Forgiving Jackson Read Online Free PDF Page B

cake. And I have not stepped on any nails, rusty or otherwise. But if I had one I might run it through your eye.”
    “So I’m guessing you wouldn’t be willing to surprise these nice people with a song? They’d love that.”
    Immediately, Emory regretted saying that. His eyes went so wide and his face turned so red, she feared his brain might blow up. Could that happen?
    “No. I would not be willing to sing a song. Nor will I recite a poem, stand on my head, or read a passage from the Bible. Now, I repeat: why in the hell is there a wedding taking place on my property?”
    She tried to look puzzled. “We are an events business, Jackson.
Events business
.” She enunciated the words the second time as if she were speaking to a not very bright toddler. “We sometimes have birthday parties, class reunions, anniversary parties, debutante dances. This time, it’s a wedding.”
    “I’m tired of this. Stop pretending you don’t know what I’m talking about. You know very well I emailed you and told you to cancel events and vacate. Yet, here you are.”
    “Maybe I didn’t get the email.” She was running out of time.
    “Emory, you answered me! You agreed.” He crossed his arms over his chest and planted his feet a little wider apart like a modern-day Paul Bunyan, only clean shaven and more athletic looking. He should get a blue ox. Or maybe one of those New Orleans blue dogs. That might be more in keeping with the updated look. As for the axe—it probably wouldn’t be in her best interest if he had one of those.
    The crickets cried out. The giant fans whirled. The band played “How Do You Like Me Now?”
    Clearly he wasn’t going to say anything else until she did. So this was what it felt like to stand in a corner with the floor all around you freshly painted. Okay, so lying hadn’t worked out.
    “I shouldn’t have agreed and you shouldn’t have asked.”
    He narrowed his eyes. “I didn’t ask. I directed. There was really only one answer you could give.”
    “I know. That’s why I gave it.”
    He shook his head like he was going to toss his hair but he didn’t have enough to toss. She laughed. He acted like a cat who’d fallen off the side of the bathtub and pretended like he’d meant to.
    “Did you think I was never going to find out you didn’t do what I said?”
    “That’s what I hoped.”
    He closed his eyes and stood silent for a few seconds.
    “I am having a conversation I don’t need to have. Get these people off my property, Emory. Do it now. And you had better not be far behind them.” He turned around like he was going to walk away from her. “For every hour you’re here starting right now, I’m taking a week off your severance pay.”
    “Jackson!” she hissed. “You can’t do that.”
    The look he gave her would have turned a less desperate woman to stone but she didn’t have time for that.
    “Really, Emory, I can. Do you know why? I own this property. You work for me.”
    “Not really.” Though she knew it wasn’t true. “I work for Around the Bend: Elegant Events, Inc.”
    “Which I own.”
    “Which you own with your brothers.”
    “Do you see any of them here?” This time his voice came out in a shout—just as there was a lull in the music.
    “Shh, Jackson. Keep your voice down! We have guests.”
    “
You
have guests. I have trespassers, of which you are one. I’m warning you. I will call the police.”
    “If you throw these people out of their wedding, they’ll sue you. I’m telling you, they’re mean. They’ve been mean to Christian and me all weekend.”
    “Really? They were
nice people
when you tried to get me to sing for them.”
    “I lied. They are Satan’s spawn, what with their wanting smoked salmon for breakfast and peonies in a color that doesn’t exist. This is the South. We don’t eat smoked salmon for breakfast. We eat country ham and fried pork tenderloin.”
    “That I can believe—that you lied, I mean. I don’t care how mean they