Page 13 of Tangled in His Embrace

Jax didn’t realize how hungry he was until he took his first bite. He’d almost devoured the entire sandwich when his cell phone rang. Stuffing the last of it into his mouth, he jogged back over to his desk to see who it was. “Hi, Mom.”

“I have someone here who wants to speak to you.”

He glanced at the clock on his computer. It wasn’t even two yet. “I thought you weren’t picking Taylor up until three.”

“The news said we’re going to get snow tonight and your dad wanted to get there before it starts. He didn’t want to deal with all the crazy people on the roads.”

While Jax had heard they were going to get some snow, he doubted it would be more than a dusting. St. Louis wasn’t exactly known for huge snow falls. But he couldn’t blame his dad for not wanting to mess with people who suddenly forgot how to drive at the first sign of snow.

“I want to talk to Daddy.” His daughter’s voice sounded in the background.

Jax grinned. “Put her on.”

His mom chuckled. “Here she is.”

“Daddy?”

Tucking the phone between his ear and his shoulder, he rinsed off his plate and set it in the sink. “Hi, Pumpkin. How was preschool?”

That was all his daughter needed to start telling him about her day. Apparently, one of her friends had gotten a hamster and their mom had brought it in for show and tell. “Can I haves a hamster, Daddy?”

Jax could only imagine Gabby’s reaction to that. He decided it was probably best to change the subject rather than try to explain to a three-year-old why she wasn’t getting a hamster. Although, he figured it could have been worse. He had been only two years older than Taylor when he began begging his parents for a puppy. “We’ll have to see. Are you excited about your trip with Grandma and Grandpa?”

And she was off again, this time telling him how she’d introduced his mom to her babysitter. He leaned back against the counter and listened.

It was hard to believe he’d missed three years of her life. He’d missed her first words, her first steps, and even her first day of preschool. Nothing could bring those moments back. Nothing. But he was determined to make up for them.

She went on for another five minutes before abruptly handing the phone back to her grandma. His mom laughed. “You should see her. She’s staring out the window with the biggest smile on her face.”

“She’s excited,” Jax said. “Call me if you need anything.”

“I know how to handle a three-year-old. You were once that young, you know?” He could almost see her rolling her eyes through the phone.

“Sorry. I forget.”

She snorted, but let it go. “Taylor told me you stopped by her house last night and helped put up the Christmas tree.”

He heard the question behind her comment, but ignored it. “Taylor wanted me there, so she had Gabby call me.”

His mom was silent.

Jax didn’t know if that was because she didn’t like his response or if she was waiting for him to say more. Either way, she was going to be disappointed. “I should get back to work.”

There was an extended pause on the other end of the line before his mom responded. “All right. I’ll let you go. I’ll text you when we get checked in at the hotel.”

“Love you, Mom.”

“I love you, too, son. Take care of yourself.”

He ended the call and sighed. His parents had no idea of his plans to talk to Gabby tonight. They’d get their hopes up if they knew and he didn’t need the added pressure. He’d hurt Gabby by leaving, and at the very least he wanted to start rebuilding that trust with her. Explaining why he left was a step in the right direction. Even if he she would never let him into her heart again, they had to find a way to get past this tension. It wasn’t good for Taylor.

Deep down, Jax hoped one day he’d be able to make it up to Gabby, to love her again the way she deserved. But for now he’d content himself with her being able to look him in the eye and not shrink away from him every time he came near. It was a lot to ask, he knew that, but he at least had to try. For Taylor’s sake.

And for his own. He needed Gabby, and those three years without her in his life had only solidified that fact.

---