said. “Go ahead and climb into the truck and drop the sun visor.”
I did what he asked, and an envelope fell out. Inside of it, I found a bundle of hundred-dollar bills, a black credit card with no name, and a check for one million dollars. My heart was racing so fast I worried I was going to pass out for a hot second. I struggled to speak as the tears sprung to my eyes.
“The check is what we agreed on; cash it whenever you want. I don’t think it’s a good idea to ever travel without a little bit of pocket cash. That card is linked to my account. The pin is on the slip of paper in there. You can use whatever you need for you and your mom. I can’t wait to see you.”
“Let’s get married now,” I blurted out.
“What?”
“Come up here now, and we can get married.”
“Are you sure? I don’t mind waiting until you come and see everything, I’ve got a few interviews lined up for aides later today, but I could push them back a few hours.”
“I want to marry you right now. Can you make it happen?”
There was silence for a minute on the other end of the line. I wasn’t sure if he was backing out or hoping he’d just get lucky with the truck. I was still unsure of his intentions, but his generosity was quickly winning me over. Though deep inside, I wondered if the whole exchange made me a prostitute of sorts, pawning myself out for money. I wasn’t sleeping with him, even if the idea had crossed my mind a time or two.
“I’ll be there in a few hours. Do you want me to come there?” Jackson asked.
“No, I’ll meet you at the courthouse, and I’ll bring a witness,” I told him. “Text me when you get close.”
“I can’t wait to see you, Hailey,” Jackson said.
My heart soared. “Same.”
I ended the call before I could change my mind as my heart thumped. Racing back up to my apartment, I knew that there was a ton of stuff to do. It was by pure luck that my mother would be leaving for the day in a rare outing with a local church group that helped the elderly. She was far from an advanced age, but given her condition, they took her as well.
It gave me a perfect chance to get married without her needing to know. I wasn’t hiding it from my mother, but I wanted to be able to show her the many benefits firsthand, and I’d do so by driving her to a beautiful home in the country after she got back from a wonderful afternoon. I quickly stuffed several of the bills in her purse, reminding her it was there for her to enjoy.
“This is so exciting,” Natalee squirmed.
I rolled my eyes. “I can’t believe I let you be my witness. Now the whole county is going to know that I got married.”
“You better believe it! You are snatching one of Texas’s most eligible bachelors off the market. I’m gonna be bragging about how you two met at the bar for years.”
“Great,” I muttered.
I couldn’t tell her that the gossip would outlast the marriage. I was still reeling from the events of earlier. Jackson hadn’t arrived yet; my heart was racing. We were standing on the steps in the cool shade as his familiar truck pulled in front of the courthouse. He stepped out, and instantly, my body warmed at the sight. I’d taken the time he spent driving up to me at the local dress shop.
Still, I felt like the pale-blue dress failed to match his button-up shirt and tight jeans. The matching cowboy hat and black boots sent a shiver of desire through me. As he approached, a trace of a smile played on his lips. When his eyes traveled across me, I almost moaned out in approval. It was going to be a hard year of resisting him.
“You look awfully pretty,” he said.
For the first time, we touched, his hand gently taking my elbow as he leaned down and kissed my cheek. The intoxicating scent of his aftershave made my eyes flitter shut. The soft muslin fabric that held my breasts started to ache against the hardening peaks. I was hot with desire for Jackson. Next to us, Natalee cleared her throat, pulling me back to the task at hand.