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“Blue,” Jackson calls him and the dog pads over to him while Matthias clings to Molly’s leg.
“Come on inside. That old dog won’t hurt you,” Molly says.
“I’ll make sure he stays outside,” a deep, croaky voice adds as another figure appears in the doorway. He looks slightly older than Molly and I assume it’s her husband. He has a beard and kind eyes. Jax looks remarkably like him actually—Molly must be his aunt through marriage, then?
Molly glances back at Jax before she takes Matthias inside. Jax releases the dog’s collar and he goes off into the yard, sniffing at the floor.
“The kid’s scared of dogs,” Jax says sharply.
“I’ll make sure Blue doesn’t bother him.”
“I’m sure he’ll get used to him,” I say with a smile as I make my way to Jax’s uncle. “It’s just that—” I don’t get to finish my sentence because Jax interrupts me.
“I think it’s best if you and your dog just stay out of everyone’s way while we’re here,” he snarls.
I frown at him, wondering what the man could have possibly done to make Jax so mad at him.
His uncle nods solemnly and my heart breaks for the look of hurt on his face. “Okay, son,” he says.
“Do not call me son,” Jax snarls.
Son? This is Jax’s father? I thought he was dead? What the hell?
He winces as though he just made a huge mistake. “Of course.” He looks to the bags in the back of the truck. “You need a hand?”
“Not from you.”
“It’s a pleasure to meet you, Miss.” He tips his hat and then walks down the yard after Blue.
I wait until he is out of earshot before I speak. “Jax? Is that man your father?”
“He’s the man whose DNA I share, but he has never been any kind of father,” he snaps as he grabs some of our bags. “And while we’re here, you will stay the fuck away from him. Do you understand me?”
“Yes,” I swallow because the tone of his voice tells me this is not the time for arguing or asking for an explanation.
Jax walks into the house carrying most of our bags and I grab the rest. I stop at the doorway and look back at his father. Blue rubs himself against his legs as they walk through the overgrown grass. I don’t know much about Jax’s childhood but obviously his father wasn’t around much and I wonder what their story is. He’s clearly not all bad because that dog seems to adore him, and animals are good readers of people, right?
I carry the bags inside and as I reach the door, Jax is making his way back through it. He takes the bags from my hands. “I’ll show you to your room and then Molly has supper ready.”
“Okay.” I smile at him but he’s still rattled and he doesn’t smile back.
I follow him down the hallway and up the stairs and along a huge corridor which has at least half a dozen rooms leading off it. We walk to the end before he kicks open the door. “This is your room,” he says and I walk inside. It’s beautiful. A huge floor-to-ceiling window floods the room with the light from the sunset. It has polished hardwood floors and a huge bed in the center. Jax indicates another door on the far wall. “That’s an adjoining room for Matthias,” he says.
“It’s perfect. Thank you,” I turn around and he is in the doorway, filling it as he leans against the doorframe. My breath catches in my throat at the sight.
“Where do you sleep?” I whisper and then silently admonish myself because that sounded so much more loaded than I meant it to be and now there is a tension in the room that there shouldn’t be.
He clears his throat as though he feels this too. “Across the hall.”
“Good. I’m glad you’re close by,” I say honestly.
“For anything you need, Luce,” he says and my pussy walls contract as heat flushes over my cheeks. “Molly will be waiting for us. Let’s have some supper and I’ll show you around.” He winks at me and just like that the tension is gone. He’s Jax again—my father’s best friend—and not the man who I spent one incredible, sinful night with.
After a delicious meal, I take a sleepy Matthias to bed. I smile at his beautiful face as I tuck him in. We had such a lovely time at supper. Molly is fabulous. She is funny and smart and she makes Jackson squirm when she talks about his childhood. There is a genuine love and affection between them that is wonderful to witness. His father—who I learned is Harvey, Molly’s brother—didn’t make an appearance, although I’m not surprised the way Jackson warned him off.
After closing Matthias’ door I walk back to the kitchen to find Molly and Jackson leaning against the kitchen counter sipping a beer each.
“Shannon will be here tomorrow. I hope that’s okay?” I hear Molly say before they realize I’ve come back into the room. The hairs on my neck stand on end. Who the hell is Shannon?
