Destined to Change by Lisa M. Harley Read Free Book Online Page A

my chest. I was worried that he somehow knew what I had been thinking about. But apparently that wasn’t the case.
    Jaxon asked me the one question I had hoped I wouldn’t have to answer, “So, where’s the twins’ dad?” That question completely squashed all of the amazing fantasies I had been having about Jaxon and brought me back to the real world, real quick.
    I couldn’t believe he was asking me this question. Didn’t Jake or my mom or anybody in this little town tell him? I said the only thing that came to mind, “Dead,” I deadpanned as I fixed my eyes straight ahead of me. That was it. That was all I had to say about it. Jaxon looked baffled. He didn’t mutter another word all the way into town.  I just sat there wondering why I had said that. There were so many other things I could have said or I could have explained what happened, but I didn’t do it. Dead seemed to sum it all up.
    After the shopping was done - in complete silence - we headed out to the parking lot. Jaxon noticed the little, dingy dive bar across the street.
    “Wanna grab a beer before we head back?”
    “I don’t think that’s a good idea. We have a ways to drive, and I don’t want to ride with someone who’s been drinking.”
    Jaxon gave me a little grin, put his hand out to me wiggling his pinky. “I’ll only have one beer, pinky-swear.”
    I laughed at him and we headed across the street. Dave’s Place was a hole-in-the-wall dive bar. It was very small with an old oak bar along the right side of the wall, a stage in the back for the band or anyone feeling brave enough to sing karaoke, and about ten small tables. The walls were plastered with neon signs from just about every alcohol brand, and an old jukebox sat back in the corner. I had been there before with Emma and Eric, but I never really noticed how small it was.
    When we walked inside there was an older “cowboy” sitting at the bar, sipping on a beer, and a couple dancing on the makeshift dance floor in the back of the room by the stage. The jukebox was blasting an old Hank Williams song and I had never felt so out of place. I was standing here with a pierced, tattooed man. All eyes - granted there weren’t many - but still, shifted to us when we walked in.
    Jaxon led us to a table along the wall. The waitress was an older woman who looked like she was barely surviving a hard life. She had really frizzy hair that was dyed a really unnatural shade of red. Her face was covered in deep wrinkles and she was definitely a smoker. Her long fingernails were stained yellow from the nicotine. I actually felt bad for her in the few moments that I knew her, well I did until she started ogling Jaxon. She couldn’t take her eyes off of him. I swear she looked at him like he was a lollipop she really needed to lick. I had to agree with her, he was lickable.
    Jaxon ordered us both a beer, and then he asked a follow-up to his earlier question. “So, what happened to the twins’ dad?”
    I was really hoping he would just let it drop, but I knew he wouldn’t, so I told him the whole story. I didn’t mince any words. I gave it to him straight.
    “Basically, Declan was the love of my life.  We were born for each other.  The term ‘destiny’ was used a lot when our parents were talking about us.  When I was sixteen and Declan was seventeen, we were in an accident.  Declan didn’t make it.  Shortly after the accident, I found out I was pregnant with the twins.  They really saved me.  I don’t know how I would’ve survived losing him, if it hadn’t been for them.”  I really hoped that I hadn’t sounded too pitiful, when I was explaining what had happened.  I didn’t need the PPL (Poor Pitiful Loralei) from Jaxon. I had coined that term ten years ago when everybody gave me the look.
    Jaxon reached over and placed his hand on my arm.  His eyes were so caring.  I was surprised that I felt so comfortable talking to him about this.  I was never comfortable talking