Total pages in book: 50
Estimated words: 45996 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 230(@200wpm)___ 184(@250wpm)___ 153(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 45996 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 230(@200wpm)___ 184(@250wpm)___ 153(@300wpm)
After a while I turn to him. "Tell me about growing up with so many brothers. It must have been chaos."
Jace glances over with a grin, his hand covering mine on his leg. "Chaos is an understatement. There were seven of us. Dad was gone a lot for work, so Mom ran the house like a general. We were always getting into trouble. Colt and Sin were the worst. They once tried to build a zip line between the trees in the backyard using old rope and a skateboard. Colt ended up with a broken arm and Sin with a black eye from the landing."
I laugh, the sound carried away by the wind. "That sounds like something Anniston would have talked me into. She was always the adventurous one. I was the responsible one who tried to talk her out of it and then ended up going along anyway."
He squeezes my hand. "Tell me about her. About you two growing up."
I look out at the ocean, the memories surfacing easily. "Anniston is three years younger but she’s always been the bold one. When we were kids she would drag me on these grand adventures. Sneaking into the neighbor's pool at night. Building a fort in the woods behind our house that collapsed the first time it rained. She got us both grounded more times than I can count. But she’s also the one who held my hand when our parents fought. The one who made me laugh when I was too serious. She’s the reason I became a teacher, actually. She always said I was good at explaining things, at making people feel safe. I wanted to do that for kids who needed it."
Jace is quiet for a moment, his thumb tracing circles on the back of my hand. "She sounds powerful. I can see why you’re worried about her. Family has a way of pulling you in even when you think you have boundaries."
I nod, turning to look at him. The sun catches in his hair and highlights the strong line of his jaw. "What about you and your brothers? Besides the zip line disasters. What was it like?"
He laughs softly. "Loud. Competitive. Loyal as hell. Dad taught us to be tough, to protect what’s ours. Mom taught us to be kind, to laugh even when things were hard. After he disappeared it got harder. We all dealt with it differently. Sin threw himself into work. Colt traveled more. Banks got quieter. Mack started digging into every lead he could find. Nash and Crewe went right into the military. I tried to keep things light. Someone had to."
The conversation flows easily after that. We talk about small things. Favorite memories from childhood. The worst jobs we ever had. The books we loved as kids. The way the wind feels different here by the ocean compared to inland. I tell him about my first year teaching, the way one student had changed everything for me. He tells me about the first time he was deployed overseas. The stories are not all heavy. There’s laughter too. The time his brothers tried to teach him to cook and nearly burned down the kitchen. The time Anniston and I tried to dye our hair with Kool-Aid and ended up with pink streaks for weeks.
The hours pass quickly. Small towns give way to longer stretches of beach and dunes. The sun climbs higher, warming the leather seats of the Jeep. I keep my hand on his thigh and he keeps glancing over at me with that smile that makes my stomach flip. It feels easy. Natural. Like we’ve been doing this for years instead of days. The pretense from the beginning has melted away completely. This is us. Getting to know each other.
By the time we turn off the main road and head toward a smaller coastal town, the sun is past its peak. The houses here are smaller, quaint, with flower boxes and porches that face the water. Jace slows the Jeep as we approach a modest two-story home with white siding and a blue door. A small garden lines the front walk.
He parks in the driveway and turns off the engine. For a moment we sit there, the wind dying down around us. Jace looks at the house, his expression softening in a way I haven’t seen before. There’s love there. And maybe a little nervousness too.
"This is it," he says quietly. "My mother's place. She moved here a few years ago. Said she needed the ocean and the quiet."
I squeeze his hand. "It looks nice. Peaceful."
He turns to me, that charming grin returning. "Ready to meet the woman who raised seven hellions?"
I laugh and lean over to kiss his cheek. "As ready as I’ll ever be. Lead the way."
We climb out of the Jeep together. The air’s warmer here, the sun bright on the white siding of the house. Jace takes my hand as we walk up the short path to the front door. His palm is warm and steady against mine. I can feel the slight tension in his shoulders, how he’s bracing himself for whatever this visit might bring. Answers about his father. Or more questions. Or nothing at all.