Chapter 24 Travel Plans
Travel Plans
The aroma of pepperoni and melted cheese filled the SUV like a fresh-baked sin as the girls pulled out of Bennie’s Island Pizza, all windows up and all stomachs growling.
“All I know is this pizza just came out of the oven,” Taylor groaned, shifting in her seat.
“What makes you say that?” Claire asked.
“Because it’s burning the hell out of my thighs!”
“Well, if it’s too hot, you can pass it back here,” Sara offered. “I’ll take that pain for you.”
“Please. You and Taylor will have half a pizza gone before we even get to the driveway,” Macie smirked.
“True,” Taylor said, shrugging unapologetically. “Less to carry.”
Claire, balancing the pizza boxes in her lap, cracked her window as the glass fogged over. A salty breeze replaced the smell of marinara as they turned off the main road and headed toward Jaxon’s.
“Tide’s out, ladies,” Sara announced, the briny inlet scent wafting through the SUV.
“Thank God you can’t smell that at Jaxon’s place,” Claire said, scrunching her nose as they rolled over the gravel path.
As they pulled into the drive, the girls spotted the guys already gathered around the outdoor dining table, drinks in hand like it was tradition.
Jaxon stood and called out, “Need a hand?”
Claire held up the stacked boxes with a smirk. “It’s only four pizzas. I got it.”
The second the girls reached the table, Taylor narrowed her eyes. “Y’all couldn’t wait on us?”
Carter grinned, lifting his beer. “Habit. Sitting out here without one in hand just feels wrong.”
“Well, get your ass up and grab us some,” Sara shot back, already claiming her seat.
Trevor laughed and headed inside. “Yes, ma’am.”
Jaxon followed him to the back deck. “Let’s grab the cooler. Save a few trips.”
Once they came back lugging a full cooler of drinks, the girls had already broken into the pizza like it was sacred.
“Now who couldn’t wait?” Jaxon teased.
“Survival,” Claire replied with a straight face. “Eat or be eaten.”
The sun dipped lower as the drinks flowed and slices disappeared, and the table buzzed with that easy rhythm that only comes when laughter has history. The guys relived their so-called “glory days” with exaggerated stories, while the girls tossed around old high school drama and college regrets.
Claire was mid-bite when she noticed something—every story being told had roots. Everyone knew the players, the punchlines, the past.
Everyone except Jaxon.
But he didn’t shrink from it. He leaned in.
Trevor clapped him on the shoulder. “When Jaxon first got here, before we knew him, we did what any responsible grown men would do.”
Claire raised a brow. “What—challenge him to a duel?”
Trevor smirked. “Nope. We Googled him.”
“Oh, come on, not this story again,” Jaxon groaned.
Claire leaned forward, interest piqued. “Wait. You Googled him?”
“Well, he walks in all confident, doesn’t say much, and the hostess at the restaurant practically melted when he looked at her,” Carter said.
“So Trevor gets his name from Mike,” Taylor cut in, “and of course, pulls out his phone.”
“And?” Sara asked, eyes wide.
“Turns out the new guy’s a legend,” Trevor said. “Baseball superstar, quarterback, full ride to Georgia for baseball.”
Claire turned to Jaxon, stunned. “You got a full scholarship?”
He nodded. “I did. But I turned it down.”
“Wait—why?”
Jaxon leaned back, voice casual but calm. “Because I loved playing ball, but it wasn’t my life. I knew what I wanted—finance, not cleats. So, I took a different path.”
Claire looked around at the beautiful house, the deck full of people, and him—steady and solid. “Well... seems like it worked out.”
He smiled softly, but she could see something flicker behind it.
“Anyway,” he said, brushing it off, “what’s everyone got going on this week?”
“Not much,” Trevor said. “Just work.”
“I’m parked on the beach until further notice,” Sara added.
Then Trevor asked the question no one else was brave enough to.
“Speaking of work... what time are you leaving tomorrow?”
The table went still.
Claire looked at Jaxon, brows pulled. “Leaving? Where are you going?”
He exhaled like he’d been waiting for this moment.
“Denver. The partners called earlier, asked me to check in on a new office we’re opening.”
“And you said yes?”
He hesitated. “They didn’t exactly ask.”
“What time?”
“Noon.”
“Damn, Claire,” Sara cut in, half-laughing. “Let the man breathe between questions.”
“It’s fine,” Jaxon said gently. “It’s just for a day. I’ll be back Tuesday.”
Claire’s jaw tightened. “That’s two whole days gone.”
Jaxon nodded. “It’s quick. The meeting’s only a few hours, but the new manager’s green and they want to get it right. After last time... I can’t blame them.”
Carter chuckled. “You remember what happened in Chicago?”
Jaxon gave him a look. “This is home now. I’m not going anywhere.”
Still, Claire stood quietly and walked toward the dock, the sounds of laughter fading behind her.
Sara watched her go, then turned to Jaxon. “She’s not mad. She just knows time’s short. She’s trying to make every second count.”
Jaxon rubbed the back of his neck. “I was gonna ask if she wanted to come with me. I’ve got miles to burn—it wouldn’t cost a thing.”
“She’ll go,” Sara said, already rising from her seat. “Let me go soften her up.”
About twenty minutes later, the sun was fading and the drinks were nearly gone. Everyone had circled back around the table, picking at crusts and sipping what was left.
Jaxon stood, collecting a few plates. “I’ll go clean up.”
“I got it,” Claire said quickly. “Before we head back.”
Jaxon paused, just looking at her.
That look—that small, quiet thing between them—felt louder than the laughter, heavier than the pizza, sharper than any goodbye.
He smiled, sat back down, and kept the conversation going.
But something had changed.
Something had cracked.
And no one at the table—not even him—could pretend they didn’t feel it.