River crouched, adjusting the lens of her camera until she got the shot. Okay, not one shot, she never took just one. She took dozens. The afternoon sun was striking through the wildflowers in a way that had the outer edges of the plants turning a golden-orange shade.
Beautiful. So damn beautiful.
She’d always loved the way the setting sun could enhance a photo. Add warmth and depth and texture.
She had no paid shoots booked today, so she was doing what she always did on her days off. Getting lost in the tranquility of nature. She needed it now more than most days. She needed the grounding and the calm, and the awe.
She switched the angle of the shot, making the sun the subject, and turning the wildflowers into dark silhouettes. Beautiful. And so simple. If only everything in life was as simple as nature.
She’d spent years studying photography. The ins and outs of getting the perfect shot. The small details and the rules of editing. But even though she’d done all the classes, excelled in all the classes, she wouldn’t say they’d been necessary for her to create the perfect shot. She’d always had a way of composing a photo in her head before snapping a picture. Adjusting until she got the perfect angle and lighting. The courses had mostly just improved her technical skills, giving her more of a framework to create within.
River moved her camera again. Then she paused, trickles of awareness sliding over her skin.
Jackson. He was walking down the trail, and his eyes were on her. She almost stood. But the light was hitting his side in a way that had him looking almost…angelic.
She snapped a photo. Then a few more.
As he drew closer, she lowered the lens, focusing on his steps. On the way his feet dug into the path. The way little specks of dust flew into the air with each one.
Magic.
“How do I look?” His deep timbre trickled through her limbs, penetrating the quiet that had been with her all afternoon.
“Like a soldier disturbing the stillness of the earth.” Because the earth had been still before his steps. There was a little wind, a light rustling of the leaves, but that was it.
River rose to her feet slowly, looking up—way up—at Jackson’s face. She often forgot how tall he was. He easily towered over her five seven.
“How’d you find me?” she asked quietly, dropping the camera to her side.
The corner of Jackson’s mouth lifted, and it almost took her back in time. As a teenager, he hadn’t smiled much. But when he had, she always memorized it. Stored it inside her and cherished it.
“Your text said you were in your happy place.”
She’d almost forgotten about that. He’d texted her not that long ago asking where she was. She shouldn’t be surprised he remembered this spot. She’d come here a lot when she was younger. Sometimes with Ryker and Jackson, sometimes with Michele. But mostly by herself. Her favorite pine tree was here. The same one she had tattooed on her wrist when she’d been drunk and twenty-one and feeling spontaneous.
“It’s crazy, isn’t it? I’ve been walking down Umtanum Canyon since I was a teenager, and I’m still not sick of this place.” She glanced over the wide expanse of land. At the calmness of the trees and flowers. Was becoming sick of a place like this even possible?
She looked back to Jackson. He was silent as he studied her.
She gave a small shake of her head. “It must seem silly to you that I love this place so much. You’ve traveled the world. Probably seen a million and one amazingly beautiful places. I shouldn’t blame you for not coming back.”
His hands were shoved into the pockets of his jeans, his large biceps bunching. “It wasn’t so much about wanting what was out there, as wanting to be away from here. From my father. This town.”
She swallowed, and some of the anger she’d been holding toward him wilted. “Was living in this town so terrible?” Didn’t she and her family offer him some good memories? She certainly had some with him.
“It was more that I made a promise to myself when I was a kid that when I was out, I was out.”
But by doing that, it wasn’t just this town or his father he’d sworn off. And that was something he knew. An intentional decision he’d made.
“What are we doing, Jackson?” She hadn’t meant to say those words, but now…she needed to know. They’d kissed twice. And both kisses had been addictive and heart-pounding and soul-awakening. They’d been everything she knew they could be.
His brows drew together as he took a small step forward. “I don’t know. But when I touch you, it feels right.”
She swallowed. It felt right to her, too. But it also felt scary. Because she could so easily drown in those kisses. And where did that leave her when he left? Because he would leave. His hatred for this town and his desire to get out had always been his greatest motivator in life.
“Have you seen your dad again?”
And just like that, the light left his eyes. But she’d known it would. Known that they’d be pulled out of their bubble and back to reality. “I haven’t. And if I don’t see him for the rest of the trip, it will be too soon.”
Trip. The word burned her, even though she knew it shouldn’t.
She gave a short nod, mostly because it was just about all she could muster.
The muscles in his arms rippled. “Have you seen him?”
He’d never liked her anywhere near his father. The few times she had been was when everything in him was darkest.
“No. I rarely see him around town. I don’t think anyone does.”
A short nod of his own.
When they’d been in school, she’d seen his bruises and black eyes. He’d never admitted anything to anyone. She was pretty sure her parents had even tried to make him talk so they could do something to help. She’d always suspected he was just biding his time to get out of town, not wanting to be thrown into the foster care system or risk anything disrupting his enlistment.
His gaze lowered to her camera. “How are the pictures looking?”
She lifted the camera, opening the display screen. Jackson moved beside her, and almost immediately, awareness shot through her limbs. His side touched hers. His heat penetrated her clothes.
Giving herself a mental shake, she slowly flicked through the photos she’d taken.
“Christ, River. They’re amazing.”
She wasn’t one to get embarrassed, but at that moment, her cheeks heated. “Thank you.” She expected him to move away after the last photo. He didn’t. And when she looked up, his eyes were stormy.
“Why don’t you sell your photos?”
“I tried. I wasn’t making money.” She’d quickly realized that maybe doing what she loved was a pipe dream.
“You should try again,” he said firmly.
She almost laughed. “I spent years trying, Jackson. Failing to make it a viable career wasn’t for a lack of effort.”
“Still. You should try again.”
Her lips tilted up. “Maybe.”
He gave her a knowing smile before he started moving down the trail the way he’d come.
She frowned. Did he just expect her to follow?
She glanced up at the sun, knowing it had to be getting close to dinnertime. Fine. She’d follow, but only because she was hungry.
She jogged to catch up to him. “Are you living your dream? You all left the military without explaining why. What have you been doing since?”
He lifted a shoulder, eyes focused ahead of him. “I did some security work.”
He said that with about all the enthusiasm of a snail. “And is that what you intend to keep doing?”
He hesitated. And the hesitation was all the answer she needed. “I have no idea what I’m going to do.”
“So I’m not the only one not living my best life.”
He gave a small chuckle, and it had her tummy doing somersaults. “No. You’re not the only one.”
“Well, maybe we’ll both get there at some point.” She was half joking. She’d probably be taking photos of food until the day she died. Honestly, there was so much work, she was turning jobs down most weeks.
“So,” she said quietly. “You ever gonna tell me how your meeting with Mickey went? That is why you’re here, isn’t it?”
When he didn’t say anything, she looked up. The man was frowning again. Damn, she was a sucker for a sexy brooder.
“I will. But first, I have a question.”
Oh, jeez. This was going to be one of those would-rather-cut-off-my-left-hand-than-answer kind of questions, she could feel it. “Okay.”
“Why did you date him?”
Yep. She was right.
“The guy’s a dirty scumbag,” Jackson added, sneering his words.
Oh, he definitely was. She lifted a shoulder. “Because I was lonely. And he didn’t come across as a dirty scumbag at the start.”
“You dated him for months, Rae.”
Yeah, she’d been an idiot. “It was casual dating. I rarely went to the club, so I barely saw that side of him. When it was just him and me, we bantered. Had fun. I only noticed he had some anger issues in the last month. The second he hit me, I called it off.”
The veins in Jackson’s neck popped out.
“Your turn. What happened when you spoke to him today?”
Jackson took a moment to answer. Whether he was trying to control his anger or just considering his words, she wasn’t sure.
“Mickey confirmed he offered Ryker a place fighting in the ring. He fought every Friday night and was slowly working his way up the ranks. People place bets on the fighter they think will win. Mickey was making a lot of money off him.”
She stepped over a large rock, scoffing. “Well, I’m not going to feel sorry for him now that he’s not.”
“I offered to take Ryker’s place in the ring.”
Her foot caught on the next rock. She started falling, but Jackson grabbed her arm and tugged her back to her feet seconds before her face collided with the dirt.
She swung toward him. “You what?”
“I needed a way to get into that basement. This is it.”
“Jackson, you’re not a cage fighter! Ryker was coming home black and blue every week. He had blood all over him!” She was yelling, but, dammit, she couldn’t help it. It was too dangerous.
He almost looked like he was fighting a smile. “I’ve been trained by the best, River. I can take care of myself in the ring.”
She was already shaking her head, fear crawling up her throat. “No.”
“It’s done.”
An angry breath escaped her throat. He was going to do it no matter what she said. She couldn’t stop him. “Fine. But if you’re going to be down there, so am I.”
This time, he didn’t just smile, he outright laughed. “No, River, you’re not. You’re not going anywhere near that place.”
“Yes. I am. I’m not sitting at home, twiddling my thumbs while you get your ass kicked in a cage, wondering if you’ve been knocked out for good! I want to be there. And you need to make that happen with Mickey.”
“No.”
River’s jaw set. “You know what? I don’t need your permission. I got into that basement once—I’ll do it again.”
She started to walk away, but the hand that was still around her arm tightened, holding her in place, giving her no space. “River, it’s too goddamn dangerous.”
“I don’t care! I need to be a part of this. And if you’re putting yourself in danger, then so am I. You choose, Jackson. I go with you and the guys, or I go on my own.”
His lips thinned, his body almost vibrating. “Fine. But you stay with Dec and Cole the entire time. Do you understand?”
“Fine.”
