Page 72 of Jay Bird

The sun had almost disappeared completely, leaving behind only a faint orange glow along the horizon while the moon climbed higher over the creek. The water below reflected both, catching slivers of light every time the surface moved.

Everything was quiet, calm, the kind of stillness that didn’t feel empty but instead felt like the world had finally taken a breath and decided not to rush into anything.

Jay Bird sat in one of the chairs at the end of the dock with a beer resting loosely in one hand.

He looked over when she approached.

“Do you mind if I join you?”

“Not at all.”

Willow smiled and held up the monitor. “Just in case Sleeping Beauty wakes up.”

Jay Bird’s mouth twitched.

Willow lowered herself into the chair beside him and placed the monitor on the small table between them.

For several minutes, neither of them spoke, and Willow found that she didn’t mind it at all. In fact, she was starting to love this part of being around Jay Bird, that easy, unforced quiet that settled between them like something natural rather than awkward.

There was no pressure to fill the silence. No expectation that she entertain him or explain what she was thinking. They could just sit beside each other while crickets chirped in the distance and water lapped softly against the dock.

She glanced toward him. “Thanks for cleaning up after dinner.”

Jay Bird slowly turned his head and then chuckled. “I should be thanking you for dinner.”

Willow smiled. “Oh, should I start counting now?”

Jay Bird laughed. “You’ve corrupted me. Plus, that wasn’t a thank-you-worthy offense.”

“Neither were half the things you counted.”

“I disagree.”

Willow laughed softly and looked back toward the creek.

After a moment, Jay Bird said, “Dinner was good.”

“Thank you.”

“Twenty-four,” Jay Bird chuckled.

Willow groaned. “I walked right into that.”

“You really did,” he said, looking quite pleased with himself.

The easy humor lingered for another second before something in Jay Bird’s expression changed.

He leaned back in the chair and stared across the water.

“I had forgotten what it was like coming home and having someone here, and having a home-cooked meal.” His mouth curved faintly. “Having flowers showing up in places they weren’t yesterday.”

Willow smiled. “Your house needed help.”

But the humor faded quickly.

Jay Bird took a drink of beer. “I’ve lived alone a long time.”

Willow studied him. “What about your family?”