It was longer than he’d expected. “Do you think kids ever adjust to their mother and father splitting up?”
“Who knows? Surely it’s better than living with parents who are miserable because they stayed together.”
“Was your marriage that bad?”
Kayla regarded him for a long moment and he half expected a reminder that her private life was private.
“I thought we were happy, but Curtis is a perpetual adolescent,” she said finally. “He isn’t a bad person, he just loves falling in love...again and again. As far as I know it started with me, but now he’s on his third marriage since we broke up, and I don’t remember how many romances there were between each of them. Every time it falls apart—and each one falls apart faster than the last—he tells me he can’t understand why.”
Her comments were revealing. For one, why was she friendly enough with her ex to talk about his love life? Jackson could understand needing to discuss things such as custody issues...
His gut clenched. It was hard to think about another man sharing custody of Alex.
Kayla had said he still wanted to blame her for the years he’d missed with his son, but it was time to genuinely accept that it wasn’t her fault. And she’d accomplished so much. Those accomplishments were even more extraordinary with the added challenges of having been a single, teen mother. Hell, she’d even started her own company.
There was also her work ethic to respect. Every morning she connected with her manager. Once they’d sent a tricky billing question to her and she’d stayed in camp to resolve the issue while everyone else left for a hike.
Kayla Anderson was someone he might eventually be able to regard as a friend. In the meantime, he needed to ignore the pain in his groin whenever he looked at her.
* * *
KAYLA’S FINGERS TINGLED where they’d brushed Jackson’s palm. It was so annoying. She didn’t even like him, so why did he get her blood moving more than any of the men she’d dated over the past few months?
Surely it was just an echo from her teenage hormones. She’d grown up with teachers’ pity, social workers’ critique and the contempt of students from better circumstances, so when Jackson had asked her out, she’d felt like Cinderella. It had been a wonderful dream until it turned into reality—no guy, morning sickness and a mother who was perched on a bar stool every night. Half the time Carolyn hadn’t even remembered her daughter was pregnant.
Kayla hurried forward to take more pictures of the kids and the landscape, determined not to give in to memories or hormones.
It had been a good day so far. Because it was DeeDee’s birthday, she’d gotten to choose the breakfast menu and what they’d do. Grams had stayed in camp to bake the cake, wanting that part to be a surprise, and Granddad had remained behind, as well.
“Yo, check that out,” Morgan cried, pointing up a tree.
Kayla looked and nearly dropped her camera. It was an eagle. Carefully she took several photos before focusing on the children, wanting to catch the wonder on their faces.
“What is it?” Jackson murmured, coming up beside her.
Silently she pointed at the large bird and Jackson shifted into photography mode, as well.
There was a piercing cry from the eagle and Kayla turned the camera back to where he was imperiously exhibiting his wingspan. He took off and they heard the whoosh of his powerful wings beating the air.
“That was amazing,” she breathed.
Jackson’s camera clicked again and she realized he was taking a picture of her. She decided to ignore it.
“Did you see it, Mommy?” DeeDee squealed, bounding in their direction. “It was an eagle. A real eagle. I never saw one before except in a zoo. It’s a birthday present from Yellowstone.”
“I saw it.”
“Dad, can we go to the gift shop later?” Morgan asked. “I want to see if they have any books on birds.”
“Sure,” Jackson said. “I’m an easy sell if you want books and not more souvenir kitsch.”
“Great. Kayla, DeeDee said she wanted to go the store, too, or I wouldn’t have asked.” Morgan ran back to where Alex was now studying a rock formation.
“You and Morgan seem to have hit it off,” Jackson said after a minute.
“It’s nice to have company when I’m running.”
Coolly, Kayla started toward the three kids, proud she was keeping an unruffled surface. She and Morgan were getting to know each other. The girl appeared hungry for something, but Kayla hadn’t figured out what. To her surprise, she enjoyed the teenager’s company. While Morgan was angry and confused part of the time, she was also clearly struggling with what it meant to become a woman, and that was something Kayla understood all too well.