Jaxon smirked. “Because Mike owns it. And even though there’s no dinner crowd after 8, he hates when people call it a bar. Says it sounds cheap.”
Claire laughed. “So it’s a pride thing?”
“Exactly,” Jaxon said as he opened her door. “And around here? Pride is currency.”
13
One Night, Two Hearts
AsJaxonandClairemade their way to Tides Rising, Claire sat in quiet awe. The interior of the truck glowed with soft moonlight, the dash lights casting shadows across Jaxon’s face like something out of a dream she wasn’t ready to wake from.
She couldn’t stop staring.
How could someone like him—this grounded, steady, impossibly thoughtful man—be interested in a girl from Atlanta, only here for two weeks?
As if he felt her eyes on him, Jaxon glanced over.
Claire quickly turned her head, pretending to adjust the air vent.
“So,” she blurted, “what’s the story behind this truck? You cut Trevor off last time he tried to tell it.”
Jaxon chuckled. “Because Trevor likes to make his version sound better than mine.”
“And what’s the real version?”
He paused before answering, his voice softer now.
“Growing up, there was a man close to my dad. He owned a finance company in town and became a mentor to me. Took me under his wing. Taught me how to manage money, how to help people—not just sell to them. We were like family.”
Claire glanced at him, quietly taking in every word.
“He bought this truck for himself when he retired. Said it was his ‘victory lap.’ When he passed last year, his wife told me he left it to me in his will. Said it was his way of thanking me for always showing up—for him, for them.”
Claire’s voice was barely above a whisper. “Wow. That’s… beautiful.”
He just nodded, gripping the wheel a little tighter.
“It’s rare,” she added. “For someone to mean that much to someone else.”
“You don’t forget people like that,” Jaxon said simply.
As they pulled into the Tides Rising lot, Claire spotted the girls outside the SUV, all varying degrees of tipsy. Jaxon parked, and Claire jumped out, heading toward them.
From the cab, he watched her motion for him to join them. He stepped out, hands in his pockets, easy smile on his lips.
“Hello again, ladies,” he said, grinning. “I hear y’all had a hell of a night.”
Claire exhaled, clearly irritated. “Apparently, tonight isn’t over.”
“We lost the keys,” Sara mumbled, mascara slightly smudged.
“I’m so glad the house key wasn’t on that ring,” Macie slurred, voice echoing louder than necessary.
Jaxon glanced at the girls, then at the restaurant, then back at Claire. “Hang tight. I’ll be right back.”
A few minutes passed. Claire was still low-key lecturing the girls when Jaxon returned.
“Alright, here’s the deal,” he said, hands clapping together. “I talked to Mike. He’ll check for the keys when he closes down at two. If he finds them, he’ll let me know. In the meantime, I’m not leaving y’all out here for three hours.”
