“Jaxon, please—” I loved the soft blush dusting across her cheekbones.
“Listen, the way I see it is you’ve carried some immense guilt these last ten years, and I want nothing more than to free you of it. Last night, opening up and trusting me with the truth, I’m so proud of you, Lily. But there’s something still missing when I look deep in your eyes. It makes me suspect you’ve unknowingly surrounded yourself with people who didn’t appreciate or respect you enough to let you shine, and I want to help you get your power back. I want to help you find peace in your soul and be comfortable in your own skin again.”
“Jaxon, I—” She tucked her lips between her teeth. That simple action told me I’d hit the nail on the head.
“I know you’re afraid to fall, but trust me when I say I’ve got you, both physically and,” I tapped the side of her head with my finger, “here. I’d never let anything happen to you, I promise, and who knows, you might even become addicted to the adrenaline rush like Lakelyn did. Boden says she’s a full-on adventure seeker now.”
“Wow, so you guys all jump now? How long has this place been here?”
“I think it’s coming up on its seventh anniversary? And yes, we all jump, except Ford; under the terms of his contract, he can’t take part in any extreme sports.”
“I still can’t believe he’s in the majors. Getting that call-up must have been a really special moment for your family,” I said, thinking back to how that wasn’t the only wild thing, but I wasn’t ready to talk about the rest yet.
I mean, what were the odds that Jaxon’s brother would getscouted and end up playing for the only major league baseball team in Canada, that just so happened to be an hour from where I lived and attended college?
I’d call it one in a hundred million.
Back then, it felt like the universe was messing with me, teasing me with a link to my past that I couldn’t quite reach.
When the news broke a year into his contract, that Ford was a single father, the media jumped on the story and had a field day. It made me sick to my stomach. No one deserved to be subjected to public scrutiny, especially over that—something so personal.
I remembered hearing whispers that his family took turns helping out, but the team brought in security and kept things locked down tight and private. I was grateful for that, because thinking about the possibility of Jaxon being nearby was too much; I had to push anything and everything Fisher family-related out of my mind.
“That was a core memory for all of us; that’s for darn sure. So what do you say, beautiful, you with me?”
“Always.”
“What made you get your certification?” Lily asked as we approached the building hand in hand.
“I met this guy Leif back in Los Angeles. He was a cousin ofone of my roommates when I was there for the academy. He’s a former Navy SEAL and in the process of starting his own private security firm, like rogue special ops, etcetera. One night, I lost a bet over poker and the rest, as they say, is history.” I reached forward and pulled the door open for her to enter before me.
“Jaxon, my man,” Carl stood up from behind the reception desk, after doing a double take, and walked around the counter holding his hand out. “It’s been a few months.” We shook hands and clapped each other on the back.
“It has indeed, my friend.” I looked at Lily. “Lily, this is Carl, although he’s grown up quite a bit since you saw him last.”
“Wait, like little Carlson? You’re Mr. Smythe’s son?”
“The one and only, in the flesh.” He beamed proudly, patting his chest.
His dad was the longest-tenured teacher in our small town until a year ago, and always a crowd favorite among his students.
“Carl, this is my girl, Lily.”
“It’s a pleasure to meet you.” Carl shook her hand. “Again, I suppose I should say.”
“Likewise. How’s your dad doing?”
“He’s retired now; he and Mom are in their travel era.”
“It’s well deserved, I’m sure. You have no idea how much I wished your dad were still my teacher throughout all my science courses in college; he set the bar really high back in Biology.”
“That’s awesome, I’ll be sure to mention that next time we chat. They’re somewhere in Greece at the moment, exploring.”
“Oh.” She pursed her lips before they turned upward with a giant smile. “That’s on my bucket list of places to visit one day.”
Interesting, I thought, filing that little nugget away for later.
“I’m sure once they’re back, my mom would happily pass along all the tips, tricks, and best places to spend your time andmoney, depending on what you’re looking for. They’ve been gone, coming up on four weeks.”
