“Happy tears, sweetheart,” she said, patting my hand. “Just happy tears. You know, you’re like the grandson I was never able to have. You mean the world to me, and all I ever wanted was for you to be happy.”

“Thank you, Joy, for always being there for me.”

“That’s what family does, honey. We stay together through the good days and bad.”

Even though she wasn’t my blood relative, Joy Jones had been the biggest part of my family over the past few years. After Derek left, I felt very alone. If it wasn’t for her, I might’ve never made it to the place I was today. I’d never be able to show her enough gratitude for the way she loved me even when I didn’t have a clue how to love myself.

I looked down at the cup of coffee in my hands. “Part of me feels like this good feeling doesn’t belong to me…as if the universe placed it on me and is going to take it back when it realizes I don’t deserve it.”

“If there’s anyone in this world who deserves this good feeling, it’s you, Jax. Don’t spoil it by thinking about what could go wrong. Don’t wash it away trying to figure out the ins and outs of the future. Be here now with life, because right now is all we have. Take it from this old fart—happiness stays where you allow it to be.”

The sun beamed down on us as I snickered to myself and shook my head. “Is it crazy that I think I’m falling in love with her?”

“The best thing in life that we can ever do is be brave enough to love. Fall in love with her, and then don’t you ever stop—although I will have an issue if you don’t make it over to watch The Bachelor with me. That’s when your love for Kennedy begins to cross the line.”

I laughed until I saw the stern look on her face. The daggers Joy was shooting me were enough to scare me straight.

I was determined to never miss an episode of The Bachelor with her for the rest of her life. Besides, it was our tradition. I didn’t have many traditions in my life; therefore, I was going to hold the ones I did have close to me.

* * *

Ever since I’d picked Connor up for the workday, he’d been smiling from cheek to cheek, staring at me as if I’d taken home an Olympic gold medal.

“Why do you keep staring at me like that?” I asked.

“You did it, didn’t you?” Connor mocked as we pulled up to our first job at Gary’s Café. “You put your lime in her coconut, didn’t you?!” he exclaimed, pointing a finger toward me.

“What the hell are you talking about?” I grumbled, shaking my head.

“I’m talking about you and Kennedy boning each other! I can tell by the grimace on your face.”

I cocked an eyebrow. “You can tell by my grimace that I slept with someone? That seems backward.”

“It might sound that way to the average person, but I for one am trained to know the grimaces of Jax Kilter—and this is a happy grimace! Plus! You let me get in your truck and put on the top forty radio station. You hate pop music, but I swore you were humming along to Taylor Swift.”

“It’s catchy,” I muttered.

“Holy balls, you just said Taylor Swift was catchy! The world is officially ending. So, tell me all about it.”

“I’m not telling you anything about it because there’s nothing to tell,” I said as I put the truck into park and climbed out. I headed to the bed of my pickup and grabbed my toolkit.

Connor hurried over to me with his cell phone in his grip and shoved it in my face. “Then what is this?”

I glanced at the photograph on the page and narrowed my eyes before snatching it out of his hold. “How did you get this?” I was staring at a picture of Kennedy and me kissing on the street the previous night. What kind of low-budget paparazzi did we have in this hellish town?

“It started circulating around town last night. And to think you said nothing happened.”

“Nothing did happen,” I repeated. Connor gave me a You are a damn liar smirk, and I rolled my eyes. “Nothing that I’m telling you about, at least.”

“Wow, that’s harsh. I tell you everything, buddy.”

“Yeah, and I kind of wish you’d stop doing that, if I’m honest.”

“Whatever. You love hearing my stories. So, tell me all about it. Was it everything you thought your first time would be?” he mocked. I was this close to cussing him out—except I couldn’t stop smirking like a damn fool. Connor played on my happiness, too. “Oh my gosh, I’m so proud of you, champ. I remember my first time like it was yesterday.”