Page 66 of One Lucky Cowboy

His mom leaned back in her chair, her closed eyes and half smile turned toward the sun. “No, thanks, Woody.”

She was the hardest worker he knew and still somehow managed to always show up when he needed her. The least he could do for her was to let her take the last few relaxing moments where her world sat firmly on the axis she’d built it on.

The fridge was stocked with Grace Marshall’s favorites—lemon and vanilla pastries and sparkling water from Austin—but a majority of the drinks and snacks were what she knew her kids liked. Beer, guac and salsa for chips, and steak tips that could be grilled on a moment’s notice.

Nothing looked good; his appetite was somewhere south of his stomach at the moment, so he settled on a fizzy water to calm his nerves.

“Hey, Mom. You want me to fire up the grill and—”

He looked up and saw not only his brother and Maggie had joined his mother, but Jill.

“What’re you doing here?” he asked.

“Excuse me, Jackson Howard Marshall. That is not how we speak to guests.”

He shook his head but didn’t take his gaze off Jill. Hell, he couldn’t if he wanted to. She wore a white linen T-shirt that showed off the glow from the sun she’d been working in since she’d arrived. Her crimson hair was pulled into a side braid that let a few errant curls loose around her face. Only a hint of shine on her lips and long, brown lashes suggested any makeup, and damn it, she’d never looked more beautiful.

Deer Creek suited her.

Why’d I have to meet you so late?

“Sorry,” he muttered. “I, uh, wasn’t expecting anyone but family.”

She flinched but kept a thin-lipped smile.

“She is family, Jax. Get used to it. Now, we’re all here like you requested, so why don’t you stop staring at Jill and tell us why you called us.”

“God knows I’m curious, especially since you already quit the family business,” Bennett said.

Maggie slapped him on the shoulder. “Which we know you wouldn’t have done if you didn’t have a good reason,” Maggie added. “And as your family, we support you in whatever you have going on.”

Jax’s cheeks flamed. Still, it took all his effort to pull his gaze from the woman he’d sworn off but couldn’t stop thinking about. Jill pulled his focus from what mattered most—Ren. But still, he couldn’t quit her when she was within arm’s reach. His body actively craved hers.

“Um, yeah.” He took the seat across from Jill. “So, like Bennett pointed out, I have to leave MBE. But Maggie’s right. I didn’t quit just to chase a silly dream from childhood. Well, maybe in the beginning, but then things changed, so the dream changed.”

“I didn’t think you did, hon. What’s going on? Is everything okay?”

“It’s great, actually. Big, life-altering, and a little scary. But it’s great.”

Jill leaned forward in her chair.

Maybe it was a good thing she was here. She’d hear it firsthand and clear up any residual confusion about their almost-relationship.

“Well, get to it, already,” Bennett said.

Maggie whacked him on the shoulder again, and this time Bennett earned a glare. Jax chuckled. Man, he lucked out in the sister-in-law category.

“What your brother means is, we’re excited to hear whatever you’ve got to share on your time.”

Jax took a deep breath and met his mom’s gaze.

“I have a son. His name is Ren and he’s fifteen and no, I didn’t know about him until now.”

Whew. The gentle whoosh of air from his lungs cut through the silent stillness that had fallen over the group. No one blinked, breathed, or shifted in their seats.

He scanned his family and Jill’s faces for signs of what they were feeling and was met with four different emotions.

His mother wept, but her eyes were bright and her smile wide as he’d ever seen it.

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