“What’s wrong now?”
“I’m too tired to get ready for bed.” A small smile spreads on her face, like she’s testing me more than anything.
“All you have to do is brush your teeth.”
“Nuh-uh. I have to get the bar smell off me, and then I have to do my full face routine. I don’t get clear, youthful skin like this by neglecting crucial steps.”
“Then do it.” I turn to leave, knowing I’ve already overstayed my welcome. I’m not used to spending extended periods of time with her alone. It’s been years, and even when she didn’t have a boyfriend, I knew better than to let myself get attached. I don’t protect the people I love, as evidenced by my fantastic failure at doing that for my mom nine years ago. Being with Lauren isn’t going to change that.
She glances down at her floral bedspread. “Will you stay here tonight? Please.”
When she looks back up at me with her hazel eyes, I can tell she needs this, and if I’m being honest, it’s impossible to say no to Lauren.
“I’ll stay.”
Chapter Three
Lauren
I bounceup from my spot on the bed and Jax gives me a look. He doesn’t say anything, but I can tell he’s suspicious of me springing up after claiming to be too tired.
The truth is I don’t want to be left alone yet. I know sleep won’t come easily, and I don’t want to lie there by myself, stewing in my thoughts.
I quickly run through a shower and change into my pajamas. I brush my hair and then lean against my bathtub, groaning.
“What’s wrong?” Jax creeps into the doorway of the bathroom, gaze averted like he’s afraid of invading my privacy.
“I have to braid my hair or it’s going to be all tangled in the morning. I spent all day lifting bales of hay, and I don’t think I can hold my arms up long enough to do it.”
He chuckles. “I’ll braid it for you if you want.”
“You know how to braid?”
“No, but it can’t be that hard.”
I raise my eyebrows. “Do you even know what one looks like?”
“I was raised by two women. Of course I do. Now sit still and let me braid your hair.”
This should be interesting.
He sits next to me on the edge of the tub, gently brushing his fingers across my hairline as he gathers the locks back, then breaks it into three sections. I’m impressed.
“Now what?”
“I’ll do it.” I giggle, reaching back for the strands of hair he separated and ignoring the ache in my shoulders. “I’m sure I can do a better job than you, even if I can only lift my shoulders halfway.”
When our fingers tangle, a spark jolts up my arm. I pause what I’m doing, meeting his gaze, which only makes everything worse. My heart races in my chest.This is new.
It’s been so long since I’ve allowed myself to acknowledge his good looks and charm, not to mention the occasional soft side that makes me want to snuggle up in his arms.
I break eye contact and focus on crisscrossing the chunks of hair over one another. He carefully studies my technique, making it nearly impossible to focus, but I get through the braid with only one minor mistake.
I twist a band around the bottom and inspect my work in the mirror. Turning to Jax with a smirk, I note, “It’s still better than you would’ve done.”
“Ouch.”
I give him a mischievous grin, and he returns it with his own smile that stops my heart from beating. For the second time tonight, I see glimpses of sixteen-year-old Jax. I picture him holding his hand out to me as he tries to convince me to get on the rope swing he and Charlie built over the river outback. I remember the pride he wore on his face when he slipped his good luck bracelet onto my wrist at the state game. I pushed aside all these happy memories when I built my life with Austin, but in this moment, they’re front and center, and I can’t shake them.
