Page 44 of The Last Second Chance
“Hi, Dad.”
“So when were you going to decide to share the big news with your parents?” Forrest demanded gruffly.
Joey kicked the door and committed to a course of action.
“Who ruined my surprise? I’m going to kick their ass.”
“I thought it was common knowledge and you just couldn’t be bothered to share it with us. Your mother is very upset.”
It seemed both parents could play each other as the martyr.
“No one was supposed to know until I told you two. I was going to have you come here and check out the new horses and then tell you. I can’t believe someone ruined this! I wanted to be the one to tell you!” Well, that was mostly true. She bit her lip and waited to see which way her father would go.
“Now, Joey.” Her dad’s voice was placating. “You know you can’t keep secrets in Blue Moon. Those people know what you had for breakfast before you even get out of bed.”
“I just can’t believe someone ruined my surprise. I was so excited to tell you.” And more than a little nervous of his reaction.
“Well, tell me now,” Forrest offered. “I can act surprised over the phone.”
Joey smiled. As annoying as his bravado and protectiveness was, she knew that deep down all her father wanted was for her to be happy. And safe. And not dating Jax.
“Okay, but you have to sound surprised or I’ll still be mad.”
“I’m ready.” He cleared his throat. “So, what’s new with you, Joey?”
“Well, Dad, I have some big news...”
The conversation went better than the cold call she’d anticipated making. Her father had pretended to be thrilled with the partner news and only asked her twice if she was certain it wasn’t some slick move by Jax to worm his way back into her good graces. After her assurance that she’d earned the honor all on her own and his fatherly warning to watch herself around the Pierces, he passed the phone to her mother so they could coordinate a visit to the farm to meet the new horses.
By the time she hung up, she had a headache and overnight visitors on the books.
--------
By the timeher last lesson wrapped up at seven, the only thing Joey could think of was a medium rare burger with onion rings. She changed into mostly clean jeans that she found on the floor of her closet and a cozy flannel and pulled on fleece lined snow boots that came to mid-calf to ward off the cold.
She gave Waffles an extra half scoop of food in his dish when he gave her the look of devastation at not being invited to dinner.
“Don’t look at me like that. You don’t want to go. You want to stay here and nap by the fire.”
She could have sworn that his furry lower lip trembled.
“I’ll turn the TV on for you, okay?” She grabbed the remote and flipped through the guide. “What do you want to watch? Cartoons? Sit coms?”
Waffles looked mildly interested in a Spanish soap opera so she left it on and ducked out the front door.
Judging from Shorty’s parking lot, everyone else in Blue Moon had decided they weren’t cooking tonight either. She squeezed her truck into a space at the back of the lot and hustled through the cold to the front door.
She blamed her frostbitten eyeballs for the unfortunate fact that she claimed a barstool without recognizing her neighboring patron.
Jax.
“Well, well. You just made my night,” he said with the trademark Pierce grin responsible for melting the underwear off an entire generation of women.
She debated about getting up and taking a seat on the other end of the bar, but Ed had already shoved a menu at her.
“Didn’t know you had a date, Jax,” Ed Avila, the bartender and owner of Shorty’s grinned.
“Not a date, Ed,” Joey said with a glare.
