“I look forward to it,” Nick replied.
Their gazes clashed and Axel’s gut twisted at the heat flaring in Nick’s bright blue eyes.The passion was once again flickering between them.It wasn’t just desire, but trust, history, and something deeper neither of them named.
“In the meantime...”Axel said as he suddenly placed his tool onto the platform and straightened.He began to roll his shirt up over his belly, showing off his flesh to Nick.He moved slowly on purpose, savoring the way Nick’s eyes tracked every inch of exposed skin.
“Come on, take it all off.I dare you,” Nick chuckled.
The dare lit him up.Nick knew exactly how to push his buttons.Axel could never pass up a dare, so a moment later he was twirling his T-shirt through the air, like a male stripper.
For a heartbeat, he felt weightless.No more prison walls, no rules, just sun, sweat, and the man who’d kept him sane.And then, somehow, his T-shirt left his fingers, and the shirt was sailing through the air.It landed somewhere below.Hopefully not in front of the kitchen window and Jenna.
“Oopsie,” Nick said with such a cute smile that Axel couldn't help but laugh.Nick quickly joined in.
The sound of Nick laughing loosened something tight in his chest.Nick wasn’t angry anymore, and that mattered more than he’d admit.That was a good sign because something was shifting between the three of them.Something fragile, dangerous, thrilling.He just wasn’t sure yet where it would lead, but he knew he didn’t want it to stop.
* * * * *
Jenna’s lips curved into a smile as Axel’s laughter floated in through the open window.The sound echoed through the kitchen, mingling with the rhythmic bubbling of sausages frying in the pan on the stove.The sharp, savory scent carried her back to a time when life felt simple, safe, and full of people she loved.Back to the cottage weekends spent with her family two hours north of Toronto.
She could almost see the flickering glow of the campfire under star-laden skies, could hear the cheerful crackle of burning wood as they roasted their wieners or sausages on long sticks.
Her parent’s and sibling’s laughter still lingered in her memory, as did the closeness she once shared with one of her sisters.Where she and Ginny fought like cats and dogs, she and her second youngest sister, Megan, had a bond so fierce it had survived some rough patches without so much as a fight between them.The thought of what had happened to Megan hit like a bruise pressed too hard.Love and loss tangled together in a way that never healed.
With Megan behind bars, that connection felt like a phantom pain.It was sharp and unrelenting, and it stabbed straight into Jenna’s heart.
Determined not to dwell too long on Megan, Jenna turned the sausages in the pan and let the comfort of rituals ease her thoughts.The sizzle of her hand-cut potatoes frying in olive oil filled the air, their aroma familiar and reassuring.Her mother had always insisted on making fries this way.They were never frozen store-bought.
Jenna had followed suit, ignoring deep fryers and air fryers in favour of the tradition, manual process, which in itself was a small act of devotion to the past.
Her thoughts circled back to Megan and the lengths Jenna had gone in the hopes of helping her.It was for people like Megan and Axel that Jenna had created Cowboys Online.It was a support network designed to facilitate early release for incarcerated men and women, offering employment in secluded areas of Canada where ranch help was needed.
Jenna had poured countless hours into building the platform, believing with all her heart that if people like Axel and Megan knew that they could apply about halfway through their sentence, that they had a lifeline of hope, they would take it.
Jenna had written letters to Axel about it, saying there were no guarantees, and she would leave Cowboys Online if he was interested as that would remove conflict of interest.
The silence that followed had felt like rejection.She’d asked Axel’s mother to talk to him about it too, knowing she went to visit him, reiterating there were no guarantees, but his mother had refused, stating that Axel had told her if she dared mention Jenna to him, he would refuse to see her again.
Jenna realized now that he’d been trying to protect her, and to protect his own heart.But it had been hard, not hearing back from him.Really hard.
She’d also reached out to Megan’s warden to suggest the program, hoping it might open a door for her.Yet Megan hadn’t submitted an application, her reasons too murky for Jenna to untangle.
Another burst of laughter, this time from Nick, drifted through the open window.The sound warmed Jenna’s heart.It appeared Axel and Nick’s easy camaraderie was being restored.
She was relieved and confused at the same time.She couldn’t help but wonder about her own place in Axel’s life.
What was she to him now after being in prison for so many years?And for having a male lover?
Jenna’s gaze returned to the golden fries crisping in the pan, the hissing of blistering oil punctuating her growing unease.The air was thick with the scent of salt and potatoes, and the comforting sounds of home.Thankfully, no morning sickness.Thankfully, it was gone.Thank God.
Yet beneath it all, her chest once again tightened with guilt.She drew a slow, shaky breath, feeling the weight.How could Axel ever forgive her for what she’d done in persuading him to put his trust in the system?Did she even deserve his forgiveness?
And why was this guilt suddenly resurfacing after all this time?The question lingered like smoke.Maybe being near him again had stirred up everything she’d tried to bury.
She turned to tossing the salad.Her hands moved automatically, but her mind churned, tangled in memories, desire, and the fear of wanting too much.
* * * * *
Nick reached for another heap of golden fries, the heat from the bowl warming his fingers and grounding him in a way nothing else had since he’d walked out of prison.
