Page 77 of The Other Fork in the Road

It took an entire forty-five minutes to achieve the natural look I was going for. After a few curls in my hair, I dove into the drawer of cheap cosmetics. And do you know what? I decided there was very little difference between Wet N Wild eyeliner, which likely costs a buck, and my normal make-up counter version, which costs upward of sixty dollars. Shocking revelation, really.

I swiped on some of the lip gloss and realized I liked it better as well. So much so that I tucked it into my bra so I could whip some on later when I saw Jax. Clearly, being brokewasteaching me some valuable lessons.

I entered the kitchen to find my dad at the stove whipping up something that smelled fantastic, while Daisy pulled on her oh-so-sky-high heels, the perfect match for her leopard long-sleeve shirt and leggings.

“Good morning,” my dad sent me a wink. “Sit for an omelet.”

I sprinted to the table just as Grant ran in, arms flying in the air, an oversized tool belt resting on his hips, and a baseball cap on his head.

“I’m starving!” He hopped into the chair next to me.

“Good morning, Grant. Why are you wearing tools?” I held up my hand, and he returned my high-five. Yeah, it was kind of our thing.

“Jax and I are very busy. We woke up at six o’clock today. We already went to the hardware store. Lots of projects.”

My dad strolled over and flipped omelets onto mine and Grant’s plates. “Well, you arrived just in time. You probably need some protein to keep that body moving.”

The door opened, and Jax walked in with his usual heart-dropping effect. A gray “NO” t-shirt showed off those biceps that I literally wanted to swing from. He was rockin’ a tool belt and jeans that fit so well, I envisioned sliding my hands in his back pockets and just squeezing. The thought of his perfect butt cheeks in my hands made my tummy feel all wiggly. It’s 100 percent safe to say that Steve never EVER made me feel all wiggly.

Daisy stood and hugged Jax. I realized I had never noticed a time when she hadnothugged Jax or Austin when they entered a room. Mental note: hug my mom more.

“What are you boys up to this morning?”

“Just a few projects.” His eyes fell on me with some sort of knowing…like he held the answers to world peace or something.

Grant spoke through his food. “We can’t tell anyone what it is. It’s our secret; just between me and Jax.” Pride filled his eyes.

“Well, I can’t wait to find out what it is.” Daisy patted his hand. “Madison and I are going for mani-pedis. I’m thinking lunch, too.”

Jax took the seat across from me as my dad tossed an omelet onto his plate. “Sounds like a fun morning.”

While Grant, my dad, and Daisy chatted away, my eyes found Jax. He looked up, and those topaz eyes sparkled at me. How could this man turn me into a mess with one look?

I inhaled my kick-ass omelet while Jax and I continued to play peek-a-boo until Grant dropped his fork on the table.

“Come on, Jax. We’ve got to go.”

Jax shook his head before picking up his omelet, folding it, and shoving the entire thing in his mouth. And how could that be sexy? Who the hell knows, but I had the urge to bite him, so hot was he.Rharr.

I watched his perfect backside until it disappeared out the door. Whew.

* * *

Thirty minutes later, Daisy had picked ruby red for both our fingers and toes while I listened to all the gossip of the town I knew nothing about. It was an amazing tea spill.

Turns out Carl, the eligible school bus driver, has notonlybeen taking care of the children but, apparently, some of the single mothers on his route, as well.

Then there’s Hannah Miller, who just moved into town and works remotely as a marketing person for some hoity-toity advertising firm in London. No family or friends here, so why would she choose Montana to settle in? AND rumor has it she bought her house with cash. I agreed it sounded like a witness protection situation, and we were dying to figure out the details on this one.

Once our limbs were freshly painted and pampered, Daisy chose a seafood restaurant for lunch. I ordered a California Roll, while Daisy chose the catch of the day, which was weird since we weren’t near any large bodies of water. Was the catch from the river I fished at yesterday?

Just when I took a sip of my crisp iced tea, Daisy pointed.

“What’s wrong with that kid?”

I spun around in my seat to see a teenage couple at a table next to ours, shoving food in their mouths, not seeming to notice the kid next to them, who was wheezing with a bright red face.

Within a few seconds, I stood in front of the table. It took a big wave of my arm for the couple to stop eating long enough to notice me.

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