Page 13

JAXON

I sent off the packages and picked up the damn hoses, but I was in no hurry to head back to the shop.

The scene with Dad was especially bad, and it had been the last thing I needed.

I hated to admit it, but when I was feeling really crappy, like this morning, there was only one person I wanted to talk to.

I parked near the pier and walked down to Scones and Brew, the small kiosk on the pier that sold good fucking coffee and semi-decent scones.

My sister ran the kiosk in the mornings.

Stella was working on an archaeology degree.

It had been her life's dream to squat in sandy deserts and faraway places to look for ancient artifacts and fossils.

When we were little, our mom used to bury "artifacts" in the backyard and Stella would put on her straw hat and sit out there with her tools and brushes digging up the treasures.

I always envied her for having such a big, strong dream for her future.

I'd always wavered back and forth between unachievable dreams like becoming a motocross superstar or a pro skateboarder.

I was athletic but never good or disciplined enough for either.

Theo was the stellar athlete of the bunch.

He'd won some big mountain biking competitions, and he was a fucking wizard on a BMX bike.

Stella had stepped outside of the kiosk for a second to watch Roland feed the pelicans.

He was an old guy who dropped his hook in the water from the pier every morning.

Today, two birds sat patiently and politely with their oversized beaks waiting for fresh fish.

He dropped a fish in for each and then winked at Stella before returning to his pole.

Stella's long hair fluttered around her tanned shoulders as she spun around.

"I thought I heard your Hulk-sized footsteps pounding the planks behind me.

I love to watch him feed the pelicans. We've got those maple-pecan scones you like.

" She motioned with her head and then paused.

"Uh-oh, you look upset." She nodded. "Come on inside.

The doctor is in, and I won't even charge you the usual nickel.

" Stella piled her hair up in a loose knot at the back of her neck and pulled on an apron.

"Don't tell me this is still about that woman from the boat. Walsh's daughter, right?"

"Why is that the one thing everyone remembers about her?"

Stella shrugged. "It's kind of a big deal because her dad is?—"

"The enemy," I finished for her.

"I was going to say the biggest, greediest asshole this side of the Mississippi but enemy works, too." Stella pulled a scone out, but I shook my head.

Her green eyes rounded. "Oh boy, you've got it bad then, eh?"

"That and I downed three blueberry muffins at the shop. Dad and I had a good one this morning, good enough for the boss to get involved."

Stella looked up from the box she was filling with scones. "Oh wow. Who was mom more pissed at?"

I shook my head. Dad curling his fist in front of me had thrown me more than I realized.

Mom too, apparently. I'd never heard her threaten to leave him.

She adored my dad as if he was some kind of fucking rock star.

Deep down, I knew he'd never hit me. He and his brothers had to live in constant fear of their old man slamming them around.

Dad never, ever wanted to be like his horrid old man.

I decided not to go into details with Stella. It would upset her.

"Let's just say it was a draw, and Mom was plenty pissed at both of us."

"Well, what luck, two of my favorite sweeties in one place," Aunt Jade said cheerily. Jade was a big hugger and kisser. She put her arms around me for a hug, then hopped up on tiptoes to kiss my cheek. "Oh my god, you get broader every time I see you." She dropped her arms. "How are things going?"

"Could be better but you know—life's ups and downs."

She rubbed her smudged lipstick off my cheek with her thumb. "Don't forget the barbecue tonight for Cormac's birthday. I bought a ton of meat, and I'm counting on you Shack dwellers to be extra hungry."

"Considering our cupboards are bare, you can count on some ravenous appetites."

Jade clucked her tongue the way Stella always did when she saw the contents of our fridge.

"You boys need a better system. This whole 'your turn to shop or we don't eat' plan doesn't seem to be working.

Fin drops by the house every morning before work to make himself lunch for the day. Britt said Theo does the same thing."

I nodded. "Yeah, I agree. Our system isn't cutting it."

"Well, I can't wait to see everyone tonight. It's been too long since we all got together." Jade walked to the counter. It seemed the box Stella had been filling was for our aunt.

"What's the occasion?" Stella asked.

"Nothing much. Just a few open houses and treats always help sweeten the deal.

" Aunt Jade and Aunt Britton had started a real estate office, and they were doing really well.

Jules worked there part-time doing mostly financial stuff.

My cousin, Jules, was a math brain, and she was working on her accounting degree.

She was always one of those super smart kids who chaired all the clubs and won all the awards and contests, including prom queen and class president.

"Jules texted that she was dying for a strawberry scone, so I put an extra in the box," Stella noted.

"Thanks, LaLa. See you guys tonight." Jade walked out.

"You forgot about the barbecue and Mac's birthday, didn't you?" Stella asked.

"Might have, but I've had a lot on my mind."

"Oh, I know, trust me, I know." She leaned against the counter. "Jax, you need to forget about her. She's not for you, and you're not for her. Remember how Romeo and Juliet ends."

I looked at her.

She rolled her eyes. "Oh my god, you illiterate block of stone. What the hell did you do in high school?"

"Well, I sure as hell wasn't reading Romeo and Juliet. And this isn't Shakespeare."

She clapped. "Aha, so you knew the story was written by Shakespeare. I consider that a win. Seriously, Jax, you are never lacking dates or one-night stands." Stella shivered in disgust and took a bracing sip from her water bottle. "Yuck, had to immediately wash that out of my mouth and mind."

I sighed. "Thought I'd come here for some reasonable advice, but you're clearly not earning your nickel today, Lucy . If I'd wanted to have the fucking football pulled out from under me, I would have talked to Theo or Cru."

"You're right. I'm sorry." She pulled down an invisible curtain over her face. "I'm here to listen. What are you going to do?"

"Not sure. Just know I feel like shit because I want to be with her, and I know that's impossible."

"Maybe that's why you want to be with her," she suggested. "Jaxon Stone isn't usually on the rejection side of things. You can't have her, so you want her."

I thought about that for all of a second. "Nope, I want her because she's fucking amazing, and I don't give a damn that her dad is a supreme asshole."

"Oh, my dear brother, I don't have any advice except try to forget about her."

"That is about the most unhelpful advice you've ever given."

"Not true. Remember when we were sixteen, and I convinced you that you'd look really good if you bleached your hair, and you tried it and it fell out in patches?"

"How could I possibly forget that? I had to wear a fucking knit beanie all summer."

We both laughed, which I had to admit helped more than anything else this morning. "Well, I'm going back to the shop. Give me some maple scones for the old man. Maybe it'll put him in a better mood."

Stella put two scones in a bag, and I paid and started to walk out.

"Oh, you owe me thirty bucks for the swim fins," she said.

I turned around, confused.

She tilted her head at me. "Mac's birthday gift. You told me you'd go halves with me. They're all wrapped up and ready to go."

"Right. I'll pay you tomorrow, when I get paid. Later, LaLa."

"Later, Romeo."