“You in, Fischer?” He wiggled the fingers on his hand that was still outstretched.
“I’m in.” I smiled, and he grabbed my hand, tugging me toward the surf shack.
“Tor?” he called.
A tall, blond-haired man stood up from behind the counter. “Cutting it close, Jax. Everything is down there for you. You need anything else, give me a shout.” I looked at Jackson, confused.
“Thanks, man. I appreciate the last minute help. I’ll come, catch up with you later.”
“Yeah, and I want an introduction to your new lady.” He nodded in my direction, making my cheeks blush.
“Shoes and socks off,” Jackson instructed. I bent down and pulled them off, tucking my socks inside my trainers as he did the same. Taking my hand, he led us down the short causeway onto a sandy beach.
I let out a groan, dropping Jackson’s hand as I turned around. The sun had started to come up and the sky lighten, so I could see the stunning bay we were standing in.
There were a few people walking their dogs or putting on their wetsuits to head out into the water, but otherwise, the place was deserted.
“Come on.” I found my hand in his again as we walked over the cold sand to a blanket surrounded on three sides by huge windbreakers. He dropped to his knees, looking up at me through his long, dark lashes before tapping the space next to him.
“What did you do?”
He shrugged as I sat. “Nothing you don’t deserve. But remember the rules.”
I smiled because this was perfect. “I remember.”
“Good, now let’s watch the sunrise.”
And just like he’d commanded it, the sky gave us the most stunning sunrise I’d ever seen, rising out of the sea, turning the sky pink and orange, and by the time it turned blue, my face hurt from how wide my grin was.
“Well, that was almost worth getting woken up in the middle of the night for,” I declared as I turned my attention to Jackson, surprised to find his eyes already on me.
“It was,” he let out in a low, husky tone. I shivered from the intensity of his gaze. “Cold?”
Before I could answer, Jackson pulled a blanket out from beside him and threw it over my legs. “You’re going to have to move closer or else I will freeze too.”
I shimmied over, lifting the blanket so he could get under it. Before he moved, he handed me a pillow, and he laid one down for himself.
I laughed. “Oh, my god, is this how you get the ladies? A make-out spot on the beach?”
He wiggled his eyebrows before he laid back and I followed him, staring up at the blue sky, letting the sound of the waves soothe my soul.
After a while, I felt eyes on me again. I rolled over onto my side to find Jackson mirroring my pose.
“I like how relaxed you look when you’re by the water.”
“Oh, yeah?” I quirked my eyebrows.
“Why do you like it so much?”
I pursed my lips as I tried to put it into words. “I like the idea that I’m connected. I felt so alone in my marriage that I came to the beach to feel a part of something bigger. Sounds strange, I know.”
He shook his head. “It makes perfect sense. When we moved, I felt alone. I think it’s why I joined the fire service. I wanted a family because mine had let me down so badly.”
I wanted to ask him to explain, but Jasper warned me he didn’t want to talk about his past, so I left it. “Did it help?”
“It did. It gave me purpose, but most of all, it reminded me that I’m a good person, despite what my dad taught me.”
The urge to reach out and touch him was so strong that my fingertips twitched and I was glad they were buried under my cheek.
