Page 65 of The Moment They Can't Forget

His arms suddenly banded around her waist, and he squeezed. She yelped.

“Sorry.” He eased his grip. Then his face was in her neck, and she felt that big body sigh.

“Why is he here, JD?”

“My dad needs a new kidney, and they want me to test to be a donor, my guess is that’s the reason.”

“No way,” Zoe said.

“Way.”

“And you’re not doing it because you don’t see your family so?—”

“I haven’t given it much thought yet,” he cut her off by saying. “But I’m not discussing it here with everyone listening.”

“It’s likely they already know, because by now someone inside Circle Left will have the reason out of Henry and possibly several shots down his throat.”

He moaned into her neck, the vibration traveling through her sore body.

“You need to talk to your brother, JD.” She tried to pull back, but he held her close.

“Not yet. Just a few more minutes. I enjoy holding you.”

“JD—”

“I know. We don’t do this. Sex was a onetime thing.”

“Right.”

“It can’t have been as good as I remember it being anyway, Zoe. Can it?”

“No, it can’t. I think we’d been drinking, and that’s why it felt so good.”

“Yeah, that must be it.”

A loud throat clearing had them turning to see Nina behind them.

“JD needed a hug,” Zoe said, stepping back and out of his arms. “A hug between friends.”

“Okay, sure. But you need to come back inside because they’re pouring whiskey down Henry’s throat.”

“Thanks for the support, ladies,” JD said, acting like that hug was nothing. “I know I’m not a local, but you all made me feel like one.”

How could he be so calm when inside she was a mess? Nina had seen them hugging. Surely she was curious? Studying her, she noticed nothing off about her friend’s expression. Was Zoe wrong, and it would all be okay?

“Okay, then let’s go back in now and rescue your brother,” Zoe said. “And then you have to talk to him.”

“Why?” JD asked her.

“Because I’m sure at some stage in your lives together, you were close. That he looked up to you, and you looked out for him. Find that memory and talk to him.”

His eyes held hers for seconds and then studied Nina. JD thenwalked away.

“Ah, wait one minute there,” Nina said when she started moving. “What the hell was that?”

“A hug between friends, Nina.”

“I don’t think so.”

---