AllFreeNovel
Share Us
Sure, Jax didn’t know the ins and outs, but how hard could it be? He had some major sponsors on speed dial, knew some up-and-comers who would love to come and show off their talent. And when he made a decision, he went after it with a singular focus.
“What can I take off your hands?” he asked.
“We’ve been doing this event for five years and you’ve never helped once. Why now?” Lucas asked.
“You seriously have to ask?” That they’d gotten to this point in the relationship scared Jax. “It’s because you need help and no matter what’s going on between us, we’re still brothers.”
Lucas seemed to mull that over, then nodded. “Drop by the office tomorrow and then we can take a look at what you come up with.” He picked up his stick. “Now, are we going to play pool or what?”
Chapter Eleven
Take Life by the Balls
Be a queen.
Milly was buried eyeball deep in Zoe’s closet engaged in a game of “Does it bring you joy.” There was the Keep Pile, the Give Pile and the Maybe Pile. The Keep Pile was overflowing while Give consisted of a headband, a collection of Justin Bieber T-shirts, and two tubes of lip gloss. The Maybe Pile was empty.
Milly might be too sentimental when it came to parting with her sister’s things, but she was decisive.
Keep.
Keep.
Keep.
Um … she held up a plastic MVP award from when Zoe had been six and decided to turn in her cleats for pompoms … I am overcome with joy. Keeping.
How was she supposed to just give her sister’s personal effects to a stranger, when every item felt like a connection to her sister?
She pulled out a cocktail dress that Zoe had worn to Gemma’s engagement party. Milly held it up to her torso and admired the metallic material shimmering beneath the bright sun that flickered through the window.
Mother Nature was showing off today. With temperatures in the high forties and clear skies, the view from her sister’s window was breathtaking. It was the kind of day that Zoe would be out photographing. She’d have awoken before dawn, bundled up, and hiked to one of the many peaks to capture the sunrise cresting over the mountains.
Milly turned toward the mirror and swayed side to side, watching the material swish around her thighs. It was bronze, bold, pro-cleavage, and short enough to challenge the line between sex pistol and sophisticated. In a word, it was Zoe. And Milly needed a little Zoe in her day.
“Mom? Dad?” she called out.
They’d headed back from San Francisco after her dad’s cardiology appointment and weren’t expected to arrive until early evening, but that never stopped them from surprise visits. The other morning wasn’t an abnormal occurrence in the Smartt household. Her parents were masters at the surprise drop by. The last thing she needed was for them to show up early and witness the tornado that had struck Zoe’s room.
When no one responded, she stripped down and tugged on the dress and, wow, it was magical. Kind of like Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants. Even though Zoe was taller and had a whole cup size on Milly’s basic B’s, the dress fit like a glove.
Grabbing a tube of red silk lip gloss from the Give Pile—what was she thinking, giving away a perfectly new lip gloss—she broke the seal, puckered up and swiped it on, giving a little kissy face in the mirror. Next came the heels—black, pointy, and mile-high.
She smoothed her hands down the lux fabric and, adopting a little Zoe into her attitude, she popped out a hip. “Looking smart, Smartt.”
She was about to do a runway strut down the hallway when her phone pinged. She looked at the screen and a trill of panic tiptoed down her spine.
Gemma: Did you really have sex with Jax Macintyre?
Milly threw the phone on the bed as if it were on fire. It pinged again. And again. Knowing that if she didn’t respond she’d have two more witnesses to her box problem, Milly picked up the phone and swiped the screen. It came to life.
Kat: Hello?
Gemma: You can’t avoid us forever!
Kat: You have two seconds to answer and then we’re coming to you. And before you think you’re safe remember I know where the hide-a-key is. And if you try to leave the state I have you on my Find My Friends app.
Milly took a deep breath and responded.
