Mad About Moon (The Whiskeys: Dark Knights at Peaceful Harbor #5)(10)

JED TOLD HIMSELF he was being pushy because he didn’t want to disappoint Sarah and Scott or Biggs and the other club members; he was a prospect after all. Every move he made would be judged by the members until they decided about his becoming one of them. But as they walked toward the kitchen and Josie went on about the shelter rules and regulations, he knew he was partially lying to himself. He wanted to prove to everyone that he was worthy of their trust, but mostly he wanted to prove himself to Jojo, the girl who had given him a glimpse of what he was missing out on all those years ago.

She stopped walking with a worried expression on her face and said, “Moon, the women in the kitchen came here to find security, a sanctuary. Some of them escaped abuse, while others are just in a difficult place. I don’t know if this is okay or not. I should ask Sunny. You might scare them. Are men even allowed in here?”

“It’s okay. I know all of that. The shelter was started by the family of a Dark Knight. Biggs assured me that this would be okay or I wouldn’t have come.”

“Biggs? Now you sound like you’re just making up names to suit your purpose.”

He laughed, eliciting a smile, which made him want to laugh again, just so he could see her beautiful face light up one more time. “Biggs Whiskey is Sarah’s fiancé’s father, and the president of the Dark Knights. His family’s been patrolling Peaceful Harbor for generations, and they’ve been keeping watch on the shelter since it first opened. If Sunny tells me to leave, I’ll go. No questions asked.”

“Okay” came out just above a whisper. Then, in a stronger voice, she said, “Just don’t scare anyone. And don’t assume you know me just because we slept together once a hundred years ago.”

She was so freaking cute, the size of a sprite but all bossy and in charge. He liked knowing the world hadn’t beaten that out of her. “I think I know who you were and that we had a lot in common, but I’m not fooling myself. I don’t know you as well as I’d like to.”

With a curt nod, she said, “Okay,” and headed for the kitchen.

He fell into step beside her and the space between them heated up. She pressed her lips together. He stifled a grin at the same moment she stole a glance at him—and she scowled.

“Get that smug look off your face,” she snapped.

“It’s not smug. It’s…” Happy? That sounded lame, so he said, “Come on, Jojo. You can’t deny that zing of attraction that’s still hanging around us.”

“Shut up,” she snapped, and shifted her eyes away. “We’re not talking about that, or I’ll kick you out on your ass regardless of what anyone else wants.”

“There’s the feisty girl I once knew,” he said softly, catching her glare as they entered the kitchen.

The counters were littered with trays of gingerbread men cookies, large gingerbread sheets, and bowls of different types of candies, pretzels, and colorful frostings. Three women sat at a table decorating gingerbread cookies and houses. Sunny and another short-haired brunette sat at another table with a shaggy-haired little boy and an adorable redheaded girl. Their table was also full of festive creations. On the table beside the little boy was a treasure trove of toy construction trucks.

He’d brought only one gift and he didn’t want to hurt the little girl’s feelings, so he shoved it in his pocket.

“Jed?” Sunny said, and all eyes turned toward him. Silence fell over the room as Sunny came to his side, giving Josie a questioning look. “I see you charmed Josie.”

“Nah, she charmed me.” He winked at Josie.

Josie rolled her eyes. “I wasn’t sure if he was allowed in here or not.”

“Jed’s harmless, unless you’re trying to hurt someone he loves. Then I hear he’ll squash you like an ant. Why do you think he’s prospecting to become a Dark Knight?” Sunny said. “Because he’s just like the others, doing more good than harm in our crazy world.”

“At least nowadays,” Jed said. “I’ve known my fair share of trouble.” He’d been in and out of juvie, and as an adult he’d spent a few months in jail, but he wasn’t about to go into any of that. All that mattered was that he now lived a clean, honest life. He shrugged off his leather jacket, and the desire in Josie’s eyes was unmistakable. Damn. He liked seeing it a whole lot more than he probably should after only just reconnecting.

“He’s not too hard on the eyes, either,” Sunny said, before turning her attention to the other women in the room. “If anyone’s uncomfortable, Jed can leave.”

There were murmurs of “No, we’re good” and “It’s okay.”

Josie mumbled something indiscernible, but her pink cheeks gave away her interest. “Lord,” slipped from her lips like a secret as she sat beside the cute brunette with the pixie cut.

“I hope God looks like that,” the brunette said softly.

Josie scowled at him as if he’d done something wrong. She waved toward her friend and said, “Moon, this is Tracey.” She motioned at the kids and said, “This is my son, Hail, and his friend Emily, Jenna’s daughter.” She pointed across the room to a redhead sitting at the other table.

The redhead waved shyly.

Bones had called earlier to let him know Sarah had spoken to Tracey and offered her the job. Tracey’s eyes moved curiously between Jed and Josie. He wondered if Josie had mentioned him to her. “Tracey, you’re Sarah’s friend? The one the Whiskeys offered the waitress job to?”