don’t have many close friends other than the guys I used to work with at my father’s firm. Since he retired, everyone has gone their separate ways.
I guess that leaves…Page.
When I pull up to Page and Jax’s house, I realize I probably should have called first, but the thought didn’t even cross my mind. I’m not thinking rationally right now, so I hope my sister will forgive me for just dropping by.
After I ring the doorbell, it opens, but it’s not Page on the other side. It’s her husband Jax, the famous MMA fighter.
Running my fingers through my hair, I say, “Hey, Jax. Sorry to come over without calling but is Page home?”
Jax arches one of his dark eyebrows as he stares at me. “No, she just left work and is picking up Xavier from preschool. But I have to know, what’s got your feathers fucking ruffled?”
“Is it that obvious?” I ask.
“Ah, yeah,” he responds. “I’ve never seen a single one of your hairs out of place, and now…” He motions to the top of my head. “Looks like a bird’s nest.”
“Yeah, I don’t doubt it,” I reply since I’ve been trying to tug handfuls of it out.
“You wanna come in and tell me what’s up over a beer?” he asks.
“I could use a beer…or an entire case,” I agree.
“Come on then,” he says before he turns around and walks back through the house, almost letting the door hit me in the face. If you didn’t know the man, you’d swear he’s an asshole. And he is. But the fact is, he treats my sister like a queen and is a great father to my nephew.
I follow him into the kitchen where I hear the fridge open and bottles clanging. He holds out a Budweiser for me; then we take a seat at the kitchen table.
Jax takes a sip of his own beer and follows it up with, “So, spit it out already.”
“Right,” I agree. After I guzzle about half of my bottle, I set it on the table and start peeling the label off with a fingernail while I talk. “There’s this woman…”
“There always is,” Jax mutters. “Go on.”
“I fell for her pretty hard.”
“Okay?” he says. “So what’s the problem?”
“Now she’s with someone else. A complete asshole who is way too old for her. Well, I guess I’m a little old for her too, but it’s different. He’s a jackass who’s possessive, and I get the feeling that she thinks she’s trapped with him and doesn’t know how to get out of the relationship.”
“Oh, well, there’s an easy solution to that,” Jax tells me, so I look up at him, waiting for his words of wisdom. “You walk up to the fucker and punch him right in his face.”
I let out a half scoff, half laugh at that. “He’s one of my bosses.”
“Did I say hit him at work? No. You’ve got to go to his house or someplace with no witnesses.” Jax sits up straight in his chair and slams his bottle down on the table. “Do you want me to do it?”
“No, God no,” I tell him. “Jesus, Jax. I’m sure you remember what a pain it is to go through the criminal justice system, and Page is due in a few weeks.”
“Oh, yeah,” he mutters before he goes back to slouching. “Never mind. You’ll have to hit him.”
“That won’t solve anything,” I reply.
“No, but you’ll feel a helluva lot better,” he says with a grin.
“Only for a minute or two maybe,” I admit. “But it won’t get me Brayden. All I care about is just…being with her.”
“Did you tell her that?” Jax asks.
“I did.”
“And?” he prompts.
“And she says it was a one-time thing and she’s with him now. He’s her father’s partner for chrissakes! I don’t buy it. I think she’s scared of him. Maybe scared because she thinks he’ll come at me. But I don’t care if he does.”
“Then go at him first,” Jax encourages.
“How?” I ask. “Other than, you know, punching his face in.”
“Does her father know about them?”
“No. And I think they’ve been, whatever they are, for a long time. She’s only twenty-three now…”
“Then go rat the bastard out to her father!” Jax says. “I bet her daddy will knock his lights out.”
“Maybe,” I agree with a half smile as I picture that happening. The more I think about it, the more I believe that’s the best plan of action. Sure, Brayden said not to involve her father, but he needs to know,