Hometown Reunion. Lisa Carter

Чтение книги онлайн.

       Chapter Two

      With more than a little reluctance, Darcy went inside the shop again with Shirley. Jax turned from the display kiosk. At his feet, Brody was stuffing a child-size Osprey backpack with everything within reach.

      Jax tried taking hold of the pack. But scowling, his son hugged the lime-green bag to his chest.

      “Brody likes to zip things,” Jax murmured. “He was just playing. I’ll put everything back where it belongs.”

      “It’s your store. You can do what you want.” She motioned to the backpack Brody clutched. “I like lime-green, too.”

      Jax shot her a glance. “I remember.”

      She ignored his overture. “Are you going on an expedition, Brody?”

      Lips set in a thin line, Brody unzipped the bag. One by one, he removed the items he’d stashed, holding them up for her inspection. Cords, a pair of waterproof gloves, and carabiners. Which he clicked open and shut.

      She smiled over his head to Jax. “Looks like you’ve got yourself a budding outdoorsman.”

      Uncoiling a notch, he gave her a tentative smile.

      Shirley took hold of the little boy’s hand. “You two should get to work. Since Brody’s packed his gear, we’ll take a stroll around the square. Take in the sights.”

      Darcy rolled her eyes. “That should take about five minutes.” She helped Brody slip the pack on his back and tighten the straps.

      “True.” Shirley headed for the door. “But I also need more experience with little ones before I head to Florida this afternoon.”

      Darcy spent the next thirty minutes familiarizing Jax with shop merchandise and the online accounting system.

      At a flicker of movement on the sandy beach outside, she looked up and saw Shirley giving Brody a beginner lesson on entering and exiting a kayak. The ecoentrepreneur didn’t know much about children, but when in doubt, she fell back on what she did know. And Shirley knew kayaking.

      Brody was too cute in his navy blue crocs, his legs straddling the child-sized kayak.

      And with Jax engrossed in perusing the company website, she took her first good look at Brody’s father. As lanky as ever, tall like all the Pruitt men. Corded muscles rippled along his forearms.

      He’d fulfilled the physical potential of the boy she’d once known. Always handsome with his brown hair and melted-chocolate eyes. Problem was, back then he knew it. He knew just how to use his charm and good looks to his advantage.

      The clean, pleasing aroma of his soap teased her nostrils. Her pulse jumped. She jolted at Jax’s voice.

      “How do you schedule the outings?”

      The faster she updated Jaxon Pruitt on the business he’d bought out from under her, the faster she could return to her own life. Clicking the mouse, she showed him how to access the booking calendar.

      “We offer one- to three-day kayaking expeditions, in addition to half-day trips. Anything from day-tripping to navigating the entire hundred-mile length of the Seaside Water Trail. From the tip of the peninsula at Cape Charles north to Chincoteague.”

      “Aunt Shirley did this by herself?”

      Darcy shrugged. “After high school, I came on full-time. We worked in tandem on the water. But in the last few years, I’ve led the paddle groups while Shirley coordinated details at the shop.”

      Jax ticked through the website tabs. “Where do clients overnight on multiday expeditions?”

      “For the more adventurous, we pitch tents on the barrier islands. Others prefer accommodations at B and Bs we’ve established relationships with, like the Duer Inn.”

      He rubbed the back of his neck.

      “Of course, you’ll need to teach paddle school before every excursion. And memorize the chart routes.” At his dazed look, she stopped. “It’s a lot to take in all at once.”

      His Adam’s apple bobbed. “Yeah.” His shoulders drooped.

      At the uncertainty blanketing his features, a begrudging compassion filled her. “It will get easier, Jax.”

      His gaze cut to hers. “Will it?”

      Darcy’s breath hitched at his bleak expression. “Like riding a swell, it’ll come back. You’ll catch up.” Her heart pounded. “I’ll help.”

      “I need all the help I can get.” His gaze shifted to the window. “Brody likes you.” Jax’s eyes dropped to the keyboard. “He’s been so closed-off since his mother died. I’d begun to think he’d never—” His voice choked.

      The Jax she remembered wasn’t given to displays of emotion.

      She closed the laptop. “Brody is a sweetheart. It’s entirely my pleasure to know your son.”

      Giving Jax time to recover his self-control, she went over the list of gear presented to clients after booking an excursion.