Jack nodded without looking over at me again. Instead, he looked ahead where the view was starting to open up across the lower part of Glassy Valley. “He would have been proud of you, you know.”
Of course Jack remembered what today was and what it meant to me. That part wasn’t a shock. But something about those sweet words cut straight into my gut like a jagged shard of sheet metal.
I made a sound in my throat that finally made Jack’s head turn sharply to me. I didn’t know what he saw in my face, but it must have been terrible. His expression morphed from curiosity to horror as a sob broke its way out of me.
“Bird.”
I stumbled over the footbridge and dropped onto the nearest boulder at the edge of the trail before bending at the waist and covering my face with my hands. Hot tears slid fast and wet down my cheeks as my breath tried triple-timing it in and out of my lungs through horrid, racking sounds.
“Sorry!” I sobbed. “Sorry.”
Part of me wanted to laugh at what a mess I was. What a ridiculous overreaction to a well-meaning comment! But part of me wanted to sob even harder because suddenly, a tidal wave of loss for my father that must have been hiding somewhere inside of me, packed tight like an emergency parachute just waiting for the moment it needed to break free and save a life, washed over me.
Jack was on his knees in front of me almost as quickly as I’d dropped to the rock. He reached out to grab me, and I fell into his arms, hiding my face in his damp neck and flooding it with my tears and snot.
“Oh, baby,” he murmured. His hands were warm and strong on my back, rubbing firm circles as he held me tightly. “There’s nothing to be sorry about. It’s okay. You know it’s okay. I’m sorry I said anything. So stupid. I shouldn’t have said anything.Fuck.”
I shook my head, unable to explain that it wasn’t his fault. Clearly, this had been waiting for any moment to break free. I let the tears come. If ever there was a safe place to let go and feel my damned feelings, it was here in this hallowed forest that had meant so much to my father. And it was here in the arms of a man I knew would be there for me no matter what I said or did.
“Okay,” he said softly into my hair. “We’re doing this. Yes. It’s okay. Feelings are for feeling, right? Right. This is healthy. Let it out. That’s it. This is good. Gonna break my heart, but that’s fine. It’s natural. Doesn’t feel so natural. Feels like I want to take a swing at someone. Or hide in your Glassy bat caves. But yeah, this is good. Super great.”
I finally calmed down enough to huff a laugh into his soggy shirt front. “You’re doing that nervous babbling thing you always accuse me of. You’ve never been able to handle criers.”
Jack pulled back and cupped my face, swiping across my wet cheeks with his thumbs. Concern marred his forehead. “No, I can’t handleyoucrying. Pretty sure Webb could cry all day and I wouldn’t feel like I want to vomit.”
I tried not to interpret his words or his whispered “baby” to mean anything other than he had protective feelings for me.Brotherlyfeelings.
As soon as I remembered that, I forced myself to pull away from him and get myself together. I wiped my face on my own sweatshirt and took a deep, cleansing breath before reaching into my day pack for a water bottle.
“Sorry. Again,” I said after a nice cold swig. “I should have known I’d get emotional today. I’m one giant mood swing thisweek.” I poured out some of the water into my hand and used it to clean off the salty residue from my tears.
“Don’t apologize,” Jack said, bumping my arm. “It’s okay.”
A bird whistled in the trees, and I seized on the distraction. “Bicknell’s thrush,” I said, pointing a thumb over my shoulder. “It makes that spiraling, flute-like sound. Their entire breeding population is restricted to the northeast, which is unique to the species…” I broke off and shook my head. “Wow. An emotional meltdownandlecture on bird and bat mating habits. Next time, you’ll be grateful when I stick to telling you about myPride and Prejudiceretellings, huh?”
Jack stood. “Not true. You’ve got a big heart, and it shows. I know your dad taught you a ton about these mountains, but it’s clear you’ve kept up the research.”
“Even more so after Evola came to town.” I shrugged and put the water bottle back in my pack after another deep sip. “I love it here. I know I complain sometimes about how small the Hollow is, but I wouldn’t want to live anywhere else.”
He stepped closer to me before reaching out to run his fingers into the front of my hair. “You have some tangles…” His voice faded as his eyes landed on my nose ring. Sometimes I caught him staring at it, enough that I’d asked him one time if he didn’t like it, but he’d sworn he liked it fine.
Now, his eyes rested there, and a little divot formed between his brows. I sucked in a breath. With his face this close, I could see slivers of green in his blue irises. I could see the slight color variation in his eyelashes, some with the faintest of blond tips.
Jack’s breath hitched. His fingertip came down and traced the little hoop ring. My lower belly tightened, and my chest constricted. Green-blue slivers glanced between my nose and my eyes. The Bicknell’s thrush stopped its trilling flute, and even the breeze seemed to stand still.
He’s going to kiss me.
I felt the truth of it to my toes. Jack’s lips parted as his gaze dropped to my mouth. Our bodies shifted closer together until the inside of one of his thighs brushed against the outside of mine. He tilted his head and moved closer.
“Please,” I breathed.
In that moment, I would have givenanythingfor the fulfillment of all my years of wishing—they could clear-cut Glassy Ridge, and all of Fogg Peak, and Sunday Orchard besides if it meant I could have one life-changing kiss from Jack Wyatt.
One of his large hands cupped the side of my face, holding me in place. He leaned closer—close enough that the stubble on his chin rasped softly against my jaw, and the warmth of his breath against my skin made me hyperaware of every pore and nerve ending. The warm, spicy scent of his cologne sent adrenaline rushing through my bloodstream, and my body felt like a suite of advanced surveillance technology all homed in on one delicious insurgent.
“Jack,” I breathed, wondering how it was possible for time to move this slowly.
“Fuck,” he murmured before—and I would swear this on my life—he took a deep inhale of the skin at the edge of my hairline. “I can’t! I can’t. Shit, Hawk.Wecan’t.”
