Chapter 11
Kendall
The next morning, before Jax wakes, I slip out of our hotel room by myself and drive to Rosewood Cemetery. I haven't been here in months—too busy, too overwhelmed, too afraid of the emotions it might bring up.
I sit on the grass beside it, not caring about my jeans.
"Hi, Grandma. I know it's been a while." I trace the letters of her name. "You'd laugh at what's been happening. A goat, Grandma. A therapy goat caused all this mess."
The morning breeze stirs the oak leaves overhead.
"You always said I needed to let people in.
That my rules were walls, not protection.
I didn't listen. I was so sure that controlling everything would keep me safe.
" I laugh, but it's watery. "Then Jax showed up with that ridiculous goat, breaking every rule he had, just to help an old woman say goodbye. Just like you would have done."
I pull my knees to my chest. "I miss you. You were the only family I had for so long. But now... but now I have the Walking Ladies who remind me of you and your bridge club. The Bad News Babes who show up even when I push them away. Hudson and Kate, Grace and Kane. Even Gertie the goat, I suppose."
A cardinal lands on the headstone, tilting its head at me.
"And Jax. I have Jax again. Or maybe for the first time, really. We're not kids anymore, playing at love. This is real, Grandma. Terrifying and real and everything you said it could be if I'd just let it. If I’d just forgive him."
I stand, brushing grass from my jeans as the cardinal chirps once, then flies away.
"I love you, Grandma. Thank you for saving me. For giving me rules when I needed them, for taking me in and giving me a home, and for teaching me that sometimes the best things happen when you break those rules."
I kiss my fingers and press them to the stone, then head back to my car. Back to Jax. Back to my chosen family. Back to the life she always wanted me to have.
The kickball field at Hibiscus Harbor Park looks like a small-town carnival exploded. There are at least fifty people here, way more than needed for a casual game. The Walking Ladies have set up a table, complete with a banner that reads "TEAM KENJAX WINS." I want to crawl under a rock and die.
"We could leave," Jax suggests, reading my mortification perfectly. "Say there was another emergency."
"And give them more to gossip about? No, thank you."
We've been at the police station for hours, giving statements, looking at evidence, trying to figure out who had access to Jax's apartment.
The hidden cameras were professional grade, the kind that require real technical knowledge.
Brad's still their prime suspect, but Captain Ramirez admitted they don't have enough for an arrest yet.
And through it all, I keep thinking about last night. About Jax's hands on my skin, his mouth on mine, the way he said my name when he—
"KENDALL!" Mia's voice cuts through my thoughts. "GET YOUR CUTE BUTT OVER HERE!"
The Bad News Babes have claimed a dugout, and they're all grinning at me like sharks who smell blood. Grace bounces baby Emma on her hip, Riley's got her son Nicholas throwing practice pitches, and Brooke's typing on her phone—probably live-tweeting to her readers all about this disaster.
"So," Grace says the moment I'm in earshot, "heard you had a hot night last night."
"The fire at Building 2 was contained quickly—"
"Not that kind of hot," Riley interrupts. "Though speaking of contained, are we talking about what's in Officer Tall Dark and Handsome's pants? Because damn."
"Riley!" I protest, but they're all laughing.
"We're just saying," Mia adds, "the walls in that building are paper thin. And Gladys is ready to collect her betting pool winnings."
"The Walking Ladies were taking bets on my sex life. That’s just great."
"Everyone was taking bets," Brooke says without looking up from her phone. "The pot was up to twelve hundred dollars last I checked. Gladys bet on 'emotional breakthrough followed by passionate reunion' and nailed the timing within two hours."
"How could she possibly—"
"She has a police scanner app," Grace explains. "Heard about the protection detail being assigned and did the math."
I bury my face in my hands. "This is a nightmare."
"This is perfect," Grace corrects. "You've been pining for that man for years. He's been pining right back, too. The only nightmare was watching you two pretend you didn't still love each other."
"It's complicated—"
"No, it's not." This is from Kate, who's just arrived with Hudson. "You love him. He loves you. Everything else is just gravy."
"Someone's trying to destroy my career. There are hidden cameras in his apartment. Brad and Valerie are apparently running some kind of conspiracy—"
"And you're facing it with the man you love," Kate interrupts. "That's what matters."
I look across the field where Jax is surrounded by the other owners of Hooplas and teammates.
Hudson's got his arm around Jax's shoulders, clearly giving him the third degree.
Kane's gesturing animatedly about something, probably offering relationship advice.
Even Reid showed up, and he usually avoids these things like the plague.
"He broke a dozen regulations to get Gertie," I say quietly.
"Because he loves you," Grace says. "That goat was never about Mrs. Parsons. Well, not entirely. It was about showing you he's not the same guy who left all those years ago."
"How do you know?"
"Because Kane did the same thing for me.
Not with a goat, obviously. But he broke through every wall I had, proved over and over that he wasn't going anywhere.
" She shifts Emma to her other hip. "Men are simple creatures.
When they love you, really love you, they'll move heaven and earth to prove it. "
"Or steal goats," Riley adds helpfully.
"Borrow," I correct. "He borrowed the goat."
"Riiiight. Very different in the eyes of the law, I'm sure." She mocks me.
Charli suddenly appears, which is impossible because she's supposed to be in Miami.
"Surprise!" she yells, tackling me in a hug. "You didn't think I'd miss this, did you?"
"The conference—"
"Screw the conference. My best friend's finally getting her head out of her ass about her man. That's way more important than learning about sous vide techniques."
"I don't have my head in my ass—"
"You've had it so far up there you could taste your own kidneys," Charli says bluntly. "But that's over now, right? You're done running?"
"I was never running—"
"Kendall." Her voice goes serious. "You've been running from that man since the day he came back to town. Using your rules as armor. Hiding behind your job. But something changed yesterday."
"Everything changed yesterday." I whisper.
"Good. About damn time." She looks over at Jax. "He's watching you, by the way. Been stealing glances every thirty seconds like he's afraid you'll disappear on him."
I turn to look, and our eyes meet across the field. The intensity in his gaze makes my stomach flip. Last night comes rushing back—his hands, his mouth, the weight of him, the way he looked at me like I was everything.
"Oh my god, you're blushing," Brooke squeals. "Kendall Greene is actually blushing!"
"Shut up."
"Was it good?" Riley asks. "Please tell me it was good. You've been in a drought for so long, FEMA should've gotten involved."
"Riley!"
"What? It's a legitimate question. Sexual compatibility is important in a relationship."
"It was..." I pause, searching for words that won't add fuel to their fire. But then I remember the cameras, the threats, all the reasons I should be terrified right now. And yet all I can think about is how safe I felt in his arms. "It was perfect."
The admission opens the floodgates. All of them talk at once, offering advice, sharing their own stories.
Grace talks about how Kane pursued her relentlessly, even when she kept pushing him away.
Kate shares how Hudson waited patiently while she dealt with her trauma.
Mia tells the story of Ian learning to trust again after his own wounds.
Even Brooke puts her phone down and talks about how her and Trevor got past his ex being a constant issue for them.
"The point is," Kate says finally, "love isn't easy. But the right person makes it worth fighting for."
"PLAY BALL!" someone shouts.
The teams start organizing, and I notice Valerie across the field. She's not dressed for kickball—she's in her usual armor of designer clothes and judgment. Brad's with her, and they're definitely plotting something together. You can just see it in their eyes.
"I'll be right back," I tell the girls.
I drift closer to where Valerie and Brad are talking, pretending to warm up.
"—cameras were genius," Brad's saying. "Did you see their faces in the videos?"
"Keep your voice down," Valerie hisses. "And stick to the plan. The building inspection is tomorrow. Once they find the violations, she's finished. Then the job is yours."
"What violations? I thought we were done with the vandalism," Brad replies.
"We are. But Building 1 has some interesting code issues that are about to be discovered. Electrical problems that could cause, say, a fire if they had been handled correctly in the first place."
My blood runs cold. They're planning to frame me for safety violations that could cause exactly what they've been threatening to do.
"Kendall?"
I jump. Jax has appeared beside me, holding a water bottle.
"Are you okay? You look pale."
"I just heard—" I tell him about Valerie and Brad, but they're already walking away, Valerie's phone pressed to her ear.
"What did you hear?"
"They're planning something. Building inspections. Fake violations. Safety hazards."
His jaw tightens. "When?"
"Tomorrow. They’re going to try to frame me for all of this."
"Then we'll be ready." He hands me the water, his fingers brushing mine. The simple touch makes me shiver, remembering those same fingers on my skin hours ago. "You good to play?"