Page 16 of Trusting the Grumpy Mountain Man
Without a word, he shrugs out of his flannel overshirt and drapes it around my shoulders. The fabric still holds his body heat and that scent I'm coming to associate with him—pine, woodsmoke, and something indefinably masculine.
"Jax, you'll freeze?—"
"I run hot." He cuts off my protest. "And you need it more than I do."
The simple gesture, the casual way he gives up his own comfort for mine, does something to my carefully maintained professional walls. I pull the shirt tighter around myself, surrounded by his warmth and scent.
As we emerge from the trees, the teens are gathered around the outdoor fire pit, their chatter and laughter carrying across the clearing. Smoke rises into the darkening sky, and the flames paint their faces in warm, flickering light.
"There you are!" Mia calls out. "We were about to send a search party."
"Just gathering supplies for tomorrow." Jax hefts his bag. "Ms. Chaffeur was kind enough to assist."
Tyler's eyes flick between us, taking in my borrowed shirt with barely concealed amusement. "Looks like you got cold, Ms. Chaffeur."
"Mountain temperatures drop fast after sunset," I say, striving for a professional tone despite the knowing looks being exchanged among the teens.
Jax's hand briefly touches the small of my back as he guides me around a root in the dimming light. The touch is practical, necessary, and completely appropriate. It also sends a shiver through me that has nothing to do with the cold.
"Dinner in fifteen," he calls to the group, his voice back to its usual authoritative tone. "Kevin, you're on cleanup duty tonight."
The teens disperse to their tasks, leaving us standing at the edge of the firelight. Jax turns to me, and in the dancing shadows, his eyes are impossibly blue.
"Keep the shirt tonight," he says. "It'll be cold in the cabin."
Before I can respond, he strides toward the mess cabin, leaving me standing alone in his oversized flannel, my canvas bag full of wild apples, wondering when exactly this stopped being a simple evaluation and became something far more complicated.
I look down at the misshapen apple still clutched in my hand. Sometimes the prettiest option isn't the best one, Jax had said. And sometimes the most unexpected ones are exactly what you need.
CHAPTER FIVE
JAX
"Your form is wrong." I adjust Tyler's stance as he prepares to throw the hatchet. "Square your shoulders to the target."
It's day three of Riley being here, and I'm hyperaware of her presence ten feet away, tablet in hand, documenting every move I make. She's been watching the morning's activities with those perceptive eyes that miss nothing.
"Better," I tell Tyler as his throw sticks in the target. "Now do it ten more times exactly like that."
Tyler grins, pleased with his success. Nearby, the other teens take turns with their own targets under Jesse's supervision. The oldest of the group at seventeen, Jesse has natural leadership qualities that emerged once he stopped trying to be invisible.
"Mr. Reeves?" Mia approaches, holding her hatchet. "Can you check my grip? I keep throwing too low."
I demonstrate the proper technique, conscious of Riley watching our interaction. Since the orienteering exercise yesterday, she's been different. Less critical, more observant. I caught her smiling when Darius helped Kevin with fire-buildinglast night, a small victory that shouldn't make me feel so satisfied.
"Try again," I tell Mia after correcting her stance.
Her throw lands solidly in the center of the target. Her face lights up with genuine pride, and that familiar rush of satisfaction that comes with watching these kids discover their own capabilities fills me.
"Nice work," I say simply.
As Mia rejoins the group, Riley approaches me, her expression thoughtful.
"Hatchet throwing seems like an unusual skill for rehabilitation," she says, but there's no condemnation in her tone.
"It's not about the hatchet." I lean against a nearby tree, giving her my full attention. "It's about focus, control, following instructions. Skills they can transfer to any situation."
"I've noticed." She glances at her tablet. "Their progress in three days is remarkable. Even Kevin seems less antagonistic."
