Everyone except Jaxon.
But he didn’t shrink from it. He leaned in.
Trevor clapped him on the shoulder. “When Jaxon first got here, before we knew him, we did what any responsible grown men would do.”
Claire raised a brow. “What—challenge him to a duel?”
Trevor smirked. “Nope. We Googled him.”
“Oh, come on, not this story again,” Jaxon groaned.
Claire leaned forward, interest piqued. “Wait. You Googled him?”
“Well, he walks in all confident, doesn’t say much, and the hostess at the restaurant practically melted when he looked at her,” Carter said.
“So Trevor gets his name from Mike,” Taylor cut in, “and of course, pulls out his phone.”
“And?” Sara asked, eyes wide.
“Turns out the new guy’s a legend,” Trevor said. “Baseball superstar, quarterback, full ride to Georgia for baseball.”
Claire turned to Jaxon, stunned. “You got a full scholarship?”
He nodded. “I did. But I turned it down.”
“Wait—why?”
Jaxon leaned back, voice casual but calm. “Because I loved playing ball, but it wasn’t my life. I knew what I wanted—finance, not cleats. So, I took a different path.”
Claire looked around at the beautiful house, the deck full of people, and him—steady and solid. “Well... seems like it worked out.”
He smiled softly, but she could see something flicker behind it.
“Anyway,” he said, brushing it off, “what’s everyone got going on this week?”
“Not much,” Trevor said. “Just work.”
“I’m parked on the beach until further notice,” Sara added.
Then Trevor asked the question no one else was brave enough to.
“Speaking of work... what time are you leaving tomorrow?”
The table went still.
Claire looked at Jaxon, brows pulled. “Leaving? Where are you going?”
He exhaled like he’d been waiting for this moment.
“Denver. The partners called earlier, asked me to check in on a new office we’re opening.”
“And you said yes?”
He hesitated. “They didn’t exactly ask.”
“What time?”
“Noon.”
