Page 31 of No More Secrets
He had a woman staying in his house that he couldn’t stop thinking about, one who questioned his every move. He had a group of well-meaning Mooners out to get him and force him into settling down. His mother was dating. He didn’t even want to think what Jax’s return meant for Joey.
Thank God, Beckett was still the same obnoxious smartass. Some things would never change.
Carter disconnected a wire and cleaned up the contact.
Only a few days ago, he would have been doing this with the certainty of solitude. No one asking him a thousand questions. No one to keep from injuring herself. He could just grab a sandwich for lunch and eat on the go. No one sleeping in the guest room wearing those little cotton shorts and tank top so thin he could see her —
His hand slipped and his knuckles grazed a bolt, drawing blood. “Son of a bitch!” Just the thought of Summer turned him into a ham-fisted moron.
He crawled out from under the trailer and was wrapping his hand with a mostly clean rag when he heard the yelling.
He was out the door in a flash and was halfway to the house when he spotted what was causing the commotion.
Clementine had Jax by the jeans and at the rate she was going, there wouldn’t be much left. Summer was standing on the other side of the fence with the pigs, watching through her fingers in horror as the goat devoured his pants.
“Get off me,” Jax bellowed, trying to drag the denim from Clementine’s teeth. “Jesus, are you on fucking steroids?”
He spun around, once and then twice, but the goat held on.
Jax gave one more tug and it was too much for the fabric. The back pocket and a good portion of his underwear were ripped clean.
Clementine trotted away with her prize. “Goddamn it! Those were Hanros,” he said, clutching at his shredded underwear.
Summer’s horror turned to giggles. Jax turned to glare at her.
“I’m sorry, Jackson!” She clapped a hand over her mouth. “I don’t mean to laugh at you.”
Jax pushed past Carter muttering how much he hated that “stupid fucking goat.”
“Welcome home, Hollywood,” Carter called after him.
Jax mustered as much dignity as he could with his bare ass hanging out and raised his middle finger high as he stomped up the porch steps. “Fuck you, Carter.”
––––––––
With the CSA shares sorted and Carter nowhere in sight, Summer decided she would head into town. She had jeans to buy and, after pizza last night, she wanted to get a better feel for Blue Moon.
She changed out of her work clothes and was leaving a note for Carter in the kitchen when Jax came in through the side door.
“Don’t you clean up nice?”
“I don’t always have vegetable dirt smeared all over me,” she laughed. “I’m heading into town. I need more jeans.”
“Clem get you, too?”
“First day here. They were True Religion.” She grimaced.
“Damn goat. She’s got good taste. Mind if I tag along with you? I’ve got some shopping of my own to do.”
“Sure.”
“Just let me get changed. I’ll meet you out front.”
Five minutes later, Jax was sliding the passenger seat in Summer’s rental all the way back. Those long Pierce legs required a lot of room.
“So where’s the best place to buy goat-proof jeans?” Summer asked, guiding the car down the driveway.
“There’s McCafferty’s on the square. They’ve got some heavier-duty options,” Jax said, running a hand through his short, choppy hair.
