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“I take it your parents never took you to a creek to catch crawdads and minnows?”

She shook her head “This is my first time in a creek and you already know I had no clue what a craas”

He held his hands out toward her “You want to hold him?”

“What?” She stared down at the less than two inches long mini-lobster in Jack’s cupped palms “I’m afraid to”

“If he pinches, I promise to kiss you and make you feel better”

Heart pounding, Taylor’s gaze lifted to Jack’s and suddenly holding the crawdad didn’t see to stare into his eyes It would be so easy to fall for him To become so head over heels that her experience with Neil would seem like child’s play To let hoonderful Jack ay her life views to where she just didn’t care that in the long run he’d hurt her if she wasn’t careful

“Don’t let him hurt me,” she ordered, then scrunched her forehead And don’t you either “Hoe do this?”

“Cup your hands like mine and scoop water into your hands”

She did as he said, then looked at him expectantly

“I’ to hold my hands over where yours are cupped and put him into your hands” His voice held the saency room The same patience he seemed to exhibit in all aspects of life “Ready?”

She nodded She could do this Not that she’d ever known she wanted to hold a crawdad, but in thisher fear see a e who she was or impede the discovery of who she was?

He put his hands directly on hers, his skin cool frohtly to let the water and crawfish he held drop into her hands

“Oh, my,” she said, nervous she held the creature, but excited she was doing so

“He won’t hurt you,” Jack reminded her

She didn’t take her eyes off the crawdad “You’re sure?”