“I promise, I will only match energy if she shows up.” Jax crossed his heart.
“Uh-oh,” Ollie laughed. “By the way, everything we just discussed? Top secret.”
“Don’t worry,” Jax mimicked locking his lips shut. “I won’t say anything to him, not if Rain hasn’t. It’s not my story to tell.” But Jax was insanely curious. He needed to know more, needed to see Eve up close. Did she want more than Rain? Was she still in love with Tristan? And finally, how had someone as nice and sweet as Tristan ended up withher? She’d probablytaken advantage of his kindness.
But Jax was here now.
To be honest, this added more red to Tristan’s green flag, but Jax couldn’t walk away, not from Tristan.
“I always knew you were a good one, Jaxaphone.” Ollie crossed his legs, folding his hands over his knee. “And since that’s out of the way, explain the accent.”
When Tristan had asked if Jax had any preferences for the date, Jax had chosen to finish their walk. Their small hike after the bar had soothed his soul, along with the kiss, and he’d rested up, wanting a repeat.
Instead of going back to the park across from Bar None, Tristan had sent him an address, and Jax pulled into the dirt lot of a nature reserve, parking next to Tristan. He was immune to how loud his radio was, but the bass must’ve been thumping, because Tristan’s eyes widened. With a laugh, Jax turned the volume down and stopped the car, getting out. Aside from birdsong, it was wonderfully quiet.
“This is amazing. I didn’t even know this was here.” The weather was cooperative for once, with early-spring temperatures and a wind that carried some warmth. Jax wouldn’t need his jacket.
“I’ve been to all the green spaces in a fifty-mile radius, and this is one of my favorite places.” Tristan approached, looking adorable in his beige pants and turquoise hiking shirt. “You can see the mountain range to the north, and the trail is even. You already did the elevation on the drive here, now it’s just a short walk to the view.”
“Sounds good.” Before he could stop himself, Jax stood on his toes and placed a kiss on Tristan’s cheek, over his beard. “Hi. You look cute.”
“H-Hello.” Tristan cleared his throat, pink blooming along his cheekbones. “And you look…” His eyes shone.
“Like I’m a hacker that’s trying to infiltrate a corporation?” Jax posed, arms out.
“What?” Laughing, Tristan gestured toward the main trail, and they started off at a leisurely pace.
“That’s what my best friend Mae said when I showed her the outfit.”
“Ilikeyour sense of style.” The path was wide enough for them to walk side by side; thankfully, it wasn’t paved with small stones, just good old dirt and packed-down grass.
“Thank you,” Jax winked at him as Tristan’s phone buzzed, but since he ignored it, Jax did too. “So,everygreen space in fifty miles?”
“Yep.” Tristan smiled, the corners of his eyes crinkling. “That’s another reason I had to do the trail, I ran out of options around here. But I wanted to show you a place that doesn’t require anything strenuous for a reward.”
Jax blinked, stunned at how Tristan had put thought into Jax’s limitations and choices, coming up with something perfect. Gratitude welled up in Jax’s chest, keeping his pounding heart company.
As they made their way to the view, Tristan had them step aside several times for other hikers, gave a younger couple directions back to their car, and scritched every dog. The trail seemed to amplify his serenity, and Jax basked in it, wondering if he could siphon some off and save it for later.
All of a sudden, the path opened up to a rock outcropping with a view. Farmland stretched out like a quilt before them, and a small mountain range loomed in the distance.
“Whoa, you weren’t lying!” Jax took a few pictures with his phone. “I see why this is one of your faves.”
“I’m happy you like it.” Tristan beamed, and Jax’s heart thumped even louder.
“C-mere!” He walked over, pressing against Tristan’s side and enjoying those firm, lean muscles. Reaching out, he angled his arm until the view was aligned behind them, snapping a bunch of photos. For the last few, he tilted his head against Tristan’s shoulder and captured his surprised expression along with a tempting blush.
Once he was done, he noticed a bench on one of the overlooks.
“That was built by a local Boy Scout troop. I have no idea how they secured it into the rock.” Tristan walked over with him, checking around the metal base.
“I think I can actually sit on this.” Jax’s eyebrows rose in pleased shock.The bench looked as hard as the wood it was made out of, which was perfect for him, and when he gingerly sat, he realized that his legs dangled. He couldn’t have his knees higher than his hips, and with the seating being tall and the ground dipping in front of him, he was able to get off his feet somewhere other than his bed, his car, or his special-order chair.
“Really? That’s great!” Tristan sat beside him, close enough that their shoulders touched, and Jax smiled. A seat, a view, and a gorgeous man beside him? This was already a top-tier date.
Tristan’s phone buzzed again, and this time they both looked at his pocket.
“Is that That Pointe? I don’t mind if you answer,” Jax’s gaze went back to a farm below. Were those little white puffs sheep? Or cows?
