Page 74 of The Devil in Blue Jeans
Even Charly was struggling not to laugh now. She tugged on Jaxon’s hand. “We’ll just...um...meet you back at the fire,” she said, hurrying away, hearing Jaxon in hysterics behind her.
Once they were far enough away, Charly let out a fit of laughter. “I had no idea that was going on,” she said. “Did you?”
Jaxon pulled her close, wrapping his arm around her neck and kissing her head. “No idea, but they did look pretty cozy didn’t they?”
“Definitely comfortable.” She smiled.
Jaxon turned his gaze to hers. “Do you think it’s a good thing that Eli and Willow might be getting together?” he asked curiously.
“I think so,” she replied. “They’ve been through something very similar. I like Eli—he’s made of good stuff, right?”
Jaxon nodded. “I’m probably biased because I’ve known him my whole life, but I don’t think anyone would be better for Willow than Eli.”
She smiled, leaning into him, as he wrapped his arms around her tight. “Maybe, but I’m not sure how he’ll fare when it comes to Aubrey. She can be quite protective of Willow.”
Jaxon pressed a quick, soft kiss to her mouth and grinned. “I’m sure Eli will manage fine.”
“We shall see,” Charly replied seriously. Aubrey was a force, and she wasn’t sure Eli could stand against it.
They moved closer toward the fire, until Jaxon stopped near the house. In the distance, the cowboys, as well as some women Charly didn’t know, were singing along with Gunner and Decker, accompanied by some very entertaining dance moves—no doubt the result of the empty beer bottles around them.
Jaxon tilted his head down at Charly. Emotion filling his eyes as he said, “I wish my parents could have seen this—seen you here. They would have loved you and loved you for me.”
Warmth settled deep into her chest, and she rose, sliding her arms around his neck. “I wish I could have met them too. But we’ll remember them as we make our own memories here.”
“Maybe even our own family,” he murmured in agreement.
She expected to feel anxious at his words, yet the worry never came. “Maybe so,” she said gently. Then she added with a laugh, “In the future.”
Jaxon hesitated. His eyes showing a hint of apprehension. “Boys,” he said at last, his voice almost a whisper, “I should say I want boys. No girls.”
She scoffed. “We arenotstarting this again. What is wrong with girls?”
He lowered his chin, meeting her at eye level and said with complete seriousness, “I can only handle one of you. A whole houseful could be my downfall.”
She burst out laughing, unable to help herself. “I hate to break it to you, but there’s something you should know about my family,” she replied playfully as she strode away from him and toward their friends at the fire.
“What’s that?” Jaxon called after her.
“We haven’t had a boy in the family for three generations,” she called over her shoulder, and laughed even harder as his curse echoed across the night sky.
