Page 127 of The Last Second Chance
Jax nodded.
“Jesus. I thought you just felt guilty over the accident and couldn’t face Joey again,” Beckett said, adding his two cents.
Jax paced a tight line from door to cooler. “How can the same damn thing fuck everything up twice?” He shoved his hands through his hair.
“When you’re not honest about shit, shit comes back to bite you in the ass,” Carter preached.
“Thank you, Mr. Philosophical.”
“We could have fixed this.” Beckett shook his head.
“That seems to be everyone’s opinion.”
“Why didn’t you come to us?” Carter demanded.
“You weren’t home,” Jax shot back. “You were in the Guard. Beckett was busy with his internship. And Dad was involved.”
Carter and Beckett shared a look.
“I don’t understand why Dad would have just let you leave,” Beckett said.
“The three of us were in the hall. Forrest had dragged me out of Joey’s room. He told us that he was going to give us a choice. Either I left town immediately or he was going to sue us for everything we had. The farm, the house, everything. And that he’d send Joey away, refuse to pay for Centenary so she’d have to go somewhere else away from me.”
“And Dad was fine with giving you up to potentially avoid a bogus lawsuit brought by a guy who wasn’t thinking straight?” Beckett the lawyer was itching for a fight.
Jax shook his head and resumed pacing. “It wasn’t like that. Dad took some convincing, but Forrest was dead serious. I’d almost killed his daughter and the only way he could think to protect her was to get me out of the picture.”
“So you left,” Carter said quietly.
“So I left. I was scared shitless. I was eighteen and just watched the most important person in my life almost die in front of me. And it was my fault. How was I supposed to live with that? And if Dad had lost the farm because of me? Family loyalty shouldn’t be expected to go that far.”
“A. It wasn’t your fault, dumbass. And B. How did no one ever tell Joey?” Beckett wanted to know.
Jax shook his head. “It was part of the deal with her dad that I not contact her again. She thought I was just an ass who got scared and left town.”
“Well, if she can forgive you for that, hopefully she’ll be willing to cut you a break for the real reason,” Carter sighed. “I also hope you’re done with the whole ‘I almost killed her’ bullshit.”
“I’m getting there,” Jax answered. He was. Slowly. It had been an accident, one with dire consequences. But an accident all the same.
“Good. I’m glad you’re getting less stupid in your old age,” Beckett said.
Jax could always count on his brothers for a well-timed put down to cheer him up.
“I don’t have a good feeling about this. She’s not going to get over this and it won’t be just me that she cuts out this time. It’ll be her father, too,” Jax told them.
His brothers nodded.
Jax stopped pacing and leaned against the wall. “I got her a ring.”
“Shit,” Carter sympathized.
He looked around him. His brothers’ faces were dark and broody as they shared his pain. Their connection had deepened since he’d come home. Equals. Partners. He wasn’t just the youngest Pierce anymore. He’d built something here. This very brewery existed because he came home for a new beginning. In the last few months, he’d laid the groundwork for a new life, the life he’d always wanted. This was not going to be all for nothing. He’d fix this.
“So what are you going to do? You’re sure as hell not going to quit now,” Beckett said, trying to rally the troops.
“I’m gonna fix this,” Jax said, lacing his fingers behind his head.
“How?”
