Nick was at the station. Seven days today, and he hadn’t heard from Jackie at all. It looked like he would have to put his plan into motion. He remembered the sheriff mumbling in the past about how stubborn Jackie could be.Guess he wasn’t exaggerating. Nick didn’t mind. He smiled about what he had in mind. Jackie was so sexy when she was mad. Luckily, he had remembered chatting with Jodi two months ago about cars. Jodi had mentioned how much Jackie loved that silver Mustang convertible of hers.“What are you smirking about?” Goldman asked as he approached him in the reception area.“Oh, just my plans for Jackie tomorrow,” Nick replied.“So, she hasn’t come to you,” Goldman stated.“Nope, but she will if I don’t hear from her today.”“Dalton,” the sheriff said as he walked down the hall towards them. “I approved your days off.” The sheriff handed Nick the paperwork.“Thanks, Sheriff,” he said with a big grin.The sheriff returned his smile. “Got big plans for a long weekend, huh?”“O
Nick and Goldman had parked in a discrete location outside of Garvey’s to watch A.J. put Jackie’s beloved Mustang on his tow truck. Nick and Goldman had laughed hysterically as they watched Jackie run out of the hotel. They had doubled over in the cruiser when Jackie hurled her portfolio on the ground. They had cracked up again when Jackie screamed at the top of her lungs and stomped her feet.“Now, what is she doing?” Goldman asked as he snickered.Nick chuckled. “Looks, like she’s getting into Jodi’s jeep.”Goldman moved his head from side to side around Nick’s head. “Looks like she is wearing a business suit. She’s going somewhere important.”“She is – the impound lot,” Nick said and laughed.Goldman laughed, too. “You want me to tail ‘em?”Nick thought for a moment. He smiled. “Nah, she’ll end up at the impound sooner or later.” -------Jodi had dropped Jackie off outside of the station and pulled off. Jackie shoved
Nick and Goldman leaned against the cruiser with their arms crossed and smirks on their faces. A.J. leaned against the tow truck that still had Jackie’s Mustang hooked on the back of it a few feet across from them. Two of A.J.’s sons sat a few feet away on top of an old junker that was parked on a dirt hill.“I see a sheriff’s car!” one of the sons yelled.After a few moments, the car came into view for the men on the ground. The sheriff’s car sped through the open gate. It came to an abrupt halt in the dirt. Jackie leaped out before the sheriff cut the engine off. “You damn Neanderthal!” she yelled as she strode towards Nick and Goldman.Goldman snickered.A.J. covered his mouth and looked down. His sons couldn’t hear anything from the hill, but their eyebrows shot up when Jackie had leaped out of the car like a lioness.Nick grinned. Damn, she looked good. The pink top and long skirt hugged her curves in all the right places. She wore sunglasses so Nick couldn’t see her eyes. Her sw
It was Thursday evening. Jackie was in her room getting ready for bed. Usually, she wouldn’t go to bed before eight, but she had to get up early in the morning. Gabriella and Jodi were fluttering around in her room like giggling teenagers.Nick had called Jodi earlier that morning and asked her to pack certain types of clothes for Jackie. Jodi swore up and down that he didn’t say where they were going. He also instructed Jodi not to let Jackie see what was in the suitcases. Jackie wasn’t happy about it, but Jodi had said Jackie should enjoy someone else taking care of the little details for a change. Jodi had hidden the suitcase in the hotel. Jackie had spent an hour trying to find it. No luck.“Get into bed,” Gabriella said to Jackie. “We don’t want you to have circles under your eyes when your el novio guapo picks you up in the morning.”“Her what?” Jodi asked with a confused expression.“Hunky boyfriend and he’s not my hunky boyfriend,” Jackie said. Jackie’s Spanish was terrible. T
Jackie was surprised when she saw the black sedan and driver. She asked Nick what was going on. He smiled and told her that it will become clear as the trip went on. Gabriella and Barbara hugged Jackie long and tight like she was going away for six months. Jodi hugged her and whispered to her to relax and keep an open mind.Jackie realized that the sedan was taking them to Phoenix. After that, it didn’t take her long to realize that they were going to the airport. While at the airport, Jackie learned that they were going to Aspen. Jackie had never been to Colorado, and she told Nick she didn’t know how to ski. He didn’t seem to mind and said he would teach her if she wanted to learn. If not, there were other activities they could do.They flew first class. Jackie knew Nick paid for it with the money he inherited from David and Danielle’s estate. She didn’t know how much he got, but she didn’t want Nick wasting it on her, and she told him so during the flight. He patted her hand and sa
Nick and Jackie laughed as they walked back into the cabin. They skied most of the evening. Jackie found the experience exhilarating – freeing. It took two hours for her to get the hang of it on the beginner slopes. Nick convinced Jackie she was ready to upgrade to a bigger run.They took off their gear at the door.“You were great out there,” Nick said as he put his scarf on the hanger.“I was trying to keep up with you,” Jackie said breathlessly. “That was fun.”“I’m going to start a fire,” he said and brushed the back of his hand on her cold cheek.Nick got a fire started as Jackie struggled to take her ski boots off.“Need some help?” he asked with a smirk.She took a deep breath. “Yes,” she admitted.“Lean back,” he said.Jackie lay down on the couch. She put her foot in the air for him. “I can’t feel my feet. Maybe that’s why I’m having so much trouble.”“Brace yourself,” Nick said and took hold of the boot.They struggled, but Nick got it off. Once he did, he lifted both her fe
Nick opened a bottle of champagne and Jackie poured it into glasses. Nick started a fire in the fireplace in the living room. They kicked their boots off and sat down on the white furry rug and talked about their day as they sipped champagne.The cold air from the sleigh ride had sobered Jackie up, so she figured another glass or two wouldn’t hurt. It was 11:30 p.m. Jackie was about to say something when the clasp broke on her tennis bracelet.“Oh, no,” Jackie said. She picked the bracelet up off the rug.“Normally, I would try to fix it, but it looks expensive,” Nick said.“It’s okay. I saw a jewelry shop in town. Maybe I can take it there tomorrow. I wanted to do a little shopping tomorrow anyway. Pick up some souvenirs for everyone back home,” Jackie said and stood. She placed the bracelet on the end table.“Oh?” Nick said.Jackie smiled. “Don’t worry. I’m not going to drag you with me. I know men don’t like to shop.”Nick grinned. “It usually depends on the circumstances. In your
Nick had carried Jackie upstairs and made love to her again. He couldn’t get enough of her. By the way she was responding, Jackie felt the same way about him.In the morning, they made love in the shower. They didn’t leave the cabin until noon. They went to the jewelry store first. The jeweler said he could fix the clasp on her tennis bracelet and it would be ready for pick up in two hours.They walked through the village sightseeing and going in and out of shops. Jackie bought several shot glasses with the words Aspen, Colorado on them. She purchased Aspen T-shirts for herself, Jodi, and Gabriella.They stopped at a coffee shop for coffee and a snack. They headed back to the jewelry store.“Hello again, Ms. Garvey,” the jeweler said. His name was Robert Warren. He was middle-aged and bald on top of his head. He had a little bit of dark hair around his temples.“Hi, Mr. Warren. Is my bracelet ready?” she asked.“It sure is. Here you go,” Mr. Warren said and handed her the long white b