passed Leo, but he eventually followed. The ferry wasn't huge, but it had an upper deck which was where Jackson led them. Clay took control of the vessel, and a few moments later they were pulling away from the dock.
“ Are we the only ones on here? ” Rebecca asked incredulously as they pulled away.
“ Yep. He normally wouldn't be doing a run today, but it pays to know people, ” Jackson said laughing.
Leo sat down on one of the bench seats and leaned over, watching the water as they started the journey to the island.
“ Wanna sit? ” Jackson asked, yelling a little over the roaring of the engine as it started to cut through the water.
“ Sure, ” she said, almost a little nervous to be somewhat alone with him. He motioned for them to take a seat on another bench seat across the ferry from Leo.
“ He'll be fine, Rebecca, ” he said as he waved her over. She smiled and sat down, still looking at her son.
“ I'm so tired of worrying about him, ” she said, which was possibly the most honest thing she'd said in years. She was tired. Exhausted was more like it. She was tired of being alone, shouldering the weight of every worry life threw at her all on her own. She wanted some big, broad shoulders to carry the weight with her, but her son had to come first.
“ You know, I remember after my father died, I once caught my mother on her knees in her bedroom crying. I didn't really understand what was happening. Here I was, grieving the loss of my Dad, and now my mother appeared to be falling apart too. I just stood there, frozen in place. My mother looked over at me. I could see her face totally change, ” he said, staring out into the water. “ A minute later, her tears were dried, she was on her feet and she was asking me what I wanted for dinner. She just stood up and walked past me like nothing ever happened. That's when I realized that mothers are different. ”
“ What do you mean? ” Rebecca asked softly as his eyes met hers.
“ I mean that mothers have some innate ability to just keep going even when times get really bad. They just move forward, carrying the weight of their family on their shoulders when needed. I really respect that. ”
His words took her breath away for a moment. No one had ever really captured what she had been feeling all these years in words, but he did. How was that even possible? No one could really know the pain of losing a spouse in such a public way. And then having to raise a son who seemed intent on being miserable.
“ Thanks, ” was all she could manage to say for a moment.
“ Listen, Rebecca, I know you're worried about Leo but he's going to be okay. I'm living proof of that. ” He had no idea how much his words meant to her. As he looked at her with those smoldering eyes, it took everything in her not to grab him and press her lips to his. She wanted to get lost in him, but she knew that would be a big mistake because he didn't live in January Cove. She had to focus her energy on her new business and her son. That was all she could handle right now. "You still with me?" Jackson asked, breaking her train of thought. She realized he had put his hand over hers in an effort to comfort her, but suddenly it felt like her skin was on fire. She quickly slid her hand up and pointed into the water.
"Is that a fish?" was all she could think to say. She wanted to literally put her foot in her mouth.
"Rebecca, are you okay?" he asked with a chuckle.
"I'm fine. Of course. Why?" she said, sure that he could see her hands literally shaking. What on Earth was wrong with her? She felt like a school girl again.
"I didn't mean anything by touching your hand," he said softly in her ear. His breath was warm and inviting on her cheek.
"I know. I'm sorry. I don't know what's wrong with me this morning," she said. He smiled at her, and her heart melted. He knew. He absolutely knew that she was attracted to
“ Are we the only ones on here? ” Rebecca asked incredulously as they pulled away.
“ Yep. He normally wouldn't be doing a run today, but it pays to know people, ” Jackson said laughing.
Leo sat down on one of the bench seats and leaned over, watching the water as they started the journey to the island.
“ Wanna sit? ” Jackson asked, yelling a little over the roaring of the engine as it started to cut through the water.
“ Sure, ” she said, almost a little nervous to be somewhat alone with him. He motioned for them to take a seat on another bench seat across the ferry from Leo.
“ He'll be fine, Rebecca, ” he said as he waved her over. She smiled and sat down, still looking at her son.
“ I'm so tired of worrying about him, ” she said, which was possibly the most honest thing she'd said in years. She was tired. Exhausted was more like it. She was tired of being alone, shouldering the weight of every worry life threw at her all on her own. She wanted some big, broad shoulders to carry the weight with her, but her son had to come first.
“ You know, I remember after my father died, I once caught my mother on her knees in her bedroom crying. I didn't really understand what was happening. Here I was, grieving the loss of my Dad, and now my mother appeared to be falling apart too. I just stood there, frozen in place. My mother looked over at me. I could see her face totally change, ” he said, staring out into the water. “ A minute later, her tears were dried, she was on her feet and she was asking me what I wanted for dinner. She just stood up and walked past me like nothing ever happened. That's when I realized that mothers are different. ”
“ What do you mean? ” Rebecca asked softly as his eyes met hers.
“ I mean that mothers have some innate ability to just keep going even when times get really bad. They just move forward, carrying the weight of their family on their shoulders when needed. I really respect that. ”
His words took her breath away for a moment. No one had ever really captured what she had been feeling all these years in words, but he did. How was that even possible? No one could really know the pain of losing a spouse in such a public way. And then having to raise a son who seemed intent on being miserable.
“ Thanks, ” was all she could manage to say for a moment.
“ Listen, Rebecca, I know you're worried about Leo but he's going to be okay. I'm living proof of that. ” He had no idea how much his words meant to her. As he looked at her with those smoldering eyes, it took everything in her not to grab him and press her lips to his. She wanted to get lost in him, but she knew that would be a big mistake because he didn't live in January Cove. She had to focus her energy on her new business and her son. That was all she could handle right now. "You still with me?" Jackson asked, breaking her train of thought. She realized he had put his hand over hers in an effort to comfort her, but suddenly it felt like her skin was on fire. She quickly slid her hand up and pointed into the water.
"Is that a fish?" was all she could think to say. She wanted to literally put her foot in her mouth.
"Rebecca, are you okay?" he asked with a chuckle.
"I'm fine. Of course. Why?" she said, sure that he could see her hands literally shaking. What on Earth was wrong with her? She felt like a school girl again.
"I didn't mean anything by touching your hand," he said softly in her ear. His breath was warm and inviting on her cheek.
"I know. I'm sorry. I don't know what's wrong with me this morning," she said. He smiled at her, and her heart melted. He knew. He absolutely knew that she was attracted to
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