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.“Come see.” I grin up at him, remembering how much fun we had riding.Jax and I were so small we always rode together when there weren’t enough horses.And he loved King.He would even help me clean his stall.Kingston whinnies excitedly the moment he sees us, and I swear he knows exactly who Jaxon is.He nuzzles his nose into Jax’s chest and stomps.“Hey there, buddy.Do you remember me? We had some good times, you and I.” Glancing around, Jaxon asks, “You got any apples?”“A bribe? Already?” I laugh and grab one from a basket, wiping it across my shirt before I hand it over.With a shrug, Jax palms it and holds it out to Kingston.“Whatever works.” He smirks at me, showing off his dimples.“Later this evening, when I’m done helping Dad, we could go for a ride,” I offer.“That would be great.I haven’t ridden a horse since we moved.”“Really?” I can’t even imagine not being able to ride.He scratches King behind the ears before looking over his shoulder at me, sadness in his eyes again.“We talked about this.Coming home.How it would be.”My throat goes dry and I can’t think of anything to say.We stare at each other until he breaks the silence.“He missed you.”Three words.That’s all it is.But the effect they have on me is ridiculous.I feel my face get hot.My hands get sweaty.My stomach clenches.“He did?” It comes out barely more than a whisper, but it’s such an important question.Because I missed him every single day he was gone.“We would lie in bed on nights Mom didn’t come home, and we would imagine it.What it would be like, ya know? How the house would look, and if you had changed.We even talked about how the first thing we’d do is get you and take Kingston out.Go down to the falls like old times.” He turns around then, facing me.“Do you remember when Benji was supposed to be watching me and we snuck out there because I had never seen the falls before?”I nod.The memory as vivid as if it happened yesterday.“I slipped on the rocks and fell in,” I say.“Almost went over.” My fingers squeeze against the scar on my palm where I had tried to catch myself on one of the sharp rocks.“Benji saw you go down and he jumped right in without hesitation.He dragged you back and you got so mad at him because he could have gotten hurt.You guys were always like that.”I tilt my head inquisitively.“Like what?”Jaxon grins at me.“You were both so worried about the other one.You never stopped to think about yourselves.I remember waiting for you to thank him, but you never did.You just yelled at him for risking his life.” He gives me this look that I don’t understand before he goes on.“I asked him later that night if it bothered him the way you were more angry than grateful.”My stomach knots with guilt.I was so angry with him because he scared the hell out of me.He could have been hurt and it would have been my fault.But at the same time, he was my savior.My knight in shining armor.Why hadn’t I thanked him? I know I was grateful.I remember thinking he was my own personal superhero.Why hadn’t I said the words to him?“What did he say?”Jaxon shrugs, smirking.“He explained you weren’t angry, just scared.And then he said you didn’t have to thank him because he jumped in more for himself than anyone else.I was too young at the time and I didn’t get it.” He shrugs his wide shoulders again and turns back to King, running his hands over the dark mane.“I get it now.” He glances back at me and laughs at the expression on my face.“He didn’t want to lose his best friend.”“Oh.” I bite my lip and move to the other side of my horse, running my hand over his back.“He can come riding with us, too.Benji, I mean.If he wants to.”Jaxon straightens up, looking uncomfortable.“Yeah, I’ll ask him.But just so you know, he has a lot of shit to do today.Unpacking.And Grandpa needs him to help at the store and stuff.We aren’t living with him for free.”“But you don’t have to unpack or help at the store today?”His shoulders rise again.“I’m helping at the store this afternoon.And I kind of unpacked already.I didn’t have much.”I feel like he’s hiding something, but I let it go.I’m certainly not going to push the issue, even if I am dying to talk to Benji.“All right, well, if he can make it, he’s welcome.”Jaxon nods and gives me another hug.“I’ll see you later?”I return the nod, watching him as he goes.I keep my gaze glued to his back until he disappears inside.I head out to relieve Mom
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