All That Jazz (Butler Cove #1)(29)

“You so freaking owe me,” I muttered. There were favors and there were favors.

Opening the door gently so he didn’t hit the poor girl, he eased out of the truck.

“Joey?” Courtney asked, her chin wobbling. Her eyes darted frantically back and forth between Joey and me. “Are you cheating on me?”

Oh Christ on a broomstick.

I pursed my lips and got out on my side.





I LEFT JOEY and Courtney to talk through their issues in the driveway and hobbled up the steps to find Keri Ann. As I entered, I remembered Keri Ann was doing a shift at the Grill this afternoon. Nana was sitting in her favorite chair by the fireplace. “Hey, Nana,” I greeted.

She started. “Oh goodness,” she said clutching her chest.

I hurried over. “I’m so sorry. I didn’t mean to startle you.”

“Oh, it’s okay, dear. I must have nodded off.” She looked around her as if coming back from somewhere far away and pulling her shawl tighter. “It’s so cold down here. Look at you all bare legs. You’ll catch your death.”

I smiled and perched on the ottoman by her chair. “I’m fine Nana. It’s, like, eighty degrees out there. Can I get you anything?”

“You’re a dear girl. I’m fine. I need to think about getting dinner started. Are you staying?”

I thought how Joey and I had almost grabbed dinner and felt bad. I hadn’t heard back from Chase. Sitting across from Joey after what had just happened outside was too much. I needed some space. “I should probably go spend some time with my mom.”

“Oh, she called yesterday to tell me Dr. Barrett could see me sooner. Did you have something to do with that?”

I pursed my lips. “I may have mentioned something to her. What’s the good of working for a cardiologist if you don’t get some perks,” I quipped, then my mind slipped to the kind of perks my mom could end up getting, and I winced.

Luckily Nana didn’t notice. She patted my hand. “Well, thank you. Maybe Keri Ann and Joey will stop fussing at me so much.”

The front door swung open. “Hey,” said Keri Ann. “Do my eyes deceive me or is that Courtney out there?”

“Your eyes do not deceive you, and it seems she’s the reason for the favor he asked.”

“What favor?” Nana asked.

Keri Ann kicked the door closed and hung her messenger bag up on the hat stand. “You’re kidding.”

“Nope. How was work?” I asked.

“What favor?” Nana asked again.

I sighed. “Joey asked me if I’d pretend to be his girlfriend on a couple of occasions this summer.”

Nana’s eyes narrowed. “Indeed? And what does that entail exactly?”

Heat crawled up my skin, and I fervently hoped it wasn’t also visible in the form of a flush. “Kissing!” my brain screamed like it had been injected with truth serum. Incredible, combustible, hot and sexy kissing. I swallowed. “Uh—”

“Don’t you just have to say you’re his GF if she asks?” Keri Ann went to peer out the window. “In fact, shouldn’t you be out there right now? It looks brutal. Maybe you could rip the Band-Aid off? Let her know quickly? Short burst of painful truth, so she can get over it already.”

“He’ll ask if he needs help, I’m sure.” I headed for the stairs ahead of her. The last thing I needed to see was Joseph fending off some poor girl. It struck a little close to home if I couldn’t get these feelings under control. On that note, I was going to have to rescind my offer of a favor. I had a slight conflict of interest. Added to which, he might ask me to step up right when things were going well with Chase or whoever else may show up later in the summer.

As if he knew I was talking about him, my phone buzzed.



Chase: Burger sounds good. I’m at the beach right now, wanna join?



I chewed my lip as I read and re-read his text. So much had happened between my text and his reply. And I really should go spend time with my mom. Not to mention it was a school night. And God, I just needed to breathe for a second and get my head together. I stepped backward down the stairs. I needed to go home.



Me: Rain check on beach and dinner.



“Hey, K,” I called to Keri Ann who was fussing over Nana. “I’m gonna head home.”

Keri Ann looked up. “Everything all right?”

“Yeah, I gotta spend some time with my mom.”

“Tell her, hi.”

I hopped to the bottom step and back to the entryway. “I will. Bye Nana.”

Taking a deep breath, I opened the door and faced the two backs sitting on the bottom step of the porch. One broad back, muscles defined through his t-shirt and one smaller skinny body with wavy blonde hair. They both turned at the sound of me coming outside. Courtney’s eyes were red rimmed, and Joey’s were troubled.

“Hey,” I said. “I’ll just grab my bike. Leave you guys to it.” I held the rail and hobbled down. Joey stood and reached up to take my hand.

“I got it,” I said.

He looked meaningfully at me. “Let me help.” His tone didn’t match the determined and pleading look he gave me that Courtney couldn’t see. I grit my teeth and stretched my mouth to a smile that came out as more of a grimace as I took his outstretched hand. God, even taking his hand felt too intimate. My bare skin touching his bare skin. I shuddered.