Page 146 of The Last Second Chance
“Well then she should act like an adult instead of running off pouting about things.”
“The only two people who aren’t acting like adults are you and me. I’ve apologized to Joey and she seems to have reluctantly accepted it. I shouldn’t have tried to make life-altering decisions for her without consulting her and I know that now. I think you know that now, too. I don’t think either of us will make that mistake again.”
Forrest grunted with what sounded like assent.
“I live without a father, I don’t want her to do the same. Not when you’re alive and well. You’d be an idiot to let things go on this way.”
“An idiot, am I?”
“Yeah. And so am I, but she still loves us anyway. She wants to forgive you, but you’ve got to give her a reason to.”
Forrest grunted again as he looked down at the beer. “Are you trying to bribe me with alcohol?”
“That is the first six pack of Joey’s IPA. It’s a new tradition of Pierce men to brew a beer for their bride. I figured since she was your girl first, you should have the first six.”
Forrest pulled out a bottle to examine the label. “If you hurt my girl ever in any way, I’m going to hunt you down,” he said quietly as if talking to the bottle.
“Understood,” Jax nodded. “And if you continue to hurt my girl, I’m going to drive here on the wedding day and tie you up and make you walk her down the aisle with a shotgun pointed between your shoulder blades.”
Forrest harrumphed. “We’ll see if it comes to that. She may say no to you.”
Jax grinned. “She probably will. At first. But I’ve got nothing but time to wear her down.”
“I suppose a man shouldn’t drink an entire six-pack by himself,” Forrest said. He turned around and walked back into the house, leaving the front door open.
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Joey was frowning fiercelyat her monthly numbers on the computer screen. Adding two god-like horses to their stable had hiked her operating costs and she knew it was just the beginning. Of course, once she had the breeding program up and running, the operational costs would be a drop in the bucket compared to what they’d be bringing in. But for now, she’d keep a close eye and tighten the belts where they could be tightened.
When the phone on her desk rang, she gladly abandoned her bookkeeping.
“Hey, Joey. It’s Ellery.”
“Oh, you mean old Two-Face Magee?”
“You can’t be mad at me. You’re the stubborn one who warranted pulling out the big guns. If we’d gone with our usual matchmaking approach you probably would have left town.”
“Or gone lesbian.”
Ellery snorted. “Please, we’re four for four on our gay matches. One way or another the Beautification Committee will prevail in your love life.”
“It’s more like a tentative like life these days,” Joey corrected.
“Give it time. Pierce men are awfully hard to ignore in the long-term.”
“Is there a reason you called or did you just want to rub salt in wounds?”
“Oh, right! I was wondering if you do private riding lessons?”
“Maybe,” Joey said, wary of any request from a member of the Beautification Committee.
“Well my cousin’s coming into town this week and it’s his birthday and I thought a riding lesson would make up for last year’s hand-dipped lilac candles that he was allergic to.”
“Uh, sure. Why not?” Joey said. Taking on a few paying extras would help balance the books until Apollo and Calypso started doing the deed.
“Great! How about Wednesday at four?”
Joey flipped through her calendar. “That’s fine. Does your cousin have any riding experience?”
