Page 44 of Jasper

I glance at the raised beds that I’ve barely started on. “It’s peaceful. I used to have a garden.”

His head tilts, curiosity lighting his expression. “Yeah? When was that?”

“When I lived with my foster family,” I say, pulling a few more weeds and piling them beside me. “Each kid had their own plot. We were expected to take care of it. Weed it, water it, harvest it.”

“What’d you do with everything you grew?” he asks, voice low and genuinely interested.

“Our foster parents took most of it to a street market on Saturdays,” I explain. “Sometimes we got to help sell the produce. I think they kept the money for the house, but I didn’t mind. I just loved growing things.”

Jasper glances around at the neglected beds, his brow raising. “We don’t grow anything here. Rowie wanted to try gardening once, so we built these, but she hated the bugs and ditched that idea almost on day one. Now, we plant pumpkins for Rowie once a year, but that’s about it.”

He pauses, then looks back at me. “If you want to use this space, it’s yours. I’ll get whatever tools and seeds you need, so you can keep playing in the dirt.”

My heart skips.

I blink at him, and then I can’t stop myself. I lunge forward, throwing my arms around his neck.

He grunts as I jump into him, my dirt-covered hands and arms wrapping around his shoulders. “You’re getting soil all over me.”

There isn’t any heat behind his words, and as he embraces me and squeezes me, I melt into his warmth.

“I don’t care,” I mumble into his chest, smiling widely. “Thank you.”

“You’re welcome, baby girl. So welcome.”

* * *

I’m still outside as the sun dips behind the trees and the air turns cool. Jasper finds me again, telling me to come inside before it gets too cold. I turn to argue with him and tell him I’m fine, but his stern expression stops me in my tracks, and I find myself following him toward the main house. Then he tells me he has to handle some business after dinner, so I’ll have to sleep in the main house tonight. I nod, trying not to let my disappointment show. I shouldn’t be upset that I won’t be able to sleep in his arms again. It’s silly for me to expect it. Last night was probably just a one-time thing.

We walk together, and even though my hands are dirty, he takes one of them and intertwines our fingers. It soothes my disappointment a tiny bit.

The moment we step inside, I’m wrapped in the noise and warmth of his family, and I smile. It scares me how much I like it here. Around all these people I barely know. They treat me like I’m one of them. Like they care about me. I feel kind of bad that I’m still struggling to get all their names right, but sheesh! There are so many of them.

Being here reminds me of something I barely remember.

What it’s like to have a family.

And that’s something I miss so incredibly much.

Several of the guys come and go from the kitchen while Jasper stands beside me at the sink and actually washes my hands for me. Then he grabs a towel and wipes my face and arms free from any remaining soil. The entire time, he smirks and shakes his head, muttering under his breath about how dirty I am.

Once we’re seated, everyone digs in. Jasper rests his hand on my thigh under the tablecloth. I try to eat slowly, to enjoy the food like everyone else, but the gnawing instinct inside me won’t stop.

The voice that whispers,What if this is the last real meal for a while?What if you have to go live on the road again? What if Jasper changes his mind and sends you away?

So I eat fast. Too fast. I try to slow myself down, but the fear is louder than the logic.

Jasper notices, of course. He says nothing, but his hand tightens slightly on my leg like he’s trying to reassure me.

After dinner, Jasper stands, leaning down to kiss my temple. “I’ll be back later, rainbow. Be good for Theo and Koda.”

I nod and watch him leave with Cassian, Cage, and Ghost. None of the men speak of where they are going or what they are doing, and the girls don’t seem concerned about it either, so I don’t ask.

Rylan, Dom, and Gunner announce they’ll handle clean-up duty. Theo and Koda nod and tell us that we can go play in the playroom. My cheeks heat when they say it so casually, like having Littles in the house isn’t odd. I guess maybe for them, it’s not.

Ember grabs my hand and pulls me to the playroom with Rowie leading us. My stomach flutters with excitement, and as we walk into the room, the world softens around me, and I let myself begin to fall into my favorite place.

It’s magical in here.

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