Mad About Moon (The Whiskeys: Dark Knights at Peaceful Harbor #5)(11)

“That’s me,” she said.

“I work there, too. I think you’ll like it. There’s a good crowd, and don’t worry, we’ll all watch out for you.”

“You work there?” Tracey glanced at Josie.

He was sure some type of secret girl message passed between them, though he had no idea how to translate it.

Sunny introduced him to the ladies at the other table, and then she pointed to the empty chair beside Hail and said, “You can take my seat. I’ll sit over here.”

“Alrighty then.” He sat down beside Hail and said, “Hi. I’m Jed. I hear you like cars and trucks.”

Hail nodded. “Mostly trucks.”

“I see that.” Jed reached across the table and grabbed a backhoe. “Frosting scoop?”

Hail giggled and shook his head, sending his bangs swinging in front of his eyes. “Mama said no trucks in the frosting.”

Jed winced. “My bad. I need to learn the rules.” He mouthed sorry to Josie.

She smiled and shook her head, relaxing a little.

“So, Hail, I’m a first timer,” Jed said. “Think you can show me where to start with a gingerbread house?”

“Uh-huh. First you need to help Mama make you a house,” Hail said as he grabbed an M&M from a bowl and stuffed it in his mouth. “She’s the best gingerbread house builder. My daddy was the best real house maker.”

Jed’s father had been killed by a drunk driver when he was eleven, and even though he knew Hail’s father could be out of his life for any number of reasons, his use of was sent a pang through Jed’s chest.

“Bean, you forgot to tell him that you’re the best house decorator,” Josie said as she pushed to her feet and went to the counter. “And Emily’s got a knack for decorating, too. Then there’s Tracey, who eats more candy than ends up on her house.”

She was trying so hard to change the subject, Jed could feel her discomfort. He told Hail he’d be right back and joined Josie at the counter, where she was busy cutting through a sheet of gingerbread.

“It’s really easy,” she said as she cut, her eyes trained on the gingerbread. “The key is to be sure you make the opposite pieces the same size. I used to use templates, but—”

He silenced her with a hand on hers, drawing her eyes to his. “He said his father was the best. Is he still in his life? Are you running from him?” he asked quietly.

“No and no.”

“You don’t have to be cagey. If he hurt you, we’ll deal with it the right way. I’ll keep him away from Hail.”

She wrenched her hand away and glared at him. Then she glanced at Hail, and her shoulders fell. They just deflated. He tried to wait patiently for an explanation, but his fucking heart was pounding. His hands curled into fists, and as he started to ask again, she blinked up at him and said, “His father would never hurt either of us. Not in a million years.”

“Good. I’m sorry. I just…” His relief was short-lived when he realized what the flip side of that coin probably was.

“He had a congenital heart defect we didn’t know about,” she said sorrowfully. “He died a little more than two years ago.”

“Christ, Jojo. I’m so sorry.”

“Thanks. Can we please not talk about this?” She glanced at Hail again. “He and I have finally moved on from the worst of it, and I’d like to keep things light.”

“Of course, yes. But…” He put his hand on her lower back, and she closed her eyes for a second. In that second he realized he didn’t know shit about women. Was that a sign of relief that someone cared about her, or was it Josie biting back the urge to tell him to get his hand off her? Erring on the safe side, he moved his hand, and when she opened her eyes, he gazed into them, seeing hurt behind a steely shadow of strength.

He wasn’t sure how to handle this situation, but he wanted her to trust him, and the truth came easily. “You’re the only person on this planet who knows most of my secrets.”

Her brows shot up in surprise.

“I know, but it’s true. My longest relationship lasted about eight or ten hours, with a girl at a keg party.”

Her jaw dropped. “No way.”

He held up two fingers and said, “Scout’s honor.”

She reached up and pried a third finger free.

“Aw hell, guess I got that wrong, too. Obviously I wasn’t a Scout, but you can still trust me with your secrets.”

She scoffed. “A guy who can’t hold on to a woman wants me to spill my guts? I don’t think so.”

“Guess I don’t blame you. But you should know it’s not a matter of my not being able to hold on to a woman. I mean, look at me.” He flashed an arrogant grin, earning an amused glance. He picked up a slab of gingerbread and said, “I just haven’t found one I want to build a home with.”

“Wow. It’s all or nothing with you, huh?”

He’d never thought of himself as an all or nothing guy, but now that she mentioned it, he wondered if it was true. “You going to show me how to do this, or what?”

“I thought your biker boyfriends sent you here to protect me, not to make gingerbread houses.” She aligned two pieces of gingerbread at a right angle and put Jed’s hand on it, holding it in place as she grabbed a sleeve of frosting.