Sisters by Choice (Blackberry Island #4)(88)

“How was school?” she asked, hugging them as they tumbled into the car.

“Good,” Tommy said. “Are we going to the store now?”

“We are, but first we have to get your brother.”

JJ fastened his seat belt. “I told Dad what we were doing today and said he should stop by but he couldn’t get off work.”

And there it was, she thought. Confirmation that Jaxsen knew she’d moved forward with her plan. “It’s late spring,” Kristine murmured, careful to keep her voice even. “The road crews are extra busy.”

The conciliatory thing to say. The mature thing, despite the fact that Jaxsen could easily take off a couple of hours from work if he wanted to.

She drove to the elementary school and picked up Grant, then took the boys to her new store.

Once she’d unlocked the front door, she showed them where everything was going to go and how the counter would be moved and where she would put the mixers she’d already bought.

“I want to help,” Tommy told her. “Can I work here?”

“I think you’re a little young.”

“But I can do laundry.”

She ruffled his hair. “Yes, you can, but I’m afraid the state thinks you’re not old enough to have a job. But you can help at home if you want, and keep me company here sometimes.”

“Me, too?” Grant asked.

“Of course. In fact, you can all start tonight. I’m going to pack up some cookies as if I’m mailing them to a customer, then I want you three to toss around the box so I can see if the cookies break or not.”

JJ grinned. “I’ll help with that. Plus, you can hire me, Mom. For real.”

“You’re only fourteen.”

“I know, but I looked online. Because I’m family and you own the business, you can hire me. I can only work a certain number of hours and you have to keep my employment records for three years, but that’s all.”

“You want a job?”

“Uh-huh. Mom, I’m going to be sixteen in two years. Grandma and Papa are buying me a car, but what about insurance and gas and maintenance? I have to help with that. I want to start saving money.”

He looked so earnest as he spoke. And mature.

“You’re okay with me starting the business?”

JJ hesitated. “I wish Dad was okay with it, but I understand what you want to do.”

“Plus, it gives you a job.”

He grinned. “Everybody wins.”

She hugged him. “I appreciate the support and we will talk about you working for me once I have things up and running.” She was sure she could use the help, even if it was just a couple of afternoons a week.

“I can’t wait to be fourteen,” Tommy grumbled.

“Me, too,” Grant added.

Her boys, she thought, love filling her heart. They were sweet and kind and she would walk through fire for them. If only Jaxsen were here, sharing the moment.

But he wasn’t and she didn’t know if he ever would be. She had the sudden thought that she might very well be looking at her future—that of a single mom, starting a business and going it alone. She didn’t want that. She wanted her marriage and her husband, but she wanted the business, too. Only right now that didn’t seem possible. With surrendering not an option, she was going to have to have faith in herself and the future, even though as of now, there wasn’t very much to believe in.

  Sophie sat cross-legged in the middle of her living room. She’d downloaded a meditation app and was listening to the soft voice of the narrator telling her to inhale through her nose, then exhale through her mouth. Which wasn’t natural and felt awkward and really?

The doorbell rang, rescuing her from the nightmare of trying to be centered. She scrambled to her feet and found Jaxsen standing on her front porch.

Her relief quickly faded into annoyance when she saw him. She thought about Kristine’s worry and tears and wondered how hard she could punch her cousin-in-law.

“Are you still being a dick?” she asked bluntly.

He pushed past her and walked into the house. “You could start with hi.”

“Hi. Are you still being a dick?”

He glared at her. “No. I’m the injured party here, Soph. I’m not the one taking money from the family to start a business that’s likely to fail. I’m not the one taking time away from my own children to—”

“Just stop. Jaxsen, please. You are so full of shit. You’re the one who walked out without a word. Even worse, you’re living in your parents’ basement. That’s just pathetic.”

“You’re not taking my side in this?”

“No. Of course not. If Kristine murdered someone, I’d help her bury the body. Take your side. Seriously?”

“But we’re family. And I’m not wrong.”

Sophie wondered if she had a shovel or something in her garage. Jaxsen obviously needed a good beating. Someone had to knock sense into him. But violence wasn’t really her thing and even though Jaxsen was being awful she didn’t think Kristine would appreciate her maiming him.

“You make me tired with your stupidness,” she muttered, and motioned for him to follow her. “Come on.”

She led the way into the kitchen and pointed to one of the chairs at the table. After collecting a bottle of tequila and two shot glasses, she got out salt and sliced a lime, then joined him. The tequila was decent quality so she was ruining it with the lime and salt, but what the hey. It was a tradition.