Page 79 of Tactical Revival

“It’s the one I’ve been repeating to myself as I try and figure out just what I’m going to do now that my home and business are in shambles.”

“We’ll figure it out.”

“We’ll?” she asks, arching a brow.

Heat creeps up my neck. “You know. I’m here for you. Whatever you need.”

“You’ve already loaned me money you shouldn’t have,” she replies with a sigh. “You’ve done enough.”

“No. When it comes to you, I worry I’ll always come up short.”

“Why would you say such a thing?”

Since I feel like I’ve already put it all out there anyway, and given the seemingly near-death experience we both had on the beach, I figure I can’t really mess things up any more than they already are. So I turn to face her. “You deserve so much better than me. It’s important to me that you know that.” I run a hand over the back of my neck. “Because even though I recognize it, I’m desperate for a shot at whatever this is.” I gesture between us, knowing the words I’m speaking are not nearly as eloquent as I’d originally planned.

Candlelight. Fresh flowers. A nice restaurant. That’s where I should be sharing my growing feelings.

Not her parents’ front porch.

But Margot reaches forward and runs her hand over the scruff of my short beard. “We can agree to disagree on your thoughts about what I do and don’t deserve because you’re the only one I want, Jaxson. I’ve just been waiting for us to fix our timing.”

Relief floods my chest, and I feel like I can breathe again.

“I think I can make up for bad timing.” Slipping a hand around the back of her neck, I pull her forward, press my lips to hers, and everything changes.

CHAPTER 22

Margot

Color floods my world, dancing around me in flashes of lights despite the darkness, as all of my worries and every ounce of stress fade away the moment his lips touch mine.

The kiss is world-tilting. Life-changing. And the desire that floods me, searing me from the inside out, is far greater than anything I’ve ever felt before.

Too soon, he pulls away.

“I was tired of having bad timing,” he jokes, his crooked smile melting me all over again.

I laugh. “Me too.”

Silence envelops us, though I can hear his worry-filled thoughts as though they were screaming at me. Hoping the closeness will bring him at least some comfort, I lean into him. His arm comes around my waist, and he presses a kiss to the top of my head.

We might as well have been together for years, rather than it being mere moments from our first kiss. But that’s how things have always been with Jaxson. Since the moment I met him, he was familiar. As though I were made for him and he for me.

“How is Matty doing?” he asks. “I know today must have scared him.”

“It did, but he’s doing okay.”

“He’s strong.”

“That he is,” I reply. “How are you doing?” I sit up. “You said you were worried about Lanetti and this case, but that’s hardly the only thing you have going on.” When he doesn’t say anything, I continue, “Rosalie showing up? Your dad trying to force a reunion?”

Jaxson laughs, though there’s little humor in it. “I’d momentarily forgotten about both of them.” He shakes his head. “As far as Rosalie goes, I haven’t heard anything from her—which makes me beyond grateful. My dad and brother keep harassing me, but neither have shown up here.”

“Your brother?”

He nods. “Brad has decided to forgive our father and wants him in our lives. He’s been pushing me to move past everything that happened.”

“Have you?” I question. Forgiveness is something I struggle with, too. Even as I know not forgiving is a weight that will drown you if you’re not careful.

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