Page 56 of The Last Second Chance
“It would have to be the perfect tenant,” Beckett said, sipping his scotch. “I don’t want to have any weirdos in the backyard with the kids and Gia here.”
“Ever think that this is a town full of weirdos?”
“Yeah, but we’re the harmless kind of weirdos. We’re charming in our weirdness.”
“I’ll let you know about the tenant if it works out. I don’t think you’ll have any complaints.”
Beckett nodded and studied his glass. “So…Carter and Summer in the kitchen? Are they even allowed to be doing that?”
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After some conversationthat didn’t involve their mother’s sex life, Beckett had to prepare for a conference call and Jax decided that while he was there, he’d pay a visit to Gia. There was something he’d been meaning to bring up to her and now seemed like as good a time as any.
He headed through the door in Beckett’s office that connected with the rambling Victorian’s main living room. Beckett said Gia would be between yoga classes and was probably working on the studio financials that he’d reminded her about for the third time that morning.
Jax found her in the parlor on the other side of the house. His sister-in-law wasn’t working on bookkeeping. She was curled up on the sofa with the puppy snoring in a ball against her and Tripod, the three-legged cat, napping on her shoulder.
The click from his phone’s camera as he captured the cozy scene woke her.
“Crap,” she muttered sleepily.
Diesel wiggled a little closer and rolled over, exposing his round belly.
“Busted.”
“Don’t you dare tell your brother that I love these fur monsters,” she warned him, slowly working her way into a seated position. Tripod clung to her shoulder until the last possible second before jumping to the floor and looking annoyed. “Or that I was napping instead of working on those stupid financials. That’s what we have an accountant for.”
Jax laughed. “You have couch face,” he said pointing to her cheek that had the imprint of nap and pillow.
“Ugh!” Gia got up and scrubbed at her face. “I usually don’t sneak naps this long.”
“But you had an exerting lunch break,” Jax supplied.
She shot him a dark look. “Your brother has a big mouth.”
“No. He just has a satisfied look on his face. Like all the time.”
Gia fought her smile. “Well, when you and Joey finally get over history you can disgust us with your sex life.”
That thought cheered him considerably. “I like your optimism.”
“It’s one of my finer qualities,” she agreed. “Do you want anything to eat or drink? I always need a post-nap snack.”
“I just had scotch and cookies with Beckett.”
“Scotch and cookies?”
“I upset him with a gruesome story about Mom’s sex life.”
“Oh boy. I guess it’ll be lasagna tonight for comfort food. Also, go Phoebe and Dad!”
Jax shook his head. Women processed things in very different ways than men, he decided.
“How about we split a PB and J?” Gia offered.
“Perfect,” he said, following her through the dining room back to the kitchen. At home here as he was at Carter’s, Jax pulled the bread and peanut butter—organic, of course—out of the pantry.
Gia danced around the kitchen barefoot, collecting plates and jelly. She was dressed in yoga pants and a long sleeve tunic t-shirt. Her explosion of red curls was tamed into a knot on the top of her head. It was her trademark winter outfit. In the summer she’d trade it in for stretchy shorts and flowy tanks. It still cracked him up that Beckett had fallen for a hippie yoga instructor rather than one of the slick, upmarket women he’d always dated.
