The Good Race

Chapter 5

When Ryan entered The Grill, he made a beeline for Cooper, who was sitting alone at their usual table. He turned his chair backwards and straddled it, then noticed Cooper's fierce scowl.

"Whoa," Ryan said. "What's got your panties in a bunch?" Cooper nodded his head towards the other side of the room and Ryan followed his stare. Ryan's jaw dropped when he saw his sister sitting with Danny McKenzie.

"What the hell?" Ryan gaped.

"Exactly," Cooper continued to scowl in Jackie and Danny's direction.

Several things were surprising about this new scenario. First was that both his sister and Danny seemed totally oblivious to what was going on around them. He was talking, and she was laughing and smiling. Cooper looked like he wanted to kill Danny—seriously kill him. These were interesting developments. Cooper made no effort to hide it. Ryan was beginning to wonder if Cooper was fixating on Jackie, but Cooper hadn't made any move toward her in any inappropriate way, so Ryan assumed that Cooper was respecting the boundaries that Ryan put into place about dating his sister. Regardless, he'd start paying a little more attention to his friend.

"I'll be right back," Ryan muttered. He walked across the room and tapped his sister on the shoulder. "Jacks, can I talk to you a sec?"

Ryan didn't spare a glance for Danny while his sister told him she'd be right back. He led her out of The Grill and away from eavesdroppers. Once outside, he couldn't help but note that Jackie still kept her smile, and it reached her eyes. Had her eyes ever had that much life in them since her dad's accident?

"What's up?" she asked.

"That's what I'm asking you," Ryan replied. "Didn't I warn you about him?"

"We're having lunch," she said, and Ryan was surprised to see she rolled her eyes at him.

"How do you know him? You don't have any of the same classes."

"We met in the library." Jackie looked back into The Grill to where Danny was plugging her iPod into his computer for the latest round of musical education. "He's not what you think, Ry. He's smart and funny. I like him."

Ryan put his hands on his hips and tapped his foot as he thought over the situation. He took what he knew of Danny—his reputation and rumors—and tried to fit that to the person Jackie was talking about. They didn't mesh. On the other hand, Jackie was clearly into him, and she didn't socialize with anybody but her brother and on a handful of occasions, Sophie. He wondered briefly if this was what a parent felt like, trying to weigh whether or not to clip her wings or let her give flying a try. She didn't know everything there was to know about the guardianship though and how seriously he took it.

Finally, he relented. "I got my eye on this, Jackie. I don't trust him further than I can throw him. I trust you though. If anything happens to you, I'm going to turn him into a grease spot."

"Thanks, dad," she joked, tapping his cheek, then a pained expression came over her face and Ryan grabbed her hands.

"It's okay to joke, Jacks," he said. "That wasn't at his expense, it was at mine. And I like that you're making jokes. As long as McKenzie makes you happy, I'll leave it alone. If he can make you laugh like that, well, I just hope he stays that good to you. One toe out of line though, Jacks, and I'll put him in the hospital."

Jackie went up on tiptoes, wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed his cheek. "I love you, Ry," she whispered.

Ryan was stunned. She'd never said anything like that before. Sure, she clung to him, but she never said she loved him. He wrapped his arms around her and hugged her back. "I love you, too, Jacks."