Page 69 of Legs

I’d nearly chewed my cheek raw. “And you thought stalking him through me was the answer?”

She massaged her knuckles. “This family is on a thin wire. One more fight, and there would be no hope of patching things up. George can be difficult. He’s fiercely stubborn and couldn’t admit he’d been wrong. He also saw Sophia for what she was and believed losing Jimmy was worth saving our son from that woman. I’m glad Sophia is out of Jimmy’s life, but things were said in the heat of anger that weren’t true. I was wrong. George was wrong. We need the chance to make things right.”

The night of the rainstorm, when Jimmy and I had shed our clothing and our walls, he’d admitted how hurt he still was. How deeply his family’s actions had cut. That wasn’t just a man needing to heal. That was a little boy who missed his mother and father and wanted to reverse time. And Sophia had had her hooks in my man—conniving woman that she was. It’s possible George’s interference had saved his son a lifetime of heartache, but underhanded deception would get them nowhere.

“It’s not for me to judge what happened in your family. I wasn’t there. I don’t know the details. But this? Sneaking into our lives? It’s not okay.”

She nodded slowly. “You’re right. It’s not. But when I saw Jimmy with you, and the way my boy smiled? I realized you were making him happy. He wasn’t going to let us in, and I was running out of options. It was wrong to send George here, but my husband had to work things out for himself. See you and understand his son was building a life, one we wouldn’t be a part of. I’d also hoped he’d get a window into the damage he’d done. Without that, any meeting with the two of them would have turned ugly. I’d have lost Jimmy, once and for all. I’m not willing to let that happen.”

It felt as though I’d swallowed a brick, my body unbearably heavy. Before this epic disaster, I’d grown to like George. He was straightforward—or so I'd thought—and filled a void in my life, and George’s fondness for his son wasn’t contrived. Our last conversation, after I’d confessed Jimmy was scarred by his family’s actions, George’s emotions had run high. That was also the day I’d realized how much I loved my bad boy.

And I did. A sweeping love. The kind where you’d overlook being wronged if it meant seeing your lover happy. Although I wouldn’t forgive his parents’ deception easily, they weren’t trying to hurt us. They were fighting to save their family, something Jimmy needed as badly as them. More, even. How could I deny him that?

I rubbed my chest, as though the movement would soothe my erratic heart. “It will take a while to get my head around this, but if I can help your family, I will. For Jimmy. But I can’t guarantee he’ll listen to me.”

She exhaled and stopped fidgeting. “George was right when he said you were special. No matter what happens, I’m glad Jimmy found you.”

Now I wanted to cry and…hug her? Which was strange. This whole mess was odd and unfathomable, my emotions pulling me in a thousand directions.

George joined us, but I wouldn’t let him sit until he apologized for lying to me. He hemmed and hawed, but I shot him my best scowl, and he conceded. A first step forward. They then explained their plan, minimal though it was. They wanted Jimmy to join his brother and run the winery, give him everything they’d taken away. It would begin with a meeting, with George admitting the errors of his ways. I was to pave the road and convince Jimmy to hear him out.

Total piece of cake. Right.

That coma/head trauma scenario was sounding better and better.

After goodbyes and promises to be in touch, I made my way to Jimmy’s place. This visit was supposed to be about telling him I loved him and sharing my school news. Now I was contemplating dropping this parental atomic bomb, but heaping him with stress when he needed to be on his A-game for the contest didn’t feel right. It would have to wait until after.

But I couldn’t delay seeing him now. I had to remind myself of what we had and staunch my panic that this would turn into another picnic disaster, with him blowing up at me.

My heart wouldn’t survive the fallout.

Full of trepidation, I hurried to his apartment. I started opening his door, when I noticed a tall man inside. Probably Owen. We’d yet to meet, but Jimmy had mentioned seeing him today, at a soccer game or something. He was happy to have his old friend in town and said it was because of me, that I’d made him realize all he’d been missing. Maybe I’d affected his life as much as he’d changed mine. Maybe he’d understand why I wanted him to give his parents another chance, despite their underhanded meddling. Or maybe he wouldn’t.

My stomach lurched.

The two of them were in the kitchen and hadn’t noticed me. Owen was in shorts and a tank top, a soccer ball under his foot. The back of his neck was sweaty. I placed my hand on the door to open it fully, when Owen said, “I still think fucking with your family winery is trouble. Once you do it, there’s no going back.”

I snatched my hand away, unease prickling up my spine. Instead of going in, I squished out of sight, like a creeper. Like some girl who eavesdropped on her boyfriend. This day was spiraling from bad to worse.

Jimmy’s voice drifted out, his words adding to my dread. “If I don’t do it, I’m just as bad as them. And every time one of them gets involved in my life, something goes to shit. Rachel accidentally answered a call from my mother, and I turned into an asshole. We also fought over other stuff, but I nearly lost her, and it’s not okay. Once this is done, they’ll leave us alone. It’s not like they thought twice when they ripped the winery from me.”

“You told Rachel yet?”

My ears burned. I was humiliated at how desperate I was to hear Jimmy’s answer, that I was still eavesdropping.

“No. But I will. Tonight. I’ve been scared she’d freak out, but she needs to know.”

My mind spun, attempting to piece together the meaning behind his words, but standing in the shadows felt as wrong as what George had done—lurking around, hoping for information.

I wiped my damp palms on my shorts, then shoved the door fully open. “What do I need to know?” I forced brightness into my voice.

Jimmy was downing a Gatorade and stopped mid-swallow. He and Owen shared a look, probably wondering what I’d overheard. Too much and not enough.

Even though I harbored a secret big enough to fill the Pentagon, and he clearly had one of his own, I couldn’t help but look. And look. Jimmy’s brow was slick with sweat. He’d tossed his shirt on the couch, and his workout shorts hung low on his hips. His chest and abs rippled with his deep breaths. If Owen weren’t here, if our lives hadn’t gotten irrevocably complicated, I’d lick a path over Jimmy’s pierced nipples and down his happy trail, not stopping until he was hard and in my mouth.

But Owen was here, and there was something Jimmy hadn’t shared with me. Something important enough that he was scared.

One foot on his soccer ball, Owen spun to offer his hand, but he pulled it back. “I’m Owen, but I doubt you want to touch my sweaty hand.”