Page 7 of Joining Little Jessica

Her eyes darted to Rowan, then to Forrest. Her breath came faster now, the memory of her father looming too large in hermind. She couldn’t do this. She couldn’t be around a man who shut down like that, who might snap at any moment. It was time to leave, to get away before?—

“Hey, it’s alright.” Sebastian’s deep voice broke through her spiraling thoughts. He stepped closer, his hand hovering just near her shoulder—not touching, but offering. “You’re safe. You’re here, with us.”

Safe.

The word was like a lifeline in the storm. SheknewForrest wasn’t her father. He wasn’t a big asshole bully, ready to beat her to a pulp. He was just a man dealing with something difficult. Something he wasn’t ready to share with her. Jessica forced herself to breathe, to focus on Sebastian’s calm presence. He wasn’t her father. None of them were.

Forrest, sensing what had happened, shook his head and took a step back from her. His eyes, filled with guilt, softened as he met hers. “I’m sorry, Jessica,” he said, his voice low. “I didn’t mean to?—”

“It’s not... it’s not you,” she whispered. “ I just... I got scared.”

Forrest’s face fell, but he didn’t push her for more. Instead, he simply nodded, taking another step back to give her space. “I’m sorry I scared you.”

“No!” Jessica cried out. “No... it wasn’t you. Just...” She ran her hand over her face, before resting it on the horse’s velvet coat. “My father... he wasn’t a very nice man. And he would sometimes shut down and get quiet just before he had a very violent outburst.”

The men were really quiet, none of them saying a word, before a hand appeared on the horse right next to hers but not touching. When she looked up her gaze met Forrest’s soft expression.

“I’m sorry I triggered you, babygirl. I’ll do my very best to not shut down like that again.”

Jessica’s chest still felt tight, but the tension in the air began to ease as the men gave her the room and time she needed. With time and space came an overwhelming sense of shame at her slight panic attack. It was clear Forrest wasn’t her father. He didn’t have the same dark edge lurking beneath his surface. But that moment had still triggered something deep inside her, something she hadn’t expected because she hadn’t had an episode like this in a few months. And now, for the first time, they’d seen it too. They saw how fragile she still was, how much she carried with her from her past.

“Do you want to take a break?” Sebastian asked gently. “We don’t have to ride today if it’s too much.”

Jessica looked down at the snow, still feeling the weight of the moment. Part of her wanted to run back to her room and hide under the covers. But another part—the part that had come here to heal—knew that avoiding this wouldn’t make it better. She had to face it.

“No,” she said, her voice small but firm. “I want to ride.”

Rowan’s grin returned, though it was gentler this time. “You sure? We can take it slow, no pressure.”

Jessica nodded, though her heart still beat a smidge too fast. “Yeah, I’m sure.”

Sebastian and Forrest exchanged a look, and then Forrest nodded, sending a timid smile her way. “I’ll be right here the whole time,” he whispered. “If you need anything, just tell me. We won’t push you.”

“Okay,” she whispered, meeting his gaze. There was no anger in his eyes, only concern. And in that moment, she knew she could trust him. She had to try.

With shaky hands, Jessica reached for the reins of her horse. The men stayed closer, offering quiet encouragement as she mounted. As they began their slow ride out into the snow-covered fields, she felt a flicker of something deep inside her—something fragile but important.

Maybe this was the start of her learning to trust again. One small step at a time.

CHAPTER 5

The snow crunched under Forrest’s boots as they made their way back toward the lodge. The horseback ride had been a wonderful distraction, but his mind kept circling back to Jessica. He couldn’t help but notice how her nerves seemed to settle as they rode, the tension slowly unwinding from her small frame. But now, as they walked toward the snowman-building competition, the quiet between them felt heavy.

Forrest hadn’t been able to shake the guilt gnawing at him since earlier. His reaction to her question had been... well, bad. He could see it in her eyes, the way she’d tensed, like she was bracing herself for something worse. The look had made his chest tighten because he recognized it. It was the look of someone who had been hurt badly before. Someone who expected more pain when they let their guard down, even just a little.

His gaze drifted to her as she walked just ahead of him. Small puffs of breath escaped her lips, her cheeks flushed from the cold. Her hands were shoved deep into her pockets, her fingers no doubt fidgeting with her sleeves like she seemed to be prone to do when nervous. He had noticed that about her—the smaller things. The way she fiddled with the hem of her skirt, shirt orsleeves, the way her smile started hesitant, almost shy, before it bloomed into something brighter. The way her eyes would light up when she talked about something that excited her. She didn’t seem to realize how expressive she was, how easy it was to read her emotions, even when she tried to hide them.

Forrest stopped short as the weight of his thoughts hit him. He was more attracted to her than he had realized. It wasn’t just her looks, though she was undeniably beautiful in a way that made his heart beat a little faster every time she smiled. It was her spirit, her bravery, her resilience. She’d agreed to spend time with them, even though it had been evident she was clearly scared and wary because of something in her past. From the way he’d triggered her this morning, he’d bet she’d had some harrowing experiences in her past, yet Jessica had shaken it off and was enjoying their time together immensely if her giggles were anything to go by.

There was something about Jessica that pulled at him, made him want to protect her, but also made him want to know every part of her—the parts she kept hidden, the parts she was learning to trust others with.

“You okay?”

Her soft voice pulled him from his thoughts, and he blinked, realizing she had slowed down to walk beside him. She looked up at him, concern in her eyes, and he could see the worry etched into her expression. He forced a smile, trying to shake off the weight of his emotions.

“Yeah, yeah. I’m good. Just thinking,” he replied, his voice sounding more casual than he felt. He couldn’t bring himself to tell her what was really going on in his head.

They reached the field where Sebastian and Rowan were already plotting out their snowman strategy. An error if you asked Forrest, because any Little worth their salt would have theirownideas on what their snowman should look like,so Forrest hung back. He watched them with only half his attention. Surprising him, Jessica stayed with him, her small form bundled in her coat, looking up at him like she wanted to say something but wasn’t sure how to start. He let her. Forrest wouldn’t be pushing her anymore today.

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