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“The bigger they are, the harder they fall.” Liam smirked.
JoJo nodded and looked at her watch. It was almost five, and she still didn’t know when she’d be leaving. She needed to slip away for a few minutes and call Brett. She moved closer to the kitchen and called him.
“Hi, darlin’. I thought you were avoiding me,” he said in her ear.
“This is the first chance I had to call. Dad’s pissing and moaning about the gag gifts we got him.”
Brett chuckled. “Will you be leaving soon?”
JoJo sighed. “I doubt it. We haven’t had cake yet. I’m sorry.”
“Don’t be. Family is important. What about tomorrow?”
“I have to work Monday.”
“I meant during the day. Can you ride horseback?”
“Yes.”
“Great. Can you come to my place? I bought a couple of horses.”
“Sure, I can do that. What time?”
“Is eleven too early? We can pack lunch. Then when we get back, we can go swimming.”
“You have a pool?”
“Yes, ma’am.”
“Should I bring anything other than a swimsuit?”
“Not necessary. I’ll see you tomorrow.”
“Sounds good. I’ll see you at eleven.”
“All right. And JoJo?”
“Yes?”
“You don’t even need to bring a swimsuit.” He ended the call.
JoJo snorted out a laugh. She pocketed the phone and returned to the dining room to join the party.
Brett Watkins was a nice man, and she enjoyed his company, but like her brother, she was cautious. She knew no one went through life without a few heartaches, but some were much worse than others.
JoJo sighed. She liked him so much and knew it would be one of the worst if he broke her heart. What happened to his marriage? She knew there would come a time when they needed to talk about past relationships if they kept seeing each other. Couples needed to be honest if they hoped to be with someone.
“Let’s have some damn cake now,” her father said.
“I’m surprised he remembered he had cake,” Liam whispered.
“Me too. I’m going to get a slice. I’ve been waiting all day for the cake.” JoJo walked to where her father sat, leaned down, and hugged him. “Happy birthday, Daddy.”
“Thank you, sweetheart. Now, let me up so I can eat my damn cake.”
JoJo shook her head, stepped back, and watched him reach his feet. He winked at her, then headed for the large sheet cake. She knew it was a yellow cake with chocolate icing—her father’s favorite. JoJo went into the bakery this morning to get it, and Sloane had it ready.
Since she was going swimming tomorrow, she headed for the main bathroom to get one of her swimsuits. Her parents had an in-ground pool, and JoJo spent many days there in the summer.
