Mad About Moon

by Melissa Foster

  He wanted to talk with her for hours, to tell her that being with her hadn’t been torturous at all, only the aftermath had been. But she’d just shared so much with him, and she needed to get her little guy to bed, so he said, “A little torture is good for the soul.”

  Chapter Five

  WHISKEY AUTOMOTIVE WAS busy Friday morning, which usually made time fly by for Jed. He enjoyed bartending at Whiskey Bro’s, but at the bar he was constantly on guard, making sure no one got out of hand. The auto shop offered solace, allowing him to disappear into the work. He loved working with his hands and feeling like he was making a difference, but he had a feeling that nothing would keep him from thinking about Josie and Hail today or the fact that he had to let Bear know that he and Josie had a past. He’d wanted to follow her to the shelter last night to make sure she got there okay, but she’d fought him on it. He’d settled for a text letting him know she’d arrived safely. She’d texted almost an hour later—Hail is safely tucked in bed. Thank you for tonight. How is it possible I’ve missed talking to you after all these years? Don’t answer that. I have a big day tomorrow and need to sleep.

  It had taken all of his willpower not to answer her question, but he had to at least reply and had texted, I’ve missed you, too. It’ll be your face I see when I close my eyes tonight. Sleep tight, beautiful.

  Her response had come seconds later in the form of a wide-eyed emoji with the comment, Yeah, that helps lol. Thanks for a great night.

  He wiped his hands on a rag and set it over the side of the car he was working on. Then he headed across the garage to where Bear was working on a motorcycle. Jed had spent years just trying to make ends meet, moving from one shitty job to the next without a purpose beyond taking care of his wasted mother, making sure she stayed alive and remembered to eat. He’d begun straightening out his life before he’d gotten to know the Whiskeys, and they had reminded him what families could—should—be like: loyal, loving, and just fucking good. Not only was Bear his brother-in-law, friend, and boss, but he had also sponsored Jed as a prospect to the Dark Knights, which meant he vouched for him. Jed wasn’t about to screw that up by keeping secrets.

  A tease rose in Bear’s eyes as he said, “You lost? Your bay is over there.”

  “I hear a good woman can make you lose your mind.” Truman said with a wink from a few feet behind Bear, where he was grabbing a tool from a workbench. “You and Josie seemed awfully tight last night.”

  “Yeah, that’s kind of what I wanted to talk to Bear about.”

  Bear went back to work and said, “You find out if she’s in any danger?”

  “Yeah, she’s not in danger, and she’s not on the run. She’s actually had a pretty good life. It’s not my story to tell, but I want to help her get back on her feet. I hooked her up with Penny. She’s meeting with her today, so at least she’ll have a job if things go well. Which it will. They clicked. You know how chicks are. I think she’ll do fine there. And her boy’s enrolled in school. He goes back next week, so she’s got that covered.”

  “Good. Have you told Bones?” Bear asked. “I’m sure Sarah will be relieved to hear that.”

  “Not yet, but I think it’s up to Josie to share the details of her life when she’s ready, don’t you?”

  Bear and Truman exchanged a glance.

  Truman shrugged. “Seems to me the man has a point.”

  “Does she know you’re prospecting?” Bear asked. “Because if she does, then she probably knows word will get to Sarah.”

  “Yeah, she also knows I offered to watch out for her. I’ll shoot a text to Bones and let him know she’s not in any imminent danger. Bear, me and Josie have a past. I would have told you and the guys Christmas night, but I wasn’t certain Josie was Jojo, the girl I had met at a field party several years ago. But it’s her, and we…had a night.”

  “Had a night?” Bear asked. “Meaning you slept with her?”

  “Yeah, but how about you keep that between us? If that’s going to mess up my prospecting, since I’m watching over her, just say the word.”

  Bear straightened his spine, and his expression turned serious. “And if it does?”

  Was he willing to forgo prospecting for Josie? Jed wasn’t about to walk away from her. “I don’t have an answer for that, at least not one you’ll want to hear.”

  Bear crossed his arms and said, “Try me.”

  “Christ, Bear.” Jed paced a few feet and said, “I care about her, man. I don’t know what else to tell you. I don’t even know how that can happen so fast after all this time, but it has. I swear it’s like I was thrown back to that field last night when she was here, only this time she’s not seventeen and I’m not a thieving fool with no direction. So, do I want to become part of the Dark Knights? Hell yes. But if it means having some other dude watch out for Jojo, then fuck that. I’m not letting anyone else step in to do what I’m finally perfectly capable of doing.”

  Truman chuckled. Bear sneered at him.

  “I can’t help it.” Truman motioned to Jed and said, “He’s all muscles and tattoos and shit, but he’s gone all googly-eyed over this girl and her boy. It happens to the best of us, man.”

  Jed puffed out his chest as he said, “I am not googly-eyed. I said I’m not letting some other guy take over for me. She doesn’t need a stranger hovering over her. She’s strong and smart, and she’s got her head on straight. She just needs someone who cares about her to help her find her way to getting a job and a place to live without being taken advantage of.”

  “And you think you can do a better job than, say, Bullet?” Bear challenged. “Or how about Diesel? Nobody will mess with her with him around.”

  “No, I don’t think I will.” Jed closed the distance between them, meeting Bear’s stare with a darker, more aggressive one, and said, “I know I will.”

  “Whoa. What’s going on here?” Dixie said as she came out of the office. Her boots clicked on the concrete floor as she joined them by the motorcycle. She wore her regular winter attire, skinny jeans tucked into knee-high black boots and a Whiskey Automotive T-shirt. Dixie did the accounting for Whiskey Automotive and Whiskey Bro’s and she also waitressed at the bar.

  Amusement rose in her eyes as she said, “Are we having a moment? You two need a referee, or do you want to get a room?”

  Jed and Bear both glared at her.

  Truman chuckled.

  Ignoring her snarky remark, Bear slid a serious look to Jed; then the edge of his lips curved up and he gave Jed’s arm a hard slap as he said, “That’s what the Knights are all about, bro, watching out for the people we care about. You just keep doing what you’re doing. But remember, if you’re hoping for more with Josie and she’s not into it, you keep those hands to yourself.”

  Jed scoffed. “What am I? An asshole?”

  “A man,” Dixie said. “I was going to ask about you and Josie. I hear you two seemed pretty hot together last night.”

  “Jesus, Tru. You’ve got a big mouth,” Jed snapped.

  And yeah, he was sure they looked hot together, considering the sparks that flew every damn time they were near each other. Talking with Josie had been just as awesome as it had been the first time. He wished he had a place to offer her and Hail to get them out of the shelter, which spurred several other thoughts. The most important of which was that he needed to get moving and find a place of his own.

  Truman held his hands up. “Not me, dude.”

  “It wasn’t Tru.” Dixie popped her bubble gum, leaving Jed hanging for a long moment before saying, “Gemma and Crystal told me.”

  “Fucking gossip,” Jed said. “Crystal wasn’t even there. There’s nothing between me and Jojo right now—at least nothing more than friendship—so don’t go scaring her off with your bullshit girl talk.”

  Dixie smirked. “If there was nothing going on you wouldn’t have been ready to kill Bear a minute ago.”

  “Leave it alone, Dixie.” Jed strode back to the car he was working on.
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br />   “I’ll leave it alone if you’ll sign up for the bachelor auction fundraiser,” Dixie suggested. She’d been hounding him to agree to be part of the auction for weeks.

  “Not a chance,” Jed said, especially now that he’d reconnected with Josie.

  Dixie strode over to him, her long red hair bouncing over her shoulders. “Come on. It’s for a good cause. Funds from the auction go to the Parkvale Homeless Shelter.”

  “Why are you handling that?” Truman asked.

  “Because a different company hosts every year,” Dixie explained. “The Bradens hosted the last two auctions. It’s our turn, and I need single men.”

  Bear glowered at her. “Let’s not say it that way, huh, Dix?”

  “You know what?” Dixie huffed. “Not only am I going to say it that way, but I’m going to exploit it all over creation until I get so many bachelors, we raise more money than any other auction ever has.”

  She stormed toward the office, and Bear pulled out his phone.

  “Who are you calling?” Truman asked.

  “Bullet,” Bear said. “Someone’s got to warn him that Dixie’s on the warpath for single guys. I can think of a few dudes who’ll do anything she wants, hoping for something in return.” The Whiskey men were protective of everyone, but when it came to their sister they were like pack wolves ready to tear apart any interloper.

  Jed knew what it felt like to want to protect family so vehemently. He dug his phone from his pocket to text Josie and wish her luck for her meeting with Penny and thought about how he’d surprised himself by how strongly he’d stood up to Bear.

  As he thumbed out a text, he thought, Guess that vehemence goes well beyond family now.

  JOSIE PARKED BY the ice cream shop, as nervous as she was excited to spend time with Penny, but young children were like tires. You never knew when they’d lose their air and throw everything off-balance. She’d made sure to bring plenty of toys, coloring books, and snacks to keep Hail busy and hoped for the best. She’d already decided to buy him a bowl of ice cream first thing, because what kid could sit in an ice cream shop and not beg for some?

  “Remember what I said, bean?” Josie asked.

  “Yes,” he said as he climbed from his seat. “Say ‘excuse me’ when I need something.”

  “That’s right. And it’s okay if you need me, but saying ‘excuse me’ is nicer than just hollering my name, okay?”

  He nodded, and she brushed his floppy bangs from his forehead and pressed a kiss there. She grabbed his bag of toys and then reached for his hand, thinking of the text Jed had sent last night and the one she’d received earlier—Good luck today. I know you’ll do great. Have fun with Penny and tell Hail I said hi.

  “Mama, look!” Hail pointed at the ice cream shop, a pistachio-colored building with two giant sculptures of ice cream cones out front.

  “I bet that’s a fun place to work.”

  As they made their way to Penny’s shop, Josie thought about how nice it was having someone who cared about them again, even if it was a little scary because her feelings for Jed were so intense. She’d spent much of last night reliving their conversation. She could still feel his hand on hers and see the anger in his eyes when she told him about what had happened after Sarah and Scotty had run away. But mostly she thought about how good it felt to talk to him again. She had drifted off to sleep feeling happier and more grounded than she had in months.

  She pulled open the door. The bright pink walls and the sugary scent of sweets earned an excited gasp from Hail as they stepped inside. A counter ran the length of the shop, with freezers at either end displaying birthday cakes and various ice cream sandwiches and other novelties. Candy-coated cones and plastic containers of colorful toppings sat atop the counter. Running at a right angle to the long counter was an area where customers could see into delicious-looking tubs of ice cream. There were several tables by the windows, and hanging from the ceiling were three pink-green-yellow-and-orange glass chandeliers.

  “Hey, girlfriend,” Penny said as she came around the counter. “Howdy, little man. I’m glad you made it.” Her hair was piled on top of her head in a messy bun, held in place by a sparkly clip.

  “Thank you. I’m excited to be here. Your store is really bright and cheery.”

  Penny whistled and said, “You are definitely a mom. It’s like a bottle of Pepto Bismol threw up in here. But I’m going to be updating everything soon. The person I bought the shop from was like Finlay, totally into pink. If I never see another pink thing in my life, it’ll be too soon.” She blocked her mouth from Hail’s view and whispered, “Can he have some…?” She nodded in the direction of the ice cream.

  “I was just going to buy him a bowl.”

  Penny waved her hand. “Buy shmy. It’s my treat.” She bent down by Hail and said, “What’s your favorite flavor in the whole world?”

  “Chocolate peppermint.”

  “Oh, honey, Penny might not have that flavor,” Josie said. “Plain chocolate is fine. He had chocolate peppermint once and has never forgotten it.”

  “Well, how could he?” Penny said dramatically. “Lucky for you, I have the most amazing chocolate ice cream, and…” She went around the counter, and as she retrieved something from beneath it, she said, “I have this.” She set a huge jar of peppermint candies on the counter. She crooked her finger, beckoning Hail closer, and lowered her voice. “I have a rubber mallet in the back. Think you can help me crush up the peppermint?”

  He nodded excitedly, and then he said, “What’s a mallet?”

  Penny and Josie laughed.

  Josie put her hand on his shoulder, pulling him in for a hug against her leg. “It’s like a hammer, but rubber.”

  “Be back in a jiffy.” Penny disappeared through a door in the back and returned with a rubber mallet, a heavy cutting board, a plastic bag, and a towel. As she filled the bag with peppermint she said, “Why don’t you put your stuff down at the table by the window.”

  Josie set Hail’s toys on a table while Penny set the cutting board on the floor. She and Hail crouched beside it, and she said, “We cover the bag of peppermint with the towel, like this, and then whack it hard.” She hit the lump in the towel with the mallet and then she moved the towel so he could see the shattered peppermint candy. “See? Your turn.”

  Hail concentrated hard as he hit the bump in the towel.

  “Harder,” Penny said, and he hit it again. “Good job.”

  Ten minutes later Hail was standing on a stool behind the counter helping Penny dump the crushed peppermint into his bowl of chocolate ice cream, happy as a clam.

  “I think I’m going to have to make this a new flavor. What do you think?” Penny asked as she set the bowl down at the table with his toys.

  He nodded as he shoveled a spoonful of ice cream into his mouth.

  “We’ll call it the Peppermint Hail Storm,” she said, earning a toothy grin.

  “You didn’t have to go to all that trouble,” Josie said, but secretly she felt like she’d found a kindred spirit. When they’d had their own house, she’d always done little extra things like that for Hail.

  “You call that trouble?” Penny took her hand, pulling her toward the counter. She pointed up at the gigantic chalkboard on the wall. “That’s our flavor board. What are you going to do when you have to make a Go Away Gloomy Day special, or a He’s a No-Good Pile of Poop Sundae? How about the I’ve Had the Best Day Sundae? Or a Decadently Devious Deliciousness Milkshake?”

  “Wow,” Josie said as she read some of the other dishes she offered—I’m in Love Lava Sundae, Silly Saturday Shake. “I think I’m really going to love it here.”

  “That’s the spirit. Ice cream is the perfect way to celebrate or commiserate. It’s like tequila for all ages, with no risk of a hangover. And we get to serve it up dozens of times each day.”

  While Hail ate his ice cream and played with his toys, Penny showed Josie around the shop, giving her detailed explanations about everyth
ing—from wrist-friendly ways to scoop ice cream and proper storage to customer etiquette and inventory procedures. She helped customers as they came in and introduced Josie to some of her regulars.

  After the tour and lessons, Penny said, “If you enjoy it, I can show you how to make ice cream cakes and other novelties.”

  “That sounds wonderful.” Josie was already trying to come up with more fun ideas for sundaes and specials. Not that Penny would entertain them, but it had been so long since she’d felt creative, she let herself run with it.

  “And for those tough breakups and hard times, we have the hard-knocks cabinet for customers who are twenty-one and older.” Penny put her finger over her lips and guided her behind the counter to a high cabinet. Inside were bottles of liquor and brandy. “No more than five percent alcohol, and we do card.”

  “You’ve thought of everything. If you’re sure it’s okay for me to work while Hail’s in school, I would love to take the job, Penny.”

  “I was hoping you’d say that. When would you like to start?”

  They agreed Josie would begin next Thursday, since Hail started school Wednesday. She would work from ten until two Monday through Friday, which fit perfectly with Hail’s school schedule. Penny said she could probably give her more hours over the spring and summer if she found a babysitter. As Josie gathered Hail’s toys, she mentally calculated her income. It would be a while before she could afford an apartment, but at least she would be with Hail when he wasn’t in school. Eventually maybe she’d meet someone she trusted to babysit and she could take on more hours. But for now this was absolutely perfect.

  Hail thanked Penny for the ice cream, and Josie said, “Penny, I can’t thank you enough. I’m really excited to work with you.”

  “Me too. Will I see you at the Whiskeys’ New Year’s Eve party?”

  “Um…I don’t know anything about that, but I’ll have Hail, so if you mean at their bar, no. I don’t leave him to go out drinking.”