Page 141 of The Last Second Chance
“Your honesty is appreciated,” Gia said graciously.
“It’s this new thing we’re trying,” Joey said, looking at Jax.
Carter shoved his hands into his pockets. “I’d like to make a motion that from this point on, we all come clean on any past lies or withheld truths and in the future we don’t bullshit each other.”
Beckett looked guilty. Joey knew he had only recently revealed how close Phoebe had come to losing the farm after their father’s death. It had been a shock to both Jax and Carter, who had been off busy living their lives. If it hadn’t been for Blue Moon Bank President Rainbow Berkowicz giving Beckett a personal loan, the Pierces would be spending their family Christmas in Phoebe’s cramped townhouse instead of the farmhouse Carter had lovingly renovated.
“I agree,” Jax announced. “Just so we’re all on the same page, I left town all those years ago because I thought Joey’s dad was going to scrap Joey’s college plans to keep her away from me and sue our family for the accident. I decided to stay away until I thought I was good enough for her.”
“I am scared shitless about having twins,” Carter said.
“I know the genders,” Summer confessed.
“I freaking knew it!” Joey pointed victoriously at Summer.
“You lied to my face,” Carter said.
“I know! I’m so sorry, but I couldn’t stand not knowing. It was driving me insane so I called the doctor and made her tell me. Please don’t be mad!”
“Well, then in the bid for honesty let me correct my statement,” Carter said. “I’m scared shitless about having twins so I thought maybe knowing what to expect would make me feel better so I called the doctor—”
Summer brought her hands to her mouth. “You didn’t! I was supposed to be the one to crack!”
“Sorry, honey. We both cracked under the pressure.”
“So you know we’re having—”
Carter nodded, a sweet smile spreading across his face. He pulled Summer in for a hug. “I love you.”
“I love you, too,” Summer sighed against him.
“I pay Phoebe under the table to do the books for the studio so Beckett doesn’t judge me,” Gia continued the truth train with her confession.
Beckett snorted.
All eyes turned to Joey. “I may have trained Clementine to attack Jax.”
“Well, that explains a lot,” Jax said, baffled. “How in the hell did you do that?”
“Mostly by stuffing your old clothes with cookies. She figured it out pretty fast. That’s why she always goes for your pants.”
“I made out with Joey once,” Beckett said.
Jax was on Beckett in less time than it took for the words to sink in to everyone else.
Joey was dragged right along into the fray. Jax tried to hit with his left hand, but Joey’s weight stalled the blow. He fired off a quick jab with his right, catching Beckett in the face. They grappled and went to the floor, sending Gia and Summer jumping for cover.
“You made out with the woman I love?”
Jax slapped at Beckett with his cuffed hand. “Ow! You left. You were broken up. She was sad.”
“So you shoved your tongue down her throat?” Two long handled mops rained down on them and a jug of organic multi-surface cleaner tumbled from a shelf.
Beckett snuck in a gut shot. “It wasn’t like that. Get off of me!” His foot lashed out, denting a plastic bucket.
Jax made a grab for his brother’s throat and dragged Joey down on top of them. “If one of you punches me I am going to knee you both in the balls so hard you’ll never have kids,” she yelled.
Carter pried them apart with one of the mops. “Stop it. Both of you.”
