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Jax gasped, his eyebrows shooting up. She watched his lips tremble with the effort to hold off laughter. “Two whole teaspoons? Are you serious?”
“Hey, it used to be three.” Seyla lifted an eyebrow at him, trying and failing to control her own laughter.
Jax’s mouth gaped open, his eyes glimmering with teasing humor. “What?” He shook his head. “Alright, two teaspoons it is. I want you to know, though, this goes against every fiber of my being to serve a person a drink that unhealthy.”
Seyla crossed her arms. “Okay, what do you drink?”
“Mostly smoothies with protein powder.”
“Ewww! Too grainy.”
“Says the woman who drinks halo-halo.” Jax raised an eyebrow at her.
“Good point.”
“I’ll be there in a minute with your hummingbird sugar water…I mean, tea.” Jax winked and left to go into the kitchen.
Seyla realized a minute later a goofy grin still wreathed her face. Her cheeks heated up. She meandered onto the porch and sank into one of the white rocking chairs that offered a good view of the sunset with its mix of pink, orange, and soft purple. And a great view of the sanctuary.
A hand settled on her shoulder. Rather than scaring her, its warm weight conveyed reassurance because it was Jax. She knew the scent of his woodsy cologne, his touch, his presence.
“It’s beautiful, isn’t it?”
Seyla glanced at him, noting the rays of the setting sun bathing his angular face. Her mouth went dry. She redirected her gaze to the sunset. “Yeah, it is.”
Did he know how she felt about him?
Did he feel the same way? Or did he still see her as Matt’s pesky cousin?
She sipped the hot tea he handed her, savoring its sweet peach flavor while it warmed her insides. “Mmmm. Perfect. Thank you.”
Jax sank into the other rocking chair and shot her a teasing smirk. “If you say so.”
“And thanks for putting it in a thermal mug. The cuts on my hands still hurt.”
“Of course.”
“That was truly thoughtful of you.”
“I figured the heat might irritate them.”
“I appreciate it.”
“Whatever I can do to help.”
They sat in silence for a bit. Not an uncomfortable lag of conversation. A peaceful and quiet shared moment.
Seyla hated to break it, but they couldn’t ignore their problems forever. “Any news?”
Jax blew out a breath as if coming to the same conclusion. “Not yet. I should hear from my guys by tomorrow. The sheriff is still processing the evidence. I doubt they’ll find much with the level of mud and water contamination present.”
“I’m still processing what happened myself. Thanks for finding the husky.”
“No problem.”
“No, I mean it. Thank you. It says a lot to me that you honored the promise you made. Trust isn’t easy for me.” Seyla reached across and placed a hand on his knee, daring to keep it there despite the volley of emotions spiraling through her. “It says a lot concerning your character and confirms you’re trustworthy on a personal level.”
Jax didn’t speak. Instead, his hand moved to cover hers. When their eyes met, an understanding passed between them. She saw steadfast loyalty in his darkened, intense hazel eyes. For her? For Matt? For both?
