Page 15 of Tactical Revival

“I’ll hold onto those.” Jaxson slides them back into the folder, then folds it and tucks it into his back pocket.

“He’s using his mistress to sue me. He’s coming after custody of Matty and twenty thousand dollars that I don’t have.” A tear rolls down my cheek. “The hits just keep coming. Why do they keep coming? Why is this so hard?” Jesus, please help me. I can’t do this. I can’t carry this alone.

Jaxson is silent a moment, likely processing everything I said, then he turns toward me. “I’m divorced.”

It’s honestly news to me, since he keeps his personal life under wraps and I never wanted to pry. When Michael told me I could trust him, I did because my brother’s words are solid. “I didn’t know that.”

“Yeah. It was a nasty divorce. She cheated on me—multiple times—and I gave her everything because I kept trying to hang on to what was already gone.”

Cheating never made any sense to me. If you make vows, you should honor them. Still, I managed to find faults in myself that I used to excuse Chad’s behavior. I put on a few extra pounds. I wasn’t available to him as often as he needed me… It was a vicious cycle, and one I still fight with. But the mere idea that anyone would cheat on the man beside me is outrageous.

He follows God, is kind. Strong. Loyal. Everything that a man should be.

So what kind of fool would sacrifice that?

“She reached out to me recently and has been trying to get me to meet up so we can talk ever since.”

“So what you’re saying is that there’s something in the water that’s bringing exes out of the woods and back into our lives like the wrecking balls they are.”

He laughs. “Something like that. I just wanted you to know that I get it. I get how it feels to fight for that piece of yourself stolen by their infidelity. How hard it is sometimes just to get out of bed in the morning because you can’t understand what it was about you that drove them away.”

“I came to terms with the fact that I wasn’t enough for him. I just don’t know why he has to come back and torment me all over again. Why can’t he leave us be?”

“Margot.”

I turn to face him, and Jaxson reaches up to brush some of my hair behind my ears. I shiver at the contact. The feel of his fingers gently gliding over my cheek. My gaze locks with his, and I lose the ability to breathe for a moment.

“You are not the one who was lacking,” he says softly. “Any man would be blessed to have you as their wife. Matty as their son. As far as Chad coming back now? He’s bored. Looking for a fight. And probably realizing that he walked out on the two best people in the world when he left you and Matty behind.”

His gaze drops to my mouth, and I get the slightest inclination that he might kiss me. Would I pull away? Turn my head?

No. I know I wouldn’t. Because even as afraid as I am to get burned again, the pull I feel toward Jaxson Payne is far stronger than my desire to avoid more pain.

He clears his throat and looks away. “So, we have some painting to do?”

I smile. “We do.”

He starts to hand me the papers, then hesitates.

I laugh. “I won’t throw them in the ocean, I promise.” I take them from him. “Meet you back at the B&B?”

“Definitely.” Jaxson begins walking, and I fall into step beside him. As I steal a glance his way, I let myself imagine—if only for a moment—how it would feel to be cherished by a man like him.

CHAPTER 5

Jaxson

After a late night of helping Margot around the B&B, working as quietly as we could so as not to disturb sleeping guests, I’d slept better than I have in years. Add to that the great run I just wrapped up and a morning of watching the sun rise, and my mood is pretty solid.

I also received an email late last night from the Finches thanking me again for finding Kleo, and an update that she is back to her normal self, though she did promise to take things easy in the near future.

God was watching over her, and I pray He continues to do so.

With the stress having melted off of me, I head up the steps toward the B&B. Margot will be up by now and probably having a cup of coffee, and if I time it right, I might get to enjoy a bit of her company before having to shower and head into the office to start my day.

Maybe she’ll have a better one too. It is a fresh day, after all, and she certainly seemed to be in better spirits when we’d finally called it a night.

I open the door and stop dead in my tracks when I hear the voice of the man standing across from the check-in desk, engaged in a conversation with Margot.

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