Page 204 of Pumpkin Spice Promises

I looked over.

Jax.

“What?”

“You’ve been staring at her for, like, a full minute.”

“Mind your business.”

His gaze moved toward Carson. Then back to me. Something in my face apparently gave too much away. Jax’s thick brows shot up, and his jaw dropped open . “Oh, shit.”

“Shut up.”

“You love her.”

“Jax.”

He grinned. “You fucking love her.”

“Say it louder.” I grabbed the extension cord beside me. “I think somebody in Alabama missed it.”

He laughed.

The urge to strangle him was strong.

Then Rosie yelled his name from the wagon area.

Jax’s grin disappeared. “Saved by the devil.”

“You seem to spend a lot of time with that devil.”

He flipped me off before walking away.

Around one, I noticed Carson’s limp getting worse. Nobody else seemed to catch it. Yet I did, because I was watching for it.

Two nights ago, Carson had trusted me with the exact fear that men would begin treating her differently once they knew.

She was near the cider booth reviewing something with Meme.

I walked past them toward Sugar and Pine.

Carson looked up. “Where are you going?”

“Food.”

Her eyes narrowed. “Why?”

“Humans require it.”

“You eat constantly.”

“I work hard.”

She rolled her eyes and I kept walking. “Want your usual, sweetheart?”

She hesitated. Then nodded. “Yeah, that would be great.”

Ten minutes later, I found her sitting on the open tailgate of Dad’s truck near the barn, eating the sandwich I’d brought her. She’d chosen to sit. I leaned against the truck beside her.