Page 71 of Tee’d Up For Trouble

He didn’t even try to deny it. “I did,” he said simply.

“Why?”

“Because you needed help.” He took a step toward me, and then when he saw I wasn’t pulling away, he took another and then another. “And because I love you, whether you want to believe it or not.”

We were toe to toe, and my throat felt tight at his closeness. “You had no business doing that, Jax. That was my responsibility.”

“And now it’s taken care of,” he drawled. “You’ve got enough to worry about, Dee. Let me take some of the weight off your shoulders.”

I wanted to yell at him, telling him he had no right to swoop in and try to fix everything, but the words wouldn’t come.

Instead, my anger melted. He’d been right. I’d been trying to push him away, and his actions told me that he wasn’t going anywhere. No one in my life had cared more for me the way Jax seemed to in just a few short weeks. If this wasn’t love, I didn’t know what was.

“Thank you,” I said finally, my voice barely above a whisper.

Jax smiled, his blue eyes warm and unwavering. “Ah…can you repeat that? I couldn’t hear you.”

I rolled my eyes. “I said thank you.”

“Did you?” He winked at me and made me blush. “Where I come from, we say thank you with a kiss.”

He turned his face and tapped his cheek.

I went on tiptoe and brushed my lips against him, relishing his scent. Before I could step away, he pulled me into his arms. “Now, give me a proper kiss, Dee Gallagher, ‘cause I’ve missed you something fierce.”

I grabbed his arms and slammed my mouth onto his. It had been way too long since we’d been together, way too long since I’d had the freedom to feel the way he made me feel, only Jax.

By the time we pulled apart, we were both breathing hard. I licked my lips, and he groaned. I couldn’t believe that I’d gone ahead and kissed him.

Before he could say anything, I ran as fast as my legs could take me, got into my truck, and drove back to The Banshee’s Rest.

CHAPTER27

Jax

Iwas back at the farm, leaning against the fence near the pasture, watching the last rays of sunlight spill over the fields. The light turned everything golden—the grass, the old barn, and the hills in the distance. It was one of those moments when the world felt still, as if holding its breath.

But I wasn’t feeling peaceful.

I hadn’t seen Dee since she showed up at the barn two days ago. She’d looked like she was carrying the weight of the world on her shoulders, but when she’d thanked me for paying the taxes, something in her voice had cracked, and I’d felt it crack something in me, too.

She ran like the hounds of hell were after her. She was scared. I knew that. Did she think I wasn’t? I’d fallen in love with a contrary woman who was insecure, prickly, and full of sass.Andshe didn’t trust me. We couldn’t have a relationship without trust.

I’d spent most of my life keeping things casual, skating through relationships without letting anyone get too close. But with Dee, it was different becauseshewas different.

I needed her back with her whole heart because I had a feeling life with Dee would have these kinds of ups and downs. I didn’t have a problem with that; this was who Dee was. But I needed her to meet me at least a quarter of the fucking way. It hurt that she just believed Cillian’s nonsense—or that she wanted to believe it so badly so she could get rid of me. That fucking hurt.

The sound of footsteps on the gravel pulled me out of my thoughts. I turned, and my heart stopped when I saw her standing a few feet away with her hands shoved into the pockets of her coat.

She looked nervous, her fiery hair falling loose around her shoulders and her green eyes flicking up to meet mine before darting away again. It was as if I’d conjured her up.

“Hey,” I said softly, straightening.

“Hey,” she replied, her voice quiet.

For a moment, neither of us said anything. The only sound was the wind rustling through the grass and the distant bleating of one of Ronan’s sheep.

Finally, Dee took a deep breath, her shoulders rising and falling as she stepped closer. “I owe you an apology.”

---