12 Jax #2
Walls? What Cora had going on made the Great Wall of China look like a picket fence. “And you didn’t think to tell me this
earlier?”
“I thought you said you didn’t need any help in the wooing department.”
Fair enough.
“But behind the walls, she’s a deeply caring person. She just needs you to help her push past them.”
“Do you have any tips? For pushing past them?”
“Now that’s the million-dollar question.”
Or at least that’s what he thought she mumbled under her breath.
“What?” he asked.
Her bright cheerleader smile returned. “Relationship advice isn’t really my thing, but I’m sure by now you’ve discovered Cora
loves everything about nature. And she has a soft spot for someone who can make her laugh.” She raised her eyebrows, looking
expectant.
“So I should take her hiking and tell her jokes?” There was plenty of skepticism in his voice. Cora was faking phone calls,
and that was the best inside tip her sister could give him?
Bianca shrugged. “I’m sure you’ll think of something perfect.”
Things weren’t looking good in that department. Not yet, anyway.
He watched Cora high-five the little girl after her serve made it over the net. She was really sweet with the kid. Kind and
attentive and encouraging. This different side of her intrigued him. The same way her wit intrigued him. And her pickleball
skills.
“Did she play tennis in college?”
“Who? Cora?” Bianca asked. “I don’t think so. Why?”
He shook his head. “No reason.”
Luke looked over at them. “Bianca, are you ready?”
“Sure.” She grinned innocently at Jax. “We don’t want to keep you from your date.” Then she grabbed the bag she’d set on
the bench and joined the trio on the court. “Just wanted to pop in and say hi,” she said to Cora.
“Hi.” Cora didn’t look like she was overly amused by her sister’s impromptu visit.
Sylvie handed the paddle to Cora. “Thank you for playing with me.”
Cora softened when she looked at the little girl. “My pleasure. Have fun at the park.” The trio left, and Cora joined him
at the benches.
Jax took a cold water out of the cooler and handed it to her. “Your prize for a well-earned victory.”
She uncapped it and kept her gaze glued to his. “And if I had lost?” There was a hint of a grin there.
“You would’ve gotten the same thing with a different tagline.”
He wouldn’t have classified her response as a laugh. It was more of an exhale with the thought of a chuckle, but he still
took it as a positive sign.
Okay, today might have been a hiccup, but he had this. He was Jax Verona. He’d never met a human he couldn’t turn into a friend.
People loved him. And while he didn’t like to brag, he was pretty good with the ladies.
“I know it’s been a busy day for you, but if you have time, I’d love for you to stick around a little longer.”
“What? Looking to go double or nothing?” She had a challenging glint in her eyes.
He chuckled. “No.” Not today, anyway. “I have something I thought you might like to see. Do you like baby animals?”
She studied him, looking unconvinced. “Is this part of your charming Jax Verona act everyone keeps warning me about?”
He looked amused. “No. In fact, I’ve never taken anyone to see this.”
“So why me?”
“It’s right here. And you look like someone who might appreciate it.”
She seemed to consider that for a second, then shrugged. “Well, now I’m curious.”
“Okay, but you have to turn off your cell phone. There’s a thing about noise.”
She pulled her phone out and toggled it to silent mode. “Where exactly are you taking me?”
“You’ll see.” He started walking.
She hesitated for a second. “What about all our stuff?”
“It’ll be fine here. We won’t be gone long.” When he got to the gate, he kept going, not bothering to wait for her.
She caught up to him, and they walked to the far side of the park where the marina was located. Then they walked to the farthest
side of the marina and headed where the last boat was docked next to the mangroves. He waited for her where they could easily
step from the dock onto the deck of a sportfishing yacht.
He motioned to the boat. “Ladies first.”
She gave him a quizzical look. “Is this your boat?”
“Nope.”
“Do we have permission to be on this boat?”
“Depends on your definition of ‘permission.’”
“How about the one that ends in us not getting arrested for breaking and entering?” She paused and stared at the boat. “Or
whatever it is you get charged with when you go on someone else’s boat.”
“Now, where would the adventure be in that?” Without waiting for her, he stepped onto the boat.
This particular boat had a tower that went up three levels. On the second level was the main cockpit and could be accessed
by a short set of steps.
But the third level, which was about twenty more feet up in the air, could only be accessed by a narrow ladder.
It was more of an observation deck, used for spotting big fish, and had limited controls.
Frankly, it wasn’t used all that often, and there wasn’t a whole lot of space up there, but there was enough room for the two of them.
Especially for what they were going to see.
He started climbing hand over hand up the ladder without looking back to see if she would follow, because he knew she would.
She didn’t seem to be the type to turn down a challenge.
When he got to the top, he stepped on the platform and turned to check on her progress.
“Are we lifting the boat?” she asked as she climbed up the last few rungs.
“Are we doing what?” He offered his hand to help her onto the deck, but she ignored it. On her own, she climbed onto the small
deck and took up her spot next to him.
“I don’t know the correct term for this kind of thing. Nick? Pinch? Thieve? Or do y’all use something else nowadays?”
He eyed her. “Nowadays? What, are you sixty?”
She laughed. It was one of her authentic laughs that bubbled from her naturally, not from whatever facade she was trying to
keep up. It was the kind of laugh that intrigued him.
“Let me try that again in layman’s terms,” she said. “Are we here to steal this boat?”
It was his turn to laugh. “No. We’re here to see that.” He pointed to her right, where the busy beach town faded into a swampy
natural forest.
She squinted in the direction he was pointing. “And what exactly are we looking at?”
“There,” he said again. He stepped close to her, leaving just a hint of space between them. With his body close to one side
of her and his arm on the other, he pointed again.
Yes, it was a measured move. After all, this wasn’t his first go at the dating game.
But he wasn’t ready for the way being close to her made him feel, almost like he was tipsy.
He could feel her warmth and smell the flowery scent of her shampoo.
There was something about her that drew him in, taking up all of his focus.
When he was close to her, everything else seemed to fade away, and the air between them seemed to crackle.
He took half a step back. Maybe a little space was a good thing.
“Just at the top of the tree line, you’ll see a nest on top of a platform,” he said. “It’s a sort of fake tree to give the
ospreys a place to nest.”
It took her a second, but then she brightened, “Oh, I see it!”
“Now look in the nest.” He was quiet for a second, and as soon as the noise stopped, the sound he was waiting for filled the
air. The sweet little chirps of the osprey chicks.
“There they are.” Cora’s hands flew over her mouth, seemingly captivated by the scene. “Aren’t they precious.”
Four little downy heads peeked up over the top of the nest. They were bigger now than when he’d last checked on them a week
ago.
He dropped the arm that was around her and stepped next to her, draping his arms over the railing. “I like to call them Huey,
Dewey, Louie and Frank.”
She let out a little scoff that almost sounded like she was making fun of him, but her expression was soft. “Clever.”
“I try.”
“Are they ospreys?”
He nodded. “By my calculations, they’re about six weeks old.”
She shot him a suspicious side-eye. “I thought you were afraid of birds.”
“Not baby birds. Who can be afraid of a baby?”
She seemed to consider that for a second, then gave a shrug of agreement.
“Plus, ospreys fascinate me. Did you know they mate for life?”
“I did not know that.”
“Yeah, and you can tell how committed the couple is by the level of gifts the male brings to the female.” He pointed again
toward the nest. “This female seems to like the color blue, so notice how much blue material her hubby has brought to pad
their nest.”
“I had no idea. So fairy tales do come true.” Cora studied the nest, captivated.
Jax, on the other hand, was captivated by her.
Cora was somewhat of a paradox. She was tough and determined but could be soft and caring. She seemed like the kind of person
who didn’t take anything from anybody, but he also got the impression she would walk to the ends of the earth for those she
loved. The more he got to know her, the more he wanted to know about her.
That thought scared him a little. Because unlike osprey, he didn’t do forever. He had only signed up for a summer romance,
which meant he needed to solve the mystery of Cora Prestly by the end of the season.
She propped her chin on her hand, staring dreamily at the baby birds. “I wish I had my camera.”
“We can come back,” he said. “It’s especially breathtaking at sunset.”
She turned to him, eyebrows raised. “So we’re not here to steal the boat?”
He chuckled. “No, we are not here to steal the boat.”
She seemed to consider that for a second, then straightened and studied him with an intense gaze. “Jax Verona, do you steal
things of great value? Like, say, art?”
“You don’t beat around the bush, do you?”
She shrugged. “Like I said before, I know what I want, and I’m not afraid to go after it.”
Yep, she was intriguing, all right.
“I do not steal things.” He paused and thought about that for a second. “I mean, this one time when I was seven, I stole a