by Sienna Parks
“What’s in the pie?” Of course, he’s more concerned with his stomach!
“It’s apple cider. Too plain?”
“Stop worrying about the pie, woman!”
We ride the rest of the way in silence, my nerves getting the better of me. As soon as the gates to Mustang come into view, my leg starts bouncing—it’s a tick when I get anxious. I know Jackson can feel it under his hand, but he doesn’t chastise me. I think he might be a little anxious, too.
A.B. is every bit the Southern hostess, and it’s intimidating as hell. Maddox can’t take his eyes off her. It’s clear to anyone who sees them together that they are head over heels in love with each other. Their interactions are effortless—sharing the smallest contact at every turn. It’s sweet, but I worry that they’re comparing Jax and me—that I fall short in their eyes.
“So, Savannah, have you had the pleasure of meeting Jax’s mom yet?” I know she’s not trying to give me the Spanish Inquisition, but my throat constricts at the thought of being the focus of conversation.
“Yes. Lovely woman.” They laugh in unison.
“Did you pay old Mrs. Walters to pretend to be your momma again?” Jax doubles over laughing so hard.
“I only did that once, and I was thirteen at the time.” A.B. leans over to whisper in my ear.
“That was the last time he introduced a girl to anyone.”
“What are you telling my girlfriend?” Jax eyes me with caution. A.B. feigns innocence and sparks up a conversation with Pops.
“She didn’t say anything bad.” I reach out and run my hand over the scruff of his chin. “Promise.” He turns into my touch, his eyes closing for a split second—a look of contentment spreading across his chiseled features. I could grow old staring at his face.
“That’s enough mooning over each other. Let’s get tucked into that pie.” Maddox stands from the table asking A.B. to join him in the kitchen. Rae goes tailing after them, and Pops follows quickly after her leaving Jax and me to have a few moments alone.
“Are you having fun yet, darlin’?” I sneak a glance at the happy family joking and smiling in the kitchen.
“They love each other, don’t they?”
“Yeah. Those two have been in love since kindergarten. It just took them a long time to get their shit together.”
“What happened?”
“How long have you got?” He chuckles. “I’ll tell you the whole crazy story sometime.”
“Sounds intriguing.”
“You never answered my question.”
“Yes, I’m having fun. I just want them to like me.”
“They do.” He plants a soft kiss on my forehead. “I can tell.”
“I see how important they are to you. You’re part of their family.” A pang of worry tugs at my heartstrings.
“Why do you look so sad when you say that?” He catches me a little off guard, and I find myself scrambling for words.
“I’m jealous. I mean… not like that… what I meant to say was… I don’t have that relationship with my family.”
“Neither do I. If I’ve learned anything, it’s that family can come in different forms. These guys are the family I chose to be a part of. Without them, I have no one. My mom has always been there, but she never really cared about me, and my dad… the less said about him, the better.”
“I’m sorry, Jax.” It stings to hear him say he would have no one in his life without the Hale’s. I hope he knows I want to be someone he can turn to.
“No use getting all maudlin over it. What about your family? You don’t mention them much.”
“Not much to tell. Mom died. Dad is too busy with his new wife to care what I’m doing.” Thankfully, dessert is ready, and everyone returns to the table closing the door on this conversation.
We return to more lighthearted topics and fun stories about the mischief they got into as kids. I bet Jax was a cute kid—how could he not be? The man has phenomenal genetics. Not only will he make beautiful babies one day, he’ll be a wonderful dad. Watching him with Rae would make any woman’s ovaries combust. They are adorable together. Nestled in his lap, she peeks around his arm and taps me on the shoulder.
“Miss Savnanana, Uncle Jax is my boyfriend. I’m going to marry him one day.” Her tiny scowl would be cute if it wasn’t aimed at me. I hold my hand to my heart.
“Well, I would never want to get in the way of true love. You’ll be a beautiful bride.” I’m rewarded with the biggest smile as she snuggles back into Jax’s chest. Maddox sports the same happy grin, and it warms my heart.
“I think you just made a friend for life.” He stands from the table holding his arms out to Rae.
“Come on, sunshine. It’s way past your bedtime.”
“No! I want to stay with Uncle Jax.”
“What if Uncle Jax comes with us, and he can read our story?”
“Okay.” She jumps out of Jax’s lap and past her dad to A.B.
“Night, night. Love you.” She does the same thing with Pops, and then out of the blue, she throws her arms around me.
“Night, night. Come back soon.”
“Night, sweet girl.” She skips off to her room with two of her favorite men in the world following closely at her heels. A.B. is watching fondly with nothing but love in her eyes.
I help clear away the dishes and wait for Jax on the back porch with A.B. and a cold beer in my hand.
“So, Jax tells me you and Maddox have been in each other’s lives for a long time.” My careful wording gets a smirk as she holds the bottle to her lips.
“Girl, I’ve made a lot of mistakes in my life. Worst was when I left for college. That boy has been on my mind since the day I met him.” She nods in my direction. “I guess you know what that’s like, right?”
“Is it that obvious?”
“Do you want me to answer that?”
“No!” I take a long swig of my beer to hide my embarrassment.
“He’d kill me for saying this… but Jax hasn’t opened himself up to a woman in a long time… ever really. If you plan on sticking around, which I hope you do, be careful with his heart. It’s a gift. He tries to hide it by keeping people at arm’s length, but when he loves… he does it with everything he has without consideration for himself.”
“He doesn’t… we haven’t… he doesn’t.” The creek of the door startles me.
“I don’t what?” Perching on the edge of my chair, he lifts my hand to his lips. “Hey, pretty lady.” His proximity makes me nervous.
“Hey. What makes you think we’re talking about you?” A mischievous grin tugs at the corner of his lips.
“Aren’t you always talking about me? Or thinking about me? Wishing you were with me?” I shove him trying to convince myself he’s not speaking the overwhelming truth. I’m constantly being sidetracked pushing my objectives further down the rabbit hole, but I can’t help it.
“Watch you don’t break your arm patting yourself on the back, hotshot.” A.B. breaks the tension giving me a moment to catch my breath—I like her.
When Maddox joins us, we enjoy a few drinks on the porch with a rare cool breeze. Hours pass, and I finally feel more at ease. It’s fun to see Jax in his element—laughing and carefree. I don’t know how it starts, but we end up with a bottle of tequila and a circle of truth. Maddox and Jax are taking turns torturing each other with questions.
“Biggest regret? Jax, you’re up, my friend. Spill it or drink it.” I’m certain he’ll drink up, but as usual, he surprises me.
“I wish I’d gone to college.”
“What for? So you could chase more intelligent tail?”
“I wanted to be a vet. Too late now.” I reach for his hand.
“You can still go to college. I keep telling you that.” Maddox snorts as he helps himself to an extra shot.
“Jackson loose in a buffet of college girls? Heaven forbid! He’s too old for that shit.” A.B. smacks his arm.
“Shut up!”
“And on that note, I think it’s time to call it a night.” Jax rubs his hand in circles on my back. “You okay to take a stroll back to town with me? I hadn’t planned on drinking.”
“Don’t be stupid. You guys can stay in the guest room.” My body tightens at the thought of spending a night sleeping next to Jax, but I don’t want to embarrass him in front of his friends.
“Thank you. That’s very kind of you, but I wouldn’t want to impose.”
“It’s not an imposition. I promise. What kind of Southern gentleman would I be if I let you walk home with this drunken idiot?” The boys start jostling each other, and A.B. is too tired to deal with them.
“Come on, Sav, I’ll show you to your room. They could be at this for hours.” She wraps her arm around my shoulder, and for the first time since I moved here, I feel like I have a genuine friend. As we wander down the hallway, I realize just how drunk she is. “You are so sweet, like a little flower. You smell like flowers. I can see why Jax loves you. But if you hurt him, I’m gonna have to kill you. No offense.” She flings open the door to the guest room, but I manage to catch it in time so as not to wake Rae. With a tight hug and an over-exaggerated smacking kiss on the cheek, A.B. stumbles off to her room and leaves me to get settled.
The fireflies awaken in the pit of my stomach at the idea of sleeping in the same bed as Jax. He’s had too much to drink, and I don’t want our first time to be a drunken mistake he regrets in the morning or doesn’t even remember. I don’t believe for a moment he would do anything I didn’t want him to, but I don’t trust myself to stop even under Maddox Hale’s roof. I wait for a while sitting on the edge of the bed like some silly school girl, but as my eyelids get heavier, I slip off my dress and curl up under the covers.
“Savannah… are you awake?” His voice is a whisper in the background of my dreams. “You are so goddamn beautiful I can hardly stand it.” I slowly come to, my eyes adjusting to the darkness.
“Jackson?” His fingers caress my cheek. “What time is it?”
“Late. I’m sorry, darlin’. I shouldn’t have woken you. I just… I wanted to kiss you goodnight. This is the first time I get to sleep next to you, and I want to savor every minute.” His tender words go straight to my core causing my muscles to tighten.
“Me, too.” His eyes come into focus glistening in the sliver of moonlight creeping through the drapes.
“I’m going to kiss you now. Nothing else. Just… a… kiss.” His lips are soft as his tongue dips into my mouth—the taste of tequila mixed with his slow, sensual touch. It’s an intoxicating combination. His warm, callused hands stroke gently through my hair, his body brushing against mine. Every fiber of my being is crying out for him desperate to feel him inside me, but I know this isn’t the right time.
“Jax.” His groans of satisfaction as he ghosts feather-light kisses down my neck make me wet. “You have to stop.”
“I want to kiss every inch of you, Savannah.”
“I want you, too, and I won’t be able to say no if you start. I want you to remember our first time.” Without another word, he gives me a last, soul-destroying kiss before pulling my back to his chest and wrapping his arm around me. He nuzzles his face into my neck and waits for our thunderous heartbeats to calm down.
“Goodnight, darlin’.” His words slur as he slips into a contented slumber. “I love you.” Every muscle in my body tightens as his breaths become deep and even.
“Jax… Jax…” He’s sound asleep, and I doubt I’m going to get any rest tonight. He can’t love me. I’m not ready—he doesn’t know me yet. Not the most important parts—the parts I’ve kept hidden.
In the days after we spent the night together, Jackson didn’t remember a thing. He forgot about sleeping beside me—startled to find me in bed with him the next morning. He had no recollection of our conversation, so I’m almost certain he never recalled saying those three little words. Most girls would be upset by that, but I was relieved. There are so many things that are unsaid between us, and for the moment, they need to stay that way.
JAX
Everything about Savannah leaves me wanting more. She’s thoughtful, demure, and off-the-charts sexy. I always bought into the idea that a girl who doesn’t put out after a handful of dates is a bit of a cock-tease, but with her, it’s different. We’ve been seeing each other for a while now, and I haven’t gone past third base. I’ve never been the one holding back before, but for some reason, I’m in no rush with Savannah. Don’t get me wrong, I crack one out after every date, and I want to sink balls deep inside her more than I want my next breath, but there’s something about her… she can drive me to the brink of insanity and pull me back with one heart-stopping smile. It’s gotten to the point that I’m almost hesitant to sleep with her because I know it’s going to mean something—she means something.
I’ve wanted to tell her how I feel for a while now, but the moment I say it out loud, I can’t take them back. She doesn’t feel strongly enough to have sex with me after months of dating. I get that she’s younger than me, and I hope much less experienced, but I don’t think that’s what is holding her back. Maybe it’s that she knows my reputation. I can understand the thought of the number of women I’ve slept with being off-putting for a girl like her.
Savannah’s not a one-night stand girl. She’s the forever girl—the one who probably ruined her previous boyfriends for anyone else. At the back of my mind, I know sex with her will change my world.
Today I’m taking her to the ranch for an afternoon with the horses. I offered to swing by and pick her up, but she insisted on coming to me. I haven’t seen her place since the night she moved in, and I can’t work out if she’s embarrassed about the billowing smoke incident, or whether she doesn’t want me in her space. Whenever I suggest a quiet night at her place, she distracts me with a sexy look or sassy comment.
She arrives at Mustang ready to ride in the Texas heat and looking sexy as hell in some Daisy Duke’s with a cute plaid shirt.
“Dang, woman. Are you trying to kill me?”
“Hi, baby. How are you today?”
“I was fine until you showed up in those shorts. Holy shit you look hot. Why have I never seen these before?” I pull her into my arms running my hands down her back and over her tight, curvy ass.
“Maybe I didn’t think you could handle them before now.” With a sly wink, she grabs my hand and starts walking toward the stables. “So, who am I riding today?”
“Let it be me! Let it be me!” I drop to my knees holding my hands to the sky in prayer. Maddox walks his horse, Artemis, over to where I’m begging any god that will listen to me.
“Hey, Savannah. You’ll be riding Arty today. He’s the fastest horse on the ranch, but he’s also the most obedient. That’s because I trained him rather than this joker.”
“Any of my horses could outride Arty. Don’t listen to him.” For some reason, whenever Savannah is around Mad, she clams up and becomes a timid little wallflower.
“Thanks, Maddox. That’s so kind of you. I’ll take good care of him.” I can’t figure out if she has a little crush on the famed bronc rider or if she is just intimidated by him. I’m hoping it’s the latter. I’m aware of the effects my best friend has on the opposite sex, and add in a few years of being a celebrity, he’s a walking chick magnet. I’m not insecure when it comes to him, though. Besides the fact that he’s married and completely in love with A.B., he’s my brother, and I know he would never overstep, and I trust Savannah.
“You want to walk him over to the stables? I need to get Misty saddled up.” She’s my favorite horse and a spitfire when you get her out in the open fields. Savannah is taken with Arty giving him more attention than me while she waits for me to get ready. It’s strange that I’m more jealous of a horse than any human. I’d give my left nut to have my girl’s leg wrapped around me riding me hard.
It’s the perfect day to ride—clear blue skies and no chance of rain. The ranch is stunning, and I’m plannin
g to ride to the wedding barn. The view from there is amazing, and I’ve been putting off bringing her here. When it was old and dilapidated, it was my favorite place to fuck outdoors. I’ve lost count of how many women I’ve taken there and sweet talked out of their underwear. Now that Mad and I have breathed life back into the building, it feels different—new and untainted by my past.
Savannah is one hell of a rider. She’s giving me a run for my money. I don’t think I’ve had this much fun riding since I was a kid. I’m not working, and I’m not out here to pound out my frustrations, which is usually when I take Misty out and let her loose. I take her on a tour of the ranch and let her see how the new building is coming along.
“This is incredible. You’re going to be able to do so much good here and help so many people.”
“Don’t you mean we’re going to do it?” Her eyes light up, but as always, she reins herself in.
“I may have helped organize some stuff, but I don’t expect you or Maddox to include me once it’s up and running. We haven’t been together all that long, and this business is your livelihood.”
“I was going to wait to tell you this later, but Mad and I have discussed it, and we’d like you to be a part of this place. You can run it with me, and if you want to become one of the therapists, then we will support that, too.”
“I… I don’t know what to say.”
“You don’t have to say anything. I know it’s a big decision, and you haven’t even decided if you want to stay in Kingsbury Falls. Take some time and think it over… I’m in no rush.” She tugs on Arty’s reins and pulls alongside me grabbing my face. Her kiss is urgent, fierce, and untamed… and just when I want to climb on her horse with her, she jerks the reins and sets off at a gallop.
I take off after her, but I can’t help the ache in the pit of my stomach. Is this always going to be how it is with us? Me wanting more and chasing after her—but she’s always just out of reach. We ride for a good thirty minutes weaving in and out of the edge of the forest, our paths crossing here and there as I guide us in the direction of the barn. We don’t talk the rest of the way, and I take the time to calm the storm that’s raging inside me waging a war of silence.
