The Real Me (How to Tame a Heartbreaker Book 4) by Casey McMillin Read Free Book Online Page A

and she'd have to make up an excuse, but so far there hadn't been need for that.
    Her seven teen-year-old sister, Kate, didn't even know about it. They were really close, and several times Jax had been tempted to tell her, but she just hadn't been brave enough to do it.
    Jax slept as late as she could the next morning, but still managed to get to Clarksville in time to see her daddy preach. She missed the praise and worship but caught most of the sermon, which was about putting on the whole armor of God.
    Kate's boyfriend, Jeremy, went with the family to eat lunch at their favorite barbeque place. The good Reverend didn't mind Jeremy coming along. He came from a fine family—one of the longtime members of their church. As far as he was concerned, Kate and Jeremy had a cute little case of puppy love. Jax honestly didn't know if it was more than that or not. Kate was pretty secretive with details about her relationship with Jeremy—probably for the same reason Jax was secretive about her job. They both thought the other would tell their parents. Rick and Cindy Overstreet were very strict parents who wouldn't take kindly to their daughters making questionable choices, so both girls were smart enough to keep their questionable choices under tight wraps.
    "Are you moving home for the summer?" Cindy asked. They were all sitting at a round, corner table in Tillman's BBQ and her question was directed to Jax.
    Jax came home for a couple of months during the summer after her first t hree years of school, but this year she was staying in Nashville. It was a fact she'd gone over several times already, but Cindy was really good at asking the same question over and over again until she got the desired answer.
    "I can't," Jax said regretfully. "I have to get ready for the fall semester. I went to see my advisor last Friday. I'm gonna have a crazy schedule this fall if I plan to graduate in December."
    Truth was, her boss at Bing's said they'd have to replace her if she wanted to take the summer off, and she didn't want to have to look for another job when she went back in the fall. She liked Bing's, made good money there, and didn't know if she could find something she liked as much.
    " I'm going to have coffee with a guy later today," Jax said out of nowhere.
    In unison, everyone else at the table, includ ing Jeremy, looked at her with stunned expressions. Jax absolutely never talked about guys. She talked about school and mostly about the house for abused women where she worked after school during the week, but she never, ever talked about guys. Rev. and Mrs. Overstreet had even discussed the possibility of their oldest daughter being one of those who'd never marry so that they may dedicate their life to the Lord's work. Suffices to say it surprised everyone when Jax casually mentioned having a coffee with a guy.
    Cindy , who was already thinking of future grandbabies, grinned at her daughter. Rick was slightly less thrilled than his wife. In fact, he flushed as he took a sip of his iced tea to calm his nerves.
    "Where'd you meet him?" Cindy asked.
    Jax hadn't considered her asking that question. "At work," she said honestly.
    "Is he a server too?"
    Jax didn't have time to respond before her dad chimed in.
    "A restaurant isn't the best place to meet someone," he said.
    Oh Lord, if he only knew it was actually at a bar.
    "Why do you say that?" Jax asked. "I don't think it's a big deal. Work is the most common place to meet someone."
    "Is he a server to?" Cindy repeated.
    "No mom, he's not a server. He's a—I don't know what he does actually. He's one of my customers."
    "God Almighty Jacqueline, you can't possibly mean to tell me your going out with someone you don't even know."
    "Dad, he's a nice guy and were going to share a cup of coffee at a crowded coffee shop. Nothing 's gonna happen."
    "You better carry your knife."
    "I always do."
    Kate and Jeremy had been listening intently, and Rick's knife comment reminded Jeremy of