“Oh, do invite him in, Max,” Mrs. L said with a warm smile.
“Of course. Though I can’t promise he will.” Because I was going to kill him. I didn’t need a damn babysitter.
I strode outside to the black Porsche idling there. Jack slid the window down, not caring that the heavy drizzle was wetting his precious leather interior. I slapped a hand on the roof. “You’d better have a damn good reason for being here.”
Jack grinned. “I missed my best bud, so here I am.”
“I gave you the address in case of emergencies. Missing me hardly constitutes one.”
He pouted. “You don’t call, don’t write anymore—”
“What am I? A sixteen-year-old school girl, doodling your name all over my diary?”
He perked up. “You keep a dairy—”
“Dammit, Jack!” I glared.
He smirked. His red-rimmed gaze shifted past me to the doorway where I was sure Logan hovered. “Hey, that’s the chick from the club—Ray’s sister, right? How about setting us up?”
“Jack,” I snapped, seconds from punching my best friend.
He eyed me thoughtfully for a second. Grinned. “Rrright. Ain’t gonna stealyourchick, man, if that’s what you’re worried about. Knew there was a woman involved somewhere in this with you being AWOL. Though I can’t understand why you’re going territorial over this one when you never gave a shit before if we shared, except warning us off Ray…”
Christ! I scrubbed a palm over my damp face. Jack in this mood wasn’t a good thing.
My friend’s bleary gaze darted forward again, his sardonic expression morphing into frustration, his fingers tapping restlessly on the steering wheel. “I thought we could go catch some waves”—his gaze flickered back to the house—“but you’re busy.”
“What’s going on?”
Another long silence. Then Jack turned fully, and I saw the purple contusion around his right eye and jaw. His bruised knuckles. “What the hell happened?”
A shrug.
“Shit! You hit Lawson?”
“Yeah. Bastard had it coming. Now Marie’s mad at me. Fucker threatened to get a restraining order slapped on me. So, yeah, that’s my amazing weekend. How was yours? No, don’t answer that, at least one of us is having a better time. Let’s go get a drink.”
I was used to Jack’s family drama and his loathing for his brother-in-law, but that he’d hit the bastard increased my concern for him. “Dammit, Jack, lay off the booze. With Lawson after you, you need to be sober and deal with this before shit hitsyou.”
“I’m not drunk…well, not enough, but I soon will be. And I can handle dickhead Lawson, the love of my sister’s screwed up life.”
Hell, shit! “Move over, I’m driving. Right now, I’m finding you a place to sober up.”
“You’re like a bloody girlfriend. Don’t have one of those for that very damn reason,” he grumbled. “I’m fine, just a little fucked up in the head from going home. See ya, bro.” He revved the engine, then gunned the Porsche out of there. The tires squealing, he came to a screeching halt at the T-junction, nearly taking out the front of a SUV turning onto the street.
Logan appeared beside me with an umbrella. “You’re wet.”
I glanced at my damp tee and jeans. “It’ll dry.”
Then I looked at her, and my heart squeezed, so damn grateful I had her in my life because I sure didn’t want to go back to living in that emptiness I saw in my friend’s eyes. One I was closely acquainted with. It sucked big time. If anyone had told me back then that I’d meet a girl who would fill my life and ease the bleakness inside me, I’d have told them to fuck off.
“C’mon.” She grabbed my hand and we ran back to the porch. She dropped the dripping umbrella to the floor, then looked me over and smiled. “Guess the umbrella didn’t help, huh? I’ll go get a towel.”
I didn’t care about that. I desperately wanted her mouth on mine before we went back inside.
The sound of a vehicle pulling in the driveway had me cursing. Dammit, Jack. Now what?
I pivoted and frowned at the silver Lexus parked behind my Jeep. Not Jack. When Logan stiffened against me, I realized exactly who it was, and more, I understood why he’d come.
