Page 16 of Broad Shoulders

“The wave hits you, Jackson,” I tease him.

A teenage surfer catches a wave in front of us, executing a flawless aerial maneuver.

“Now that kid’s showing off,” Jackson says, watching with admiration. Then he reaches for Kai. “Come here, buddy. Time for your first lesson.”

He lifts our son and carries him over to a nearby driftwood log. Placing Kai’s feet on the smooth wood, he holds him upright. “Okay, bend your knees a little. Arms out for balance. Perfect form!”

Kai’s face breaks into a delighted grin as Jackson carefully moves him back and forth, making whooshing sounds like waves. I grab my phone, laughing as I record a video of the pretend surfing lesson.

“I’m so sending this to my mom,” I say. “She’ll think it’s adorable.”

“Speaking of your mom,” Jackson says, lifting Kai into the air and making him squeal with delight, “I thought of something we could get her for her birthday next week—a plant for that empty corner of her yard. Maybe bird of paradise? I know she loves those flowers.”

The thoughtfulness of his suggestion touches me. “That’s such a good idea. It’s sweet of you to remember her birthday.”

“I mean, it’s hard to forget,” Jackson says with a grin. “She’s only mentioned it about twenty times in the last week.”

“Subtle, she is not,” I laugh, shaking my head.

His laugh fades abruptly as his gaze fixes on something beyond me. I follow his line of sight to the water, where a young teen appears to be struggling against the current, his arms flailing as a wave crashes over him.

“Oh, my God. Jackson—” I say, but he’s already on his feet.

“Stay with Kai,” he says sharply, already running toward the water.

My heart lurches as I watch him dive into the waves without hesitation, powerful strokes carrying him toward the struggling teen. Several people notice what’s happening and stand up, pointing and shouting.

I clutch Kai to my chest, my pulse thundering as Jackson disappears beneath the surface. The seconds stretch into an eternity. Kai senses my tension and begins to whimper.

Just when I can’t take it anymore, two heads break the surface. Jackson has one arm around the boy, keeping him afloat as he swims toward shore with his free arm. Other beachgoers rush in to help, pulling the coughing teen onto the sand.

I hurry forward with Kai on my hip, staying back enough to give them space. The boy is gasping and sputtering as someone wraps a towel around his shoulders.

Jackson himself looks stunned, his chest heaving as he catches his breath. Water streams from his hair and clothes, his eyes searching the crowd until they find me and Kai.

Back at Jackson’s house, he showers and changes into clean clothes while I put Kai down for a nap. My hands tremble a little as I tuck the blanket around our son, adrenaline still coursing through me. Once Kai is settled, I find Jackson standing on his lanai, looking out at the ocean in the distance.

I move beside him and place my hand on his back, rubbing small circles between his shoulder blades. He turns to me with a soft smile, his hair still damp from the shower.

“You okay?” I ask quietly.

“Yeah.” He nods, his eyes drifting back to the horizon. “I just keep thinking about how that kid was once someone’s baby boy.”

His words hit me deep. The reality of what could have happened today—what could happen any day—is sobering.

“But everything turned out okay,” I remind him—and myself. “You saved him.”

Jackson nods again, his jaw relaxing a little. “Right.”

“That was really brave, what you did.” I lean in and press my lips to his cheek, a gesture of gratitude and admiration.

When I pull back, his eyes are warmer, a gentle smile playing at his lips. “So all I had to do was save a kid’s life to get a kiss?”

I laugh, the tension breaking. “No. I’ve been wanting to kiss you for a while now.”

“Is that so?” His posture changes, his body turning more fully toward mine.

“Well, look at you,” I tease, gesturing at his entire body. “You’re so goddamn handsome, it’s hard not to want to kiss you.”

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