Part 1 (1/2)
For Better or Worse.
Forgiving Hearts Trilogy.
by Erin Landy.
This book is dedicated to my parents whose unconditional love showed me the true meaning of forgiveness.
To err is human: to forgive, divine.
Alexander Pope.
Prologue.
From his position under the car, Jackson heard the sound of feminine laughter long before he spied the tanned legs walking down the sidewalk running in front of his house. His heart lurched in a familiar mixture of excitement and anguish.
He'd had a crush on Hannah Grimes ever since she hit the home run that won the state champions.h.i.+p. Unfortunately for him, it was destined to be a one-sided affair. Even at twelve years old, girls don't have time for a boy who can't play sports and has scars marring one side of what would otherwise have been a nice-looking, but unspectacular face. Five years later, the odds of her noticing him hadn't improved.
Jackson could remember every word of their few conversations. Thanks to living in the same neighborhood and attending the same schools, he saw her often; but watching from a distance was hardly a subst.i.tute for the relations.h.i.+p he longed to have with her.
To his surprise and dismay, the footsteps he'd unconsciously been counting swerved in his direction. His heart began to pound just as the wrench slipped from his fingers, hitting his forehead on its way to the ground. A groan of pain escaped his lips.
”Jackson? Is that you under there?” Hannah asked.
”Yeah,” he answered, his eyes fixed on her sandaled feet. ”What's up?”
”Can you come out here? I need to ask you something.”
Leaving his current position meant exposing his awkwardness as well as his dirty clothes and greasy hands. Could she have come at a worse time? Taking a deep breath, he edged his way out from under the car and struggled to his feet. He instinctively ran his fingers through his dark hair before he remembered what was on them. Great! Now he had oil in his hair. Wis.h.i.+ng he could disappear into the ground, he slowly raised his eyes to her face.
”You know a lot about cars, don't you?”
He shrugged. ”I guess so.”
”I've got a flat tire. My parents are out of town, and Mitch.e.l.l's at work. Is there any way you could help me?”
He winced at the mention of Hannah's boyfriend. Jackson wasn't an envious person in the normal way. His faith kept him from becoming bitter about the tragic accident that shattered his knee and burned half of his back and face. The only thing Mitch.e.l.l had that Jackson wanted was Hannah.
His eyes went from the long brown hair to the green eyes before coming to rest on her sweet-looking mouth. There was no way a girl like this would ever consider someone like him. In truth, Jackson knew his chances with any girl were slim. Not many people could look past his physical imperfections to see the person inside.
”Sure. Let me get some tools out of my trunk. We'll have to take my mom's car. I'm not finished with mine yet.”
Her glance strayed to the s.h.i.+ny black car with the red racing stripes. ”Oh, really? I was hoping to ride in it.”
She couldn't regret it more than Jackson. He dreamed about taking her for a drive in his car at least once a week. Reaching through the open window, he pulled the lever for the trunk. As he limped to the rear of the car, he felt the protest of the muscles in his leg. Stifling a grimace of pain, he grabbed a hand jack and his toolbox. When he turned around, he caught pity in the eyes he longed to see filled with admiration.
”Does it hurt you to walk?” Hannah asked.
Her compa.s.sion brought a faint smile to his face. Was this the only emotion he could arouse in anyone? ”I'm just stiff from being in one position too long.”
After putting his tools in the back of his mom's minivan, he went around to the pa.s.senger side and opened the door. As Hannah slid by him, he caught a whiff of her perfume. She smelled like a summer garden. His hand clenched on the door.
Swallowing a constriction in his throat, he said, ”I need to let my mom know what I'm doing. I'll be right back.”
He found his mother in the laundry room folding clothes. She looked up at him and smiled. ”Done already?”
”No, I had a little interruption. Hannah Grimes needs help with a flat tire. Can I take your car?”
”How long will you be? I have to pick up Molly from swimming lessons in an hour.”
”I'll be back before then.”
”Okay. Don't get distracted by that cute smile and hurt yourself.”
Jackson's blue eyes twinkled with amus.e.m.e.nt. Though he'd never said a word, somehow his mom had divined his feelings for Hannah. ”I won't. She probably won't stick around to watch anyway.”
Her glance went to the muscles in his arms and chest that even a loose t-s.h.i.+rt couldn't entirely disguise. ”If you took off your s.h.i.+rt, she might.”
”That's not my style, Mom.”
She shrugged. ”Hey, I'm just pointing out the obvious. You've worked so hard to get them; you might as well show them off.”
Jackson turned to leave. ”I'll keep that in mind. See you later.” After joining Hannah, he said, ”I'm sorry for leaving you in this hot car so long. The heat this summer has been brutal.”
”Summers in Georgia are always hot. The good news is this is the last one I'll have to spend here.”
He could feel the color draining from his face. To hide his confusion, he concentrated on starting the car and backing out of the driveway. ”Are you moving?”
Hannah laughed. ”I guess you didn't know. We're leaving in six weeks. My dad got a new job in Daytona Beach.”
His mouth went dry as her words danced around in his mind. Hannah was leaving. He'd thought his current situation dismal, but at least he'd been able to see her almost every day. How would he survive not seeing her at all? ”You don't mind going to a new high school for your senior year?”
”I'm going to dual-enroll at the local community college.”
”What about Mitch.e.l.l?” Though Jackson didn't care for Mitch.e.l.l, he wondered how her boyfriend felt about her leaving.
”Mitch.e.l.l is coming, too. He has relatives living in Ormond Beach, so we won't be too far apart.”
Jackson pulled into her driveway and shut off the engine. ”I know that makes you happy. You and Mitch.e.l.l have been together for years.”
She smiled widely. ”We love each other. He's the one I'm going to marry someday.”
Her words burned a trail of pain down deep into his heart. Turning away, he got out of the car. ”I'll get started on the tire,” he said quietly.