been the nicest moments she’d had in almost a year, and could he please just do it again? He’d think she was pathetic, but he’d probably do as she asked because he was a nice man.
Gwen frowned. Would it be worth it? Baring her soul this way?
Maybe it would.
“Oh, honey,” Joanie said, “I have to tell you, he’s one man you don’t want to fall for. He never stays with anyone for long.”
“I know. It’s not about that. Really.”
Then what was it? Gwen waited for the question that never came.
Joanie studied her with an even more worried look.
“That reminds me,” Gwen said. “How did he manage to date both your little sisters?”
“That part was easy for him. The real question is how he did it and still managed to have them both liking him in the end. I mean, the man manages to stay friends with justabout every woman he ever goes out with. It’s like women just can’t get mad at him or they can’t stay that way.”
“Is he…seeing anyone now?” she thought to ask. Just in case. Really.
“I was gonna say he’s always seeing someone, but honestly, I don’t remember the last time I saw him around town with anyone. The last few months, I think it’s all he and his sisters could do to take care of their mother. She really wanted to stay at home instead of in the hospital, and they managed, right up until the end. They were really good to her.”
So, Jax was tired and lonely and sad, and Gwen was thinking of using him to try to make herself feel better?
Maybe she’d have to go for the completely honest, straightforward approach or nothing at all. She’d march right up to him and explain the situation. He was a reasonable man. He’d understand.
Besides, she needed to know if she was truly over her fear of men. How could she possibly make plans for her future if she didn’t know? And he probably hugged a dozen different women a day. It was probably his favorite way of saying hello. What was one more woman to hug?
There. She’d made it sound practically noble and necessary to her entire future that she get herself back into Jax’s arms.
After they got back from their run, Romeo started crying. He searched the house, inch by inch, sniffing all the corners, nosing things aside, pawing at closed doors until Jax opened them.
“What?” Jax said.
Romeo practically howled, and then he went into Jax’s mother’s bedroom and came back with the scarf he’d wornto the funeral in his mouth. He dropped it at Jax’s feet and then barked out what sounded like a demand for answers.
“Don’t do this, Romeo. Not today.”
Romeo growled and pawed at the scarf.
“Look, the lawyer’s coming, okay? Remember? Alicia. You like her.” One of Jax’s ex-girlfriends, actually. She and his mother thought it was so funny, how his mother kept running into women he used to date. She said it was proof he’d dated too many women. “It’s time for the reading of the will. You’ll probably be the richest dog in town.”
Romeo howled once more. Obviously, he wasn’t after Jax’s mother’s money.
“Okay, I know. Not funny.” Jax actually sat down in front of the dog and tried one more time to explain. “Mom would just love seeing me do this, you know.”
Was he really going to have a conversation with the dog?
Romeo scratched at the scarf again, more insistent than the last time, and barked like he could cheerily tear Jax apart if he didn’t produce his mother ASAP.
“Okay. Here we go,” Jax said very slowly, as if the dog read lips or something. “She’s not coming back. I’m sorry. I miss her, too, but there’s nothing I can do, and if you keep wandering through the house, crying all day, I don’t know what I’ll do to you.”
And then the crying sound came back. It was just awful. A squeaky, pitiful sound that went on and on and on.
“I don’t understand it myself,” Jax said. “How can I possibly explain it to a dog?”
Romeo just cried.
“How about a muzzle?” Jax
Gwen frowned. Would it be worth it? Baring her soul this way?
Maybe it would.
“Oh, honey,” Joanie said, “I have to tell you, he’s one man you don’t want to fall for. He never stays with anyone for long.”
“I know. It’s not about that. Really.”
Then what was it? Gwen waited for the question that never came.
Joanie studied her with an even more worried look.
“That reminds me,” Gwen said. “How did he manage to date both your little sisters?”
“That part was easy for him. The real question is how he did it and still managed to have them both liking him in the end. I mean, the man manages to stay friends with justabout every woman he ever goes out with. It’s like women just can’t get mad at him or they can’t stay that way.”
“Is he…seeing anyone now?” she thought to ask. Just in case. Really.
“I was gonna say he’s always seeing someone, but honestly, I don’t remember the last time I saw him around town with anyone. The last few months, I think it’s all he and his sisters could do to take care of their mother. She really wanted to stay at home instead of in the hospital, and they managed, right up until the end. They were really good to her.”
So, Jax was tired and lonely and sad, and Gwen was thinking of using him to try to make herself feel better?
Maybe she’d have to go for the completely honest, straightforward approach or nothing at all. She’d march right up to him and explain the situation. He was a reasonable man. He’d understand.
Besides, she needed to know if she was truly over her fear of men. How could she possibly make plans for her future if she didn’t know? And he probably hugged a dozen different women a day. It was probably his favorite way of saying hello. What was one more woman to hug?
There. She’d made it sound practically noble and necessary to her entire future that she get herself back into Jax’s arms.
After they got back from their run, Romeo started crying. He searched the house, inch by inch, sniffing all the corners, nosing things aside, pawing at closed doors until Jax opened them.
“What?” Jax said.
Romeo practically howled, and then he went into Jax’s mother’s bedroom and came back with the scarf he’d wornto the funeral in his mouth. He dropped it at Jax’s feet and then barked out what sounded like a demand for answers.
“Don’t do this, Romeo. Not today.”
Romeo growled and pawed at the scarf.
“Look, the lawyer’s coming, okay? Remember? Alicia. You like her.” One of Jax’s ex-girlfriends, actually. She and his mother thought it was so funny, how his mother kept running into women he used to date. She said it was proof he’d dated too many women. “It’s time for the reading of the will. You’ll probably be the richest dog in town.”
Romeo howled once more. Obviously, he wasn’t after Jax’s mother’s money.
“Okay, I know. Not funny.” Jax actually sat down in front of the dog and tried one more time to explain. “Mom would just love seeing me do this, you know.”
Was he really going to have a conversation with the dog?
Romeo scratched at the scarf again, more insistent than the last time, and barked like he could cheerily tear Jax apart if he didn’t produce his mother ASAP.
“Okay. Here we go,” Jax said very slowly, as if the dog read lips or something. “She’s not coming back. I’m sorry. I miss her, too, but there’s nothing I can do, and if you keep wandering through the house, crying all day, I don’t know what I’ll do to you.”
And then the crying sound came back. It was just awful. A squeaky, pitiful sound that went on and on and on.
“I don’t understand it myself,” Jax said. “How can I possibly explain it to a dog?”
Romeo just cried.
“How about a muzzle?” Jax
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