Jasper hadn’t expected Matthew Hunnam to have the nerve to come looking for him. He was about to confront him about the night before, but caught himself just in time.“I woke up thirsty and went to get some water,” he said with a smile. “Couldn’t get back to sleep, so I went home for a couple of buckets and tried my luck down on the shore. You were all sound asleep. I didn’t want to wake anyone.”He still intended to marry Sydney. Picking a fight with her father now wouldn’t help.Matthew’s expression shifted as he tried to decide whether Jasper was telling the truth. Jasper had no intention of giving him time to ask more questions. He lifted the buckets slightly.“I’d better get these to the docks. We’ll talk later.”Matthew watched him walk away, then stamped his foot in frustration and hurried home.Just inside the door, he met Vicky Beatty heading out with a bucket of laundry. She shrank a little at the sight of him.“Dad, Sydney’s down on the shore, and Tim’s soiled himself again

Kyle stared at the yellow croakers filling the boat. His lips moved, but for a long moment he couldn’t get a word out.Jasper hadn’t expected such a valuable catch either. He recovered first, picked up the biggest fish, and held it in front of his father.“Well, Dad? I win, don’t I?”Kyle came to his senses and snatched the fish from him, turning it over in his hands in disbelief.“Yellow croaker… They really are yellow croakers! But what’s a whole school doing here?”He couldn’t make sense of it. They weren’t far from the docks; on a clear night, you could even see the lights. These waters rarely yielded anything but cheap little fish. He had never heard of anyone finding a single yellow croaker here, let alone an entire school.“Jasper, how did you know there were fish down there?”Jasper gave an awkward chuckle. “Maybe… Our Lady, Star of the Sea, was looking out for us.”Coastal families, especially those who made their living fishing, were deeply devoted to her. That explanation w

Seeing his brother and sister ready to defend him, Jasper felt a rush of affection.Then he caught a sudden movement and shoved Anne aside.Dick's punch missed her.Anne stumbled back, white-faced with shock.“You were going to hit my sister, you bastard?” Jasper's anger flared. “Have you got no fucking shame?”Kyle started forward too, furious, but Kate caught his arm.“Leave it to the boys. You're too old to get in the middle of that.”She glared at the three brothers, her teeth clenched. “Just wait till I get my hands on Adeline. I'll claw that bitch's face off!”With that, she stormed out of the yard.The fight was already in full swing.Years at sea had made Austin's sons strong, but Nathan was bigger than any of them. And Jasper had a lifetime of anger and resentment to unleash.Even outnumbered three to two, the brothers were getting the better of their attackers.“You don't touch my family! You don't come to our house looking for trouble! I'll fucking kill you!”Jasper's blows

A tear-streaked face looked up at him from outside the window.Vicky.Her face was red and visibly swollen.Jasper stared for a moment, then his expression hardened.“What are you doing here?”If anyone caught her at his window at this hour, there would be hell to pay.She wore a thin undershirt, cut low over her full breasts. Loose strands of hair fell across her face. In the moonlight, she looked painfully vulnerable.Memories of his first life rose unbidden.When he'd first moved in with the Hunnams, he'd been miserable with guilt and resentment, never comfortable in their home. To escape the awkwardness, he'd left before dawn every day to look for work. But each night, he still had to come back.For those first few years, Matthew and Tim had sat through every meal with dark, sullen faces. Vicky had watched every word and gesture. The tension in that house had been suffocating.Only at night, after she'd settled Tim in bed and joined Jasper in their room, had they been able to brea