What Happens Over the Summer

"Jeez not in here Jo." Until then I'd forgotten Zeke's presence. I knew he was joking, as he thought I was, until I sent him a death glare.
"Your temper was the only bad thing about you," R.J. said, taking Max's seat with Max perched on his lap.
I could feel a flush starting on my neck. It only grew worse when Zeke sent me a questioning look.
"You two know each other?"
"No, I've never seen him before," I said before R.J. could open his mouth. "I just hate irresponsible, stupid, men," I spat the last word.
"I may be all that but at least I'm not lying," R.J. accused.
I was vibrating with anger by now. Later I knew that fury would turn to hurt and tears and I just wanted to get this day over with and go home where I could cry in peace. I almost said screw Cheif and his orders and do just that but then remembered just how it would look. I had always been known as the owner's fearless grandaughter, not backing down from even the most disturbing pier guests. How would it look if I walked away from one guy with a heart-melting grin?
"Oh really?" I retorted. "Maybe not now but if you're saying you always tell the truth I'm a pink flamingo."
And the grin broadened damn him.
"I missed something major here," Zeke said, pulling up a chair and sitting down. He looked from me to R.J. and back. "You're acting like a woman scorned Jo."
R.J.'s grin fell. "She's intitled."
"Your damn right I'm intitled!" I agreed. "I'm also intitled to tell you to go f-" It was then that I noticed Max still staring at me. "-away," I finished lamely.
"I don't think so Jo. You and I have unfinished business. I told you I'd be back."
Now Zeke was really interested. He wasn't stupid. He looked at me. "What happened that summer I went to Italy?"
I glared at him. "Absolutely none of you busniess."
He grinned. "Oh I'll find out eventually."
"You will not. There's only one other blabber mouth on this pier that knows what happened that summer and I will cut off his favorite apendage if he opens his mouth," I said, glaring at R.J.
"Daddy what's an app-en-dage?" Max asked.
"I'll tell you when you're older," R.J. said to Max. To me he said, "there are plenty of vendors that are still here that I recognize from that summer. And they'll just tell the story over and over again and it'll get farther and farther from the truth every time it's told. We wouldn't want that would we?"
I bit back a fury of curses. "You wouldn't dare."
"Oh but I would. I just want to talk to you."
I sat back and crossed my arms over my chest. "Talk."
R.J. looked at Zeke. "In private."
"Anything you can say in front of me you can say in front of Zeke. He's my best friend."
"Is that all he is?"
"That's what she told me Daddy," Max pipped up. "She said he used to be her boyfriend, but now they were just best friends."
Out of the mouths of babes, was the first thing I thought.
"And I kind of want to hear this one. There isn't much Jo hasn't told me," Zeke said