The Last Second Chance by Lucy Score

3

Cold and a little cranky, Joey dragged her boots off and left them on the porch. She pushed her front door open and dropped down in front of the fireplace in the living room. With the push of a button, the gas fire wooshed to life. She leaned in, determined to absorb every degree of heat the flames threw off.

January in Blue Moon meant long, frigid days. The barn and indoor riding ring were warm enough, but she’d spent the last hour and a half fixing fences in the northern pasture. The winter wind had meticulously picked apart her defensive thermal layers until her ass was officially frozen.

She glanced up at the clock on the mantel. If she wanted to make it to the brewery’s grand opening tonight, she was going to have to drag her frozen ass away from this very cozy fire and into a hot shower upstairs. At least she was a few days removed from her New Year’s Eve hangover, so the thought of a beer didn’t make her want to vomit.

She’d begged off from the Pierce family dinner celebrating Summer’s magazine launch, but she knew there’d be no missing the brewery opening. The Pierces were meeting at 4:30 for a private toast. She was going to have to choose between washing her hair and shaving her legs. She was just trying to talk herself into prying her ass off the floor when her cell phone rang.

Mom.

The familiar wave of guilt, as comfortable as an old pair of shoes, settled over her. She heaved a heavy sigh. Joey had been busy or ignored the last two calls, and if she dodged again, she’d have her parents showing up on her doorstep in a panic.

“Hi, Mom.”

“Well thank God.” Her mother’s voice filled with relief. “Your father and I were getting worried.”

“Everything’s fine. I’m fine,” Joey said, trying to keep the annoyance out of her tone. Ever since the accident, they’d been overly protective, easily concerned. Thank God for her sister’s kids. Otherwise April and Forrest Greer never would have moved away from Blue Moon. When she’d waved off that moving van two years ago, it was the first deep breath she’d been able to take in Blue Moon since before the accident.

She’d spent every day since the hospital trying to distance herself from the pain and the pity. Sure, in the ensuing years, she’d had friends—well, acquaintances—and there had been other men, carefully selected so as not to puncture her shiny new armor. But she’d spent her time in college and since building a private, independent life. She made the decisions, and she was responsible for the outcomes. It was a quiet existence, but that’s how she wanted it.

“How was Beckett’s wedding?” her mother was asking, but she plowed on ahead without giving Joey the chance to answer. “Your father was so disappointed you couldn’t spend New Year’s Day with us.”

“Tell him I’m sorry I missed the festivities,” Joey said, rolling with the guilt trip. Her mother always played the “your father” card. That relationship had been strained years ago when Joey accepted Carter’s job offer. They had never quite recovered. In Forrest’s hardheaded mind, his daughter working for Jax’s family was Joey choosing the Pierces over her own blood. He’d spent every interaction since trying to convince her to move on.

“How is Dad?” Joey asked.

“Oh, you know your father,” her mom said airily. “Are you seeing anyone?”

Joey leaned over the island and put her forehead in her hand. “No, Mom.”

“I just wanted to check. Jax has been back for a while now. And I didn’t know if you two—”

“I’m not seeing Jax. I’m not seeing anyone, Mom. I don’t have much time for a social life these days.”

“Those Pierces work you too hard. They take advantage of your work ethic,” a deep voice bellowed from the background.

“Hi, Dad,” Joey said, cursing her parents’ use of speakerphone.

“Oh, Forrest. Don’t start picking,” her mother sighed.

“All I’m saying is you could have your pick of jobs if you’d be willing to leave Blue Moon. Hugh’s son works for the place that owns the horse that came in second in the Preakness last year. What was his name?”

“Joel?”

“No, not the son. The horse.”

“Sunday Squall.”

“That’s the one.”

April ignored their conversation and plowed ahead with her own. “So listen, sweetie, since you missed Christmas Eve and New Year’s Day with us…”

Phone calls with her parents were like a lopsided tennis match, and she knew her mom was going to serve up an ace here. Joey silently willed her mother to get to the point.

“We were hoping you could come out Sunday for Isaac’s birthday.”

The last thing Joey wanted to do on her one day off was drive an hour one-way to watch her two-year-old nephew pick his nose and smash his face in a fire truck cake that tasted like paste.

“Uh-huh,” Joey said, her tone noncommittal.

“If you’re busy,” her mom continued, “we’ll just have to bring the party to you. Rosemarie would be devastated if you missed Isaac’s birthday.”

Joey and her sister exchanged the equivalent of one email a month and made small talk at family gatherings. The only devastation if Joey didn’t attend the birthday party would be on the part of her parents. It wasn’t that they didn’t get along. It was that they had absolutely nothing in common. Rosemarie was up to her eyeballs in diapers and repainting her kitchen. Joey was buried in vet appointments and researching a new horse trailer.

“I guess I can make it,” Joey said, mentally kissing her quiet day of trashy novel reading and baking goodbye.

“Good,” her father said gruffly. “Family first, I always say.”

And the Pierces weren’t family. Joey got his message loud and clear.

By the time she hung up, she had just enough time to rinse off and head up to the brewery. But still she couldn’t force herself away from the fireplace. The more she thought about it, the less enthusiastic she felt about going up for the pre-party party.

It was a family thing. And, as often as Joey let herself get sucked into Pierce family gatherings, maybe it was important to start remembering that she wasn’t one of them.

* * *

When Joey didn’t showup to the brewery with the rest of the family, Jax started to worry. He’d even held off on the toast, just in case she was running late. When he texted her to see where the hell she was, her response took him from worried to pissed.

Joey: Be there later.

Didn’t she realize that all of this was for her? She should be here, holding a glass with the rest of the family. But Joey couldn’t be bothered to show up for it.

She should be here, nervous and excited like everyone else. He glared out the window in the direction of her house, the dozens of cars that were lining up in the parking lot meant nothing without that cherry red pickup.

He turned away from the windows, a dark cloud hanging over the festivities. He had work to do, but talking some sense into Joey would be at the top of his list.

By the time she waltzed in at six, Jax had moved beyond pissed to fucking irate. The woman was born to make him insane. She came in the door behind Dr. Delvecchio and Mrs. Nordemann. Her hair was long and loose. Jeans that went on for days hugged her slim curves. Knee-high boots in a gray suede matched her soft, off-the-shoulder sweater. Her cheeks were rosy from the cold, her lips glossy.

Jax was starting to realize that no matter how long he knew her, he would always get this kick-start to his heart every time she walked in a room.

Her gaze found his in a silent connection thick with tension.

Jax ducked his head and dumped another batch of glasses into the rotating washer. It was two-deep at the bar. Carter was helping get the food out while Mr. Mayor double-teamed the host stand with Phoebe. Summer and Gia flitted from table to table.

It was a family affair. The entire town—since recovered from their wedding hangovers—had turned out to help them celebrate. And it still wasn’t enough. Not without her.

“Fuck it,” Jax muttered. He stormed out from around the bar and grabbed her by the arm.

“What the hell, Jax?”

“Come with me.”

She started to wrestle out of his grip. It was yet another thing he loved about Joey. She wasn’t afraid of causing a scene. And neither was he. He dragged her down the stairs, past the kitchen, and into the taproom.

“What is your problem?” she demanded, wrenching free.

“My problem is you. Where the hell were you? You were supposed to be here early.”

“That was a family thing.”

“You’re family.”

“No, I’m not! And if I were, that would make what we did in high school illegal,” she shot back.

“I wanted you here,” Jax said, pacing now. Why couldn’t she see it?

“Oh for fuck’s sake. Why didn’t you just say so? I’m not family, Jax. I’m not going to show up for every freaking Pierce occasion.”

“You damn well should have showed up for this,” he said, his voice grim.

“Why?”

“Because it’s for you,” he exploded. “It’s all for you. I came back for you.”

Well, that shut her up. She was gaping at him like a fish on the line before she let out a noise somewhere between a screech and a growl.

“You drive me insane!” She threw her hands up in the air.

“Right back at ya, Jojo.”

She crossed her arms and kicked at a keg. “Why do you want to be with me?”

Jax stopped and stared at her. “Why?” he laughed. “You seriously don’t know?”

Joey just stared at him.

“Joey, I love you. There hasn’t been a time in my life when I haven’t loved you.”

She was staring at him, her expression unreadable.

“Say something,” he said quietly.

“I don’t think we know what love is,” she said finally.

“How can you even say that?” He shoved his hands through his hair.

“You hurt me, Jax.”

He stared at the floor, shoved his hands in his pockets. The guilt clawed at him. “I know I did. I was reckless and careless, and you got hurt. I can still see you in that car.”

“In the car?” I’m not talking about the accident, you idiot. I’m talking about you leaving.”

“I almost killed you!” His voice echoed off the metal of the kegs.

“Oh, sweet Jesus. A deer almost killed me. You almost destroyed me when you left without a word.”

“The accident—”

“Was an accident,” she said, enunciating each word like he was an annoying toddler. “You leaving was on purpose. And I don’t know how to forgive that.”

“You have to.” She did. There was no way around it. Joey had to forgive him so she might as well accept it.

“Maybe it would go a little better if you’d at least, oh I don’t know, apologize?”

Jax cringed. “I don’t know how.” He said the words quietly. “How do I say I’m sorry for something that big? You almost died because of me.”

“Are you not listening?” Joey threw her hands up as if she was appealing to a higher power. “You don’t owe me an apology for the accident. You owe me an apology for abandoning me. How am I supposed to move past that if you won’t tell me why you did it?”

“Because I hurt you!” he shouted.

“I’m about to hurt you,” she yelled back. “Get it through your thick, stupid skull. Until you can make me understand why you felt like you had to disappear without a word, or a call, or an email for eight years, there is no chance for us. Now, I’m going back upstairs to have a beer.”

She stormed out, the slim heels of her boots clicking on the concrete floor.

She was right, and Jax knew it. But he also knew the answers would only push her further away.