Page 29 of No More Secrets
“I don’t know what you three are talking about. And Carter, where is your shirt? Why did you drag Summer over here in her bare feet?”
“Whose car is in your garage, Mom?”
The man almost made his escape in the midst of the chaos. If Summer hadn’t caught a glimpse of pajama pants and a bathrobe shimmying down the front porch roof, he would have been home free.
She clapped a hand to her mouth to silence her gasp and Phoebe tried to wave her off, but Carter chose that moment to turn around.
“What the —”
The brothers charged out the door and down the porch stairs where they yanked the man off of the porch roof into the shrubs below.
“Oh, dear,” Phoebe sighed, and poured a little wine into a coffee mug.
They returned in a tangle of limbs and swearing with a middle-aged man in their midst.
“Now listen, boys. I think there’s been a misunderstanding. I was just checking the shingles —”
“Save it, Franklin,” Phoebe groaned.
“Franklin?” Beckett took a look at the intruder’s face. “Shit.” He released the man’s arm.
“Good to see you, Beckett. Hey, what time is the Chamber meeting this week?” Franklin asked.
“You know this guy?” Jackson demanded.
“It’s Franklin. He owns the Italian place. He buys produce from us,” Carter said, dropping the other arm.
“Well, boys, your mother and I —”
“I need to sit down,” Beckett announced and flopped down on the ottoman in the living room.
Jackson went to the fridge and pulled out a container of roast beef.
“Jackson Scott! That’s my lunch for today,” Phoebe yelled.
“I’m eating my feelings, Mom!”
Summer reached around Carter and offered her hand to Franklin. “I don’t think we’ve met yet. I’m Summer.”
“It’s nice to meet you, Summer. The editor, right? Phoebe is really excited about the article. And I’ve heard a lot about you since you got into town. Sounds like love is in the air everywhere,” he winked.
Carter groaned.
“Oh my God. Summer, you’re not going to write about this, are you?” Beckett demanded, shoving his hands into his hair making it spring out between his fingers.
“I don’t think this will really fit well into the piece,” Summer said, diplomatically. No one would believe her anyway.
Carter moved Summer out of his way and headed to the coffeemaker. “I’m going to need more caffeine for this.” He jabbed the buttons on the machine until it sputtered to life. He lined up five mugs on the island before grudgingly grabbing a sixth.
“So, Mom. Where do you want to start?” he asked conversationally.
“How about how long has this been going on without you feeling the need to tell your own sons about it?” Beckett grumbled from the living room.
Phoebe sighed. “Well if you’re all here we might as well do this over breakfast. Jax, honey, I’m happy to see you, but if you don’t put the roast beef down now I’m going to beat you with a spoon,” she threatened.
Jax reluctantly shoved the container back in the refrigerator. “Fine, then I want eggs,” he said, pushing a carton of Pierce Eggs into her hands.
“And pancakes,” Beckett called.
