Page 7 of Griffin
"It's sweet how you spread the word about your aunt's business. Sounds like you have a big and amazing family."
Griffin's face lit up at the mention of his family. He was truly what Holly, my best friend in high school, would have called a 10 to the tenth power. "Big? Yes. Amazing?" He turned up his green eyes in thought. "Most of the time. See ya."
I watched him walk out, and there was an instant ache in my chest. It was hard knowing there were men like Griffin Stone in the world when I was stuck with a man like Tate Kennedy.
FIVE
GRIFFIN
Jaxon had grabbed his favorite booth by the bar. It was still early and Monday night, so Lazy Daze was mostly empty. Stella's long ponytail swung back and forth as she laughed at something her mom said.
Amy spotted me walking in. Her face lit up with a smile. "Well, look who is gracing us with his presence on a Monday." She walked around the end of the bar and came straight over for a hug. All the moms were big-time huggers. She reached up and wiped something off my chin.
"Gee thanks, Ma," I teased.
"Just be lucky she didn't lick that thumb first," Jaxon called from behind his mug of beer.
"One time," Amy said. "One time I made the mistake of licking my thumb to wipe a smudge of dirt off his face, and apparently, that one motherly act has scarred him for life."
"She always leaves out the truly psycho part," Jaxon said. "You know the part about doing it right in front of my friends on the third-grade field trip. They all called me 'Licky Boy' for a week."
Stella laughed. "No one ever teased you about anything in your whole life because you were six feet tall on your seventh birthday."
Jaxon raised a brow at her.
"Well, maybe not six feet tall, but for our seventh birthday, dad hung that big unicorn piñata, and you walked up and obliterated it with one swing. No one else even got a chance at bat."
"Hey, I got you the candy, didn't I?" Jaxon asked. "Fin, buddy, get over here, and LaLa, instead of standing around, why don't you bring our dear cousin a beer?"
I walked, cautiously now, over to his table. "Buddy? Dear cousin? You must want something from me. Where's Bridget?"
"She's getting a tattoo. She says she wants to catch up to my ink display, but I told her no fucking way."
"Chauvinist," Stella said as she set down the beer. She scowled at her twin brother. "Why the hell can't Gidge get a bunch of tattoos? You're more tattoo than skin."
"I know, and I'm regretting about half of them. That skull and crossbones on my abs is starting to look like a bulldog with a bone."
Stella laughed. "That's cuz now that you're not single you've let that six-pack shrink to a four pack of minis."
Jaxon patted his stomach. "Not true. The tattoo artist just did a crappy job."
"You should have them all removed," Stella suggested. "I could do it with my flat iron. That sucker gets hot enough to sear off skin. Just let me know when you want me to fire it up." She pressed two fingers to her forearm and made a sizzling sound.
"You'd like that, wouldn't you?" Jaxon asked. It seemed I'd walked into a twin moment. They had them often, and Stella was the only person who could tease Jaxon mercilessly and get away with it.
"I'll bet I could make you cry," she quipped and walked away.
Jaxon scoffed loudly at her remark. "What's up?" He took a drink of beer.
"That's what I'm asking you. I feel like this invite just became a trap. What house project do you need me for this time?"
"What? No. Can't a guy just ask his cousin to join him for a beer without raising suspicion?"
I picked up my beer and stared at him, waiting for the other shoe. It dropped like a steel-toed boot.
"I'm going to put the new roof on myself." Bridget had bought a cool fixer-upper that overlooked the beach, but the place came with a ton of problems.
"A roof that size needs a full professional crew, Jax. And you'll still need permits."
