by Nikki Larson
“Look, Sylvia,” he said, stepping towards her. “I apologize if I didn’t make it clear.” He stood tall now, and his voice was deep and masculine when he spoke. “I want you,” he said. “There’s no one else. I won’t be dating anyone else. Is that what you wanted to know?” He reached out and touched her arm, then drew back. “I’ve always wanted you.” His tone was full of sincerity. “When we talked earlier tonight, and we kissed, I thought it was obvious. There will be no one else for me. Why would there be? You’re the one I want. I have what I want – or at least I thought I did, until you got angry. So, I’m not sure where we stand now. I guess that’s up to you.”
She felt sorry for him. He was putting himself out there, making himself vulnerable. And she had been so rude to him. She had overreacted, after all. “Oh Jaxton,” she said, genuinely sorry, “I didn’t mean to be so unkind. I don’t know what is wrong with me. It’s just that in the past….” Her words trailed off and she pressed her lips together to avoid telling him anything that would give him a clue as to what she had really been through, with Kyle and losing the baby. He must never know. It would devastate him, to know that she had been through an abusive relationship and that Kyle had caused the miscarriage. He must never, never know.
“In the past, what?” he asked gently.
“Never mind,” she said. “We’ve all been hurt.” She sounded more flippant than she’d intended.
“Well, yes, but…,” he searched her face. “Did someone hurt you? I mean, there were times I’ve wondered.”
The intensity of his gaze both frightened her and comforted her, all at once. It was obvious he cared about her with every ounce of his being. Was she ready to be loved like that? She wasn’t exactly sure. A part of her wanted to fall into his arms, and the other part of her thought she would lose her identity in doing so. She was a strong, independent person. She couldn’t afford to lose that. It was all she had at the moment: her determination, her will, her ability to help people. It was all wrapped up in one powerful package. She couldn’t risk it. “What did you say?” All this thinking was making her forget what they were even talking about.
He looked disappointed. He knew her so well; he could sense her reticence.
“Something happened to you,” he said as his eyes narrowed and his face grew pensive, probing her very heart.
Chapter 12
That night Jaxton’s dreams haunted him. Darkness enveloped him. He was running, trying to get away. Someone was after him, though he didn’t know who. As he ran with all his strength, the bare flesh of his feet caught on the jagged charcoal-gray rocks beneath him. Warm winds blew into his face, threatening to suffocate him with their sulfuric odor. And, before he knew it, he was falling, falling down thousands of feet. He must have run right off the cliff. Terror filled his heart as he plummeted through the air, until he landed on the unforgiving ground with a heavy thud.
With a gasp, he awoke in his bed. Sweat covered his whole body, and his heart was racing out of control. It took him a few minutes to get his bearings, to think coherently enough to realize it was just a dream and he was safe.
Then he turned over and immediately went back to sleep. Some may find it surprising that he was able to rest again so soon after being terrified out of his mind, but this was his life. He had dreams all the time – nightmares, yes, but also more mundane dreams. Some of his dreams did come true eventually. Prophetic dreams. He also had dreams which he thought would materialize in real life, but they never did – or at least they hadn’t yet. Some of his dreams were completely ridiculous and off-the-wall. So it was hard to tell what, exactly, God wanted him to do with his dreams – which ones meant something and which ones meant nothing except maybe he’d had some bad pizza.
When Jaxton woke in the morning, with the sun streaming in through the windows, he made his way downstairs to make his coffee. His house was a mansion that he had bought a few years back when he finally moved out of the home he shared with his parents and brothers. After his mother had died, his childhood home only served to remind him of her at every turn, and he found it just too painful.
Jaxton Braun’s estate was located on the tip of Emerald Point, an exclusive Newport Cove neighborhood, not far from Sylvia, Blaine, and their mother. Actually, there were no houses in between them, only outdoor space. Jaxton loved the view from here, overlooking the beautiful Emerald Bay. The house was designed to his specifications, with an open-plan layout and decorated in chic minimalist style, with modern furnishings in a sophisticated white, black and gray palette. But he had placed plants and trees and flowers throughout, to add splashes of color, to make the atmosphere more welcoming. The house was wrapped in floor-to-ceiling glass panels that led out onto multiple terraces. His favorite was the main terrace, where he could enjoy sunset views alongside his infinity swimming pool, where the water flowing over the edge made it appear to merge with the ocean and the sky.
When he went outside to take in the refreshing ocean air and sip his coffee, Sylvia was on his mind. As was his unusual dream. What did it all mean? There was only one way to tell.
He went back inside the French doors and retrieved the Bible his mother had given him on his eighteenth birthday. Clutching it to his chest for just a moment and sending up a prayer for guidance, he took the Word of God outside and sat on one of his lounge chairs. Sometimes turning to a random page in the Bible helped him see where God might be leading him. Then again, sometimes the verse he turned to was not really any help at all. He recalled quite a few stories of people being led astray by randomly turning to a passage in the Bible. But he’d just have to pray and use discernment, and see what God really wanted to say. If only God spoke out loud to him. But that had happened only once in his life. He didn’t expect that it would happen again.
Jaxton placed his thumbs on the soft, thin pages and opened the Bible. His eyes fell onto Isaiah 65:8, where it says, There is yet some good in it. He read the context and saw that it was referring to God vowing not to destroy everyone. There is a remnant which he will save. Did this even fit his dream at all?
In any case, this verse reminded Jaxton of another Bible passage pertaining to salvation, which he was now intent on finding.
He reached for his phone and searched for the passage that had come to mind, The Parable of the Weeds. It was found in Matthew 13, in verses 24-30, according to Google. Jaxton paged through his Bible until he found it, and read it carefully:
Jesus told them another parable: “The kingdom of heaven is like a man who sowed good seed in his field. But while everyone was sleeping, his enemy came and sowed weeds among the wheat, and went away. When the wheat sprouted and formed heads, then the weeds also appeared.”
The owner’s servants came to him and said, ‘Sir, didn’t you sow good seed in your field? Where then did the weeds come from?’
“An enemy did this,” he replied.
The servants asked him, “Do you want us to go and pull them up?”
“No,” he answered, “because while you are pulling the weeds, you may uproot the wheat with them. Let both grow together until the harvest. At that time I will tell the harvesters: First collect the weeds and tie them in bundles to be burned; then gather the wheat and bring it into my barn.”
Jaxton shuddered at the thought of the harvest, when the angels will separate the believers from the unbelievers. It always disturbed him, especially when he thought it might be his loved ones that would be separated from God for all eternity.
It wasn’t likely to happen to Sylvia Oscar. She was a believer, as far as he could tell. But it bothered him that he couldn’t be one-hundred-percent sure. Sylvia seemed to have a hard time knowing just how intimately God gets involved with events on earth, and in the lives of his children. She didn’t trust God fully, that much Jaxton was sure of.
His phone lit up just then to alert him that someone had pulled into his driveway. He grabbed his empty coffee cup and went to see who it was.
Chapter 13
Jaxton only smiled at her warmly, as if he were expecting her.
“Is it too early?” she asked, noticing he was wearing only his t-shirt and pajama pants.
“Oh,” he said, realizing. “Ha, look at me, all ready for company.” He ran a hand through his dark hair, then over his whiskers. “Hey, not like you haven’t seen me this way before.”
She was grateful for his nonchalant attitude, especially after the way she had treated him. “True,” she said. “And I brought you something.” She presented him with a fruit salad.
“Peace offering, eh?” he asked.
His grin was like healing for her soul.
“Something like that,” she agreed. “A healthy one.”
He smiled even broader, and one eyebrow raised up in amusement.
It was amazing to her that he could be so kind, in spite of her unreasonable temper tantrum last night.
But at least she had made the effort to apologize.
She had apologized, right?
“We could make breakfast together,” he offered. “Eggs, maybe?”
“Sure,” she agreed as she stepped inside. She was still in awe of Jaxton’s spacious kitchen with its state-of-the-art appliances, all gleaming stainless steel. And the views from the kitchen of the beach below were nothing short of spectacular.
As he cracked eggs into a bowl, Sylvia watched him. Eggs got a bad rap, but they were one of the healthiest high-protein foods available.
“It’s great to see you,” he said as he grated the cheddar. “You like green onions?” he asked, holding them up for her to see. “Oh, of course you do. They’re vegetables. Miss Healthy Fitness Star, Sylvia Oscar, likes all vegetables,” he teased.
“Yes, I like them,” she said happily. Jaxton had a wonderful way of cheering her up. When he wasn’t insulting her, that is. Or maybe even when he was, since he never meant any harm by it.
“Okay, so we’re going to make my mom’s famous frittata then. Well, it’s not exactly famous,” he corrected himself, “but it is delicious. I think you’re going to like it. Want to grab the milk for me? Oh, and we’ll need bacon. Unless you have an aversion to bacon. Is bacon healthy?”
This made Sylvia laugh. Is bacon healthy? Well, there was no easy way to answer that. It was part of the keto diet, and a good source of protein. In moderation it didn’t really hurt. Though it often contained preservatives. “It has its benefits,” she allowed, setting the milk down in front of him.
“Benefits, like what?” Did he have to look so handsome even in the mornings? With his unshaven face and naturally rugged good looks, she struggled to keep her eyes off of him. It didn’t help that his chest was bulging from beneath his form-fitting t-shirt either.
“Bacon is fairly nutritious. It contains high-quality animal protein, along with vitamins B1, B2, B3, B5, B6, and B12 and decent amounts of iron, magnesium, zinc, and potassium. Also, it’s delicious,” Sylvia told him. “And yes, today I will have bacon.”
“That sounds like a proclamation.” He smiled as he stirred his concoction.
“Better than a proposition, right?” Sylvia couldn’t resist teasing him with that word once again.
“Well, it depends on the proposition, I guess,” Jaxton said, playing along. He reached out to tickle her side, making her let out a squeak.
Sylvia wriggled away from him and laughed. “Don’t you be touching me, Mr. Candy Man.” It was her pet name for him, ever since he started selling those Love Bars and calling them healthy. Some of the ingredients were natural, yes, but the bars contained added sugar.
“Oh, I’m still the Candy Man, huh? Making fun of me for not having all perfectly natural ingredients? I know the drill. I know what you say about me.” He wrapped his arms around her and whispered in her ear. “Your standards are unreasonable, my dear. I’ll have you know that sugar is natural. And in moderation, it is perfectly fine.”
“Oh, it is, is it?” she questioned him, turning around to face him. “Actually, refined sugar causes blood sugar swings, neurotransmitter dysregulation, and inflammation.”
“In excess?” he asked, playfully touching the tip of her nose.
“In excess,” she agreed, tapping his nose right back.
“Well, my Love Bars don’t have an excess of sugar,” he said as he began to kiss her neck. “They are small, each with less than one teaspoon of added sugar. They’re not going to hurt anyone if they just eat one a day, don’t you think?”
Sylvia found herself melting like butter in his arms. “Ah, maybe not,” she agreed.
“And everyone has to have a little treat once in a while, don’t you agree?” Jaxton asked her.
Still he was kissing her neck, and a shiver went all the way down her spine, and goosebumps raised up on her thighs. “Jaxton,” she protested, pulling away.
“What?” he asked in between kisses.
She hadn’t even told him what she had come here for yet. And now she could hardly remember herself.
He stared at her with love in his eyes. It was as if he had opened his heart and showed her all the love that was in it for her, just her. His eyes were the most tender eyes she had ever had the privilege of looking into. There were crinkles along the outer edges, smile marks from laughter and happiness. She never wanted to hurt him. She only wanted to keep him happy forever.
He must have seen something in her eyes just then, because he moved in closer, grasped the hair at the nape of her neck and pressed his lips to hers. His lips were moist and hungry, and she was swept away by desire.
Time melded into eternity, and she wasn’t sure how long they had kissed there in his fancy kitchen with the amazing views. When she looked out the window, still clinging to his shoulders, she could have sworn she saw a figure brush past. A scream rose in her throat and caught there. All that came out was a little gasp.
“What is it?” Jaxton said, immediately on alert.
She could only point outside.
Jaxton bolted out the French doors and scanned the backyard terrace as Sylvia remained behind, clinging to the doorway. She surveyed every foot of the area from where she was, trying to be a lookout for her loved one, watching to see if anyone was there who might endanger him.
“Nothing; no one,” Jaxton said when he came back inside. “Are you sure you saw something?”
Sylvia let her shoulders drop. “Of course,” she said. “Someone or something – I don’t really know. It was fast. Like a dark blur. He was wearing black, I think.”
“Maybe a bird?” Jaxton suggested.
“A bird,” Sylvia repeated mockingly. “It would have been an awfully big bird.”
“A raven?” Jaxton suggested. “A magpie?”
“Magpies are black and white, and we don’t even have them around here,” she scolded him. Now he was making her feel stupid. “It was probably a penguin,” she quipped.
“Okay, then,” he said, relenting. “But if someone were here on the terrace or in the backyard, the alarm would have gone off.” He closed the doors behind him and locked them.
“Okay,” she said, disappointed. She wasn’t sure whether to be disappointed in herself or Jaxton. She wasn’t one to just see things. And she wouldn’t have made it up. She was enjoying his company. Why put a wrench into things? She wouldn’t have.
But maybe she was wrong. It could have been a bird, she guessed. As implausible as that seemed. Or a dog?
“I’ll check the security footage later,” he offered. “If that will make you feel better.”
Now she was truly annoyed. “If that will make me feel better….” She glared at him and let her lip curl in disgust. “What am I, some kind of chi
ld you need to placate?”
“Hey, I’m sorry,” he said, turning on the oven. “Don’t take offense. Look, I believe you saw something. I do. I could see it on your face. Don’t worry. I believe you. You’re trustworthy.”
“I’m trustworthy?” she said with a little laugh. “Well, thank you.”
He laughed right along with her. “You’re welcome.” He led her by the elbow to the kitchen counter where the eggs still sat in the bowl. “And now for some breakfast.”
Chapter 14
The frittata was finally done less than an hour later. They had the fruit salad first, to ward off their hunger.
“You like it?” Jaxton asked when they were sitting at the sleek, modern kitchen table with a bouquet of fresh flowers in the center.
“Delicious,” Sylvia agreed.
“So, what made you stop by to see me this morning?” Jaxton ventured to ask. Surely something prompted her to drive over to his house. Usually she made no time for him. She’d spent years just trying to avoid him.
“Oh, that,” she said, blinking. “There was something,” she allowed as she took a sip of her freshly squeezed orange juice.
“I thought there was,” he replied. No need to scare her off by saying more. She seemed so unsteady suddenly.
She tucked a strand of brown hair behind her ear and gazed out the window. Her crystal blue eyes seemed lighter with the sunlight pouring in and reflecting off of her irises. Finally, she met his gaze. “I think I’m ready to tell you something.”
“You are?” he said, and immediately kicked himself for it. He pressed his lips together to shut himself up and nodded, leaning back in his chair to give her some space and lacing his fingers behind his head to seem casual, like everything was totally fine. She needed that reassurance.
