AllFreeNovel
Share Us
After a minute, she rested her fork on her plate and wiped her lips. "Speaking of shows," she said offhandedly, "what's up with Jaxson Carter? I was recording the donation checks the other day, and I noticed a second check from him, and it looked personal, not business." She tilted her head to one side and raised her eyebrows. Her stern librarian impersonation didn't match the twinkle in her gaze. "You must have made quite an impression on him. Something else must have taken place at that meeting. Come on, 'fess up."
And just like that, the tables had turned on me. "We might have bumped into each other more than that one time." I shrugged.
Jade eyed me closely as I avoided looking at her, working hard to scrape every crumb of my treat. Clink! Her fork suddenly ensnared mine. "Or maybe, it was him who made an impression on you," she said, looking every bit the fox who'd discovered a new hen house.
My forked clanked to my plate as I sat back. If for no other reason than to sort my thoughts out, I needed to tell someone everything that was on my mind.
"Turns out I'd already met him at the wedding. He's Derek's cousin, and our lips may have introduced themselves a little at the reception," I admitted.
Her eyes popped from her head. She knew that was outside of my normal behavior. "Were you drunk?"
"I wish I could blame it on alcohol. But no, it was all me. Or maybe it's just him." I filled her in on everything that had taken place at the wedding and since then. "He brings out the worst in me."
"Or maaaybe, he brings out the fun in you. The part of you that longs to escape, but you keep hidden."
"If that's the case, I need to stay away from him. Look what happened the last time I took a chance and went out with someone who wasn't quiet and settled." I thought back to my last boyfriend, Travis, who seemed to have such a zest for life, was fun and exciting and didn't make assumptions about me because of what my dad did for a living. He'd snuck well into my life, my family, and my bed before I realized what he was really high on.
Jade nodded, her expression surprisingly serious for a change. "You do know that everything that happened with Travis wasn't your fault, right?"
"Of course, it was. I'm the one who fought for him and insisted on bringing him into my parent's lives. They weren't happy, but I thought if only they got to know him better, they'd see what I saw, someone kind, exciting, generous, and sweet to me. I ignored a dozen warning signs. Talk about being stupid and blinded by love." I paused to rub my fingers along my temples as they pulsed by the anger and guilt I still felt and would always feel. "I might as well have handed him the keys to everything and said, 'Here. Use my family as a cover for your illegal business.'"
"He did use you, Grace, but it's not your fault. You were a victim. He was smooth and charming. None of us guessed how manipulative he was."
"My dad did."
Jade snorted. "Yeah, well, it's like your dad has access to Santa's naughty and nice list."
/> "He doesn't like Jax, either."
"Oooh. Ouch."
"Right. It almost feels like deja vu. He never liked Travis, never trusted him. He tried to warn me, and I wouldn't listen. I was too caught up in the way Travis made me feel, only to find out it was all one hell of a lie that nearly destroyed all of our lives."
"You know they don't blame you."
"I think my dad does. He practically snarls at anyone who comes near me."
"He is a little overprotective." Her brows lowered. "Has he warned you against Jax?"
"Not exactly," I answered. "But I'm pretty sure the nasty looks he's given Jax are an indicator of how he feels. His glare could have frozen water on sight when Jax showed up at church. I can only imagine what his reaction was when Mama told him Jax was coming for dinner."
"Mama Anne is the only one that your father might be afraid of. But dinner might still be a shitshow. Can I come? It's been a long time since I've seen an action slash horror movie. I'll bring the popcorn."
I laughed, then grew serious again. "Last night, I received a phone call from Micah's mom." I explained how I'd learned that Micah had come clean with his mom about why he was with Jax earlier this week.
"She was in tears, so grateful that Jax had not only kept her son from getting in trouble but was also offering him a way to earn the food, not just accept charity. She went on and on about how she was so happy Micah had found a man he could look up to." I tossed aside the napkin that my fingers had shredded while I talked about Jax and rested my head in my hands.
"That doesn't seem like the kind of man who's out to use you," Jade said.
"No, it doesn't. But he's holding something back. I can't deny there's a physical attraction, but I can't help but feel I'm nothing more than a conquest to him, and I've had enough games with a man to last a lifetime. I don't know what to do."
"I understand your caution. But Jax doesn't come across at all like he-who-we-won't-name. And he's asked you out more than once?"
I nodded slowly. "I keep telling him “no,” but it's getting harder."
"So, don't say 'no.'" She made it sound so simple. "Get to know him. Find out what he's really like."
"I know he's not the commitment type. I have that on good authority from both Maggie and Paul."
