"Good."
"In the meantime, bro, relax a little and get laid," Aidan said, with a wolfish smile.
Jax tried to ignore the tightening at his groin. Shifters had high sex-drives and getting laid didn't sound like a bad idea. The problem was the only woman he had on his mind was Denim, and she definitely was not on the agenda.
Chayton chimed in. "No, what he needs to do is help Dad come up with a solution to mediate the tension."
His big brother was always so serious. Might explain why he sucked at relationships.
"Time to eat!" Ms. Gayla announced as she brought over a stack of pancakes.
With a sigh, Jax dropped down onto a chair at the table and pushed thoughts of the tension between the two packs as well as Pappy's sexy granddaughter from his mind. He wasn't sure which was worse. One thing for sure, if thoughts of Denim continued, he was going to have to find another place to buy hamburgers.
5
Denim was working the counter when Quinn dropped by for lunch.
"Don't you look cute?" she teased with her usual cheer.
Denim glanced down at the red apron she wore over a t-shirt that read Bite Me and a pair of cut-off blue-jean shorts. Her thick wavy hair was up in a sloppy ponytail. Denim was sure her lipstick had been long gone for hours. "I see you got jokes."
Quinn giggled. "How's it going so far?"
"Just like old times," she replied, shrugging a slender shoulder.
While Quinn sat on one of the empty stools at the counter, Denim took in her navy blue blouse and red and white polka-dot pencil skirt. On her feet was a pair of fire engine pumps. She definitely had a vibrant sense of style.
"I'll take a grilled cheese with fries." Quinn didn't even bother looking at the menu.
"Really? You still eat that?" Denim asked, lips twitching with humor.
She nodded and cried, "After all these years, it's still my favorite."
"Coming right up." She scribbled the order onto the note pad, then ripped off the page and slid it over the half wall. "Max, I need a grilled cheese meal."
"Coming right up," he replied, without even looking up from the grill.
Denim swung around, filled drink glasses for the other two customers sitting at the counter, then went back to visit with Quinn, carrying a cold glass of iced tea.
"Thanks," she said and brought it to her lips for a long thirsty drink. "Wanna go to a party with me Saturday evening?" she asked, after finally coming up for air.
Denim stopped mopping the counter and moved back to the other end where Quinn was twisting side-to-side on the stool. "Sure, what kinda party?"
"You remember Payton?"
"Sure. Brunette, glasses, and braces?"
Nodding, she replied, "Yep that's her. Well, she just got accepted into law school so her parents are letting her have a big shindig at their house."
Denim's brow rose. "Are her parents going to be there? I'm just saying … "
Quinn took another sip before answering; "No, I'm sure the mayor and his wife are going away for the weekend."
A smile curled Denim's lips. "I might come."
"Booze, food, a band, it's going to be a blast," she announced in a singsong voice.
"Sounds like the place to be," she murmured.
"Anybody who's anybody will be there," Quinn announced proudly.
A town with a population of six thousand that wasn't saying much. "Sure I'd love to go."
"Great!" she screeched. "It's going to be like old times, hanging out together."
Laughing, Denim greeted a customer as he came through the door and watched him walk to a table near the rear where Emily, one of the waitresses, was there to serve him before she shifted her eyes to Quinn again. "Hey, let me ask you a question. There was this guy that came in here yesterday."
"Really?" Her cocoa-brown eyes sparkled with intrigue. "What did he look like?"
Denim bunched her brows as if she was trying to remember, when in reality there was no way she could ever forget that face. "Long blonde hair, gorgeous with tattoos. He left on a motorcycle," she said and then something flashed in Quinn's eyes.
"Diamond earrings and swag?"
She nodded. "Yes, that sounds like him."
Her eyes twinkled in amusement. "I can't believe you didn't recognize your old boyfriend."
"Boyfriend?" Denim was confused.
Quinn snorted. "Jax. Jackson Wilde."
It took a few seconds for the name to register. Her jaw dropped. No freaking way. "I didn't even recognize him."
"I know … right. One summer he just transformed and came to school in the fall looking like a totally different boy. He's a definite cutie and every girl around here's been after him, but he pretty much keeps to himself."
Cute was not an adjective she would have used to describe Jax. He was sexy, panty-dripping gorgeous, and definitely had swag. She couldn't believe it. That had been Jax Wilde.
The last time she had seen him, he had just given her a ride back to the farmhouse on his motor bike. He was a tall, lanky teenager with a cocky smile. It was also the same day she'd experienced their first kiss. She'd never forgotten Jax telling her how much he liked her, then leaning in and kissing her by surprise. Denim was so stunned, she broke it off and ran all the way to the house. That's when she found Grandma Bea unconscious.
It had been eight years, but she still remembered the boy who had given Denim her first kiss. And that boy looked nothing like the one who had walked into the diner yesterday. There was no way he could possibly be that gorgeous. Hell, if she had known he was going to grow up and look like that she would have allowed him to have kissed her a lot sooner.
"They'll probably be at the party," Quinn said, breaking into her thoughts and her stomach knotted.
"They?"
"He and his brothers Chayton and Aidan. They always travel in a pack. Don't you remember how we used to call them the wild pack?"
Denim giggled, lip twitching with humor. "Yes, I do remember that."
She laughed, then shook her head at her. "Well the name stuck. The Wildes are wild alright. Bikers … all blonde and gorgeous."
"If they looked anything like Jax, they are definitely gorgeous," she murmured and tilted her head to the side. "I can't wait to see them."
Quinn laughed again, low and wicked. "You won't have long to wait. They'll be there. I'm certain of it."
6
"So, this is how people party in Justice."
"Told ya!" Quinn beamed, the dimple at her left cheek flashing.
They were standing under a tree, admiring the sprawling white house surrounded by lush green grass. She could have fit two of Pappy's farmhouse inside.
Slowly, Denim spun around, taking in the entire lawn. Tables covered with food were sheltered by a huge white awning. White streamers and lanterns hung from the branches of the trees, which was a good thing since the sun was just beginning to set. Waiters mingled through the crowds. A band was setting up near the gazebo. The female singer looked like a wannabe Ariana Grande.
As they strolled around the property, Quinn introduced her to more people than Denim remembered living in Justice.
"Very nice," she said, once they started toward the food.
"The night is still young," Quinn replied and her voice held a hint of promise of what was yet to come.
Denim's gaze skated over Quinn's dress. It was daring, red and formed to her body. Yesterday after work they had driven into Austin to go shopping. She had found a cute two-piece with a midriff top and miniskirt that hugged her hips just the way she'd hoped. She picked up a few other things she'd wanted to get while they were in the city, but for the most part they had hit the malls. It felt so good hanging out with Quinn again, shopping and laughing like all the years hadn't passed between them. Afterwards, they had dinner at a seafood restaurant before heading back to Justice.
Denim grabbed champagne from the tray of a passing waiter and handed one to Quinn. This wasn't at all the type of party she was used to attending. Hers involved kegs of beer and drunken fraternity boys.
"I propose a toast," Quinn said, lifting her flute and waiting for her to do the same.
"What are we toasting?" Denim asked, as she raised her glass.
"To a summer of catching up and being naughty," she pledged in her always chirpy voice.
"Naughty?" Denim laughed as she clicked the glass gently against hers.
Quinn wagged her eyebrows suggestively. "Hell yeah. I need a partner in crime. Now that I'm twenty-one, I want this to be my wildest summer ever."
Wild and Justice just didn't sound right together, but Denim was starting to think that maybe she had a lot to learn.
"Speaking of wild … over there is some serious eye candy."
Denim followed the direction of Quinn's eyes across the lawn and her insides did a slow sensuous dance. There were not one, but three, yummy blonde men stepping out of a sleek, gray Range Rover.