his attention to me. “Courtney—”
“Reed, don’t even say it.” I interrupted him, leaning across the table and keeping my voice low so that no one from the surrounding tables could hear me. “You know how much Mr. Wilkins means to me, so keep your wise words to yourself.”
Sitting back against the booth, I turned to Jaxon, “Will you please excuse me? I need to visit the ladies room… and somebody needs to find a new attitude,” I muttered while scooting off the long bench. Jaxon stood up and let me out, keeping his eyes on Phillip’s dad the entire time.
Kendra was on my heels as I shoved the bathroom door open. I whipped my head around to face her when I heard the door close.
“What the hell just happened? I felt like I had Phillip sitting beside me, going off on one of his tirades.” I flapped my arms around in exasperation. “I don’t need to surround myself with another hot-head, so you guys can leave me out of anymore escapades you plan from now until Jaxon leaves. I have no—”
Kendra harshly laid her hand over my mouth, muffling everything else I tried to say. “You are as out of control as Jaxon is, now shut up and listen.” Was she seriously giving me attitude? “Jaxon has had a hard life and had to grow up way too soon, and, when I say soon, he grew up with no parents and only his grandmother to raise him.” My eyes grew wide. “Yeah, so cut him some slack. Anyway, he’s going to be here for a lot longer than I thought.” Slowly, Kendra’s lips spread into a smile. “I was just informed this morning that Jaxon is planning on opening a bar and grill here in his grandmother’s hometown, and he’s asked Reed to manage the place for him. Isn’t that great news?” So that was why he was out here.
I pulled Kendra’s hand off my mouth. “So, what does that have to do with the meltdown we just witnessed?”
“Well, according to Reed, he gets a little overly defensive when he thinks someone is judging him. With his upbringing, he got ridiculed a lot,” she explained. The tips of her lips pulled down slightly. “Does it really matter? Look, I just want us all to get along and have a good time together.” She dropped the cheerful charade. “If I thought he was leaving after Christmas and never coming back, I wouldn’t care if you told him to fuck off, but, since he’s practically asking Reed to be his business partner, I want us to all play nice and get along… for once. You know what I mean?” I did know what she meant, and I could tell she wasn’t trying to throw the past in my face. I owed her, it was the least I could do.
Sighing, I said, “Look, I’ll play nice in the sandbox, but you know Jaxon’s going to have to meet my mom ASAP if you expect us four to pal around together.” I took a step toward her pointing my finger to her chest. “And you are going to explain the whole miscommunication mishap to her too,” I sneered.
Kendra closed the distance between us and rested her hands on my shoulders. “Don’t worry, I will, and I’m really sorry I told you Jaxon was twenty years old. When Reed told me stories about him and Jaxon as kids, I just assumed they were the same age,” she said, releasing my shoulders with a shrug.
Leaning against the sink with my arms folded, I begged the question. “Was Jaxon as misinformed about me as I was him?” Some guys like younger girls, but Jaxon didn’t seem to fit that type.
“I honestly can’t answer that, Courtney. That is a question for Reed. I really have no idea what Reed told him about you. You've been around Jaxon more than I have.”
I was having trouble reading her face. Was she feeding me a line of bull or telling the truth? I decided to skip asking Reed, and, when the timing was right, I’d ask Jaxon instead.
“We better get our asses back out there before they think we are having bathroom issues for real this time,” Kendra laughed, reminding me of my bathroom escape last night.
We both took a
“Reed, don’t even say it.” I interrupted him, leaning across the table and keeping my voice low so that no one from the surrounding tables could hear me. “You know how much Mr. Wilkins means to me, so keep your wise words to yourself.”
Sitting back against the booth, I turned to Jaxon, “Will you please excuse me? I need to visit the ladies room… and somebody needs to find a new attitude,” I muttered while scooting off the long bench. Jaxon stood up and let me out, keeping his eyes on Phillip’s dad the entire time.
Kendra was on my heels as I shoved the bathroom door open. I whipped my head around to face her when I heard the door close.
“What the hell just happened? I felt like I had Phillip sitting beside me, going off on one of his tirades.” I flapped my arms around in exasperation. “I don’t need to surround myself with another hot-head, so you guys can leave me out of anymore escapades you plan from now until Jaxon leaves. I have no—”
Kendra harshly laid her hand over my mouth, muffling everything else I tried to say. “You are as out of control as Jaxon is, now shut up and listen.” Was she seriously giving me attitude? “Jaxon has had a hard life and had to grow up way too soon, and, when I say soon, he grew up with no parents and only his grandmother to raise him.” My eyes grew wide. “Yeah, so cut him some slack. Anyway, he’s going to be here for a lot longer than I thought.” Slowly, Kendra’s lips spread into a smile. “I was just informed this morning that Jaxon is planning on opening a bar and grill here in his grandmother’s hometown, and he’s asked Reed to manage the place for him. Isn’t that great news?” So that was why he was out here.
I pulled Kendra’s hand off my mouth. “So, what does that have to do with the meltdown we just witnessed?”
“Well, according to Reed, he gets a little overly defensive when he thinks someone is judging him. With his upbringing, he got ridiculed a lot,” she explained. The tips of her lips pulled down slightly. “Does it really matter? Look, I just want us all to get along and have a good time together.” She dropped the cheerful charade. “If I thought he was leaving after Christmas and never coming back, I wouldn’t care if you told him to fuck off, but, since he’s practically asking Reed to be his business partner, I want us to all play nice and get along… for once. You know what I mean?” I did know what she meant, and I could tell she wasn’t trying to throw the past in my face. I owed her, it was the least I could do.
Sighing, I said, “Look, I’ll play nice in the sandbox, but you know Jaxon’s going to have to meet my mom ASAP if you expect us four to pal around together.” I took a step toward her pointing my finger to her chest. “And you are going to explain the whole miscommunication mishap to her too,” I sneered.
Kendra closed the distance between us and rested her hands on my shoulders. “Don’t worry, I will, and I’m really sorry I told you Jaxon was twenty years old. When Reed told me stories about him and Jaxon as kids, I just assumed they were the same age,” she said, releasing my shoulders with a shrug.
Leaning against the sink with my arms folded, I begged the question. “Was Jaxon as misinformed about me as I was him?” Some guys like younger girls, but Jaxon didn’t seem to fit that type.
“I honestly can’t answer that, Courtney. That is a question for Reed. I really have no idea what Reed told him about you. You've been around Jaxon more than I have.”
I was having trouble reading her face. Was she feeding me a line of bull or telling the truth? I decided to skip asking Reed, and, when the timing was right, I’d ask Jaxon instead.
“We better get our asses back out there before they think we are having bathroom issues for real this time,” Kendra laughed, reminding me of my bathroom escape last night.
We both took a
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