Guardian by Iris Sweetwater

Author:Iris Sweetwater [Sweetwater, Iris]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Hydra Productions Online LLC
Published: 2025-02-27T00:00:00+00:00

Chapter 12

Jemma

After Sweet left, I paced the floor. Every few minutes I snuck a peek through the closed blinds to make sure the cop was still parked outside. He was always there. He even got out of the car and circled my house a few times. I didn’t feel any safer. I needed Sweet in order to feel safe, which made me nervous and excited all at once.

I had to settle down or I’d make Jackson upset. So far, this was all the same as a movie scene to him. He acted like it was something cool and showed no signs of fear. I had to wonder if he was faking it for my sake. After all, he was far too smart not to understand what was going on.

For both of us I needed to find a distraction. I pulled an old deck of cards from my desk drawer and called him into the kitchen.

“How about a game or two of rummy. We can play at the table while we have some chips and a soda.”

“Sure. I wasn’t interested in the show I was watching anyway. It was boring compared to our life,” he said.

“What do you mean?” I asked.

“You know, Dad breaking in and Sweet coming to save us. Learning to fight so we can protect ourselves. Then the cops coming tonight because Mrs. Gruber freaked out over a dead squirrel. Real life rocks!” Jackson replied to my horror.

I rethought my decision to keep the contents of the note from him. Maybe, if he knew about the threat he wouldn’t think this was all some game. I needed him to be a tiny bit fearful, just not terrified. He had to realize there was some danger involved yet not be too scared to go to school. It was a difficult balance.

“Jackson, this isn’t a movie. Someone killed that poor squirrel. They deliberately put it on our porch. It’s normal to be frightened. I know I am. This isn’t something to be happy about, or to be proud of. I’m not sure you’re getting the right point out of this,” I told him.

“We’ll be fine, Mom. We’ve got Sweet. He won’t let anyone hurt us, and I know how to defend myself,” my son declared.

I closed my eyes and said a silent prayer that Sweet was enough to keep us safe. I could and would fight if trouble came, but I’d always be vulnerable if Jackson was threatened. I was afraid the enemy was aware of that vulnerability.

I sent Jackson to bed at midnight after playing rummy, slapjack, and go fish. He fell asleep instantly. I chose a hot soak in the tub and a beer.

My muscles relaxed but my mind didn’t. I kept thinking about Sweet and all he’d done for us despite the way I’d shunned him in the beginning. He’d ignored my fears and the ugly things I’d assumed about him. Instead of telling me to drop dead and disappearing, he’d continued to watch out for us.

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