Page 26 of Cowboys & Navy SEALs

Jaxson lifted an eyebrow. “A whole thirty minutes?” He could’ve pointed out that she’d come to Franklin to pick up her print from the gallery. Visiting him was an after-thought. Then again, it wasn’t worth the effort. He’d had a few good dates with Tillie. She was fun in small doses. He’d never been able to tolerate her for more than a few hours at a time. She was too high maintenance and needy for him.

“Forty-five with traffic,” she snipped. Tillie gave Jaxson a pleading look. “I need you,” she said, her voice small and childlike. She gave him a seductive smile. “I promise I’ll make it worth your while.”

Lucas chortled. “Like I said, cuz. I’ve got this. You do your thing with Tillie. I’ll see ya inside.” He jogged past Jaxson, up the steps and into the house.

Jaxson scowled. This is not how he’d envisioned this evening playing out. Lucas was a perpetual thorn in his side. It was so typical of him to take every opportunity to make a move on Lemon.The more things change, the more they stay the same.

“You poor baby,” Tillie began, moving close to him. “Let’s sit down on the steps. You can lean against me.”

“I need to go inside.” Jaxson ground his teeth in determination as his gaze trailed up the steps to the door. He grabbed hold of the handrail and began pulling himself up.

“Don’t you wanna spend time with me?” Tillie asked in a wounded tone.

Jaxson made it up a couple of steps, but he was breathing hard. He paused, angling to face Tillie. “Look, I appreciate you coming to check on me, but as you can see, I’m not doing so great. I need to get inside and sit down.” A sweat had broken over his nose. He could tell that his breathing was shallow. He’d way overdone it today … and it didn’t help knowing that Lucas was in the house with Lemon.

“I’ll go inside with you,” Tillie offered, “help you get settled.”

“Thanks, but I’m good.” He faced forward and went another step up. In trying to keep the weight off his ankle, his ribs were taking the brunt of the effort. With every step, spikes were being driven through him.Only three more steps to go.

Tillie moved next to him. “Here, put your arm around me. I’ll help.”

Jaxson was too weary to protest. He slid his arm around her shoulders, grateful for the help.

“Okay, here we go,” Tillie said.

It was much easier with Tillie’s help. When they reached the top, Jaxson felt like he’d accomplished a huge feat. Tillie walked him across the porch. When they reached the door, Jaxson turned. “Thanks, but I can take it from here.”

Her face fell. “I just want to help.”

He sucked in a breath, wincing at the sharp pain in his ribs. “You have. I just need to get inside.”

“I know.” She rolled her eyes. “That’s why I’m helping, silly.”

He squared his jaw. “I need to do it alone.”

Her face turned redder than a ripe tomato. “It’s because of the blonde, isn’t it? I knew she wasn’t your nurse,” she sneered. “I saw the way you looked at her.”

White lights exploded around the edges of Jaxson’s eyes. “Let’s talk about this later.”

“No need!” Her voice escalated to a shrill pitch. “The two of us are through! I like your cousin better anyway,” she raged, stalking away.

“Good riddance,” Jaxson growled as he turned the knob and pushed the door open. He hobbled a few steps inside. He looked across the living room, which opened to the kitchen. For a split second, he thought his eyes were deceiving him. But no, there they were … together. This couldn’t be happening! Not again.

“What the devil are you doing?” he thundered as he staggered toward them, intent on punching Lucas’s lights out. His booted foot got caught on the rug. He let out a startled cry as he went sprawling.

Chapter Six

Lemon slammed the door behind her and marched into the kitchen where she threw the picnic basket onto the table. Jaxson had said he wasn’t involved with anyone, and like a moron, she believed him. She paced back and forth across the kitchen. “I’m such an idiot,” she fumed. Hadn’t she warned herself that it was a bad idea to get involved with Jaxson or anyone right now? She couldn’t remember anything. Jaxson could tell her a whole pack of lies, and she wouldn’t have any way of knowing the difference.

An image of the bombshell brunette, her lips pressed to Jaxson’s, burned like lava through Lemon. She marched back and forth across the kitchen as she tried to think. Hurt battered her insides. She’d felt so safe here with Jaxson. The two of them had a deep connection. She thought she’d come home, but it was all a lie—a beautiful fantasy that she’d concocted in her desperate brain.

She needed to leave.

She stopped in her tracks, a trickle of fear running through her. Where would she go? She’d spent most of her cash at Birdie’s boutique. She’d gotten so excited about the beautiful clothes and the discounts that she’d gone overboard. Shethought of her credit cards. She could use those. But wait! What if someone was waiting for her to use them so they could track her? The man with the onyx eyes flashed through her mind. A mocking voice sounded in her head.You are mine. No matter where you go, I’ll find you.Her heart pounded, sweat beads popping over her nose. Her lungs contracted. She couldn’t breathe. She coughed to try and clear her throat, but it was no use. Panic gripped her stomach as her knees wobbled. She fell to her knees, gasping for air.

The door opened.

“Oh, my gosh!” a man said. She heard rapid footsteps. Arms cradled her, lifting her up. “What happened?” he asked.

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