Category: Action/Thriller Publisher: Create Space
ISBN-10: 1475218346
Pages: 266
Copyright: June 20, 2012
ISBN-13: 9781475218343
Two Kids from Texas--a sizzling romance--one stupid mistake. Intrigue, terror and undying love culminate in the vast African wilderness. Trent lied about her age. Hal was convicted of statutory rape. Two lives, ruined.
When raging hormones bring young lovers Hal and Trent together one steamy summer, neither would imagine the trouble their union will bring. Despite his inner warnings, Hal finds he can't resist his attraction to the beautiful young girl he meets on a private beach. She is young - perhaps too young. Spoilt, indulged Trent, however, knows exactly what she wants and she's not about to take 'no' as answer or let something as trivial as age keep them apart. The white lie that brings them together will drive them apart in a way that they least expect. Jackson sets an amazing scene in the lead up to events that will change these two young lives forever. Caught in the act by her distrustful father, Hal finds out that the girl of his dreams has mislead him in the worst possible way. When you mess with the rich who have connections in Congress, you can only expect trouble - a lot of trouble. He finds himself in jail for statutory rape and the only thing that keeps him sane, is the advice of a prison guard to 'never let go of his dreams'. While Hal serves his time and battles his demons in prison, we're taken on a tumultuous journey that alternates between Trent's emotional derailment and Hal's experiences in confinement. Despite their brush with drugs, cults, jailhouse bullying and other nasty, character-building experiences, they never forget each other nor do they give up hope of one day being reunited again. Again, Jackson brings about their reunion in a very unique and unexpected way. We're taken on a fast-paced, action-packed journey around the world to the wilds of Zimbabwe and Mozambique where finally, amidst brushes with death that threaten to tear them apart again, the two are once again reunited.
Excerpt
The three days after he met Trent dragged for Hal, and he was glad of his summer job, waiting tables at La Gondola. Apart from providing him much needed cash, it helped to make the time pass quicker.
Fishing had lost some of its appeal. His unsettled mood did not allow him to while away his time in the boat. His roommate, Richard, had gone home for the summer and he was lonely. He tried to fill the empty hours in the library, researching ideas for a paper he was assigned to write over the summer vacation, but even there he couldn’t really concentrate.
I can’t believe it. Ethics in journalism is such a cool subject and I had so many ideas. Now all I can think about is her. He stared at the computer, unsuccessfully trying to focus his concentration on the information on the screen.
When Tuesday arrived at last, he took extra care combing his thick hair, until it was almost tamed—if you didn’t count the bits curling up at the back. He dressed in his favorite gray shorts, a red T-shirt, and boat shoes. He surveyed himself critically in the mirror, practiced his smile, and winked.
He pushed off from the side, jumped in, and started rowing with practiced ease. He had never noticed before how old the boat looked. She would be a lot more impressed if I had a sail boat instead of this old bucket. There’s something about sailboats that girls like.
Half an hour later, he pulled the boat up onto the manicured bank and stared anxiously toward the house. His confidence had deserted him and his mouth was dry. He wiped his clammy hands on his pants.
What if she forgot? Can I walk up to the front door and ring the bell? What will I say if one of her parents answers? They didn’t sound too friendly.
He decided to wait. He leaned himself against the substantial trunk of a leafy sycamore tree. After a while, he slid down until he was sitting on the grass. The restaurant had been busy the previous evening, and he had only gotten home after one in the morning, and then he hadn’t slept well.
The sunlight filtering through the new leaves of the tree warmed him, and he relaxed, drifting into a doze.
He awoke with a start and blinked in bewilderment. The sun had almost disappeared behind the mountains. A cool breeze curled around the tree trunk and ruffled his hair. "I can’t have slept all day here. I can’t have missed her. She would have woken me."
A beam of light bounced off the tree as a car turned into the driveway. If her parents are as mean as she said, I should leave now. Or should I go and ask after her? He decided against it.
He had arranged not to work this evening, so there was no urgency to get home. He stretched, took one last disappointed glance at the house, and ambled over to the boat. He pushed off and reached for the oars.
"Hey! Hey you, don’t go."
His heart leaped.
"Wait, come back. Please," she shouted.
Hal jumped out of the boat and headed back to the shore, his heart pounding. "Where’ve you been? I waited here all day."
"I’m sorry. My mom arranged something. You never gave me a phone number, so I couldn’t let you know. You haven’t really been here all day, have you?" Their eyes met.
He could see her nipples standing up under the fabric of her white tank top and the goose bumps on her legs below the pink tennis skirt. Her golden hair formed a soft halo around her face. He wanted so badly to touch her, to feel the softness of her golden skin and the hardness of her nipples against his chest. "I have been here all day. How long can you stay?"
"I have to go now. I’m sorry. They’ll come looking for me soon if I don’t, and they don’t let me see boys—you know—alone. Definitely not anyone as old as you."
"How old am I, do you think?" he said, flattered.
"I don’t know. You tell me."
"I’m twenty-three. How about you?"
"Seventeen."
"You’re a baby. I didn’t realize... " He saw the disappointment in her eyes. "No, I didn’t mean... You’re still... Trent, I still want to see you again." She may be a kid but she’s still hot.
"Next Tuesday. Come early, Hal. I’ll be here."
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