Chapter 20
Bentley
After Jax’s disagreement with his pop, we only stayed in Booker a few more days. The relationship between the two was noticeably cooler, and I didn’t want to chance that it might deteriorate further and go from frosty to unsalvageable. I did manage to have a quite intense chat with Reed before we left though.
“I know things with our pop and Jax are tense right now,” Reed says to me as we watch Jax run around with his two-year-old niece, “but you’ve got to understand that he’s just looking out for Jax’s well-being.”
“I get that,” I say, “and I told Jax as much, but you know how he is. He has a big heart and takes everything so seriously.”
Reed sighs. “I know.”
“He was hurting after the Extreme Games. Add that to all the shit that went down with Quinn, and he wasn’t in a good place.”
“He may not have been, but he is now.”
I smile. “He’s resilient and determined and stubborn as hell.”
Reed laughs. “I’m sure if you ask my wife she’ll say the same thing about me.”
“They’re good traits to have, especially considering what you guys do for a living.”
“Growing up, Jax was always the wildest out of the lot of us,” Reed says. “He was fearless. Nothing intimidated him, no one could stop him.”
“He’s still the same way,” I say.
Reed nods. “It’s what makes him so great at what he does.”
“But?” I ask, knowing it’s coming.
“But,” Reed says with a smile, “it also means he doesn’t consider all the risks involved. In his own way, our pop, by suggesting Jax retire, is trying to get him to start realising his actions have consequences.”
“By doing that, he’s trying to change who Jax is,” I tell him. “You take riding away from him, what does he have left?”
“I thought the same thing when I stopped racing, but I found my feet,” he says with a smile as he watches his daughter chase her uncle around the yard.
“No offence, but Jax isn’t the type to be content sitting behind a desk.”
“He would make one hell of a scout though,” he says.
“Maybe,” I concede, “but I get the feeling that if you push him into that, he’ll come to resent it and possibly you guys as well. Giving up riding is something Jax needs to come to his own conclusion about.”
“I guess you’re right.”
“I get it,” I tell him, “I’m concerned about him too, but I can’t ask Jax to be something he’s not. I may not like what he’s doing, but I love him, and I’ll support him because that’s what you do.”
Reed nods. “I guess my pop’s just having a little trouble letting go. Out of all of us, I think he and Jax felt the loss of our ma the hardest. Pop because she was the love of his life, and Jax because he never got to know her. I think Pop used that bond to keep Jax closer, to protect him and mother him.”
“As much as I feel for your pop, it was that attitude that pushed Jax to the Gold Coast. Don’t get me wrong, I’m glad as hell that it did, but if he pushes Jax too far, who knows what he’ll do.”
“Oh fuck me,” he curses. “I’ll get Pop to back off.”
“I appreciate it,” I say as I get up. “Your brother does too.”
Reed gives me a smile. “You’re good for him, you know.”
I return his smile. “I like to think so, but it’s nice to know someone else does too.”
***
We’re back on the Coast and, for the most part, things are back to normal. We’re pretty much living at my place full-time now; even Buttons has made the move. Jax is also hard at work on his comeback. After what happened with his pop, he’s more determined than ever to do it.
“So what happens now?” I ask him one night as we sit on the couch, my feet in his lap, Buttons on mine.
“I need to make qualifying runs so the Extreme Games committee can see I’m back up and running,” he says as he massages my feet.
“And how do we go about doing that?”
“We?” he asks, raising an eyebrow.
I shrug. “I am your girlfriend right?” I ask.
“Oh, darlin’, you’re much, much more than just my girlfriend,” he says, wiggling his eyebrows.
“Okay then,” I say, brushing off his innuendo, “so I figure that makes me part of the team—so, we.”
“Eh, fair enough. So what we would need to do is film some of my runs, as well as get me into a qualifying comp.”
“Are there many of those around?” I ask.
“A few. I’ll call sis, she’ll know the goss.”
“Why would Aubrey know what’s going on?” I ask, confused.
“Not that sis, Bria-sis.”
I shake my head. “I can only imagine how confused Liam is going to be once all of you have girls.”
“Pfft,” Jax says as he pulls out his phone. “Park will never settle down.” He dials the phone and puts it on speaker.
“Well, well, well,” Bria says as she answers, “if it isn’t the cheeky Ryan.”
“Hello to you too, sis,” Jax says.
“How are you, little brother-in-law of mine?”
“We’re good,” he replies.
“Oooh, we, huh?”
“Oh please, like you and Reed don’t ‘we’ all over the place.”
“Not us. I have a feeling it’ll be Chase, when we eventually start toilet training. I think he’ll be taking a leaf out of his youngest uncle’s book in being a royal pest.”
“I take offence to that,” Jax says.
“Oh, dude,” I say, and rub his thigh with my foot.
“Oh, Bentley’s here. Hey, Bentley,” Bria says.
“Hey, how are you?” I ask.
“Good. Busy, but good.”
“That’s good,” I say.
“Yeah, yeah, yeah,” Jax interrupts, “that’s all lovely that you’re doing your sisterly bonding, but there’s more important issues at hand.” I shove him with my foot.
“I don’t know how you put up with him,” Bria says.
“Sometimes I don’t know either,” I reply.
“Seriously,” Bria says, “you’re a beautiful woman, I’m sure there’s a hundred guys up there just waiting to have a chance with you.”
“Not cool, sis, not cool,” Jax says, pouting.
“Is he pouting?” she asks.
The pout turns into a scowl.
“He was. He’s scowling now.”
“All right, we’ll behave,” Bria says. “So what can I do for you, BMX god extraordinaire?”
Jax perks up at the title. “Yeah, that’s right, BMX god extraordinaire.”
She laughs. “Got it, what’s up?”
“Are there any Extreme Games qualifying events around anytime soon?” Jax asks.
“Er, let me check.” We hear some typing in the background. “There’s a few. Do you want to travel or not?”
Jax looks at me and I shrug. “Where are they?” he asks.
“There’s one in Perth in a few weeks, another in Tasmania the week after that. There’s one in Brisbane in a couple of months, if that takes your fancy.”
“Sounds good,” Jax says.
“Will you be ready then?” she asks.
“I’m hurt, mama-sis-boss, that you even asked that question.”
“Hey, as your PR rep I need to know so I can build up hype. As your sister-in-law, I want to know because I want to make sure you’re not pushing yourself too hard. There’s a heap of comps you could compete in between now and when qualifying ends.”
“I’m ready,” he says, a determined gleam in his eyes.
I can hear the smile in her voice when she says, “I’ll get the paperwork ready.”
“Thanks, sis,” Jax says.
“No worries, love you,” she replies.
“Love you and the fam, I’ll check ya soon,” Jax says, before hanging up. Carefully he picks Buttons up and puts her on the floor. He separates my legs, then climbs between them, resting his body on mine. “Looks like I’m making my comeback,” he says, looking deep into my eyes.
I nod. “Looks like you are.”