The Last Second Chance: A Small Town Love Story (Blue Moon Book 3) (22 page)

“The thought had crossed my mind. Just exactly what kind of lunch are we having here?” Joey asked suspiciously.

“A blizzard picnic,” he said, twisting the cork until it popped free.

He plucked the flutes off of the windowsill and filled them with the festive liquid.

“To blizzards,” he toasted.

“To blizzards,” Joey echoed, raising the glass to her lips.

Jax pulled the door open and stepped aside motioning her inside.

“I know we’re not eating with Clementine,” Joey joked. “Are we in with the pigs?”

“We have our own space today,” he said, gesturing toward the storage room.

Joey stuck her head in the door. “Oh shit,” she said.

“What’s wrong? Don’t you like sandwiches?”

Joey turned around and put a hand on his chest to stop him from going through the doorway.

“Don’t freak out, okay?”

“Why would I freak out—” he heard the demonic bleat of a goat. But it wasn’t coming from Clementine’s stall. It was coming from his picnic.

He stormed through the door and took in the scene. “What the hell?”

Clementine stood on the quilt devouring the second sandwich. She’d also eaten a hole in one of the cushions, shredded the cardboard box he’d used to cart everything outside, and crapped on his damn quilt.

“I’m going to murder her,” Jax growled. Joey made a grab for him and he made a grab for the goat, but Clementine saw him coming and danced to the side.

Jax and Joey ended up in a tangle of limbs on the floor.

“You are the worst farm animal in the history of farm animals,” Jax yelled trying to extricate himself from Joey’s arms.

Clementine swooped back around and grabbed an Oreo off of one of the plates.

“Those are my cookies!” Jax yelled.

Joey was laughing so hard she still hadn’t stood back up.

“It’s not funny. This was supposed to be sweet and romantic,” he grumbled, making another grab for the goat.

That only made her laugh harder until she snorted. “Don’t be mad, Jax,” Joey giggled.

Clementine bleated in glee.

“I’m going to find a goat rescue that specializes in asshole goats and that’s where you’re going,” he told Clementine. She feinted left and when he sprang in that direction, Clementine turned to the right and ran out the door into the main barn.

Jax tripped over a bale of hay and landed face first on his ruined picnic.

“Please stop. Please,” Joey gasped. “If you move or say one more thing I’m going to pee my pants.” She took a deep breath and tried to calm the laughter. “Oh my God. Oh my God. I am never going to forget this as long as I live.”

Well, it looked like he had his own Cayuga Lake, now. At least the cops weren’t involved.

J
oey felt
guilty enough for laughing hysterically all over Jax’s disastrous attempt at lunch that she decided to make up for it. She roasted a chicken and made mashed potatoes and gravy for dinner that night. All of which she served wearing her cozy white robe tied tight.

For dessert, she took off her robe and gave Jax an eyeful of sexy, sheer bralette and shorts. It was completely impractical as far as underwear was concerned. The set had come free with an order of the sturdy sports bras she preferred for work and she hadn’t had a use for it, until tonight.

It seemed to do the job though as Jax cheered up considerably and stopped threatening to deport Clementine to Siberia. And after a spectacular round of orgasms for them both, they ate slices of second dessert, chocolate cake with peanut butter icing, in bed.

The dogs exhausted themselves playing outside for an hour and fell asleep in a clump at the foot of the bed. Meatball, his little Beagle face resting on Valentina’s back, was snoring. Joey turned on the bedroom TV to a sitcom and snuggled deeper into the pillows. She stuffed her bare toes under Jax’s leg for warmth.

Jax pulled out his laptop and divided his time between frowning at his screen while typing furiously and sending sidelong glances at her.

“What are you working on?” Joey asked.

“Answering brewery emails—we’re closed tomorrow, by the way—and working on some script polishing.”

“Is this the one you turned in to Scary Al?”

He grinned. “I’ll have to tell her you said that. She’ll love it. And yes, it’s the same script.”

“What’s it about?”

He paused just long enough for her to know what came out of his mouth next wasn’t the entire truth and it made her curious.

“It’s, uh, a love story.”

“Don’t you usually write the shoot ‘em up, blow ‘em to bits stuff?” she asked, even more curious now.

“Every once in a while I like to dabble.”

“Huh,” Joey said. She rolled over to face him. “So what’s the process like?”

“For a screenplay?”

“Yeah.”

“Well, either you get an assignment from a studio saying ‘write this’ or you have an idea of your own and write it on spec to sell to a studio. Once a studio picks it up, they try to get their ducks in a row to actually develop the project. That’s when a whole bunch of people get involved and I send Al in to handle it all for me. She hammers out a purchase price that she’s happy with and twists some arms to get it, and then I get to work with the studio’s team to handle rewrites.”

“Do you have any say in what happens to it after a studio buys your stuff?”

“Not everyone does, but Al always makes sure I’m involved and have a voice. I started doing some producing a year or two ago and that helps keep my vision intact.”

Joey grinned. “You have vision.”

“Shut up.”

Joey’s phone dinged on the nightstand next to her. She rolled over to look at the screen and laughed.

“I think your Mom needs a break from babysitting.”

She held up her phone so Jax could see Phoebe’s text.

J
ax laughed
. “She raised me and my brothers. How hard can Evan and Aurora be?”

Joey texted her back.

J
oey read
the text and made a hmm noise.

“What’s that noise mean?” Jax asked.

“Your mom just said I’m one of her kids, which makes what we just did in this bed illegal and gross.”

J
oey waved
as Franklin’s red SUV coasted to a stop in front of the stables. Phoebe sprang out of the passenger seat before the kids piled out of the back.

“We brought you children and an extra dog,” she said, as Diesel tumbled out of the backseat and into the snow. “I owe you big time,” she added in a whisper.

The fat gray puppy yipped excitedly when he saw Waffles and the two dogs took off running up the drive toward the house.

“Okay, I owe Waffles, too. Tripod and Mr. Snuffles are enjoying a quiet, peaceful house without Cutie Destructo there.” Phoebe leaned in to give Joey a hug. “Now where’s that handsome son of mine?”

“He’s inside finishing up the mucking and stealing all of my coffee,” Joey said, jerking her thumb behind her.

“Hey, Joey,” Evan said, stuffing his gloved hands into the pockets of his winter coat.

“How’s it going, Ev? I could use a hand exercising some of the horses if you don’t mind.”

“Sure,” he said, beaming. He leaned in a little closer to her and lowered his voice. “We should probably take Aurora with us. I think she’s driving Phoebe and Grampa nuts.”

Joey riffed the bill of his cap. “Good call, kid. Hey, Aurora, feel like riding Princess this morning?”

“Yay!” Aurora in her pink snowsuit clapped her mittened hands together. “I get to ride Princess!”

Jax ambled out of the barn with Valentina on his heels. “Hey, Mom,” he said, giving Phoebe a peck on the cheek. He gave Franklin and Evan hearty handshakes and then swept Aurora up into the air and spun her around until she squealed in delight.

“Jazz, I’m gonna ride Princess today!” the little girl announced.

“Well, I guess we’d better get her saddled up then,” Jax said, tickling her. “How were the roads?” he asked Franklin.

“Plows have one lane cleared between here and town. They should be able to open up the second lane sometime this afternoon.”

“How’s the rest of town look?”

“Oh, you know, Blue Moon,” Phoebe said waving her hand. “Everyone’s been out and about with snow shoes and cross country skis since yesterday morning. They all want to know if the brewery will be open tomorrow.”

“I have a call in to Calvin to see if his brother-in-law can bring his plow truck in to do the parking lot today,” Jax said, setting Aurora down on the ground. “So what are you two doing while we give the horses some exercise?”

Phoebe looked pleadingly at Joey.

“Why don’t you two head over to the farm and make sure the house is still standing since no one’s been staying there,” Joey suggested.

Phoebe’s pleading look immediately changed to one of keen interest. “Oh, so Jax has been staying…?”

“Here,
Mother
,” Jax said pointedly.

“Well, isn’t that nice?” Phoebe’s grin was so big it looked like it might split her face wide open. “Isn’t that nice, dear?” she said again to Franklin.

“If you say it’s nice, then it’s very nice,” Franklin agreed. “If it’s okay with you guys we can make lunch at the farmhouse.”

“What’s for lunch?” Joey asked, perking up.

“Chicken Parmesan and breadsticks,” Franklin said.

Joey whooped.

“What time do you want us there?” Jax asked, scratching Valentina’s head.

“How about around noon?” Phoebe suggested.

“We’ll be there exactly at noon. So be ready and presentable,” Jax said.

“Very funny,
son
.”

“Do we have to get dressed up?” Evan asked with concern.

“No, but everyone is required to wear pants,” Joey explained, enjoying Phoebe and Franklin’s discomfort.

“I like pants,” Aurora announced cheerfully.

B
etween Joey
, Jax, and Evan, they were able to lunge or ride ten of the more energetic mounts and run herd on Aurora. The girl never stopped. Joey made a note to herself to ask Gia if the kid walked and talked in her sleep.

Evan, on the other hand, turned out to be a huge help. He had all the makings of a good, solid horseman. His face had remained serious when she’d mentioned as much to him, but his ears turned pink with pride.

After the last pony was groomed and the aisle swept clean, they rounded up the dogs and started for the farmhouse. With two adults, two kids, and four dogs, it was easier to just walk. So they meandered down the plowed trail toward Carter’s house. It was a peaceful walk with Aurora chattering on about school and Princess and Grampa and Phoebe letting her stay up late.

Jax fell back from their group and Joey’s instincts were a split second too late. The snowball caught her in the shoulder just as she dodged to the left.

“We’re under fire!” she yelled to the kids. Evan responded immediately, scooping a fistful of snow and hurling it at Aurora.

“Hey!” Aurora yelled. She dug her mittened hands into the snow and scooped it like a shovel at Diesel who tried to eat the snow shower.

“We’re turning on each other,” Joey yelled. “We need to band together against the enemy!” She pointed at Jax who was building a snowball arsenal while they fought amongst themselves.

Her snowball hit Jax squarely in the chest. The battle raged fast and furious with snowballs flying in all directions. Aurora hit Joey in the side of the face with a tiny clump of snow while Evan outflanked Jax and hit him in the ass with a perfect shot.

They held their ground as long as they could, but Jax’s superiority in snowball production and delivery soon became clear.

“Fall back, troops,” Joey called and started to run toward the farmhouse. Aurora scampered in front of Joey and she picked the little girl up and tossed her into a snow bank.

“Run, Evan! He’ll go after the weakest one first,” Joey yelled over her shoulder. Evan laughed hysterically at his little sister trying to wiggle out of the snowdrift.

“Time out! I’m stuck!” Aurora giggled.

Jax pulled the little girl out by her feet and dumped a handful of snow on her head.

The dogs, energized by the heat of battle, raced ahead. Joey tripped over Diesel when he made an unexpected cut in front of her and Jax was on her before she could regain her feet.

He flipped her over and straddled her hips. “Who wants a face full of snow?”

“Joey does!” Evan snickered.

“I think Evan’s right. Joey looks like she wants a snow sandwich,” Jax agreed.

Joey wiggled hoping to dislodge him and when she realized she wasn’t getting out of a snow pie to the face, she braced for the blow.

Jax none-too-gently shoved two handfuls of snow into her face. Joey shrieked and brought her snow-filled hands up to smack Jax on both sides of the face. In a move so slick it looked like it had been planned, Evan jumped on Jax’s back and shoveled half a ton of snow down his collar.

Jax screamed like a girl. Aurora, not wanting to miss out on the fun, ran over and threw herself into the pile.

“Well fought, troops,” Joey said, spitting snow out of her mouth. “Well fought.”

They arrived at the farmhouse tired, cold, and still laughing. Phoebe took one look at them and banned them to the porch until she could gather towels and the changes of clothes she’d brought for the kids. Jax and Joey ended up in Summer and Carter’s sweats and all their wet clothes went straight into the dryer.

“How was your nap?” Joey teased Phoebe.

She smiled smugly. “We slept for almost two hours on the couches. It was so quiet, so peaceful,” Phoebe sighed. “Bless you for that.”

“I’m thinking you owe me some compensation,” Joey decided.

Phoebe’s gaze narrowed, calculating. “What’s it going to cost me?”

“Your recipe for your raspberry cream cheese coffee cake.”

Phoebe gasped in mock horror. “Never! I’ll take that recipe to my grave.”

“That can be arranged,” Joey told her. “I can just pump the little one full of espresso right before you go home. Summer showed me how to make it.”

“You’re diabolical,” Phoebe said, bringing the back of her hand to her forehead. “Cruel, cruel world, making me give away my award-winning recipe.”

“One recipe and the kid gets zero caffeine,” Joey reiterated.

“Fine,” Phoebe grumbled. “I’ll email it to you.”

“Oh, no. I fell for that once before. You sent me some random Pinterest recipe after I went with you to Frieda Blevins sex toy party, which I might add you said was a kitchen party. I want to see your handwritten recipe card.”

“I don’t know whether to be proud of you or disappointed in you twisting an old lady’s arm like this,” Phoebe said, patting Joey’s hand. “I suppose it’s time to pass on my recipe to a new generation of scheming women.”

“And no scribbling a new one down and making it look old, either. I’m not falling for that again.”

“Fine,” Phoebe grumbled. “You know, a glass of wine would probably make me feel slightly less terrible about breaking my promise to Great-Aunt Felicia.”

“I will get you a glass so you can drown your shame.”

Joey poured Phoebe a glass of wine and watched out of the corner of her eye as Jax held a conversation with Evan about the plot points of a movie they’d both seen while juggling Aurora from knee to knee and answering her thousand “but why” questions. He looked like a natural, completely relaxed and engaged. She wondered if he wanted kids and remembered when Summer had come to her to ask if she knew whether Carter wanted a family.

At the time, Summer thought she couldn’t have kids. Thought it would be a deal-breaker for Carter and had ended up leaving him to go back to the city. And now there were twins on the way.

Joey had never really thought about the future in those terms. She’d always had plans and goals for the stables. But she’d never really considered whether or not she wanted a family. She didn’t like that watching Jax hang out with his niece and nephew had her contemplating such topics.

She poured herself a glass of wine and went to stick her nose in Franklin’s chicken parm.

They ate family style around Carter and Summer’s dining room table, the dogs waiting patiently for scraps to fall. They passed dishes back and forth, taking turns cutting up food for Aurora and shoveling seconds and, in Jax’s case, thirds onto their plates. Joey snapped a picture of the table and texted it to Summer and Gia so they could see that the house was still standing and the dogs and children were not suffering from malnutrition.

“So, Jax,” Phoebe began. “You and Joey are…” she shot a furtive glance at Evan and Aurora. “Planting a garden together?”

“Uh, what?” Jax frowned.

“You know,” Phoebe stared at him pointedly. “That garden you started a long time ago? You’ve decided to replant?”

Jax looked a Joey in confusion. “Are you planting a garden? Why don’t you just plant stuff in the big garden out back?”

Joey rolled her eyes. “Phoebe’s talking about a different garden. The garden we had when we were seniors in high school.”

“We didn’t have a garden—”

Phoebe cleared her throat and tilted her head in Evan and Aurora’s direction. Evan was watching them with interest while Aurora was driving a breadstick through marinara like it was a speedboat.

Joey kicked Jax under the table.

“I wouldn’t say we’re interested in growing a full-blown garden at this point,” she said to Phoebe. “We’re just experimenting with a few… uh, raised beds at this point.”

“Raised beds?” Phoebe asked.

Jax finally caught on. “Oh,
gardening
. Right…Actually I think planting a big garden is the way to go. I mean we both like…” he glanced at the kids. “Watermelons and watermelons require a lot of space. So why not start a garden?”

“I don’t like watermelons,” Joey said pointedly. “And I don’t like the responsibilities that come with maintaining a big garden. I thought we’d agreed to just enjoy our small, low-maintenance raised beds.”

“I thought I made it clear that I’m in this gardening thing for the long haul. I think we should plant a whole damn orchard,” Jax’s voice raised to a low roar.

“What do you hope to grow in your raised beds?” Phoebe broke in.

“I don’t really know,” Joey said in exasperation. “Something small and easy to take care of. Something that we can rip out if we don’t like how it grows.”

“Like radishes?” Franklin offered.

“Sure,” Joey shrugged. “Radishes. If I don’t like how they look or if they try to take over everything, I can just rip ‘em out.”

Phoebe and Jax were frowning now. Franklin cleared his throat.

“Gardening, on whatever scale, seems to agree with you both,” he commented. “And you work well together.”

“Working well together and enjoying gardening doesn’t necessarily make a good…harvest,” Joey said, biting into a breadstick.

“There aren’t any guarantees,” Franklin agreed.

“A garden is just like anything else,” Jax said. “You get what you put into it. So if you half-ass your gardening efforts and don’t weed and don’t use the right fertilizer, you’re guaranteeing yourself a crappy crop.”

“Well, maybe I’m not looking for a whole harvest. Maybe I just want some damn cherry tomatoes.”

“You can grow cherry tomatoes in a pot on your deck. Just go out and pick one up and bring it home with you.”

“If you’re insinuating that I am not picky about the produce that comes home with me, then you are dead wrong!” Joey said, tossing her breadstick on her plate. “I’ve been poisoned before by produce that I thought was good for me. You can’t expect me to just commit to a garden when I’ve had food poisoning.”

Jax crumpled his napkin and threw it down on the table. He looked like he wanted to yell for a second before the urge dissipated. “You’re right,” he said. “You’re right to be cautious about what produce you allow in your garden. Maybe by the end of the growing season, you’ll be willing to trust that this produce is good for you.”

Joey wasn’t about to agree to that one. It would be cruel to give hope where she wasn’t sure there was any.

“I uh…Franklin?” Phoebe cleared her throat and looked at Franklin for help.

“I think what Phoebe means is we didn’t mean to pry into your gardening habits. We only wanted you both to know that we think it’s great that you’re gardening together at whatever scale you’re comfortable. Whether you’re potting plants or growing an acre of potatoes, you both seem happy.”