Epilogue
T he day was going to be another hot one, but this early in the morning, the sun was kind. A gentle breeze blew across the back of Jax’s neck. She wiped a loose strand of hair out of her face, then bounced the fuzzy green ball on the court. Twirling the racket once in her hand, she hit a slow, easy forehand across the court.
On the other side of the net, Rico skittered up to the ball, flailed his racket, and smacked at the ball. Jax watched the ball arc and rocket over the fence.
Rico frowned. “It was the wind. It was, uh, really gusting.”
Jax strolled to the net. “It takes a lot of time and practice to learn how to control the racket. You have good hand-eye coordination, though. That’s a start.”
“I do? Yeah, of course I do.” He gave her that swoony grin of his as he met her up at the net. “How does it feel? Getting back on the court?”
Jax looked down at her tank top and shorts. “Good,” she admitted. “Really good.” The racket in her hand felt like an extension of her body. Every swing and step was like saying hello to an old friend. “I just checked this morning, and Sagebrush Canyon College has an intramural team.”
“You should join it,” Rico said immediately. “I mean, if you want to.”
Jax twirled her racket. “I think I might.”
Rico's smile still made her knees turn to water. It was all almost too good to be true. Every morning she woke, worried she’d find that it was all a dream. That she was still living in a messy apartment in Haley’s shadow.
But no. More often than not, she woke to find Rico in bed next to her. Some nights they had sex. Other nights, when her fear inexplicably returned, Rico would simply hold her in his arms. She’d snuggle into his chest and fall asleep feeling safe at last.
“What have you got going on this week?” he asked, snapping her into the present.
“You just don’t want to go get the balls, do you?” Jax teased him. All three balls from the can were now located outside the fence thanks to Rico’s heavy swinging handiwork.
“I’m just showing interest in my girlfriend’s life,” he replied, suave as ever. “As a good boyfriend should.”
Girlfriend . Boyfriend . Those words sent thrills all the way through Jax’s body, down into the cuticles of her toes. She had to concentrate to remember Rico’s question.
“This week? Still unpacking.” She and Willow had moved into a cute two-bedroom apartment just a short drive from SCC just a few days ago. Willow was completely unpacked, no surprise, but Jax had dawdled. Spending so many nights at the house Rico now shared with his sister hadn’t helped.
“I hear ya. I’m still digging out of my boxes, too,” he admitted. They’d both moved within a week of each other. Rico’s commute was brutal, but secretly, Jax loved that he was only 10 minutes away now .
“Dr. Goldman’s celebration of life ceremony is tomorrow.” Jax chewed on her lip. Rico read her thoughts.
“You still haven’t told Layla about her fiancé cheating on her?”
Jax shook her head. “I was going to, but then Dr. Goldman died. She’s been so upset. I just couldn’t add to her burden. I will, though. Soon.”
Rico sighed and leaned against the net. His damp white sports shirt now stuck to his body, outlining hard pecs. Jax ached to run her hands down his muscles.
What were they talking about? Shit. A funeral. Right.
“Then I’ve got a therapy appointment on Wednesday,” she continued.
“How’s that going?” He reached over the net and stroked her arm.
Jax shrugged. “It’s hard. Really hard. But good.”
It hadn’t taken Mom Clarissa long to jump into action after Jax’s big confession. That translated into shotgunning books on sexual violence and PTSD and not-so-gently nudging Jax to seek therapy. Dr. Richards was great, though. The no-nonsense therapist wasn’t afraid to ask tough questions or call Jax out on her bullshit when she tried to scurry away from difficult topics. Every session left Jax exhausted, but she always felt lighter the next morning.
Little by little, the darkness was fading, letting go of its grip on her.
Interestingly, Jax had learned that Willow saw the same therapist. For what, Willow wasn’t ready to share, and Jax knew better than to pry.
“Well, if you ever want to talk about your sessions, I’m here,” Rico said.
“I know you are.” Jax grabbed his hand and laid a gentle kiss on his knuckles. Oh, the things Rico’s hands could do to her body at night. She shivered in the heat, then pushed away her dirty, dirty thoughts .
“Oh!” she said. “And I’m going to the city council meeting on Thursday. That should be interesting.”
Rico snickered. “I bet.”
Jax’s article on Mayor Bishop had landed on Yucca Hills like a grenade last week. Council members were already calling on him to resign. So far, he’d only put out a milquetoast statement claiming “poor judgment” and announcing that he was retracting his recommendation to revoke The Rose and Thorn’s zoning exemption.
“The city council is officially going to censor the mayor,” Jax preened.
Rico snorted. “He’s going to fight everything and try to cling to power.”
Jax nodded. “The council can’t force him to resign, since he technically didn’t do anything illegal. The voters will have to decide next year. But at least The Rose and Thorn is safe.” She nudged Rico through the net with her hip. “What about you? Working on any good stories?”
“Always.” His eyes lit with excitement. Jax loved so many things about Rico, but one of her favorites was his sheer joy at running down a new story. “I got a tip about an avocado farm in North County. They use Mexican and South American nationals to work their fields through a farmer’s visa program with the government. The program requires the farmer to provide room and board for the migrants that meets a basic level of decency.”
“Let me guess . . .” Jax said.
“The conditions these people are living in are truly horrendous.” Rico glowered. Jax knew that expression. He wasn’t just after a story. He was on a mission to right injustice. It was so sexy. She almost wanted to tackle him over the net and start tearing his clothes off.
His expression cleared. “And I have a great story for my overlooked news segment. I’m going to highlight this woman, Mariana. Thirty years ago, she started as a maid at one of the nicest hotels in San Diego. Now she runs the entire hotel. Isn’t that amazing?”
Jax gazed at Rico. “Amazing. Yes.” She licked her lips. A week ago, she would have grabbed a lollipop from her pocket, but now she had something sweeter she wanted to put her lips around.
“Come here.” She grabbed the front of his shirt and pulled him toward her. Over the net, their lips met.
He dropped his racket. She barely noticed. Their lips danced, tongues exploring, hands pressing into flesh.
Rico pulled back. “My beautiful Jacklyn. You’ve won me. Game. Set. Match.”
She snorted. “You’ve been waiting all day to say that, haven’t you?”
“Of course not. Okay, maybe. Yes.”
Jax didn’t care. She loved this strong, amazing, gorgeous man so much. She dropped her racket, climbed over the net, and walked into his waiting arms.
~
The End