Page 23 of The Moment They Can't Forget

“Please,” Sawyer added.

“You never say please,” JD snapped. He needed an outlet, and his friend was handy. “In fact, you are a grumpy, mannerless Neanderthal.”

“Harsh,” Sawyer said. “I’m making great strides to be a better person these days.”

“It’s not working,” JD said.

“You want to tell me what that call was about and who Henry is?”

“No.”

“How about why you’re not giving someone your kidney?”

“No.”

“And yet you talked at me until I broke when all the crazy stuff was going on in my life.”

“I don’t need breaking,” JD gritted out. “Shut up and let me tattoo you, or I’ll write asshole on your forehead.”

“Here we go. I put an extra shot in yours, JD, because you sounded like you needed it,” Birdie said, placing it on his table.

“Hey, baby,” Sawyer said. “Thanks for the coffee.”

“Welcome.” Birdie blushed.

She was the only woman above the age of ten he knew who blushed, which he usually thought cute. Not today, however.

“Stop harassing my staff,” JD said.

“Is everything all right, JD?” Birdie asked.

“Why wouldn’t it be?” he snarled.

“Don’t speak to her in that tone,” Sawyer said mildly, which just annoyed JD more.

“Go to hell.” He took the mug and a mouthful of coffee that was hot—just how he liked it. The problem was he gulped, and it burned his throat, making him choke.

“I’ll get you some water, and maybe I’ll burn some valerian root and passionflower to help ease some of your stress.”

“I’m not stressed,” JD gritted out. The look Birdie threw him suggested she didn’t believe him.

His friend sighed as his girl left.

“You’re making me nauseous,” JD said. “All that sighing and touching. I feel like puking.”

“No, what I’m making you is jealous,” Sawyer said. “You and me, we never thought the happily ever after shit was for us. Turns out we were wrong. You need to give it a shot, bud, but before you climb into me about that statement, who is Henry, and why did talking to him put you on edge?”

“None of your goddamned business.”

“Who needs your kidney?” Sawyer was the eldest of five. He could be relentless when required and not easily intimidated.

“Boss, Dedra brought me a dead rat,” Nina said, walking in with her coffee. “It’s under my handbasin.”

“Just get a dustpan and brush and take it out then!”

Nina walked closer, eyeballing him. Short, pretty, with tousled blond hair that was styled each day to make it look that way, she had serious attitude. Normally she’d be just his type, but Nina was a friend now. Even if she was an annoying, pain in the ass one.

“I don’t want to,” she said. “And why are you all bent out of shape? Didn’t your standing order for Ombre Nomade aftershave turn up on time?”

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