Page 100 of Timid (Lark Cove 2)

The fishing pole in the holder whizzed and the line strung tight, ending our conversation. Jackson and Ryder both jumped into action, springing for the reel. I took out my phone and walked to the back of the boat, videoing the entire thing as the guys brought in a beautiful rainbow trout.

We took a picture, commemorating Ryder’s first fish, then set it free.

After the excitement from the first fish, we didn’t talk about Ryder’s past again or their mother. We just enjoyed our afternoon and looked on as Ryder caught three other fish.

I’d made us peanut butter and jelly sandwiches for the boat, but by the time we made it back to Jackson’s house and parked the boat in his garage, I was starving.

“I’m so hungry,” Ryder and I said it at the same time, then shared a look and laughed.

“How about we all get cleaned up and go out to dinner in Kalispell?” Jackson suggested as we all came inside the house and piled coats onto his living room couch.

“Sounds great.” I smiled.

“Cool! I’ll get in the shower.” Ryder disappeared down the hall to his room on the other side of the house from Jackson’s bedroom.

“I know what I want for my birthday,” Jackson said, stepping close.

“What’s that?”

He bent and gave me a soft kiss, pressing his hips and the growing bulge behind his jeans forward. “Shower with me?”

I let out a soft moan. “Well, I might have gotten you a little something else, but a shower sounds nice too.”

I’d gotten him a new pair of boots for his birthday. The soles of his others were coming loose so I’d splurged. These were the same style as the ones he already had, but new and the nicest brand on the market.

“Maybe we should get a little dirty before we clean up?” I whispered as he kissed my neck.

“I like the way you think, Willow.”

“Willow? You jerkface!” I poked his side, trying not to laugh.

He grinned. “Still too soon to joke about that, huh?”

“Since it’s your birthday I’ll let it slide.”

“Thanks.” He kissed me again, this time letting his tongue linger a bit on my bottom lip. He pulled away, but instead of heat in his eyes and a playful grin, Jackson’s face had a hint of worry.

“What’s wrong?”

He sighed. “I just keep thinking that she’ll be back.”

“Me too. But if she does, then we’ll deal.”

He dropped his forehead to mine. “Thanks for everything. For helping get Ryder settled this week. For helping me.”

“You don’t have to thank me.” I wrapped my arms around his waist, snuggling into his chest. “We’re a team.”

He hummed.

But he didn’t say anything else.

“So what’s new?” Hannah asked me and Leighton. She was sitting across from us in a booth at Bob’s Diner. “You two have been so busy lately we’ve hardly seen you.”

I sighed. “Sorry. Things have just been a little crazy.”

It had been a month since the fishing expedition on Jackson’s birthday. Ryder was getting into a rhythm at school. Jackson was adjusting to being a stand-in parent. And I was doing everything in my power to help them both, which meant dinner with my girlfriends had been skipped—a lot.

Actually, dinners with June and Hannah had been few and far between ever since I’d