Page 15 of Jackson

“And you are?” Amy purred at Ethan.

Ethan stepped closer to Amy. “Ethan, and it is an absolute pleasure to meet you Amy” he said, holding out a large hand, Jackson noticing that Ethan’s shoulder were nearly as wide as Colt’s.

"Ahem," came the rumbling interruption from Colt. His glare toward Ethan was the silent but deadly kind, not that Ethan was taking any notice. Not when this vixen stood in front of him. Jackson rolled his eyes, knowing Ethan had fallen under Amy’s spell instantly.

"Anyway," Colt continued, turning back to Kane, "we were thinking of kicking off a friendly game of football between our towns. Raise some funds, build some camaraderie."

"Football, eh?" Kane chuckled, though he knew 'friendly' was merely a figure of speech when it came to sports and pride between the towns.

"Yep. A good old-fashioned friendly game of football,” Colt's grin dared them to disagree.

"Count me in," Ethan said as he kept smiling at Amy who stood with a hand on her ample hip, peering at him.

"Great," Colt nodded, slapping a hand on Amy's shoulder as they turned to leave. "We'll hash out the details later."

"Looking forward to it," Kane called after them as they left.

"Me too," Ethan murmured, eyes lingering on the door through which Amy had sashayed out.

"Best keep your head in the game, brother," Kane teased, clapping Ethan on the shoulder. "That one's trouble with a capital T."

"What's the deal with Pixie Cut anyway? She seems... fiery." Ethan asked.

"Off limits, Romeo," Kane warned, giving Ethan a stern look that was half-serious, half-amused. "That's Colt's sister, and trust me, the guy could snap you like a twig."

"Sister. So, all I hear is she’s available?" Ethan's said with a touch of his usual cockiness.

"Yep, and besides, we've got more pressing matters. Like making sure we don't get steamrolled by a team that probably bench presses entire trees for breakfast." Kane clapped a hand on Ethan's shoulder, steering him back toward the group.

"Actually," Ethan mused aloud, "maybe I should stay over at Bear Ridge, you know, to bridge the gap between our teams. Call it a diplomatic mission."

"Or a suicide mission," Kane muttered under his breath, but he was already considering it. "Alright," Kane said with a resigned shake of his head. "But you're on your own if Colt catches you sniffing around his sister."

"Got it. No sniffing. Only friendly, neighborly liaising. I'm a professional," Ethan assured Kane, though they both knew 'professional' was a stretch when it came to Ethan's past escapades.

Jackson leaned closer to Maya, his height casting her in a comfortable shadow. "How about we hit the trails again this weekend?" His voice was a low rumble, stirring the air near her ear. “Maybe it will storm again?”

"Or," she countered, her voice a playful lilt as she turned to face him, "we could just cozy up at my place? Less... unpredictable wildlife. And it has a shower."

Jackson's grin was slow and wicked, sending a shiver down her spine that had nothing to do with the draft sneaking through the door's edges. "Your place it is," he agreed, his eyes reflecting a hint of what was to come.

Chapter Sixteen

"Football," Alex groaned. He shot a sidelong glance at the assembly of brothers, grumbling at what Kane had got them into. "With lumberjacks. Yeah, 'friendly' isn't the first word that springs to mind."

"Come on, Alex," Jackson chided with a nudge of his elbow into Alex’s ribs, "It’s for a good cause. And I like that we get to do something fun instead of just handing over money. It’s character building.”

"Character breaking, more like," Alex muttered under his breath, rubbing the spot where Jackson’s elbow had landed. The thought of the six brothers going up against a team of tree-felling titans felt akin to playing chicken with a freight train.

"I'll cover the event for the paper. This is going to be gold," Maya declared, her eyes gleaming with the prospect of front-page material.

"Really?" Jackson leaned closer to Maya, his protective stance softening into something that bordered on affectionate teasing. "You think watching us get pummeled into the dirt will sell papers?"

"Correction: watching you try not to get pummeled will sell papers," Maya corrected.

"Hey, I've got pride on the line here," Jackson continued, puffing out his chest just enough to catch Maya's attention. "And maybe a little something extra if we win?"

"Keep dreaming, Hart," Maya shot back, but her lips betrayed her with a smile too warm to miss. Jackson's grin widened, knowing full well he'd scored a point without setting foot on the field.

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