that fact and of the icy tone in her voice. “Yeah and that rule
you have still confuses the hell out of me. What do have against
being with one? Your father was one and he and your mother were
pretty happy from what I can remember. Your father’s “rule” may be
more of a joke, I don’t know, but you back off completely like I am
so kind of criminal.”
He saw her tense up. He knew he wanted her to
say more, he just wasn‘t sure why. “Jackson, my parents were happy,
but my mother worried all the time. A wrestler’s wife lives a life
of constant worry.”
“So does a fireman’s wife.”
“Not to mention all of the partying that goes
on.”
“Not all guys party. You can see that for
yourself now.”
She paused again and said, “Too many
temptations for the guys out on the road.”
Jackson was starting to get irritated with
her answers because he wasn’t sure if she was trying to convince
him or herself. “You talk like you know from experience. Besides,
Noelle, my parents have been married for over thirty years and my
dad has never once been unfaithful to my mother. So your rule for
yourself is something that is just keeping you away from someone
who may be interested in you. Look, I get that you’ve been hurt.
I’ve been hurt too, but you shouldn’t judge all future
relationships because of your past ones.” Jackson said just as she
got back to Larry’s. He noticed that she gripped the steering wheel
tighter and appeared to be doing everything in her power not to
look at him. He was done with the conversation. He shrugged and
said, “Just sayin’.”
Jackson made some margaritas that were way
too strong, but Noelle got the feeling that was his intention. They
sat around the patio talking and laughing as the sun went down.
Noelle tried to watch Jackson when she hoped no one noticed. She
liked being around him. She liked how he made her feel. She wished
that she could get over her fears about getting involved with him.
She couldn’t tell him the real reasons she didn’t date wrestlers.
She never talked about that with anyone. That was a dark time in
her life, and she didn’t want to bring those memories up again.
Only Jennifer knew and she wasn’t going to bring it up. She just
hoped that Jackson didn’t ask any more questions. How would he feel
if he knew the real reason why she won’t date a wrestler, and that
it was because she had broken her Pop’s “rule” and it backfired in
her face? Also, how would he feel if he was part of her past trust
issues? She really wanted to trust Jackson, but couldn’t. Not with
the picture Kayla paints of him, and not with the way he broke her
heart when they were kids. Her mother only left her with one piece
of advice, and she held on to that for all that it was worth. The
words her mother wrote were imbedded in her, “Never trust a man
that will look at another woman while in your presence.” He went
ahead and did it, hurting her in the process. He may not understand
why she has never gotten over it, especially if she didn’t
completely understand it herself. Jackson looked over at her and
smiled. She smiled back and told herself to stop thinking so much.
She didn’t need to figure anything out tonight. She just wanted to
enjoy the company and the margaritas.
Larry and Howie talked about their “glory
days” to the point where everyone but Paul started groaning. “We
heard this all before, Pop!” Jennifer said trying to stop them.
“Paul hasn’t,” Larry said, “He’s enjoying our
stories.”
“I love them.”
“Yeah, well you are married into the family
now. You have the rest of your life to hear all about the
adventures of Ruckus Reid and Hungry Howie,” Jennifer teased.
“Well, there will hopefully be new stories to
tell about Jackson’s career. Bullet is going to be the next big
thing,” Howie gushed.
“Dad, I’m just going to take it one day at a
time. Don’t jinx it.”
“You are one hell of a wrestler, son,”
you have still confuses the hell out of me. What do have against
being with one? Your father was one and he and your mother were
pretty happy from what I can remember. Your father’s “rule” may be
more of a joke, I don’t know, but you back off completely like I am
so kind of criminal.”
He saw her tense up. He knew he wanted her to
say more, he just wasn‘t sure why. “Jackson, my parents were happy,
but my mother worried all the time. A wrestler’s wife lives a life
of constant worry.”
“So does a fireman’s wife.”
“Not to mention all of the partying that goes
on.”
“Not all guys party. You can see that for
yourself now.”
She paused again and said, “Too many
temptations for the guys out on the road.”
Jackson was starting to get irritated with
her answers because he wasn’t sure if she was trying to convince
him or herself. “You talk like you know from experience. Besides,
Noelle, my parents have been married for over thirty years and my
dad has never once been unfaithful to my mother. So your rule for
yourself is something that is just keeping you away from someone
who may be interested in you. Look, I get that you’ve been hurt.
I’ve been hurt too, but you shouldn’t judge all future
relationships because of your past ones.” Jackson said just as she
got back to Larry’s. He noticed that she gripped the steering wheel
tighter and appeared to be doing everything in her power not to
look at him. He was done with the conversation. He shrugged and
said, “Just sayin’.”
Jackson made some margaritas that were way
too strong, but Noelle got the feeling that was his intention. They
sat around the patio talking and laughing as the sun went down.
Noelle tried to watch Jackson when she hoped no one noticed. She
liked being around him. She liked how he made her feel. She wished
that she could get over her fears about getting involved with him.
She couldn’t tell him the real reasons she didn’t date wrestlers.
She never talked about that with anyone. That was a dark time in
her life, and she didn’t want to bring those memories up again.
Only Jennifer knew and she wasn’t going to bring it up. She just
hoped that Jackson didn’t ask any more questions. How would he feel
if he knew the real reason why she won’t date a wrestler, and that
it was because she had broken her Pop’s “rule” and it backfired in
her face? Also, how would he feel if he was part of her past trust
issues? She really wanted to trust Jackson, but couldn’t. Not with
the picture Kayla paints of him, and not with the way he broke her
heart when they were kids. Her mother only left her with one piece
of advice, and she held on to that for all that it was worth. The
words her mother wrote were imbedded in her, “Never trust a man
that will look at another woman while in your presence.” He went
ahead and did it, hurting her in the process. He may not understand
why she has never gotten over it, especially if she didn’t
completely understand it herself. Jackson looked over at her and
smiled. She smiled back and told herself to stop thinking so much.
She didn’t need to figure anything out tonight. She just wanted to
enjoy the company and the margaritas.
Larry and Howie talked about their “glory
days” to the point where everyone but Paul started groaning. “We
heard this all before, Pop!” Jennifer said trying to stop them.
“Paul hasn’t,” Larry said, “He’s enjoying our
stories.”
“I love them.”
“Yeah, well you are married into the family
now. You have the rest of your life to hear all about the
adventures of Ruckus Reid and Hungry Howie,” Jennifer teased.
“Well, there will hopefully be new stories to
tell about Jackson’s career. Bullet is going to be the next big
thing,” Howie gushed.
“Dad, I’m just going to take it one day at a
time. Don’t jinx it.”
“You are one hell of a wrestler, son,”
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