at last.

Chapter One

The bright sunshine falling across Jackson's face woke him from his deep slumber. He blinked his eyes open as he tried to gather his thoughts. He reached his arms overhead and stretched. A sleepy groan escaped him as his glanced over to the clock on his nightstand.

Seven o'clock.

Damn.

He had really been hoping to get a little more sleep, but the sunlight streaming through the windows and his natural instinct to get up early always seemed to prevent that.

The faint aroma of coffee wafted from the kitchen. He looked to his companion and grinned.

Thank God for automatic coffee makers.

"Good morning, sleepyhead. Are you ready to get up?" Jackson asked.

His dog's brown eyes blinked at him sleepily.

"Come on, boy, it's time to face the day." He pushed the covers off and hopped out of bed. He slid his feet into his favorite pink bunny slippers and walked toward the kitchen yawning and stretching as he went.

The clinking sound of toenails across the wooden floor followed closely behind him. He grinned as he felt a slight tug on his foot. Glancing down, he saw his dog, Shep, nipping playfully at one of the bunny's ears. He laughed as he moved his foot around, causing the huge bunny ears on his slippers to flop. Shep barked and pawed at his slipper.

Most men wouldn't be caught dead wearing pink bunnies on his feet, but Jackson didn't care. He'd received them as a gag gift from Ben right before he died, and he couldn't part with them, even though they were given to him as a joke.

After a few moments of playing around with the German shepherd, he walked over to the sliding glass door and opened it. "Go on, Shep. Go outside, boy."

Shep ran past him and immediately started checking out the yard to make sure there weren't any trespassers leftover from night before.

Jackson's slippers scuffed the gleaming tiles and his mouth watered for a cup of French roast. The only thing missing was his favorite red Razorbacks mug. Yawning, he opened the kitchen cabinet and was soon pouring his first cup of goodness for the day.

Just as he started to take a sip, the phone rang and he inwardly groaned.

Only one person would call him this early on a Saturday morning. He gazed at the caller ID, and it confirmed his suspicion.

It was his
mother
.

He picked up the receiver, knowing if he ignored the call, she would call back until he answered.

"Good morning, Momma."

"Good morning, Jackson. How are you?" His mother's sweet voice drifted in his ear.

"I'm fine. How are you?" He took a tentative sip of his hot coffee.

"I'm good, sweetheart. I didn't call you too early, did I?"

Jackson grinned. As if they hadn't gone through this every Saturday morning for the past four years.

"No, Momma. As you know, I'm always up early on Saturdays, so you're not bothering me," he answered right before he took another sip of coffee.

She sighed. "I know honey, and I'm not sure how I feel about that."

Jackson set his mug on the counter. How many times were they going to have this conversation?

"Momma, I don't want to get into this again."

"Honey, it's been almost four years. It's time to get out there again. You're still young and in your prime. Ben wouldn't have wanted you to be alone."

Jackson leaned his hip against the dark green, marbled kitchen counter and ran his fingers through his hair in agitation. Gazing out the patio door, he continued to half-heartedly listen to his mother go on about getting out more and not closing himself off to the possibilities of meeting someone else.

Shep chased a squirrel up the big oak tree and barked excitedly. He ran around the tree in circles, daring the squirrel to jump down from its safe perch onto the lowest limb, as if the helpless squirrel was stupid enough to do so.

"…need to get out more with your friends and maybe find a boyfriend…" she continued in her soft, Southern accent.

He took another sip of coffee and set his mug on the counter.

"Mom, stop, okay? We've been through this
many
times before. I'm fine. Just because I don't date a lot or—"

"At all," she interrupted.

Jackson cringed and started pacing back and forth, from the counter to the patio door. The pink bunny ears on his slippers flapping furiously against the tile floor with each step he took.

"Okay, at all. Not only do I not have the desire to date again, I haven't met anyone I've wanted to date. Ben was it, Mom. He was the love of my life. I don't know if I'll ever date again. If I don't, that's okay. I had my great love. I'm not expecting to find it again."

She gave a long-suffering sigh. "Oh, Jackson. Sometimes you break my heart with your cynical attitude about life and love. You know I loved Ben like a son, but he's been gone for a long time now. He loved you, and there is no way Ben would have wanted you to spend the rest of your life alone. You have so much love to share, honey; you just don't give anyone a chance to get close to you again."

Jackson stopped pacing and fought the urge to hang up on his mother just so the conversation would stop. She never understood where he was coming from. No one did. Ben was everything to him; his heart, his soul, and his happiness. When the teenaged kid accidentally ran through that red light and took Ben away from him, Jackson thought he would die too. Somehow, despite the grief that nearly ate him alive, Jackson survived.

He had a nice home, a good job, and Shep.

That was enough.

"Momma, stop worrying about me. I'm fine. You've got to accept that I'm content with my life now. It may not be
your
idea of a happy life, but it's mine. Can we drop it for now?" Jackson grabbed his coffee mug and took another sip of the strong, black brew, hoping the welcoming burn of the coffee would keep him from being disrespectful to his mother.

There was a brief silence before she answered.

"Of course, honey. I just worry, which is what mothers do best."

"I know, Momma. Look, I'll talk to you later, okay? Have a good day. I love you."

Jackson was cutting her off, but how many times had they rehashed this in the past? The longer they were on the phone, the bigger the chance that she would bring it up again. After all, it was her favorite subject–when it came to him anyway.

"Okay, baby. I'll talk to you later. Love you."

It took Jackson a minute after he hung up the phone to shake off the conversation. How many times would she keep pushing him like this? He was a middle-aged man for Christ's sakes! Jackson was definitely old enough to know what he wanted and didn't want out of life. He wished his nosy but loveable family would just butt out.

That's just wishful thinking.

Jackson walked through the spacious living room to the front door. After he unlocked it, he reached down and grabbed the newspaper lying on the front porch. He eased the door closed and tossed the rolled-up newspaper on the foyer table before he headed toward his bedroom to change.

Jackson didn't think he would ever be attracted to someone like he was to Ben. They grew up together and had been best friends since kindergarten. Ben was the first person Jackson talked to in the morning and the last when he went to sleep. They had no secrets from each other.

After they graduated from high school, Jackson somehow managed to get the nerve up to tell Ben how much he loved him. Jackson remembered how excited and surprised he felt when Ben smiled that special smile just for him. Ben's eyes crinkled at each side and there was a dimple in his left cheek that made him look youthful, no matter what his age. Then he leaned over Jackson for a gentle first kiss and told him that he felt the same. It was that night they made love for the first time, and from then on they were inseparable. They got part-time jobs, went to college, and lived together.

They shared everything, and for many years lived a very happy life until Ben's untimely death.

A love like that only came once in a lifetime.

Jackson opened the bottom dresser drawer and pulled out his favorite gray t-shirt. It was Ben's old college shirt and had been worn so much, it was getting pretty thin and soft. Just before he slipped it on, he looked at himself critically in the mirror. Dark green eyes looked back at him as he ran his fingers through his shoulder-length, black hair. At thirty-nine, his hair was still free of gray and almost as thick as it was in his twenties. Grabbing a brush, he ran it through his hair a few times to get out the tangles. He spotted a discarded black rubber band on top of the dresser and twisted it around his hair, putting it in a low, comfortable ponytail.

A faint five o'clock shadow darkened his cheeks and pale throat. His chest was still considerably hairy with the occasional gray or four, which he always plucked out immediately.

His stomach wasn't as firm as it used to be, which came with age. Jackson eyed his midsection critically in the mirror and sighed.

Damn, maybe he should lay off the desserts for a while.

He considered changing out of his green and blue flannels, but there was nothing like lazing around on a Saturday, with no plans other than watching endless television and surfing the 'net. He headed back to the kitchen to grab the newspaper and his coffee before he walked outside.

The backyard had been the selling point when he and Ben bought their home. His ranch was located on two lots, which gave Shep a large fenced-in backyard for him to run. Jackson sat on his comfortable wicker chair. From where he sat, he could admire the concrete walkway all the way to the pond he and Ben had tirelessly worked on. Between the colorful array of flowers and the soothing sounds coming from the water feature, it was one of Jackson's favorite places to be.

He sipped his coffee and opened up the newspaper. He'd just started reading the first article, when Shep started barking and running at full speed to the left of the fence.

Jackson groaned.

Recently, the empty house next door had been sold, but Jackson had no idea who his new neighbor was. He hoped Shep wasn't scaring some young child with his overly-enthusiastic bark. Even though Jackson's other neighbor's nephew, Daniel, adored Shep, his dog's bark always sounded more vicious than he really was.

With a feeling of dread, Jackson jumped up and ran to the edge of the porch to see what had gotten Shep so stirred up.

On the other side of the chain link fence stood a stunningly beautiful young man. Jackson's breath caught as he watched the younger man smile and put his hand tentatively against the fence for Shep to smell.

While Shep checked out the gorgeous stranger, Jack shamelessly did the same.

Sunlight glistened off his reddish brown hair. The color complimented his peaches and cream complexion. His hair was cut in the modern style that Jack had seen some of the younger men favor—short in the back and with longer layers combed toward his face. It highlighted his youthful glow and the bright smile he was giving Jackson's lucky dog, which was currently licking the palm of the young man's hand. The gorgeous man-boy looked up at Jackson for the first time. Those full lips formed a shy smile as he wiped his hand on his faded jeans.

"You have a beautiful dog."

Shit, even his voice was attractive. Jackson found himself walking closer to the pretty man just to hear and see him better.

"Thanks. He's spoiled rotten, but I love him anyway." Jackson noticed the man's eyes widen slightly the closer he got to him.

A golden brown, they were the most beautiful eyes Jackson had ever seen. He looked from Jackson back to Shep, and his kissable lips formed a somewhat crooked smile.

"Would it be all right if I pet him? He reminds me of a dog I had once. He was spoiled rotten, too." He looked at Jackson questioningly, and the shy smile returned.

"Of course. He's very friendly."

The young man stood on his tiptoes and reach over the fence to pet Shep behind the ears.

This gave Jack the opportunity to discreetly look at the other man's physique. Although the man was small in stature, he was fit. The light blue t-shirt he wore clung snugly around his body. It was obvious from his toned arms and tight torso that he worked out. Faded, skin-tight, blue jeans encased his hips and thighs like a second skin, and well-loved red converse sneakers covered his small feet.

Jackson wasn't a tall man by anyone's standards. At five-foot-eight, he was used to others towering over him. This man was at least four, maybe five inches, shorter than him. But even for his petite frame, he was well-proportioned, and it seemed to enhance his attractiveness as well.

Suddenly aware of his more than casual wardrobe, Jackson cringed. He probably looked like some slob who wasn't concerned about his appearance. He fought the urge to at least tuck in his old t-shirt, so he looked more presentable. He wished he had actually styled his hair, changed into a pair of jeans, and taken off the pink bunny slippers.

He assumed the gorgeous vision before him was his new neighbor. Jackson inwardly groaned when he realized he must look ridiculous—or worse, dressed as if he were about to go to bed instead of already starting his day.

Way to make a good impression, Jackson.

"You must be my new neighbor. I'm Jackson Edwards. You can call me Jack or Jackson… or whatever you want." He fought the urge to grimace at his endless rambling. Jackson silently told himself to get a grip, as he offered his hand to the younger man with what Jackson hoped was a friendly smile.

The young man looked at Jackson's hand and slowly back at Shep. He stopped petting the happy dog and hastily wiped his hand on his shirt before offering it to Jackson. That amazing gaze burned a swath over Jackson's extended palm to his arm and heated a path up to his face. Then those golden brown eyes sparkled as a brilliant smile crossed the young man's face.

My God, he's abso-fucking-lutely breathtaking
.