Eleanor felt slightly reluctant leaving Lilith sitting on the back court yard. However, Lilith had been right. As soon as Eleanor and Jackson were out of earshot, Corrine was at Lilith’s side, suggesting she go back in the house where it was warm.
Jackson moved his good arm around Eleanor as they walked the path back to their bunkie. He opened the door and let Eleanor in first. Eleanor turned on the light in the main room. She filled the kettle with water and switched it on to boil.
“I’m going to jump in the tub, Ellie.” Jackson said. “Do you mind?”
Eleanor smiled. “Sure… do you need any help with your sling?” She asked.
“Nah, I can manage.” He grinned crookedly at her. He kissed her temple, and stalked off through the bedroom to the bathroom. Eleanor heard the sound of water running a few moments later.
Eleanor reached down a mug and tore into a tea-bag. She removed the bag and placed it carefully in the mug while she waited for the water to boil. She looked around the room, which was still pristine. Another fire had been lit in the fireplace, and the sound of the crackling fire was soothing. A fresh vase of flowers had replaced the one from the day before, and the white lilies smelled wonderful. The scent permeated the small cottage.
Eleanor walked into the bedroom and changed into her pajamas. She walked into the kitchenette just in time for the kettle to boil. She poured the steaming hot water into her mug and lifted the mug in her hands. She carried the mug into the bedroom and placed it carefully on the nightstand.
Someone from the housekeeping staff had come in while they were away and had cleaned the bunkie, even though it didn’t really need to be cleaned. The bed had been remade, and based on the scent of fabric softener in the room, fresh linens had been put on the bed. Eleanor thought this was a little extreme, but didn’t want to complain. Fresh clean sheets were always nice, and it was even better when she wasn’t the one washing them.
Eleanor adjusted the pillows, stacking one on top of the other. She removed the decorative throw pillows and folded down the sheets on both sides She climbed into the white bedding and sat cross-legged. She lifted her mug and took a sip. The hot liquid instantly warmed her.
A few moment’s later, Jackson emerged from the bathroom. A fresh white towel was knotted around his waist.
“So have you been thinking about the offer that Lilith made you?” Jackson asked suddenly. He opened his suitcase and removed a pair of boxer shorts. He awkwardly stepped into the blue flannel boxers, struggling with his one hand.
Eleanor drew in a deep breath and took a sip from her tea. “I was kind of hoping that you wouldn’t ask me.” She admitted.
Jackson smiled crookedly. “Well, don’t you think it’s something we should talk about? I mean, it’s kind of a big deal.” He went into the bathroom and hung up the wet towel.
“It is a big deal. It’s a huge decision. And I want to make sure that I consider all of the options before I make a decision. I want to make sure that I don’t take it lightly. I don’t want to make the wrong decision.” Eleanor said, cradling her mug in both hands.
Eleanor could hear Jackson rummaging around in the bathroom. She recognized the sounds of him brushing his teeth. In order to squeeze a dollop of toothpaste onto his brush with one hand, he had taken to putting the handle of his toothbrush in his mouth, carefully balancing the toothbrush and squeezing the tube of toothpaste with his good hand. It had taken some practice, but he managed to make it work. It seemed strange but it gave him a bit more independence.
“It’s an incredible offer.” Jackson said, standing in the bathroom door brushing his teeth.
“It’s too incredible. It’s like winning the lottery, but I’m expecting that there is a catch somewhere.” Eleanor mused.
“You’re too suspicious.” Jackson said.
“We should both be suspicious.” Eleanor said.
He turned back into the bathroom and ran the water in the sink. Eleanor knew he was rinsing the toothpaste out of his mouth. He emerged from the bathroom again and shut the light off behind him.
“I think it’s a great idea.” He said. “You would have instant notoriety. And no one would ever know that you didn’t write the original books attributed to L.M. Quinn. You’d be an instant best-seller before you even published anything.” He crossed the room and placed two more pieces of firewood into the fireplace.
Eleanor shrugged. “I don’t know. I guess… I guess I always hoped that when I published something, it would be under my own name, you know?”
“Maybe you can do both. You can publish under your name and under L.M. Quinn. I mean, a lot of authors do it. Stephen King wrote under Richard Bachman. The lady who wrote the Harry Potter books wrote under another name too.” Jackson pointed out.
“I could, I guess.” Eleanor mused.
“Seriously though, it would be great to have the money, and the house and everything. I could transfer to the local police department out here, and maybe work part time or try a different field of police… we could do all of the things that we’ve been putting off.” Jackson climbed into bed next to Eleanor. “We could open the dialog on having kids again. It’s something we both want.”
Eleanor hadn’t even thought of that. Being financially stable and not having to scavenge for writing jobs would make their lives considerably easier. And it would give them the financial support and give her the time she needed to raise kids. It was something that they both wanted, and they were both eager to start a family. Just thinking about having children made her heart ache with longing.
“But don’t you feel like this is all too good to be true?” Eleanor asked. “I feel suspicious.”
Jackson grinned. “Maybe you shouldn’t feel so suspicious all the time.”
“You don’t think it’s at all weird to track down someone you know fifteen years after you stopped being friends and offer that person not only your entire fortune, your house and everything, and encourage them to write books under your name? That doesn’t feel weird to you?” Eleanor asked.
“Ellie, it’s not like she was stalking you. She wasn’t stationed in the bushes outside our house with a notebook and a pair of binoculars.” Jackson grinned.
“No… I guess not.” Eleanor mused. “Maybe I just need to think about it a bit more. Maybe it will help to get to know Lilith again. I mean, we were really good friends back in the day. We were inseparable… it’s not like we fell out or anything. There might be a friendship still there that can be rekindled a little bit.”
Jackson nodded. “Well, I wouldn’t get too attached. I mean, by the sounds of things, she doesn’t have a lot of time left. It would be hard to become best friends again only to loose her all over again.”
Eleanor pursed her lips. “I know. And that’s another thing… when we were teenagers and she left… I was mad at her. I hated her for leaving me. I felt betrayed and abandoned… but it turns out that she didn’t abandon me. She didn’t leave me on purpose. She had no other choice… her parents died and she had to go and live with relatives and I… I hated her for it. I feel… awful. I feel guilty.” Eleanor frowned. “Am I that shallow?”
Jackson smiled warmly. “No, Ellie. You’re not shallow, and I don’t think you ever were. You were a kid, just barely a teenager. You didn’t know how to cope with loosing a friend, and there’s no way that you could have understood the situation. Not back then.”
Eleanor drank the last of the tea in her mug and placed the mug carefully on the nightstand.
“Ultimately,” Jackson said. “It’s your decision. If you want my opinion, I say go for it. But it’s your choice to make. And I’ll support you in whatever you decide to do.” He picked up her hand in his and gave her hand a reassuring squeeze.
Eleanor drew in a deep breath and let it out slowly. “Thank you. Thank your for understanding.”