“Trust me when I say you’ll want to save your energy for tonight,” Crystal said with a shimmer of mischief in her eyes. “I loaned your girlfriend a dress that’ll knock your socks off. You’re welcome.”
“Thank you, but my girl’s hot in anything she wears.” His sister had a penchant for barely there clothing. He knew he’d think of nothing else for the rest of the afternoon, except Jojo in a skimpy outfit. It was a good thing he was almost done.
Crystal opened her jacket and lifted her sweater, showing him her belly, which puffed out like she’d eaten a big lunch. She ran her hand over her belly and said, “This is your girlfriend’s fault. All that gingerbread…”
He chuckled, looked at Bear, and said, “You need to teach my sister about the birds and the bees.”
“Hear that, babe?” Bear slung his arm over Crystal’s shoulder and said, “Your brother just gave us his blessing to go do dirty things in his bedroom.”
“Hey!” Jed shook his head as Bear and Crystal headed inside.
After hanging the curtains, Bear and Crystal took off. Jed and the boys finished painting the porch, and then Jed drove Ricardo and Marco home. He got out of the truck to pay them for their time, and when he held out the money, the boys exchanged a slightly uncomfortable glance.
“What’s the matter?” Jed asked.
Ricardo peered at him from behind his long bangs and said, “We don’t want to take your money. You’ve done enough for us. Consider today our way of saying thank you.”
Damn, that made him feel all kinds of good. But they’d worked hard for several hours, so he said, “Thanks. That’s really nice of you, and I appreciate it. But you worked hard. Take the money.”
“No, man,” Ricardo said. “Thank you holds more weight if we don’t take it, and you just got a house and stuff. You need the money, too.”
Not nearly as bad as they did. “Get over here.” Jed embraced Ricardo; then he gave Marco a quick, manly embrace and said, “Your thoughtfulness, that’s what means something to me.” He put the money in their hands and said, “Your hearts are in the right places. Thank you for that. Take the money and buy your mother something nice to thank her for raising two great kids.”
Chapter Nineteen
JED ROLLED HIS shoulders back as he walked up to Scott’s door to pick up Josie for their date. He wasn’t used to wearing dress clothes and hoped his gray shirt and black slacks went okay with his leather jacket. Quincy told him he looked like a James Bond dominant.
Master Moon, he mused.
“Moon’s here!”
He spotted Hail’s smiling face pressed against the window for a split second before it disappeared and he heard him running.
The door swung open and Hail stared at him curiously. “You’re dressed funny.”
“Yeah? Sometimes a guy has to dress like a grown-up to take a pretty woman on a date. Lucky for you, you can hang out in comfy clothes with Uncle Scotty and the Incredibles.” Jed handed him the movie he’d bought for him and stepped inside.
“Incredibles 2!” Hail ran to Scott and jumped on the couch beside him, checking out the pictures on the movie case. He turned back to Jed and said, “When we camp in your house, can we watch it?”
“You bet, buddy.” Jed was hoping Hail might have forgotten about that. He’d been feeling guilty about telling him they couldn’t do it tonight.
Scott pushed to his feet and said, “Thanks, Jed.”
“I figured you could use a little—” His words were lost to the holy fuck in his head as Josie walked into the room wearing a tight black minidress that hugged her curves. If that weren’t enough to get him hard, the lace long sleeves connected to a thin strip of black material that ran along her shoulders and up her neck to a black choker sent his mind down a dark and dirty path.
“Let’s go make popcorn, buddy.” Scotty headed for the kitchen with Hail on his heels.
“You’re so pretty, Mama!” Hail said as he passed. “Moon dressed like a grown-up for your date.”
“Damn, babe” was all Jed could manage.
Josie blushed and touched the creamy expanse of bare skin above the swell of her breasts. “I wasn’t sure if the sweetheart neckline was too much.” She lowered her voice, embarrassment flickering in her eyes as she whispered, “I feel a little naked.”
He closed the distance between them and slid his arm around her waist. “You’re gorgeous.”
“I borrowed the dress from Crystal. Are you sure it’s okay? I texted a picture of me wearing it to Tracey and Sarah. They both said to wear it, but still…”
“They were right.” He held her against him so she could feel what just the sight of her did to him and whispered, “Want me to carry you into the bedroom and show you just how hot you are?”
Crimson spread up her chest and neck, and her eyes widened. “Yes, but no!” she whispered. “Not with both of them awake.”
“I figured as much.” He kissed her; then he peered into the kitchen and said, “Hey, bud. Come kiss Mama good night so you and Scotty can have your guy time.”
Hail darted out of the kitchen and wrapped his arms around Josie’s legs. “Bye, Mama! Your legs are slippery.”
“Stockings,” she said, glancing at Jed with a look that told him they might have some fun with those later. “Love you, bean. Be good for Uncle Scotty.” She kissed Hail’s cheek, and then Jed helped her on with her coat.
On the way to the restaurant, which was in Pleasant Hill, a neighboring town, Josie fidgeted with the hem of her dress as she told him about her day.
“We were busy from the second we set up the tables, and Finlay is nothing short of amazing—at business, catering, the whole shebang. She introduced me to everyone, but not in a pushy or salesy way. She said the key to marketing is to make friends with potential clients, not to try to sell them anything. And she was right. I learned a lot today, and I must have given away thirty business cards. Thank you for that. Everyone commented on how cute they were.”
“That’s fantastic.”
She went on to tell him about events the people she’d met had mentioned. She didn’t know if they’d actually call and order anything from her, but the hope in her eyes was contagious. A little while later, when they pulled up in front of Nova Lounge, she stopped talking and her mouth formed a surprised O.
Nova Lounge was the most expensive restaurant around, co-owned by world-renowned chef and entrepreneur Jared Stone and business mogul Seth Braden. The building looked like it had been picked up off the streets of Venice and plunked down atop a bluff overlooking Pleasant Hill. Gold tiles shimmered around two sets of elaborately carved arched doors with dark wood frames and glass panels.
As Jed helped Josie from the truck she said, “This looks awfully expensive.”
He draped an arm over her shoulder. “This is our night, babe. We’re celebrating all the good things in our life.” Why did it feel like one of those good things was missing?
She fussed with the hem of her dress again. “Are you sure I’m dressed okay for this place?”
“Yes. You’ll be the most stunning woman here.”
An uneasy expression fell over her face as they went inside. The restaurant was even more glamorous than it appeared online, with marble floors, a mix of brick and elaborately carved wooden walls and columns, and high ceilings with metallic, patterned ceiling panels. Fancy gold lights rained down over each table.
They were greeted by a tall, slim brunette wearing a long black skirt and a white blouse. Her hair was pulled back in a sleek bun, giving her a regal appearance. A practiced smile appeared as she said, “Welcome to Nova Lounge.”
Jed felt Josie tense up and pulled her closer. “Hi. We have a reservation for Moon.”
The hostess consulted a list. Then she called over another elegantly dressed woman, who walked them to their table.
Jed helped Josie take off her coat, then pulled out her chair. He took the seat closest to hers as a gentleman dressed in a black suit and tie ap
proached.
“Good evening.” He handed them each a wine list and filled their glasses with water. “May I get you something to drink?”
Josie’s eyes were round as saucers as she studied the wine list.
“We’ll have a bottle of Moët, please,” Jed said.
After the waiter left, Josie whispered, “Moon, did you see the prices? I’m good with water, really.”
He took her hand in his and kissed the back of it. “Celebrations call for something special.”
“You didn’t win the lottery,” she said. “You bought a house, and I might pick up a few baking jobs. We don’t need all this. It’s breathtaking, but you don’t have to wine and dine me like the rich and famous. I don’t even know how to act in a place like this.”
“You don’t have to act like anything. Just be yourself. I love who you are.”
The waiter brought their champagne and they ordered appetizers of shrimp cocktail and miniature crab cakes.
Jed lifted his glass and said, “Here’s to us, babe, and to Hail. I feel like the luckiest guy in the world to have found you again.”
“That’s how I feel, too.”
They clinked glasses and sipped their champagne.
When the waiter brought out their appetizers, Josie put her napkin in her lap and glanced nervously at expensively dressed couples sitting at neighboring tables.
“Look at me, babe,” Jed said, drawing her eyes to his. “Don’t think of where we are. Just think of us. I had a great time with Hail today. Did he enjoy himself?”
“Yes,” she said as they ate their appetizers. “He couldn’t stop talking about working with you and the boys. He loved painting and said you let him paint his palm and put a handprint on the back wall of the house?”
Happiness filled him as he remembered how excited Hail was when he’d suggested it. “Before we lost the house in Peaceful Harbor, my dad and I painted the back porch and put our handprints on the back of the house. I’ve never forgotten it.” And he hoped Hail would never forget leaving his mark on his house, either. “You should have seen Hail. He had to get his hand in the perfect position, which of course means there are lots of wrong handprints on the back of the house, too. He is really something, Little Red.”
She covered her mouth as she laughed. A look of longing rose in her eyes, and then it quickly disappeared. He wondered if she missed Hail as much as he did.
“You made his day,” she said. “And he’s excited about camping in your living room? You’re really spoiling him.”
“That’s not spoiling him. That’s encouraging his sense of adventure. He wanted to spend the night at the house, but we had plans.” Another pang of guilt moved through him. “He’d been so good about helping today, I felt guilty telling him we’d have to wait to camp out. Don’t get me wrong; I want to be here with you. But I am curious about how you deal with that. How do you find balance with a kid?”
She shrugged, smiling sweetly. “Before our lives were turned upside down, I was always home with him. There wasn’t a lot of balance needed. He was my life. After we lost Brian, I had to work and leave Hail with a sitter sometimes. The guilt was always there, but I needed to earn a living. I’ve never really done things for myself until now, so finding balance is new for me, too. It’s hard. Honestly, I want to be here, too, but I’ve been thinking about him this whole time, hoping he’s having fun with Scotty and wondering if he’ll go to bed okay for him.”
“Me too. He’s so young, and he’s excited about everything. I could tell you a hundred things he did today that made me laugh. Between work and fixing up the house, I don’t get much time with him, and that feels weird.”
“I love that you feel like that,” she said, wiggling in her seat.
He glanced under the table and saw that she’d toed off her heels. “What’s next, babe, your dress?” He leaned closer and said, “You can pass those panties right over here.”
“Shh.” Her gaze moved nervously around them. “I’m not used to wearing heels, and my feet are killing me from wearing them all day with Finlay.” Her eyes darkened, and she whispered, “And for the record, I’m not wearing any panties.”
Holy. Fuck.
“This dress is so tight, every pair I had gave me panty lines,” she confided quietly.
“Seriously? Should we just get the check?”
They both laughed.
As they finished their appetizers, he said, “I told Hail that since next weekend is his birthday, maybe the weekend after that we could camp out in my living room. Is that okay? He was just so excited. He had it all planned out. You should have heard him.”
“Oh, I did! Sleeping bags on the floor, pizza that a man brings to the door, and roasting marshmallows in the fireplace.” She put her hand over her belly and said, “That sounds good, especially the marshmallows. But I’m so stuffed from the appetizers, I’m not even sure I can eat dinner.” She sighed and looked around the room. “This was so nice of you. Thank you for doing all of this for us, and for giving Hail such a great afternoon.”
“Jojo, what was that sigh for? What’s wrong?”
“Nothing,” she said, bringing her eyes back to him, but the light in them had dimmed.
He had a feeling she was thinking about Hail, just as he was, which struck him hard, because he should be thinking about her lack of panties.
“Are you thinking what I’m thinking?” he asked.
She lifted one shoulder. “I doubt it. You’re probably thinking about my nonexistent panties.”
He laughed and took her hand again. “Actually, I was thinking that the sporting goods store is open until nine, and I bet they sell sleeping bags.”
Her eyes lit up. “Really?”
“Hell yes. He’s only young once.” He waved the waiter over to the table, paid the bill, and on the way out to the truck he said, “And once he’s asleep, we’ll enjoy the benefits of those nonexistent panties.”
AFTER BUYING SLEEPING bags, a cool plastic lantern, and picking up a very excited Hail, they went to Jed’s house.
“We need to find a special rock,” Jed said as they carried their camping supplies inside.
“Why?” Hail asked.
“It’s a sign of good things to come,” Josie said knowingly.
Jed put the sleeping bags inside the house and put batteries in Hail’s lantern.
“I saw special rocks out back!” Hail hollered, and ran through the house to the back door.
They turned on the porch light, and the three of them went in search of the perfect rock. Jed had never been so excited about ordering pizza—to be brought by a man—and roasting marshmallows in the fireplace.
“Moon! Is this a good one?” Hail hoisted up a big rock with both hands.
“That’s perfect.” Jed snatched a smaller rock from the ground and used it to scratch their names onto the bigger rock.
Hail sat on his haunches watching and spelling each letter as Jed wrote Hail, Jojo, and Moon.
He wrote the date below their names and said, “Where should we keep it?”
“I’ll show you!” Hail took his and Josie’s hands, tugging them toward the front yard. He climbed the porch steps and pointed to the decking by the front door. “Put it right there. Then whoever comes over will know it’s our house.”
“Oh, honey, this isn’t our house,” Josie said.
“Tonight it is!” Hail said. “Can we put it there, Moon?”
“That seems like the perfect place to me.” He set the rock in its new home, ruffled Hail’s hair, and kissed Josie as they went inside.
They ate pizza, roasted marshmallows, and told stories about when Jed was young—before his world had been turned upside down. Hail’s toys were scattered around the living room, and his lantern glowed yellow on the mantel. Jed lay with his arm around Josie, and Hail fast asleep between them on the sleeping bags by the fireplace. Hail’s stuffed rabbit was being choked in the crook of his little arm. As shadows danced over the three of them, Je
d’s future became even clearer.
This was what he wanted. Josie and Hail by his side, every single day of his life.
Chapter Twenty
“CHRISSY?” JED CALLED out as he stepped into Crystal and Bear’s house the following Saturday evening. It had been a week since Hail’s camping excursion, and tomorrow was his birthday. Hail was already planning their next camping trip. The boy had a memory like an elephant and had reminded Jed that after he turned six he’d be allowed to stay up later.
“Be right there,” she called from the kitchen.
Crystal and Bear hadn’t changed their house much since Bear’s bachelor days. A pool table still stood in place of a dining room table, and an oversized pit sofa took up much of the open living room. The gearhead furnishings—the chandelier over the pool table, made from leather, chains, and a motorcycle wheel, and the side table made from old tools, nuts, and bolts—fit both Bear and Jed’s edgy sister well. He noticed the box their mother had given him in the center of the sofa and the leather jacket he’d asked Crystal to alter for Josie lying over the back of the couch.
He picked it up and admired the jacket. His sister was a talented seamstress. The leather jacket he’d been wearing the first night he and Josie had met was now small enough to fit Josie. She’d added the fur collar he’d asked for, and it had turned out even better than he’d hoped.
“Chrissy, this jacket is incredible. Thank you for doing such a great job on it. Jojo will be hot as fuck in it.”
Crystal came out of the kitchen carrying a box of saltines under her arm, wearing a pair of black jeans and an oversized black sweatshirt. Her eyes were puffy, and she was a little green around the gills. “Thanks. I’ll put that on my business card. Alterations by Crystal. Get a hot-as-fuck style in less than ninety days.”
He set the jacket down and said, “Whoa, sis. Are you okay?”
“Yeah, if you like feeling hungry and pukey at the same time.” She held out the box of saltines. “Want one?”
“No, thanks. Why do you look like you’ve been crying?”
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