Page 167 of One Good Crash

After all, I did need the money.

When I mentioned the noon shift to Jax, he said, "So, blow it off."

"I can't just 'blow it off,'" I told him. "I practically begged Pam to give me the hours." I smiled. "And besides, you've probably got work to do yourself, right?"

"Nothing I can't postpone."

"Yeah, because you're the boss." I gave a playful eye-roll. "But me? I'm just a lowly waitress."

He reached out and tugged me onto his lap. Into my hair, he said, "You're not a lowly anything."

"I know. It's just a figure of speech, but I reallydohave to work." I gave a nervous laugh. "So, what do you think? Will I be able to make it out without giving everyone a show?"

"No one's getting a show but me." He pulled back and flicked his head toward the suite's interior. "Don't worry. I brought you some clothes."

"You did?" I gave him the squinty-eye. "So youknewyou'd be destroying my uniform?"

"A guy can dream, right?"

He hadn't just dreamed. He made it a reality. And I sure as heckwasn'tcomplaining.

But Iwaswondering. "So, whose clothes are they? I know you didn't bring any of mine, because Allie would've told me."

"I grabbed them from my place," he said. "From the same stash as before."

Obviously, he was referring to the clothes that he'd loaned me on that very first night.

"You know," I said, resting my head against his shoulder, "you never did tell me whose clothes they were."

"So, you wanna know?"

I nodded against him.

"They're Chloe's."

I tried not to stiffen at the unfamiliar name. "So, who's Chloe?" I pulled back to study his face. "An ex-girlfriend?"

"Why?" He grinned. "You jealous?"

I forced a little laugh. "Do I look jealous?"

"A little."

"Well, I'm not." Under my breath, I added, "Much."

Jax laughed. "Don't be. She's my brother's wife."

Now,thatwas unexpected. "Which brother? Jake?"

"Nah. My half-brother. Lawton."

For some reason, the name sounded vaguely familiar.Lawton and Chloe.And then it hit me, "Oh, my God. You don't mean Lawton Rastor?"

"Yeah, I do."

"He's your brother? I had no idea."

A few years earlier, I'd actually seen their crazy wedding proposal on the internet. Hell, me and a few bazillion other people. The guy was beyond famous, and Chloe had become semi-famous herself as a result of that video.