Page 50 of Jax & Knox

Ainsley relaxes again, slowly, and by the time we pack up to leave, she's laughing at Owen's attempts to eat grass.

"No, baby, that's not food," she says, gently pulling his hand away from his mouth.

He looks up at her with wide, innocent eyes, then grins.

I can't help but laugh.

By the time we leave the park, Owen is exhausted.

He falls asleep in his car seat on the drive back, his head lolling to the side, his little mouth open. Ainsley keeps turning around to check on him, a smile on her face.

"He had a good time," she says.

"So did I."

She looks over at me, and there's something in her eyes, something warm and open and trusting.

"Me too," she whispers.

When we pull up to the cottage, I notice Jax's truck already parked out front.

Ainsley sees it too. "Is that⁠⁠—"

"Jax," I confirm, cutting the engine.

She looks over at me, uncertainty flickering across her face. "I didn't know he was coming by."

"Neither did I." But I'm not surprised. Jax has been just as obsessed with checking on her and Owen as I have. "He probably just got off work."

I carry Owen inside while Ainsley grabs the diaper bag. The moment we step through the door, the smell of food hits me, something savory and warm that makes my stomach growl.

Jax is in the kitchen, unpacking takeout containers onto the small table. He looks up when we walk in, and his face breaks into that easy grin of his.

"There you are," he says. "I was starting to think you two ran off without me."

"We went to the park," Ainsley says, setting the bag down by the door.

Jax's eyes flick to me, then back to her. "Yeah? How'd it go?"

"Good," I say, carrying Owen toward his room. "He's wiped out."

"I bet." Jax watches me pass, and I can see the question in his eyes. Is she okay?

I give him a small nod. She will be.

I lay Owen down in his crib. He stirs for a moment, his little fist clutching at the soft blanket, then settles with a sigh. I stand there for a second, just watching him sleep, warmth spreads through me.

When I walk back out to the main room, Ainsley is standing in the kitchen doorway, watching Jax unpack the food.

"I brought Pizza and wings," Jax says, pulling out a container. "And breadsticks. And some kind of pasta thing the guy at the counter said was good."

"You didn't have to do that," Ainsley says.

"I know." Jax looks up at her, his expression warm. "But I wanted to. Figured you could use a night off from cooking."

She bites her lip, and I can see the emotion building behind her eyes. "Thank you."

"Anytime, baby."