“Jackson! We can’t just run off. How will that look?” Her eyes danced as she gazed up at him.
“It’ll look like I’m happy to have a kid-free week and want to celebrate. You’re not leaving my bed this time.”
Her chest shook with silent laughter. “We can’t let your parents see us running out. They’ll know exactly what we’re rushing home to do!”
“Okay, knock it off you two. Get a room.” Eli appeared at their left and Jackson scowled at him.
“Everyone in this family has bad timing. Go away.”
“I just need to show your lady something. One of the guys I have looking into things just called me. I found out a little more about what David was up to.” Elliott pulled out his cell phone and tapped the screen a few times before holding it out to Ridley. “Do these accounts look familiar?”
Her brow crinkled as she read the screen. “No, what are these numbers?”
“They’re bank accounts. All in your name,” Elliott replied.
Ridley looked up at Jackson, clearly alarmed. “What? But those aren’t mine! I only have one bank account.”
Jackson froze. He hadn’t told her what Nick had shown him, hadn’t wanted to give any credence to such ugly accusations. He hoped Eli wasn’t going down the same path Nick was.
“I figured that, but just wanted to verify it. I’m pretty sure David or someone he was working with was using your identity to wire money to offshore accounts. Ridley is a unisex name so it wouldn’t have appeared odd for him to use it.”
Jackson exhaled. “So he was using her identity. It makes sense. No one would have looked twice since she has such a clean credit history. ”
“I used to, anyway.” Ridley rubbed her eyes wearily. Jackson pulled her closer and kissed the top of her head.
“Since your name was on everything, it made it harder for anyone to trace things back to him,” Eli continued. “It was the perfect system and if he got caught, he probably would have pretended he had no idea and blamed it all on you.”
“That’s comforting.”
Jackson pulled her closer. “It’ll be over, soon.”
Ridley snorted. “It won’t be over until I untangle the mess he made. If he’s opened accounts in my name, then I’ll have to notify the credit bureaus but who knows how long it will take before it's all cleared up. What if I end up bankrupt from this?”
"Nick is the financial expert, but I'm sure he'll be happy to help. He knows what paperwork to file so you aren't held responsible for all that stuff." Jackson tipped her chin up until she met his eyes. “You are not responsible for anyone else’s actions.”
“We will figure this out,” Eli said. “It’s possible the break-in at your place was unrelated but until I figure out exactly who he defrauded and whether any of them were angry enough to retaliate, you’re better off keeping a low profile.”
“I hope you figure it out. Despite everything David did, I don’t think he deserved to die like that,” Ridley said.
“Of course. This is why I love my job. I get to right wrongs and help people who need it.”
“It sounds really exciting. I’m sure it has downsides, though. I can’t imagine putting myself in harm’s way for someone else. I would just freeze up. I don’t think I’d be able to do it.”
“You never know. Sometimes people respond the opposite of what you’d think. I had this one client, real tough biker guy. He hired us to protect his shop when there were a rash of burglaries in the area. We’d been watching the place for weeks. Nothing. Then suddenly, his shop was hit and somehow the guys got the drop on us. The client ended up with a gun to his head. I wasn’t sure how it was going to end but it wasn’t looking good.”
“What happened? Did he fight?” Ridley asked.
“He passed out. Big, tough guy went down like a rock.” They all laughed. “It was actually the best thing that could have happened though,” Eli continued. “He gave me a shot and I took it.”
Ridley exhaled and then pressed her hand against her chest. “So, you saved him?”
“Yeah, he was fine. Woke up and had no idea what had happened. Sometimes the smallest things, the quickest moments, can be the difference between life and death. Things happen for a reason I guess.”
“They definitely happen for a reason.” Jackson clapped Eli on the shoulder. “Thanks for your help. I guess we’d better get home. It’s getting late.”
Eli smirked. “Mom mentioned that she’s keeping the kids for a few days. I’m sure you really want to get home.”
Ridley covered her face with her hands.
“So, how many times did Mom mention weddings tonight?”
Jackson laughed. His mother had definitely dropped more than a few hints but surprisingly it hadn’t bothered him in the slightest. “Only a few hundred. Less than I expected.”
Elliot’s laughter followed them as they crossed the yard to say goodbye to his parents.
* * * * *
“I LIKE HER.”
Nick turned at the sound of his older brother’s voice. He’d been watching Jackson and Ridley from across the yard for the last hour with a burning sensation in his chest that he recognized as envy. He’d deliberately arrived a little late to dinner just so he could limit the amount of time he was required to be social.
“It’ll look like I’m happy to have a kid-free week and want to celebrate. You’re not leaving my bed this time.”
Her chest shook with silent laughter. “We can’t let your parents see us running out. They’ll know exactly what we’re rushing home to do!”
“Okay, knock it off you two. Get a room.” Eli appeared at their left and Jackson scowled at him.
“Everyone in this family has bad timing. Go away.”
“I just need to show your lady something. One of the guys I have looking into things just called me. I found out a little more about what David was up to.” Elliott pulled out his cell phone and tapped the screen a few times before holding it out to Ridley. “Do these accounts look familiar?”
Her brow crinkled as she read the screen. “No, what are these numbers?”
“They’re bank accounts. All in your name,” Elliott replied.
Ridley looked up at Jackson, clearly alarmed. “What? But those aren’t mine! I only have one bank account.”
Jackson froze. He hadn’t told her what Nick had shown him, hadn’t wanted to give any credence to such ugly accusations. He hoped Eli wasn’t going down the same path Nick was.
“I figured that, but just wanted to verify it. I’m pretty sure David or someone he was working with was using your identity to wire money to offshore accounts. Ridley is a unisex name so it wouldn’t have appeared odd for him to use it.”
Jackson exhaled. “So he was using her identity. It makes sense. No one would have looked twice since she has such a clean credit history. ”
“I used to, anyway.” Ridley rubbed her eyes wearily. Jackson pulled her closer and kissed the top of her head.
“Since your name was on everything, it made it harder for anyone to trace things back to him,” Eli continued. “It was the perfect system and if he got caught, he probably would have pretended he had no idea and blamed it all on you.”
“That’s comforting.”
Jackson pulled her closer. “It’ll be over, soon.”
Ridley snorted. “It won’t be over until I untangle the mess he made. If he’s opened accounts in my name, then I’ll have to notify the credit bureaus but who knows how long it will take before it's all cleared up. What if I end up bankrupt from this?”
"Nick is the financial expert, but I'm sure he'll be happy to help. He knows what paperwork to file so you aren't held responsible for all that stuff." Jackson tipped her chin up until she met his eyes. “You are not responsible for anyone else’s actions.”
“We will figure this out,” Eli said. “It’s possible the break-in at your place was unrelated but until I figure out exactly who he defrauded and whether any of them were angry enough to retaliate, you’re better off keeping a low profile.”
“I hope you figure it out. Despite everything David did, I don’t think he deserved to die like that,” Ridley said.
“Of course. This is why I love my job. I get to right wrongs and help people who need it.”
“It sounds really exciting. I’m sure it has downsides, though. I can’t imagine putting myself in harm’s way for someone else. I would just freeze up. I don’t think I’d be able to do it.”
“You never know. Sometimes people respond the opposite of what you’d think. I had this one client, real tough biker guy. He hired us to protect his shop when there were a rash of burglaries in the area. We’d been watching the place for weeks. Nothing. Then suddenly, his shop was hit and somehow the guys got the drop on us. The client ended up with a gun to his head. I wasn’t sure how it was going to end but it wasn’t looking good.”
“What happened? Did he fight?” Ridley asked.
“He passed out. Big, tough guy went down like a rock.” They all laughed. “It was actually the best thing that could have happened though,” Eli continued. “He gave me a shot and I took it.”
Ridley exhaled and then pressed her hand against her chest. “So, you saved him?”
“Yeah, he was fine. Woke up and had no idea what had happened. Sometimes the smallest things, the quickest moments, can be the difference between life and death. Things happen for a reason I guess.”
“They definitely happen for a reason.” Jackson clapped Eli on the shoulder. “Thanks for your help. I guess we’d better get home. It’s getting late.”
Eli smirked. “Mom mentioned that she’s keeping the kids for a few days. I’m sure you really want to get home.”
Ridley covered her face with her hands.
“So, how many times did Mom mention weddings tonight?”
Jackson laughed. His mother had definitely dropped more than a few hints but surprisingly it hadn’t bothered him in the slightest. “Only a few hundred. Less than I expected.”
Elliot’s laughter followed them as they crossed the yard to say goodbye to his parents.
* * * * *
“I LIKE HER.”
Nick turned at the sound of his older brother’s voice. He’d been watching Jackson and Ridley from across the yard for the last hour with a burning sensation in his chest that he recognized as envy. He’d deliberately arrived a little late to dinner just so he could limit the amount of time he was required to be social.
