Page 56 of No More Secrets
Carter thought of his mother, his brothers, of the Beautification Committee. “Definitely.”
“Also, I want to keep this,” she said gesturing between them, “separate from the article. Mixing business with pleasure might be more common on this side of journalism, but I’ve never done it before and I’d prefer if the office didn’t find out I used this trip as a sexcation with my new boyfriend.”
“Boyfriend. I kind of like the sound of that,” Carter said, leaning in for another taste.
“You’re going to burn the eggs,” she whispered.
“Fuck the eggs,” his mouth was zeroing in on hers when the front door flew open. They jumped apart. Carter moved around the island to see what the commotion was.
Jax stomped back to the kitchen, his arms full. He was still wearing pajama pants. “I’m moving in. If I have to listen to Mom and Franklin through the wall —”
Carter smacked him with the spatula. “I’m going to stop you right there before I throw up or kill you.”
Jax looked at Summer on the counter and back at Carter, his eyes narrowed. “Christ. Everyone but me is having sex.”
Carter watched the blush flood Summer’s cheeks as her hands flew to her hair seeking the evidence that gave them away. She did have sex hair, he thought with a grin. Well-earned sex hair.
“What do you mean —” Summer started innocently. Until Jax dumped one of her boots and her jeans on the island.
“Found these on the porch.”
Carter tossed Summer the spatula and dragged Jax out the side door.
“What the hell are you doing here, Jax?” he asked when they were outside.
“I told you, I can’t stand listening to Mom and —”
Carter cut him off. “I mean in Blue Moon. What the hell are you doing in Blue Moon?”
His brother shoved his hands in the pockets of his plaid pants. “It’s a long story.”
“Are you in trouble?”
“What? No!” Indignation flared.
“You packed up and left in the middle of the night days after scaring the shit out of all of us. Joey was still in the hospital. You stayed away for all these years, and now you’re just back?”
“I was eighteen. And an idiot. And I don’t know how to apologize for that. There had to be more to the world than farming and Blue Moon.”
“You wanted more. You found it,” Carter said, crossing his arms. “Fancy house, beautiful women, four movies. Mr. Hollywood.”
“And now that I’ve seen it and done it, I want this back. I can still write. I can write from anywhere. But I want to be here.”
“What does that mean for Joey?”
“I want her back, too. Maybe more than all the rest of it.”
“You broke her heart when you left. If you fuck that up again, Beckett and I are going to hunt you down and break your face.”
“Fair enough,” Jax nodded. “I’m not fucking it up again.”
“Really? Because your whole ‘Hey Joey, I’m back’ thing didn’t work out so well.”
“She kissed me back before she hauled off and slapped me. It was worth it,” Jax grinned. “So speaking of women. What’s happening here?” He jerked his chin toward the house.
“With Summer?” Carter kept his tone neutral.
“Oh, don’t even try that shit with me.” Jax punched him in the shoulder. “I see the way your hairy face lights up whenever she’s around.”
