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do on her one day off was drive an hour one-way to watch her two-year-old nephew pick his nose and smash his face in a fire truck cake that tasted like paste.
    “Uh-huh,” Joey said, her tone noncommittal.
    “If you’re busy,” her mom continued, “we’ll just have to bring the party to you. Rosemarie would be devastated if you missed Isaac’s birthday.”
    Joey and her sister exchanged the equivalent of one email a month and made small talk at family gatherings. The only devastation if Joey didn’t attend the birthday party would be on the part of her parents. It wasn’t that they didn’t get along. It was that they had absolutely nothing in common. Rosemarie was up to her eyeballs in diapers and repainting her kitchen. Joey was buried in vet appointments and researching a new horse trailer.
    “I guess I can make it,” Joey said, mentally kissing her quiet day of trashy novel reading and baking good-bye.
    “Good,” her father said gruffly. “Family first, I always say.”
    And the Pierces weren’t family. Joey got his message loud and clear.
    By the time she hung up, she had just enough time to rinse off and head up to the brewery. But still she couldn’t force herself away from the fireplace. The more she thought about it, the less enthusiastic she felt about going up for the pre-party party.
    It was a family thing. And, as often as Joey let herself get sucked into Pierce family gatherings, maybe it was important to start remembering that she wasn’t one of them.

    --------

    W hen Joey didn’t show up to the brewery with the rest of the family, Jax started to worry. He’d even held off on the toast, just in case she was running late. When he texted her to see where the hell she was, her response took him from worried to pissed.

    Be there later.

    D idn’t she realize that all of this was for her? She should be here, holding a glass with the rest of the family. But Joey couldn’t be bothered to show up for it.
    She should be here, nervous and excited like everyone else. He glared out the window in the direction of her house, the dozens of cars that were lining up in the parking lot meant nothing without that cherry red pick-up.
    He turned away from the windows, a dark cloud hanging over the festivities. He had work to do, but talking some sense into Joey would be at the top of his list.
    By the time she waltzed in at six, Jax had moved beyond pissed to fucking irate. The woman was born to make him insane. She came in the door behind Dr. Delvecchio and Mrs. Nordemann. Her hair was long and loose. Jeans that went on for days hugged her slim curves. Knee-high boots in a gray suede matched her soft, off-the-shoulder sweater. Her cheeks were rosy from the cold, her lips glossy.
    Jax was starting to realize that no matter how long he knew her, he would always get this kick-start to his heart every time she walked in a room.
    Her gaze found his in a silent connection thick with tension.
    Jax ducked his head and dumped another batch of glasses into the rotating washer behind the bar. It was two-deep at the bar. Carter was helping get the food out while Mr. Mayor double-teamed the host stand with Phoebe. Summer and Gia flitted from table to table.
    It was a family affair. The entire town—since recovered from their wedding hangovers—had turned out to help them celebrate. And it still wasn’t enough. Not without her.
    “Fuck it,” Jax muttered. He stormed out from around the bar and grabbed her by the arm.
    “What the hell, Jax?”
    “Come with me.”
    She started to wrestle out of his grip. It was yet another thing he loved about Joey, she wasn’t afraid of causing a scene. And neither was he. He dragged her down the stairs, past the kitchen, and into the taproom.
    “What is your problem?” she demanded, wrenching free.
    “My problem is you. Where the hell were you? You were supposed to be here early.”
    “That was a family thing.”
    “You’re family.”
    “No, I’m not! And if I were, that