Chapter Nine

J ill waited until she was out of sight of the Marshall compound before she let the tears fall, heavy and fast.

It wasn't that the news upset her so much as watching Jax interact with a family that supported every decision he made, whether or not they agreed with his choices.

It wasn't that her parents didn't love her, but that didn't mean they saw her, either. Sure, they were at a peaceful impasse now that her role with Henley was officially over, but when she'd left Liam? When she'd left the company to come here?

They hadn't even called to check in on her in more than three weeks.

She had so much going for her—a new internship program that partnered with the local high schools and community college in Austin County, her first intern Caitlyn who was a heckuva mechanic judging by the exceptional videos she'd taken, and a getaway from the city that felt like home the longer she stayed.

All the things she'd worried about a month ago—Jax, the gossip, and even the lack of shopping and eating choices in a small town—all of it was so much better than she'd imagined. Even Lily had found a family here.

Jill walked back to Maggie's the long way, stopping at the creek's edge. The ripe, sweet aroma of honeysuckle infiltrated her sadness, taking the edge off. The ripple and churning of the river currents allowed the rest of her mood to be carried away with the stream.

She inhaled deeply and squatted by the water's edge, dipping her fingers into the cool liquid. It sent a chill straight to her heart, calming it.

In the space between jealousy and disappointment, Jill could see clearly why she'd been so upset leaving the Marshalls. It wasn't just her relentless parents, or the way Grace Marshall loved her sons with a constant ferocity that still encouraged them to fend for themselves, knowing they'd have a safe place to land if they fell.

It was Jax himself that had her all tied up in knots.

Warm, squishy, slightly nauseating knots that made her imagine what it might be like to stand by his side as he navigated being a parent, starting a new career, and moving to a new city.

If by his side, you mean in his bed.

Okay, her snarky heart was fired. Maybe she'd let her imagination wander as far as tangling in the sheets with Jax Marshall, but could anyone blame her after that kiss? After seeing him care for Lily and Gander's future puppies?

Oh my, it was only going to be worse now that she'd witnessed him handle the responsibility of being a dad with the humor and fortitude she'd come to appreciate about Jax. Only his job prospects worried her—as a friend and colleague of course, nothing more.

But… the rodeo? While he had a teenage son to raise? Commuting to Deer Creek each day would be better.

"Careful. The last time you did that, we both fell in the water."

Jill almost lost her balance and tumbled headfirst into the creek, but the two strong arms associated with the voice that had her all squishy and knotted up again caught her. Her stomach landed south of her feet, and her heart danced wildly in her chest.

Jax turned her around, a mischievous smile on his face. "You almost didn't make it there."

His eyes twinkled like the sun only shone to make him brighter. There was the Jax that'd been absent the past week. Even after his disappearance—which made total sense now—he'd been reserved, missing the spark that made Jax Jax .

"No thanks to you." The words were teasing, but she kept them light. Just because they couldn't pursue… whatever it was that'd been happening between them before, it didn't mean they couldn't stay friends.

She inhaled slowly, afraid what inviting his scent of spruce and canyon wildflowers would do to her senses.

"I thought you were on your way to Austin."

"I am." He rubbed her arms, which had erupted into goose pimples since her almost-cascade into the creek. Heat shot straight to her core. "But I wanted to check on you before I left."

"You-you did? Why?"

"Because I meant what I said the other day. I care about you a lot. And I'm sorry I've left the CAF presentation and Steel Born stuff all on your shoulders."

"Well, I'm fine," she said. It was true, but the word fine sounded just like it felt—flat and without color.

"Okay, you're gonna make me do it, aren't you?"

She tilted her head. "What's that?"

"Fill in the blank pop quiz. Short answer only."

She smiled. She'd missed those, though she wouldn't be sharing that with Jax, at the risk of him becoming insufferable.

"Okay. Tell me what you've got."

"I, Jill—" He looked to her.

"Penelope."

Jax smiled. "Okay, we're coming back to that. But for now, fill in the blank I, Jill Penelope Henley, actually feel—" He spread his arms.

"Oh, geez. That's actually an essay response. Which is a lot to get into right now." She hadn't meant to get so serious, but he drew the truth from her no one else could.

"Fair enough. I apologize for not telling you," Jax said.

"I know why you didn't. You couldn't until they heard it first."

He nodded and squeezed her tenderly. "Thanks for understanding. But jokes aside, tell me the truth. How are you?"

She sighed and bit the corner of her lip, willing back the heat behind her eyes. "It was hard to see your family rally behind you like that if I'm being honest," she admitted. "Oh, I mean, not because I didn't want them to support you, but—"

"You want the same from your folks."

"Exactly. I mean, they love me so much and show me the best they can. But yours… they know just how to show you in a way that matters to you. And—" How much more should she say?

He kept her gaze and gave a subtle nod.

"And I'm worried about you, as silly as that sounds. I mean, the rodeo? It's hardly the safe job you made it out to be. I know the rodeo life, Jax. I lived it my whole life through college, but I couldn't stand to watch it take any more of the people I cared about so I walked away from the business my parents built. That's how strongly I feel about it. Watching you willingly take that on when you have a son to think about…" Her chest rose and fell with each rapid breath she took.

"Hey," he said, caressing her bare skin with the pads of his thumbs. "I'm not riding."

"You're not?"

"No," he said, laughing and drawing her into a tight embrace.

He released her, and she missed his solid strength almost immediately. Thankfully, he kept his hands on her upper arms. She liked the feel of him, what it did to her.

"I'm too damn old and broken—it'd kill me to get on the back of a bull like that again. I'll be training folks part-time, and then the rest of my contract'll be managing the safety, making PPE protocol, stuff like that."

"Oh." He wasn't Liam. He wouldn't get hurt.

"I'm sorry if I scared you like that. I know how you feel about the rodeo, but if I told you even a fraction of my plan, I worried I'd cave and tell you everything."

"I'm impressed, to be honest. I know how much you miss the rodeo."

He cocked his head to each side. "Yeah. I do. Mostly being part of a team, working outside around animals. I could do that here, but Bennett needs me elsewhere."

"Have you asked him to consider moving you to Manny's job?"

"Nah. I wouldn't put that guy out of work just to satisfy my own needs. Leaving MBE will be hard as hell, but if it means I can keep Ren in my life, I'm glad to do whatever it takes. So much for not having kids, huh?" He chuckled and raised his brows.

She regarded him from under lashes thick with desire. "You really love him, don't you? I mean, it was that quick?"

"I do, and it was. I mean, as hard as it was to imagine life with a kid, I can't imagine life without him now."

Jill understood that on a visceral level. Jax—or the idea of a man like him sneaking past the defenses in her heart—was an impossibility a month ago. Now look at her.

"The worst part is, I hardly know the kid and he's already more than halfway to becoming a man." Jax sighed out what fifteen years of loss must feel like.

"I couldn't imagine just finding out. Are you okay? I mean, that she never told you she was pregnant?"

Jax gestured to the sandy beach beneath them. "Mind if we sit?"

"You have the time?"

"I have a few minutes. And I'd like to chat about this if you don't mind hearing it. I think I need to get it off my chest before I head to Austin."

"I don't mind listening." That was the problem. She wanted everything to do with him, including his hands on her that didn't leave, even as they sat. He wrapped her fingers in his and tucked his other arm around her shoulders, drawing her near.

"To answer your question, I'm relieved I met him at all, and that's the overwhelming feeling, I guess. Gratitude. For a guy who didn't want the family life, I guess I was shocked at how damn bad I wanted him from the moment I met him. And that's all I'll ever let him know, my family, too. My hang-ups are mine alone. He shouldn't have to carry those, too."

Jill leaned against his shoulder and breathed him in. In for a penny. That he trusted her enough to share how he felt when he wasn't going to share the same with his family meant the world to her. That Jax loved his son enough not to burden him with his own guilt would mean the world to Ren.

Good grief, this man knew just how to tiptoe past her defenses, didn't he?

"But holy Christ was I pissed when I went home that night. I mean, how could she keep me from him all that time? I missed everything, Jill. Every milestone, every time he fell and scraped a knee, every time he wondered why his dad wasn't there to pick him up—"

Jax choked back a sob, and her heart clenched in her chest. She rubbed the soft skin between his thumb and forefinger and brought their hands to her mouth to kiss his.

"Jill," he said, clearing his throat. "I—"

"I know. We can't right now. And I respect that much more than when I thought you were running off to join the rodeo at almost thirty-three years old."

He laughed and kissed the top of her head, the promise of what might have happened between them if—always if—life hadn't gotten in the way.

But she'd never trade anything headed Jax's way for more time with him. Family was the most important thing.

"That's partly true. But it's not everything I was gonna say."

She sat up so she could see him.

He gazed down into her eyes and his—creek-bottom green and so damn sexy—looked happy. "I'm crushed this new development changed what was possible between us, but it didn't change how I feel about you."

It didn't? But—

This was the first time he'd mentioned feelings other than those required to do business together since they'd agreed nothing could happen between them. Her heart thumped loud enough to be heard over the gentle roar of the creek.

"How is that?"

"Well, I love my son already. I wouldn't change having him in my life, but—"

"But?" she asked, hope tracing the word.

"I really like you," he said matter-of-factly. He scooched a bit closer.

"I like being around you." His hand slid down her arm and rested on her hip. The other cupped her cheek. "I like watching you squirm when I make you mad."

She giggled, then bit her bottom lip when he traced the outline of her lips with the tip of his thumb.

"I like kissing you." He dipped his chin and brushed his lips over hers. It was soft and sweet, a flower petal compared to the flame of their last creek-side embrace. But somehow it meant more, burned hotter inside her veins.

When he pulled back, his eyes shifted between hers, searching for something. "But—" he hedged. This time, the word held a different meaning, sat heavier in her palm.

"But?"

"I don't know how much more I can give you beyond kissing. My priority is Ren. Does it make me selfish that I want to still see you after he goes to bed, though? We have a week left, and I'd like to make the most of it."

She shook her head. Hearing his innate love for the son he'd just met, the lengths he'd already gone to in order to care for him—all of it was city-girl catnip.

"It's not selfish. I want the same." She leaned into him, inhaled his aftershave, committed the scent to memory, and planted her lips on his. Maybe at one point, she'd have admitted she wanted more, but she'd take what he had to give. If anything, it was her that was selfish. "I'm leaving soon anyway."

A shadow crossed his face but passed quickly. "Okay, then. Jill Henley, will you be my kissing friend?"

She laughed and nodded. "Any time, Jackson Marshall. Just maybe we could do some of our kissing inside, without the risk of truck-sized wildlife interrupting?"

He laughed loud, his joy ricocheting off the canyon walls and those of her heart. "Yeah. We can do that."

She worried the corner of her lip between her teeth, growing serious. "But are you sure that's what you want? You were adamant you can't get distracted."

He cupped her cheek and dipped his lips to hers, teasing them open with his tongue. She tasted the lemon tart from lunch on his lips and darned if it didn't make her hungry again, though not for food this time.

He pulled back from the kiss but rested his forehead against hers. "Oh, I know it. And every cell of my brain is mentally beating me up right now, but I can't seem to quit you, Jill Henley."

Those words did her in. She wrapped her arms around Jax's neck and kissed him the way she'd wanted to since the day they'd spent at the creek. Her mouth opened, an invitation to take as much as he wanted and he accepted, tangling his tongue with hers.

As he slid his arms around her waist and picked her up into his arms, an errant thought crossed her mind. Deer Creek must have magical waters flowing downstream, because every time she was near it, she ended up in Jax's arms.

She didn't mind one bit, not even when the nagging voice in her head warned her that for every season of abundance, drought was right around the corner.

*

Ren's gaze scanned the whole of the property as he walked out of the house. He'd just met Jax's whole family save Jill, who didn't really count. She wasn't really his family.

Not yet , Jax's heart chimed in. He ignored the overzealous organ and sent up a prayer of thanks that the meeting had gone well. Everyone cried, his mom spoiled Ren by having his own room set up in her house in the short time Jax was gone, and Maggie had gushed about how she couldn't wait for their little one to meet his cousin.

Bennett had filled Ren in on the Marshall legacy, until everyone laughed and told him that could wait. This was a time for celebration, not a history lesson.

It was amazing and damn near everything Jax had never known he'd always wanted. So why couldn't he concentrate on that and not the package he'd just put in the back of his truck? His mom had gone wildly overboard with a new bed and dresser from Harvey's and a gift card to fill the dresser with clothes Ren would need, but the simple, small box of magazines, some photos of the ranch and Deer Creek, and a book aptly titled Ranching for City Dummies made his chest ache.

According to his mom, Jill had dropped it off that morning while Jax and Ren ran errands. The stunning photos were hers, all from her trip there that month. If he'd only seen those photos earlier, seen what Deer Creek and the ranch meant to her.

"This is all yours?" Ren asked, drawing Jax out of his thoughts.

Ren's eyes were coffee-mug wide as he gestured with his chin to the barn, which gave way to the south fields, then the creek, all wrapped up with the red canyon bow along the edge of the property.

Jax ruffled the kid's hair, seeing the place through his eyes as well. It was impressive to a kid raised in a two-bedroom apartment in Austin. Hell, now that Jax thought about it, it was impressive, period. Bennett had done a kick-ass job building his empire. But Jax hadn't ever appreciated it. To him, it'd been a ten-thousand-acre prison.

Now, though?

Well, darned if he wasn't a little nostalgic to share a place that actually meant a heckuva lot to him with a person who meant more.

"We've got ten times this in the valley, actually, but it's not quite mine . It's the family's property, all part of the company we run."

"The Marshall Brothers—" Ren got stuck, his lips twisting with thought.

"Enterprises. Yeah. We'll spend the month out here while we wait to figure something out with your grandfather, and then I'll pass the torch to someone else while we head to Austin for your school year."

"And I'll get to help run it?" Ren asked.

That his son didn't say have to and that his question came with genuine interest cracked Jax's heart open for the millionth time since he'd met the boy.

"It's required for anyone who lives here to pitch in, yep. And once you get a sense of what we do, I'll let you pick how you wanna help. But only after we help Jill get her presentation done for the CAF this weekend. Sound good?"

"Sounds perfect. Beats the heck outta working in the fast-food place my friends got hired at."

Jax chuckled. He'd had the same thought back in the day. The ranch meant long hours and back-breaking work some days, but the worst jobs here always seemed better to him than struggling over a hot fryer.

A barn kitten came over to Ren, curious about the newcomer.

"Who's this?" Ren asked, leaning down to pet the kitten who'd taken to rubbing up against his leg.

"Not sure. We don't name 'em."

Ren stood, the kitten in his arms. Jax'd never seen one so relaxed around a person before. Normally, they were skittish little things that had one job—keep the mice out of the barn.

"You don't name them?" Indignation fell from his lips.

"Most don't stick around long enough for that, and those that do, we never see. An unlucky few get tails stomped on by the horses and run away. Others hide out till evening and feed, then go back to hiding from the horses. Plus, we're not raising cats. We've got enough other beasts to keep us busy."

Ren cooed at the kitten and tickled under its chin, earning him a kiss from the small ball of fur.

"I'm naming them. Maybe if they feel like they matter, they'll stick around."

Jax beamed at his son. "Maybe. So, what's this little guy's name?"

"Clark."

Jax pet the cat, realizing it was the first time he'd ever done that. "Like Gable?"

Ren's eyebrows scrunched together made him laugh. "Not sure who that is, but no. Like Kent. From Superman ."

"Okay, then. Nice to meet you, Clark."

Ren put down the kitten, who, true to Ren's prediction, stuck around and laid at the boy's feet.

Jax shook his head, marveling at all he'd learn as much as he'd teach over the next few weeks if today was any indication. He grabbed a bucket of oats, a few carrots, and a brush to get to work on grooming the horses in the south barn. Bennett had released him from most of his admin duties this month so Jax could share the ranch with Ren on his fall break, all except finalizing the Steel Born presentation of both their growth and internship opportunities.

Jax didn't mind the latter in the least. It meant time with Jill, and he'd grown to anticipate that with a kind of excitement he hadn't felt outside his drive to Austin to pick up Ren. In a perfect world, he'd get to have both things he loved—because on some level he did, indeed, love Jill. But his world wasn't ever gonna work out that way, it seemed. He was going to Austin so Ren could stay in school with his friends and family close by, and Jill, even if she stayed for a little while in Deer Creek, would be heading back to San Antonio eventually.

Ren lifted his hand, then seemed to think better of it.

"You want to help groom Jove?" Jax asked, gesturing to the gelding in the front stall. The horse was chomping on hay, but all it would take was a slice of apple or carrot and his attention would be on Ren.

The boy's eyes lit up like Jax had offered him a gaming system.

He handed over a thick-bristled brush and instructed Ren on how to start where the horse could see him, then move back, keeping a hand on the animal at all times so Jove didn't spook.

"Can I ride him?"

"Not this guy. He's Bennett's horse. But we've got one for you. I'm thinking you can start off on Lightning."

"Nice. That sounds cool."

Ren brushed Jove just like Jax had instructed. He had a gentle hand and a smile on his face. He was enjoying this as much as Jove was.

"How about when you're done, I give you a tour of the property. There's a lot to see."

"Yeah, I'd like that. Are there more animals here?" Ren asked.

Jax stifled a laugh. It wasn't Ren's fault he didn't know what happened on a ranch. Hell, it wasn't either of their faults, because they hadn't known the other person existed until last week. But it was freaking cool, teaching Ren about the life that was inherent to him.

"Um, yeah. Quite a few. We've got a few hundred head of cattle—cows," he added in case Ren wasn't familiar with the term. "This barn houses about a third of the horses, and the north fields have the other two thirds we use to go on cattle drives."

"Whoa. You mean you really ride horses and chase cows like in Yellowstone ?"

Jax chuckled. "Yeah, without the rivalry or bloodshed, though. Just regular old ranching."

"So cool."

"I think so." Where did that come from? He didn't mind the ranching part of MBE, sure, but when was the last time he'd actually thought about how cool his life was? In most ways, he was a cowboy, his childhood dreams come true. "Anyway, you'll see feisty chickens, a grumpy old goat you'll need to watch your flannel shirt tails around, and some dogs between our property and your aunt Maggie's."

"I thought she lived here, with Uncle Bennett."

"She does, but she grew up next door, and she and Benny were sweet on each other in high school. But they lost touch during college, and she left for San Antonio. When her dad died, she came home, and she and Bennett picked back up again. She never officially made the property part of MBE, maybe to keep her dad's legacy. But anyway, her friend is staying there now, helping out. Wanna check it out?"

"You bet. That's where the dogs are?"

Jax nodded.

"Sweet. I always wanted a dog, but my mom wouldn't let me. Neither would my grandpa when I moved in with him after she died."

Jax stumbled, his foot catching on a root while his heart tripped over itself at hearing his son's pain put so matter-of-factly.

He cleared his throat. "Follow this path. We'll take their little shortcut between the houses."

First things first, he was getting his kid a dog the second he found a place in Austin. It was a dog-friendly city, and there wasn't any reason not to let the boy, who clearly loved animals, have one of his own. He couldn't imagine his own childhood without the brood of beasts on Marshall Ranch.

"Hey, boys. What're you doing in these parts?" Jill asked as they popped through the dirt path and bushes that lined it. She had her legs crossed and kicked up on the fence, a laptop propped on her knees. She closed it and stood, avoiding Lily, who lay at her feet. Gander wasn't around, in a rare moment of not sticking close to his paramour.

"Came to introduce Ren to the neighbors." Jax reached out a hand and Jill shook it, smiling when he gave her a subtle squeeze indicating—hopefully—how excited he was to see her later that evening. Not so excited that Ren would catch on, though.

"I've heard so much about you, Ren. I'm Jill, the right-hand woman to your aunt Maggie."

"Nice to meet you," Ren said. "And thanks for the box of stuff. I laughed pretty hard at that book, but I think it'll help."

"I'm so glad. It helped me, for sure. You'd never know I was from the city now, right, Jax?" She tossed him a smile and a wink, and his heart did that whole tripping on itself thing again, but for an entirely different reason.

"I'm pleading the fifth."

She laughed.

"Is that your dog?" Ren asked. He sat down next to Lily just as Gander ambled up, his gaze wary about the new guy next to his pregnant bride.

"It sure is. This is Lily, who is going to have puppies with that guy, Gander." Huh. She didn't mention the whole step-parenting thing this time.

"Holy smokes. There's two of 'em," Ren remarked. "And puppies? That's so cool."

"He loves animals," Jax whispered as Ren rolled around in the dirt with Gander, who'd decided the boy was okay after all. "We may have to talk about one of those pups for him when the time comes."

"I'll put you at the top of the list. I still haven't decided whether to adopt out the rest, but he's definitely gotta have one. Look at him."

Ren scratched both dogs behind the ears at the same time, earning kisses from both.

"It's kinda awesome. Not once has the kid pulled out a smartphone. I think I'll keep him."

"Hmm. Good plan. He sounds like a guy I know." She nudged Jax with her hip. "Like father, like son?"

His smile widened until it pulled at the corners of his eyes. Huh. He hadn't been around the kid longer than a week and a half and, yeah, even he'd say there were things that reminded him so much of his own teenage self. As Ren would say, wasn't that the freaking coolest ?

Jax's hands were shoved in his pockets, save a pinky finger that he let trail along Jill's waist.

She let a barely audible gasp escape. "So, um, what're you two up to today?" she asked, hooking her own pinky in Jax's.

It sent a rogue wave of heat straight to his stomach. That was also pretty cool.

"We're headed on a small tour of the property, then I figured we'd grab some lunch at Mae's. I saw on the board last night her special's a flatbread pizza."

"I love pizza. You think they'll have pepperoni?" Ren chimed in.

Jax remembered being able to zone out as a teen only to come back when someone mentioned food. They were so similar in ways that Jax hoped to still discover long into Ren's twenties.

That was only five years away.

"I'm sure they will," Jill said, releasing Jax's pinky. "Mae knows food like your dad knows horses."

"He's gonna let me ride one," Ren said. "Some horse named Lightning. Sounds fast."

Lightning was named ironically, since he was the slowest horse on the ranch. Which, of course, made him perfect for new riders like Ren. Jax winked at Jill, gesturing with his finger to his lip. She bit back a giggle of her own. Yep, she'd keep his secret.

Let Ren keep his cowboy dreams a little longer.

"You want to join us for lunch?" Jax asked.

Jill bit her lip and his stomach flipped. When her cheeks turned a rose pink, his pulse kicked up in response.

You sure you can do this? his brain asked. Just be kissing friends?

It was all he could do, so yeah, he had to be. Because the alternative? Giving her up all together? That wasn't happening.

"I think I'll let you guys do this one on your own, but I'll—" She mouthed the rest silently see you tonight?

"Sounds great." The heat in his cheeks dove south. Please don't let this excitement show in the front of my jeans. "Well, Ren, shall we? I want to show you the canyon entrance by the creek. Do you mind if we cut through your property?"

"Never. Have fun and watch out for black bears," she teased.

Ren shot up, leaving Gander rolling on his back in the dust by himself.

"Bears? This place is seriously the best."

Jill shook her head. "You two are cut from the same cloth. I don't mind the bears anymore, but I don't think I've ever said they make this place the best."

Gander disagreed, barking. Lily looked on with what Jax would only describe as a smile. Like she loved the mutt even though he embarrassed her from time to time. Maggie often smiled like that at Bennett. Jax snuck a look at Jill. Did she ever look at him like that?

Did he want her to?

Yeah , his heart sang.

Nope. No time for that , his brain argued back.

"Alright. Let's head out. Thanks, Jill."

"Always."

The word hung between them like a promise as Ren reached out to shake her hand again.

"Nice to meet you, Ms. Henley."

"Call me Jill. And nice to meet you, too, Ren. I'm really glad you're here."

The boy blushed and then each of his features went wide with discovery.

"Hey—if you two ever got married, you'd be Jax and Jill." Ren laughed and walked over to where Gander was playing, scratched him behind the ears. "Wanna play fetch, Gander?"

"Did you tell him?" Jill whispered. "About us kissing?"

Jax shook his head and ran a hand through his hair. "Nope. He came up with that gem all on his own. I don't think he meant anything by it, though." Why, then, couldn't Jax get rid of the image of Jill in a white strapless dress heading toward him at the end of the north field?

"Okay. Well, he's amazing. Like his dad."

Stealing a quick glance at a preoccupied boy who'd found a ball to throw for Gander, Jax leaned in and gave Jill a perfunctory kiss on the lips.

Except there was nothing hasty or chaste about it. Even just a simple peck tied him up in warm knots that pulsed with desire.

"See you later," he said. Why did the few short hours until he'd see her again seem so long all of a sudden?

When he and Ren were almost to where the creek side met the narrows of the canyon, Ren stopped.

"Is Jill your girlfriend?"

"Wha—" The word stuck to his tongue. "Um, how could you tell? Or, uh, what do you mean?"

"I mean, I'm fifteen, not five. I can tell you two like each other. You're making googley eyes at each other and you could barely keep your hands off her. Plus, both your voices change when you talk to each other. My buddy Tommy got that way with this girl in our class, and he sounds like you, all sappy and squishy."

Jax laughed and put his arm around Ren's shoulders. The boy was almost as tall as him already.

"Man, you're too smart for your own good. Anyway, she's not my girlfriend, but I was making googley eyes or whatever you called them at her. She's a heckuva woman and is becoming a really good friend. And that's enough."

"If she's that cool, why don't you put a ring on it?"

Jax doubled over with laughter. "Oh, kid. You've got your dad's number. I think I wanna concentrate on our relationship before I bring another person into it. Sound fair?"

Ren shrugged, and it was like looking in a mirror. Bennett, his mom, even Maggie and Jill all told Jax that was his signature move. He knew why—it was born out of not allowing himself to care too much about anything. Now, he ran the risk of swinging the other direction and caring for everything a little too much.

"It sounds fair, but if I learned anything from Tommy, don't wait or someone else might see how awesome Jill is. Wouldn't it be worse to lose her because you couldn't commit than to try it out?" Ren shrugged again and skipped a rock across the calm depth of the river bend.

Jax stopped at the water's edge, his mouth hanging open like he was waiting to catch flies for bait. What could he say to that? His fifteen-year-old son had a better handle on relationships than him. But even if Ren was right, Jax just wasn't wired for long-term relationships, even if he did like the heck out of Jill.

"Holy crap. Is that the bear Jill was talking about?" Ren asked, pointing across the creek. Sure enough, the momma bear was there, her son close behind.

Given the choice between a persistent image of Jill in a white dress walking down the aisle to him or facing the black bear and her teenager, Jax knew what choice he'd make.