“Now I need a beer,” I mutter.
“Yeah, while you’re in there, beer bitch…” Garrett draws out, soaking up the fact it’s not him this time. I toss him one with a little extra oomph and a smirk as Trystan and Mark titter beside him.
Chapter 15
Holly
The guys are having a great day of fishing, and we’ll have plenty for tonight. We made a bunch of sandwiches to take, along with bags of chips, down to the picnic table by the dock for lunch, to watch and get a few reels of our own in. Jaxon’s surprised when I ask him to hand me his pole while he runs up to grab his sandwich. Within two minutes, he’s back out on the dock watching me crank in a bass like a pro, with pieces of turkey falling off his sammie and his jaw on the wood.
“NowthatI’d like to watch a lot more of. Fishing dates penciled in. Where’d you learn to fish?”
“I’m from Missouri. Grew up rural before my parents bought the place they live now. This was a regular Saturday affair for my fam,” I answer, unhooking the bass and handing it over so he can add it to the keepers. I hold out my hand for his sandwich. Seems like a fair trade. He eyes his sandwich, then the fish, before choosing wisely and giving me the food. I take a big ol’ bite–since, you know, I made it for him–and Jaxon smirks, shaking his head before walking the fish to the basket. Trystan hitches his chin from the bank with his proud, big brother grinand chuckles heartily. The happy sound of it lilts across the water. I can’t help but grin back because we both know I have Jaxon practically by the balls. We won’t voice that, though.
Jax swaggers back out onto the dock, bends forward, and takes a bite from the sandwich in my hand but doesn’t relieve me of it. He looks content to just be out here with me.
“Not taking your food back?”
“Eat what you want first.”
“How gentlemanly of you. There’s more up there, unless Mark stole them all first.”
Jaxon snorts in amusement as he sits down on the dock. I hand him the sandwich, then plop my butt down beside him. He offers it back, but I shake my head.
“I’m in more of a pb and j sort of mood.”
“Are those up there too?” he asks with a boyish glint in his eye. That’s cute.
“Yes.” He starts to get up, and I reach a hand out to stop him. “But I can wait. You don’t have to get me one.”
“Uh, Mark’s over there. Yes, yes I do. I haven’t had a peanut butter and jelly sandwich in forever. Be right back.”
A light-hearted feeling overwhelms me as I watch him boogie back for sandwiches, a couple sodas, and a bag of chips. I feel happy. Full. I’ve always felt that way with this group, but with Jaxon, it feels…extra. Yeah, that’s a good way of putting it.Extra.
I feel him sit back down next to me, and his green eyes come into focus. His eyes crinkle a smidge at the sides as he hands me my drink.
“You look happy.”
“I am.”
“I’m glad to hear it,” he whispers softly before bending in to kiss my cheek.
A chorus of girlyawwws float over from the bank, and I realize they’ve been watching us. Figures. This would be entertainment for the married hoes.
“Grow up!” I holler and take a bite of my gooey sandwich with a grin a mile wide.
???
The bonfire’s flames stretch high toward the trees, shadows dancing along the tree trunks as the guys move about, cleaning up after our fish fry. It was a good choice, that’s for sure. Sydney sips out of her tall steel cup while we all settle down with our wine. The wistful look in her eyes is almost comedic.
“I am so excited that I’ll get to have a glass of that with you all soon!” She squeaks toward the end as she jolts in her seat and grabs at the side of her round belly. We naturally all sit up and look at her intensely. “Dang, one of these little boogers is feisty tonight. I guess that’s good, though. When they get quiet, I worry.”
Jane nods, and Brynleigh just stares at the fire. I can tell, sometimes she does just fine with these conversations, but she’s in her thoughts again. It doesn’t take long for Trystan to notice. He’s so in tune with her, it amazes me. He bends over in half, catching her by surprise with a big kiss that is truly just the sweetest thing ever. A soft smile stretches her face and morphs into a wild grin when he whispers something in her ear as he plops his backwards cap on her head. He clinks his bottle to her wine glass, kisses her cheek, and drags the bottle up her arm in a way that screams of later promises. Not many would notice the moment, but I speak Trystan and Brynleigh. I can only hope for that one day.
Green eyes catch mine across the way, heat rising beyond the flames crackling before me. As Jaxon's thumb runs across his bottom lip, I take in a deep breath, remembering the exact feel of that thumb against my skin. My eyes flick back up to his as he leans back, settling deeper into his chair while observing me. He's not shy about it, and I'm not used to this kind of open attention, or being the center of. I like it, but I guess I'm wary of it.
Those last couple of years of Michael’s and my relationship–I now realize just how much time I spent begging for scraps of his attention, even though I didn't see it that way at the time. Looking back, I see he checked out long before I made the connection. Where did it go wrong? I can't pinpoint anything. I guess we just changed.
Jaxon stands, walks over to the table for the bug spray, and sprays himself down before silently walking over to me. He grabs my blanket and shoves it under his arm before motioning for me to stand. After spraying me down with spray, he grabs my hand and tugs me along with him. I turn my head in time to see cheeky grins from the other girls around the fire and a raised beer from Trystan as he settles in on the log beside Bryn.
