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“I do. I mean, everything this place was—is gone now. What’s left is actually something … something safe. We have this in common in a way my dad and I could’ve. Does that make sense?”

“It does. It’s something you’re making with Ren now. What happened to get you here doesn’t matter because you’re here now.”

“Exactly.” He squeezed her hand. “You know, your photos helped me reach that conclusion.”

“I hoped they would. They’re what made me fall in love with this place, too.”

“God, you’re incredible, you know that, Henley?”

“I might’ve had an inkling.” But, goodness, was it nice to hear from those amazingly kissable lips.

Speaking of those lips, they bent down and brushed Jill’s in a tender kiss that had the same effect as if she’d swallowed lighter fluid and Jax was a lit match.

If only she could ignore what the romance was doing to the part of her that agreed to sex only with Jax as a way to sate her craving for the man. But she could no sooner make that happen than she could tame the sun and make it rise on her schedule.

So instead, she gave in.

She opened her mouth and moaned as his tongue found hers. It tasted of mint. Too bad they didn’t have all afternoon to explore each other.

Jax’s hand cupped her cheek, and he broke their connection to whisper in her ear, “I want you, Jill Henley.”

“Mmm. Ditto,” she whispered.

“I mean more than just want your body.”

She pulled back, her eyes searching his for any hint of jest. All she found was love reflected. Maybe mirrored?

“Jill, I think I—” He stumbled, biting his lip.

“I know. Me, too.” Not saying the words felt somehow safer, for now at least. But it didn’t mean she didn’t feel them.

“Can I take you to look at the stars and maybe be more than just your kissing friend tonight?”

“You asking me on a date, Jackson Marshall?”

“I am. Will you come with me?”

Please say yes, her heart shouted. To everything. For once, she listened to it.

She nodded but just before they could seal their promise with a kiss, a loud crack preceded a thud and piercing scream.

Jax bolted to his feet, his whole body tense, his eyes wide.

“Ren,” he whispered. His voice broke as he ran toward the sound and screamed, “Ren!”

Jill’s heart slammed into her stomach and her skin went cold when no reply came.

*

Jax’s legs and lungs burned with exertion. He sprinted across the rocky beach along the creek’s edge, dove into the icy water, swam across it in one breath, and scrambled up to the small ridge Ren had fallen on.

His breath came in short, shallow gasps, but he couldn’t tell if it was from the inadvertent triathlon he’d completed or the terror holding his limbs and organs hostage. At the sight of the Nike trainers sticking out from behind the boulder that hadn’t been on that ridge earlier that day, Jax ran.

“Ren?” he asked. He knelt beside his son, everything he loved in front of him as still as the boulder. His chest barely rose and fell. Jax lifted his hand and placed two fingers over where his pulse should be. It was there, but weak. Almost imperceptible.

Ren didn’t move, just laid there, his legs splayed awkwardly in front of him.

Please, please, please, Jax prayed, though to whom? It didn’t matter as long as someone heard him and helped his son.