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One day, I am going to marry Jackson Page. I just had to get him to notice me first.
Jackson Page was kissing me. On. The. Lips!
After years of watching and waiting and hoping, Jackson had finally noticed me. Me, the shy girl who’d loved him from a distance. Tonight, he’d made one of my dreams come true.
“She’s hot.” Hot wasn’t the right word, but I didn’t want to get all gooey in front of Thea. Beautiful. Stunning. Ethereal. Those big words would just lead to questions I didn’t want to answer, so instead, I went with hot.
Hazel laughed, her hoarse chuckle loud in my ear. “I love you, Jackson Page. I’m glad you’ve finally clued in.”
Curiosity, that wretch, made me turn around and open the door again.
Jackson always wore jeans that were faded in just the right places to highlight the apex of his thick thighs.
They molded over the best ass in Montana.
“I will not go to the window. I will not go to the window.” I went to the window.
His appeal was annoying.
“Hey.” He smiled at me, then looked to Hazel. “Just thought I’d come in and say hello.
What a load of shit
“I don’t know what’s going through your head, but steam is going to come shooting out of your ears at any moment.” I focused on Hazel. “Sorry. I’m . . . mad.” “At Jackson?” “Yes.” No. Not really. I was mostly mad at myself. I was mad for giving him my focus for so many years.
“Good,” Hazel declared. “Be mad. Take it out on him. I’m sure that whatever he did, he deserves it. Just like he deserves a thump on the back of the head every now and again.” “He deserves it,” I muttered. “Just don’t be mad forever. I’m not sure what has finally caused that boy’s eyes to open, but I’m glad for it. The best thing that could happen to him is you.”
Maybe the quickest way to let him go was to watch him walk away. Make him work for it? I could do that.
The only women I irritated on a regular basis were Hazel and Thea.
It wasn’t every day I met a woman who had no qualms about slamming a door in my face. I had to admit, it was kind of a turn-on.
The right retort would come eventually. I’d be sitting at home, stewing, and think of exactly what to say and how to say it. My comebacks were witty and hilarious. They were crafted with the perfect amount of sarcasm and bite. They just came too late.
Curiosity had turned me into a glutton for punishment.
“Why are you doing this?” “Because I can’t get you out of my head.”
Haven’t you ever seen someone before and just felt this need to know them?” Yes, I had. Nine years ago in a gas station.
I didn’t miss Hazel watching from a window in the lodge, laughing her ass off. At least I was entertaining her.
Behind me, Jackson chuckled. “I’ve got somewhere else you could sit.”
Dirty minded asshole 🤭
There are a lot of people miserable in their daily lives, always wishing for something bigger and better. It’s nice to be around someone who just wants to enjoy a simple life.”
I stood on my toes, hoping he’d get the gist and meet me halfway. I was too short to make it to his lips on my own. Jackson didn’t disappoint.
Better? I snorted a laugh. There wasn’t better than Jackson Page. In my book—literally in my diaries—he was as good as it got.
“I think what’s important is finding a person who makes you better. And someone you can trust with your heart. And, Jackson? I trust you with mine.”
“Can I tell you a secret?” He leaned down and whispered, “I have a crush on you.” I smiled. “It’s about time.”
Air kisses. Sweet kisses. Soft kisses. Hard kisses. Wet kisses. Tonight, I’d learned it all. And I couldn’t wait to see what he’d teach me next.
I took a deep breath and whispered, “Don’t fuck this up.”
For some reason, Willa had picked me. She wanted me for her first kiss and her first date. I didn’t want to be a disappointment tonight.
I wasn’t a marriage-and-babies kind of guy, but until then, I’d do my best to make this good for her.
His confession, albeit crude, melted my heart.
“No on cupcake.” He chuckled. With his lips so close, the vibration skimmed my cheek. “Sugar?” He kissed the corner of my mouth. My eyelids drifted closed as I whispered, “No.” “Sweetness?” Another kiss, this time to the other corner of my lips. “No.” I wasn’t a donut.
“Me too, babe.” Babe. He’d called me babe earlier, right before I’d come. Maybe it wasn’t so bad. Maybe it was actually kind of perfect. “That one. Babe. I think I like it now.” “Thank god.” He laughed. “I was running out of options.”
Jackson didn’t have a constant. He didn’t have a person dedicated to always being by his side, someone who would choose him first. He didn’t have a champion. Until now.
I was holding nothing back when it came to our relationship. Because maybe if I let him in completely, he’d do the same with me.
When I caught up, Jackson let Hazel go with one arm so he could tuck me into his free side.
this means so much more than either of them are acknowleding rn
Why couldn’t he see what I saw? He was a wonderful man with flaws. I wasn’t blind. He wasn’t perfect. But he was perfect for me.
Never had a woman stared at me the way Willa did. She looked at me like I was a king. The adoration in her eyes had nothing to do with my face or body. She saw straight to my center, and it was the sexiest thing I’d ever seen.
Willa was special. She was the exception to all my rules, because with her, there was no need to guard myself against manipulation or deception.
His gaze held a strange mix of wonder and pain. It had taken me a while to read the look, but I’d finally put my finger on it. He stared at me like he was trying to memorize my face. Like he was already preparing for me to walk away.
Maybe we needed five or fifty fishing trips, just the two of us, but eventually he’d see. I wasn’t letting him go.
Unless he did something truly nasty or spiteful, I’d always be there for him.
Jackson didn’t speak as I cried into his shirt; he just held me, resting his cheek against my hair. I felt his apology in his strong arms and racing heart. I felt it as each one of his breaths got easier and the tension left his back. It was the best sorry I’d ever had, even better than the one he’d written me on a Post-it.
I might not be mad at him anymore, but I didn’t feel bad for him either. He could have slept in my warm, soft bed but he’d chosen not to. If his solution was to get drunk instead of talking through his problems, then he deserved this hangover.
I love that even if she’s accommodating, she’s not brainwashed in her love for him. She’s fair. She knows he’s had a tough life and she know he’s worthy of patience. But that doesn’t mean she’s gonna coddle him.
I closed my eyes and rested my head on his shoulder as he breathed into my hair. I don’t know how long we sat like that, but I’d almost fallen asleep in his arms when I heard my parents. “Just let them be,” Dad whispered. “What about his breakfast?” Mom whispered back. “Willa will take care of him.” And I would.
“He is my heart. He always has been.”
I refused to believe that he didn’t love me. He did. This was just a big step for him and he needed time.
I should have cut her free sooner, but I’d been a coward. A big dumb coward. I hadn’t been able to walk away from her, because I wanted her too much. I needed her too much.
