Jax laughs so loud that the sound echoes across the field, startling one of the horses.
“I take it you’ve lived in Oregon since?” he asks as his laughter subsides.
“Yup.”
“Where’s your mom?”
“Living her best hippie life in Arizona with her boyfriend, Dean. He’s pretty cool.” I smile, thinking about the last time I visited them. “They live in this little artist community outside of Sedona. Mom makes these crazy dream catchers that she sells at local markets, and Dean teaches meditation.”
“Sounds like they’re happy.”
“They are.” I nod, surprised by how much I’m enjoying sharing the parts of myself I don’t usually share, with him.
“Are you two close?” His shoulder bumps against mine again as he shifts his weight, sending a thrill up the back of my neck.
“We talk once a week, at least. She’s always been a bit of a wanderer. When I was a kid, she’d get these bursts of inspiration and we’d be off on some crazy adventure.” I chuckle as happy memories come flooding back. “When I was nine, she decided we needed to ‘commune with nature,’ so we spent a few days camping in the mountains while my dad was off on one of his business trips.”
“Sounds like you had an interesting childhood.”
“Never a dull moment, that’s for sure.”
“What about your parents?” I ask, searching his handsome face. “You said your dad gave you an ultimatum. Are you guys good?”
His expression shifts to something a little more guarded. “Yeah. We’re good. Much better than we used to be. He lives about an hour north of Portland. He’s a contractor—builds custom homes. We take turns visiting each other every couple of months. My mom left when I was ten. Not sure why. Haven’t seen her since. Now I couldn’t care less.”
“Shit,” I say softly.
“What about your dad?” he asks. “Do you still talk to him after what he did—cheating on your mom?”
The familiar knot that always forms in my stomach whenever anyone asks about my father makes me take in a cleansing breath.
“Not really.” Shifting my attention to my fingers, I pick at my cuticles. “He’s got two kids—Brianna and Colin. They’re teenagers now.”
Jax’s expression darkens. “He reach out to you at all?”
“Sometimes. Christmas cards, mostly.” I try to keep my voice light, but the bitterness still seeps through. “He moved to California right after the divorce, remarried about a year later.”
“You don’t sound too thrilled about that,” he states gently.
I shrug, picking at a splinter on the fence. “His wife, Lisa, she’s... fine, I guess. Polite, but there’s always been this wall, you know?”
“I can imagine.”
Forcing a smile I know doesn’t quite reach my eyes, I continue. “I went to visit a few times when I was in high school. It was... awkward. She tried too hard to make me feel welcome, and the kids looked at me like I was some kind of alien from outer space.” I tear off another splinter, tossing it to the ground. “Last time I saw them was at my college graduation. They showed up for the ceremony, then left right in the middle of it to go to some soccer tournament for my half-brother.”
“That’s fucked up,” he growls, voice low and angry. “Sorry not sorry, but your dad sounds like a real dick.”
One of my bricks crumbles away at his words. It makes me laugh and I instantly feel so much lighter. “You know what? You’re right. He is.”
“His loss,” Jax says, reaching out to brush a strand of hair away from my forehead, making my breath catch. “And for what it’s worth? I think you turned out pretty damn amazing.”
twenty-four
I’m flooredby how those words fall from my lips with zero filter, and the fact that I mean every damn one of them. Sasha truly has no idea how fucking amazing she is.
Her cheeks flush a delicious shade of pink, and I’m more than tempted to press her up against the fence to get another taste of her. But something holds me back. This weekend isn’t about getting her into bed—though I won’t complain if that’s how things end up. It’s about showing her a part of my life that not many people get to see.
“Thanks,” she says softly.
