by Lisa Carter
“It becomes harder.”
Jax closed the album. “The first ten months of Brody’s life we argued constantly. Something I hope he won’t remember. She wanted me to give up my career. I wanted her to opt out of deployment. Neither of us would give an inch.”
“Where was Brody when you both deployed?”
“Mom came once. A military friend’s wife took care of him, too. Adrienne and I had a major blowout right before she shipped out the last time.” Anguish rippled across Jax’s features. “She informed me that when she returned she was filing for divorce. And I could try single-parenting for a change. See how I liked it.”
“Oh, Jax. What did you do?”
“I was stunned.” He scrubbed his hand over his face. “But there wasn’t much I could do. I was flying out on my own mission. I planned to talk more when we both returned. When we were both calmer.” He sighed. “So much for my plans, huh?”
Her heart physically ached from the hurt he must’ve felt. The betrayal.
“I was in Kabul when the brass called me in to say Adrienne had been killed by a roadside bomb during a convoy.” His voice broke. “And when I think about how we left things? The last words I spoke to her...”
Darcy got up and sat next to him. “I’m so sorry, Jax.” She touched his arm.
“I was flown back to the base in Germany. Mom and Dad came.” His mouth wobbled. “I was a mess for a long time.”
She nudged him. “Still are.”
He exhaled with a shaky laugh. “I have always been able to count on you, Darce, to not allow me to take myself too seriously.”
“You know I live to deflate that ego of yours, Jax.” But she hugged his arm against her side.
“Mom and Dad took care of Brody until I could wrap up my military career. At Christmas, when they found out about Anna’s pregnancy, they flew home. Mom told me it was time to be the dad Brody needed.”
Darcy twined her fingers into his. “You are a great father to Brody.”
“Not for a while, though.” His shoulders rose and fell. “Adrienne’s father offered me a job in one of his companies.” He swallowed. “A desk job.”
Jaxon Pruitt wasn’t wired to live his life indoors. “That had to be torture for you.”
“I stuck it out because I wanted Brody to know Adrienne’s family. But their idea of child rearing was different than mine. And you’re right, I was—am—still a mess. With his every need seemingly met by the nanny they hired, I drifted farther and farther from my son.” He gulped. “His every need met, except his need for his father.”
The grief in Jax’s eyes tore at her heart.
“I failed him, Darce, when he needed me the most.”
“But you’re here now, Jax.”
“I didn’t realize how much I’d missed this place...” He studied Darcy’s hand, his thumb moving back and forth across her skin. “How much I’d missed home and friends like you, Darce.”
He’d never touched her like this before. Her resolve crumbled like dunes in a nor’easter. She needed to breathe. This was Jax Pruitt. The gesture didn’t mean to him what it meant to her.
Whatever she was feeling was a mistake. Not only for her, but for Brody, too. Jax could take care of himself. He always had. She was just the girl next door, the pastor’s kid, his sister’s best friend.
Temporary business associates. Nothing more. Because she was leaving. Leaving to start her own new life, her own second chance.
A grieving military widower and his too-cute son were not part of her future. They were friends. Jax had said so himself. Friends she could do. Friends was all she could ever do.
She removed her shoulder from his. “By summer’s end, everything will have worked itself out. You’ll see.”
His dark brown eyes suddenly became unfathomable. It was harder to breathe, much less think, when he looked at her like that.
She gave his hand a quick squeeze and release. “I’ll have worked myself out of a job.” Slowly, she eased out of his clasp. “You won’t even miss me when I’m gone.”
Rising, she stuck her hands in her pockets. So they no longer felt so empty.
He laid the album aside. “You’re wrong about one thing.”
At the door, she glanced over her shoulder. “What’s that?”
“I will miss you.”
Stumbling into the hall, she felt her heart skip a beat.
Working with Jax every day. Getting more and more attached to his son. She already cared more about both of them than she should.
Because by summer’s end, she had a dreadful feeling it would be her heart that was shattered.
Chapter Ten
Things between him and Darcy subtly altered after his illness. Citing the sunset paddle, she’d called his mom and excused herself not long after he put away the memory album.
Jax recovered and returned to work. Things between him and Brody also changed. Deepened.
He kept Brody by his side as often as he could unless paddling. The little boy became his shadow. And Jax discovered parenting wasn’t so much about book knowledge as it was on-the-job training.
Brody held out his hand. “Me do, pweese?”
Gripping the water hose, he glanced at the outfit his son had chosen today. They’d taken to watching baseball games at night together on television. He was teaching Brody the finer points of America’s national pastime.
The little man looked ready to take the field in a Little Slugger shirt and shorts. Behind the store, Brody wriggled his toes in the mud beneath the kayak Jax had hosed off.
Brody’s feet would need as much hosing off as the equipment.
“Pweese...”
“Okay.” Jax passed him the hose. “But point it toward—ahh!” Brody, hand on the trigger, sprayed Jax’s shirt.
“Sowee, Daddy.”
He’d never get tired of Brody calling him daddy.
Jax grinned. “What’s a little water between guys, huh?” He ruffled Brody’s hair. “We won’t melt.” He beat his chest with his fist. “We’re Shoremen.”
Brody beat his own small chest. “We Showmen, Daddy.”
“Shor-r-rrmen, Brody.”
“Show-w-wmen, Daddy.”
Jax sighed.
At the sound of a rumbling engine, Brody threw down the hose, which narrowly missed Jax’s toes. He hopped back. “Watch it, son.”
But Brody took off running toward the parking lot. “Dawcy!”
After stepping over the coiled hose, Jax rounded the corner and froze. The breath in his lungs left him in a whoosh of air.
Brody, as usual, hugged Darcy’s knees. And Darcy?
Jax’s heart took off at a furious clip. This wasn’t the Darcy he was accustomed to seeing.
In open-toed, high heel sandals, she’d gone fancy. In the sea breeze, her strawberry blonde hair fluttered in soft waves around her bare shoulders.
Was that makeup on her face? Yes. He blinked. Yes, it was. Eyeliner, mascara, a hint of blush and a pale pink lip gloss.
Dangly turquoise earrings and a pendant necklace complemented the sundress, the hem flirting with her kneecaps. Nothing like her usual T-shirt, shorts and flip-flops.
As a kid, he’d wondered if tomboy Darcy could do girl. Question answered. He gulped. She could.
Very well, in fact. Darcy had put him on the schedule to lead the Saturday morning paddle, taking a rare day off. And running his hands through his disheveled hair, he became aware of his less-than-put-together appearance.
He probably smelled like marsh mud, and thanks to Brody, he was soaking wet. Speaking of which—
“Uh, Brode. You’re going to get Darcy dirty.”
Breaking off her animated conversation with his son, she looked at Jax, her arms around Brody. Who was still hugging her knees, effectively preventing her from mov
ing without taking a tumble.
She cupped Brody’s upturned cheek. “What’s a little dirt between friends, right?”
The gesture, so tender and genuine, seemed somehow so right to Jax. So right he had to swallow past the boulder lodged in his throat.
Brody released his hold on her knees, but reached for her hand. “Dawcy wook pwetty, Daddy.” His son—and Darcy—turned to him.
Okay, his turn to speak. “Yeah.”
He stuffed his hand in his pockets. Where was the renowned Pruitt charm when he needed it?
She arched her brow. “Thanks. Hope that compliment didn’t cause too much pain.”
Red crept up his neck. “Darcy, I—”
Tossing her hair over her shoulder, she moved past him to the porch. Recovering his manners, he yanked open the door for her.
Brody showed him up, though, when he made a sweeping motion with his arm. “Wadies fuwst.” A gesture highly reminiscent of Grandpa Everett.
She smiled. “What a little gentleman.”
And unlike the sweet look she’d given his son, she sent Jax a look that implied how sadly lacking he was in comparison. Not true at all. He’d always felt Darcy Parks brought out the chivalry in him.
“I thought you said you needed the day off?” He winced, making it sound as if she were unwanted. When actually he’d been thinking of nothing else but her.
Her heels clipping across the linoleum, she hurried to the counter. Brody drifted to the life jacket bin. Mr. Me Do was determined to master the buckles.
“I couldn’t find my...” She rummaged through the shelf below the cash register. “Thank goodness.” She held up her wallet. “I forgot it after the sunset paddle last night.”
And then it hit Jax square in the solar plexus why she was so dressed up.
Darcy had a date.
Somehow he’d imagined she’d always be the same sunshine summer girl he’d always known. But she was different. More than he could have imagined.
He crossed his arms. “So where’re you headed?”
A tick of silence passed. She tilted her head. He became mesmerized by the sway of her earrings.
“I’m going across the bridge to Harbor Park in Norfolk. To watch the Tides play.”
The gnawing curiosity inside Jax was about to eat him alive. He flexed his jaw. “You’re not going to a ball game in that getup.”
She looked at him down the length of her deliciously freckled nose. A feat, considering he topped her by eight inches. “We’re going to dinner on the pier first.”
We’re.
Going rigid, he flushed. A deafening noise clamored inside his head. Why, when he’d spilled his guts the other day, had she not thought it important to mention she was part of a “we”? Embarrassment mounted into indignation.
While he’d been fighting for his country—getting married and having a kid, too, his conscience chided—Darcy was in a relationship. Probably had been for a while. Why had no one told him? Where was the oft-touted Kiptohanock grapevine when a guy really needed it?
Jax’s chest squeezed, making it hard to breathe. “Does the reverend know what you’re wearing?”
Her eyes widened and sparked fire. “There’s nothing wrong with what I’m wearing.”
Jax snorted. “Not enough at the bottom.” He waved his hand. “And definitely not enough at the top.”
She did that head bobbing thing teenagers did. “Not that it’s any of your business,” she hissed. “But my father, the Reverend Harold Parks—”
Jax flinched.
“—doesn’t have a problem with what I’m wearing.” She propped her hand on her shapely hip. “And therefore, neither should you. You’re Anna’s older brother, Jaxon Pruitt, not mine.”
No forgetting that, especially with the peculiar pressure pinching his chest. The bell above the door jangled, and they both swiveled. Ethan Savage’s broad shoulders filled the frame.
Surrounded by a sea of orange PFDs, Brody was enjoying himself, clipping and unclipping buckles. Jax bit back a sigh. He knew who’d be picking those up.
Ethan’s craggy features creased in a smile. “Hey, Darce.”
Jax reeled. Who did Ethan Savage think he was, coming here, calling her that? Which was ridiculous. Like Jax had some sort of monopoly on her name.
Ethan high-fived Brody. “Hey, little Jax Pruitt.”
Brody laughed. “Me not Jax. Me Bwody.”
As for the smile Darcy beamed Ethan Savage’s way? Sucker-punched, Jax felt his jaw drop.
Ethan clapped a friendly hand on Jax’s shoulder. “Your family must be thrilled that you’re back.”
Yeah, he was back, all right. He squared his shoulders, knocking off Ethan’s paw.
But Ethan didn’t notice. He’d moved on to give Darcy a one-armed hug. “Just wanted to let you know I was outside.”
Was it his imagination or did Ethan hold Darcy a little too close? Too close for his liking, Jax could practically feel the muscle ticking in his cheek.
“I had to find my wallet.”
Arm still around her, Ethan nodded his blond head. “No rush, Darce. We’ve got plenty of time.” Still hugging...
Jax ground his teeth. Just about the time he’d decided to remove that arm from Darcy’s shoulder himself, Ethan stepped away.
“I’ll be in the car.” The ex–army ranger headed toward the door. “Whenever you two are finished.”
“We’re finished.”
Oh no, they weren’t. His hand shot out and took hold of Darcy’s arm. Only just stopping her from following Ethan Savage out the door.
She glanced from his hand to his face. “What?”
Jax scrunched his nose. “Didn’t realize you and Ryan’s little brother were so chummy.”
“He was two grades behind Anna and me in school.” Darcy glared at Jax. “What’s your problem today?”
He scowled right back.
“I’m leaving my SUV for my dad. He’s over at the church as usual. But he promised to take a look at the engine. It’s acting up.”
A vein pulsed in Jax’s throat, matching the beat in his cheek. “I’ll take a look at your engine. Your dad has many fine qualities, but fixing motors isn’t one of them.”
“Suit yourself.” She not so gently removed her hand from his grasp. “Justine’s probably getting hot out there in the car.”
“Justine?” He frowned. “Ethan’s sister?”
“Ethan. Justine.” She unfurled her fingers, ticking off the names. “Luke. And me. We’re going to the baseball game.”
Brody’s head popped up. “Me wike basebaw, Dawcy.”
So did Jax. Something must’ve shown on his face.
Darcy bit her lip. “We’ve had the tickets for nearly two months. I didn’t know you’d be here when we bought them.”
He leaned against the counter with a dizzying sense of relief. A relief he didn’t care to examine too closely. This wasn’t a date.
Unless Ethan bringing along his older sister and younger brother counted. Admittedly, it’d been a long time for Jax. But back in his day, that hadn’t constituted a date.
With an irritated look, she nudged him off balance. Kind of like how he’d felt since the first day they started working together.
“Are you absolutely incapable of standing upright?” She blew by him, swooping over to Brody.
To his son’s delight, she tickled his tummy and rained kisses on his skinny little neck. Jax tried not to envy him. And failed.
Getting to her feet, she adjusted her purse strap. “Someday, Brody, we’ll go to a game, I promise.”
But she was looking at Jax. Someday... His heart ratcheted up a notch.
“Until then, Darcy...” Eyebrow arched, he deliberately leaned against the counter once more and gave her his trademark Jaxon Pruitt half-mast st
are. “...try not to stay out too late. PKs have church tomorrow.”
Teeth grinding, she did an about-face. The dress whirled around her toned legs. And sauntering to the door, somehow she managed to capture the swagger Jax had believed all his. And in heels.
His stomach did a nosedive. Little Darcy Parks, all grown up. And then she was gone, bell jingling, slamming the door behind her.
Click, snap, click went the buckles on the life vest. “Dawcy pwetty, Daddy.”
Out of the mouths of babes. Jax let out a breath, deflated. “Yes, she is, Brode.”
Why hadn’t he told her how wonderful she looked? Like a ray of sunshine on a cloudy day. Wasn’t there a song that went like that?
Oh, yeah. “My Girl.” But by no stretch of the imagination was Darcy his girl. His mouth went dry. Did he want her to be?
He’d learned his lesson, or so he believed, with Adrienne. Good thing he’d sworn off women and relationships. Though Darcy was nothing like Adrienne. A realization that was both frightening and thrilling.
Darcy was a whole different story. She’d always had an uncanny ability to penetrate the game face bravado he presented to the rest of the world. There was no defense against her. Or the way she made him feel.
Extracting himself from the floatation devices, Brody ambled over. “What wong, Daddy?”
“Nothing, son.” Jax exhaled again. “Daddy’s just being a bigger idiot than usual.”
Good thing she was leaving in September.
But suddenly summer’s end seemed far too close.
Chapter Eleven
At the shop a few weeks later, Darcy restocked the first aid kit. Every day, Jax took more ownership of the business as she handed off additional responsibilities to him. The upcoming corporate weekend retreat would be his first overnight paddle. And he’d serve as expedition leader.
He was a quick study. Either that, or eager to get rid of her. As eager to get rid of her as she was to get rid of him? On her part, not true. Grown-up Jax had proved to be even more dangerous to her sensibilities.
With the sunshine glinting off the water like diamonds, she relished having the shop to herself in the mornings. But for only a few months longer. Her stomach knotted.
