I don’t even have time to answer before she pulls me into a hug too. She smells of sandalwood and fresh air and there is something comforting about her. I like her already.
“This is Aunt Molly,” Jax says as he shakes his head. “As you can see, she doesn’t get many visitors here.”
“Oh, Jackson,” Molly says dismissively.
“It’s a pleasure to meet you,” I smile. “Thank you so much for having us.”
“The pleasure is all mine, sweetheart,” she says before she crouches down to Matthias. “Do you like blueberry pie?”
Matthias grins at her. “I like any pie.”
“Then come with me. I made some special, just for you.” She holds out her hand to him and he looks up at me seeking permission to go off with this stranger.
“Go on, munchkin. I’ll get our bags.” I wink at him and he takes Molly’s hand and walks toward the house. Before they reach the door, it opens again and a huge bloodhound lumbers out and plods down the steps with his tail wagging.
“Momma,” Matthias shrieks.
Oh damn. The dog at the park the other day really freaked him out.
“Blue,” Jackson calls him and the dog pads over to him while Matthias clings to Molly’s leg.
“Come on inside. That old dog won’t hurt you,” Molly says.
“I’ll make sure he stays outside,” a deep, croaky voice adds as another figure appears in the doorway. He looks slightly older than Molly and I assume it’s her husband. He has a beard and kind eyes. Jax looks remarkably like him actually—Molly must be his aunt through marriage, then?
Molly glances back at Jax before she takes Matthias inside. Jax releases the dog’s collar and he goes off into the yard, sniffing at the floor.
“The kid’s scared of dogs,” Jax says sharply.
“I’ll make sure Blue doesn’t bother him.”
“I’m sure he’ll get used to him,” I say with a smile as I make my way to Jax’s uncle. “It’s just that—” I don’t get to finish my sentence because Jax interrupts me.
“I think it’s best if you and your dog just stay out of everyone’s way while we’re here,” he snarls.
I frown at him, wondering what the man could have possibly done to make Jax so mad at him.
His uncle nods solemnly and my heart breaks for the look of hurt on his face. “Okay, son,” he says.
“Do not call me son,” Jax snarls.
Son? This is Jax’s father? I thought he was dead? What the hell?
He winces as though he just made a huge mistake. “Of course.” He looks to the bags in the back of the truck. “You need a hand?”
“Not from you.”
“It’s a pleasure to meet you, Miss.” He tips his hat and then walks down the yard after Blue.
I wait until he is out of earshot before I speak. “Jax? Is that man your father?”
“He’s the man whose DNA I share, but he has never been any kind of father,” he snaps as he grabs some of our bags. “And while we’re here, you will stay the fuck away from him. Do you understand me?”
“Yes,” I swallow because the tone of his voice tells me this is not the time for arguing or asking for an explanation.
Jax walks into the house carrying most of our bags and I grab the rest. I stop at the doorway and look back at his father. Blue rubs himself against his legs as they walk through the overgrown grass. I don’t know much about Jax’s childhood but obviously his father wasn’t around much and I wonder what their story is. He’s clearly not all bad because that dog seems to adore him, and animals are good readers of people, right?
I carry the bags inside and as I reach the door, Jax is making his way back through it. He takes the bags from my hands. “I’ll show you to your room and then Molly has supper ready.”