Page 30 of No More Secrets
“I make great pancakes,” Franklin announced, hurrying into the kitchen to join Phoebe at the stove. “Carter can you hand me the griddle? It’s in the cupboard on your left.”
“He knows where the griddle is,” Jax hissed at Beckett.
“He was climbing out of Mom’s bedroom window,” Beckett muttered through the throw pillow he was holding over his face. “He knows where a lot more than the griddle is.”
Carter pushed a mug of coffee into Summer’s hands. “Thank you for not laughing out loud,” he whispered in her ear.
“Are you mad?”
“I’m ... open to hearing their side of the story,” he decided.
“Will they be okay?” Summer nodded toward his brothers. Jax had joined Beckett in the living room and was unwrapping a dozen mini candy bars he found in a dish on the coffee table.
“They’ll be fine. In a decade or so.”
CHAPTER EIGHT
With the scowl still in place, Beckett dropped everyone off at the farmhouse and sped off to take care of his mayoral duties for the day.
“You’ve got to hand it to Franklin,” Jackson yawned. “He does make a mean batch of pancakes.”
“Are you going to be okay with your mom dating?” Summer asked him as they trooped back the hall to the kitchen.
Jackson shrugged. “No one should go through life alone. They obviously care about each other. I just wish they would have told us about it before we had to haul him off a roof.”
“It’s a waste of time wishing that family would have made different decisions,” Carter said quietly. He wasn’t looking at Jackson when he said it, but the implication was clear.
“We’ve all made mistakes, Carter,” Jackson said evenly.
“I know,” that steely gaze leveled at his brother. “And it’s up to us to fix them. So make sure you do.”
There was a brisk knock at the side door before it opened. Joey marched in carrying a stack of papers. “Please tell me there’s coffee,” she yawned.
Jackson started for her and Joey froze in recognition. The papers in her hand tumbled to the floor in a slow motion whoosh. He didn’t stop until he was on her, hands threading into her hair, pulling her face in. His mouth met hers like it was locking in on a purpose for being.
Eyes wide, Summer wondered if all Pierce men kissed that way.
Joey pulled back looking dazed.
“Hey, Jojo,” Jackson breathed.
Summer saw the fire in Joey’s eyes and braced for it, her fingers digging into Carter’s arm, but Jackson never saw it coming. He only had eyes for Joey and missed the wind up. Her palm connected with his face with a resounding slap, knocking him back a pace.
Her boots echoed on the hardwood as she marched out the door. The screen door slammed behind her, papers forgotten on the floor.
“Should have seen that coming,” Carter grinned.
“God, I love that woman,” Jackson whispered holding his cheek.
––––––––
Carter wriggled his frame under the trailer hitch and pulled the cover off the wires. The taillights were shorting out and he didn’t want to give Donovan Cardona, Blue Moon’s sheriff and his high school buddy, a reason to pull him over and razz him.
It was nice and quiet here on the floor of the barn. He debated hiding out here all day.
He had put Summer and Jax to work divvying up the shares for their community supported agriculture program tomorrow. It was their biggest year yet. They had sold out in record time, and thankfully the early spring had been kind to their harvest of lettuce, radishes, broccoli, and squash.
His brother was back, and Carter didn’t know what it meant. Jax had come home for holidays occasionally over the years, but this visit felt different. Everything felt different.
