by Vivi Holt
His eyes narrowed. “Oh?”
“It’s crazy, after everything that’s happened in my life. I should be tough, but I’m soft. A big ol’ softie.”
“I know,” he murmured, smiling. “I know you better than you think I do.”
Stacey raised an eyebrow and met his gaze, her heart flooding with warmth. Was it possible he saw through her, saw the person she was inside, the way no one else ever had?
Jax studied Stacey’s face as she ate. Her eyes drifted shut and she moaned as the slow-cooked pork hit her tongue. “Good?” She nodded in response, and he laughed. “I thought you might like it.”
There was no way to describe the joy it brought him to see Stacey Murphy happy. Too often her face was shadowed by fear, doubt or sorrow. He loved bringing out her smile, and would work to do it anyway he could. There was something about her he couldn’t shake – when he wasn’t with her, he was thinking about her, wishing she was there. And when he was with her, he couldn’t think clearly.
He grinned and offered her a thick-cut sweet potato fry from his plate, a sampler of Aaron’s work. “You have to try this. I don’t know how he does it, but they’re the best sweet potato fries I’ve ever tasted.”
She bit into it and giggled. “I think I’ll ask for a job bussing tables just so I can eat here again.”
He reached out and tucked a curl of her hair behind her ear. The touch of her skin against his fingertips gave his pulse a jolt and he drew a rapid breath. She was different from the women he’d dated in Atlanta – not that he’d dated much; his mind had been on the team and the next game. He hadn’t wanted to lose his focus. But if he was honest, none of the women he’d met had ever turned his head the way Stacey did.
Stacey felt like home. He’d known her his whole life, yet ever since he came back to town it felt as though he didn’t know her at all. She was familiar, yet an enigma, a mystery that called and drew him in as though she were a siren and he a ship bound for shore.
Did it make sense? No. And he worried how Brad would react to his growing feelings for her. Still, that wouldn’t deter him if he was certain she felt anything for him other than friendship. He wished he knew, but he couldn’t read her, couldn’t see beyond the perfect complexion, bouncing curls, sparkling blue eyes and dry wit. Only a glimpse of sadness every now and then, the same sadness he’d seen in the child she’d been.
“You know, Dad used to bring me here. Actually, he brought us all here, every year on his birthday. The bill was a little bigger than he usually liked, but he said it was his one little luxury, to eat like a king. I loved those days.” Jax crunched another fry and eyed the mound of macaroni and cheese on his plate, with a crisp topping he was dying to dig into.
“What a wonderful memory,” replied Stacey, eyes glistening.
“Yeah. I just thought of it – Dad always loved the Mac and cheese here. Though I see Aaron has done something new with the topping.”
She took a forkful of it, chewed and swallowed, and her eyes bulged. “Wow, that is heavenly. Can I ask you something?”
He nodded and took a bite himself. She was right – it was terrific.
“Why did you go all the way to UGA? You must’ve gotten offers from some of the local colleges. I know a few folks were upset you didn’t choose UNC or State or Duke.” She stopped.
“Dad went to UGA, so I wanted to follow in his footsteps. Though my major was business admin, not divinity.”
“That makes sense.”
“Try this.” Jax cut off a piece of chicken-fried steak, leaned across the table and offered it to Stacey. He watched her full pink lips envelop it and wondered what it would be like to kiss them. His pulse raced and he set the fork back on the table.
She swallowed with a smile. “Yum! So what else did your Dad love to eat here?”
A pang of regret stabbed him. He should’ve been here last year on his birthday, but he’d been too busy to make it back to North Carolina. “Dad loved the shrimp and grits. Said Aaron made the best grits in the South.”
“You know, now that I have a fancy new real estate job, I’m going to come here again. Maybe not just yet, since my car needs work and I’m still technically homeless, but soon.”
“You’re not homeless.”
“You know what I mean. I’m crashing at your place.”
“What exactly would make you feel more at home? Do you want me to draw up a lease saying you’re legally allowed to live there?” He wanted her to feel as though his house was her home.
She laughed, and the sound loosened the ball of grief in his chest. “You’d do that?”
“Sure. I don’t want you to think of my place as a temporary stopping point. It’s your home until you want to move on.”
Her gaze met his. “Are you sure? You don’t really know me well enough yet, but I’ve got quirks. I’m not sunshine and roses all the time.”
“I think I can handle it,” he replied with a laugh.
Aaron interrupted them with two more plates of his creations, and Jax watched Stacey delight over each item and Aaron’s eyes sparkle with pride at her encouragement. She continued to surprise him. Gone was the timid girl with the braces and freckles. Before him sat a strong, confident woman who knew just how to say what people needed to hear to help them feel better about themselves. Where had she learned that? Certainly not from her mother – he’d been around her family enough to discern that.
Truth was, he was falling for her. He’d dodged the issue at first, arguing with himself that it was a bad time to fall in love, he was in mourning, it didn’t make sense to develop feelings for someone while you were still in that dark place, he couldn’t stick around Ardensville, Brad’s feelings on the subject were abundantly clear … but he was tired of fighting it.
He wouldn’t say anything to her, of course. If he did, she might insist on moving out, and he couldn’t deal with that right now. Couldn’t face living without her. And besides, she didn’t have anywhere else to go. It wouldn’t be fair to her.
They continued to talk while they ate, and Stacey became more engrossed in their conversation and more animated with each passing moment. Sitting across from her, discussing the deeply personal issues of his life, he realized just how shallow most of his relationships in Atlanta truly were. Other than Wallace and Coach, no one from that part of his life had even called to check on him since the funeral. It was as if he’d disappeared from their lives in a moment and they’d forgotten him just as fast.
After the meal was over, Jax set down his dessert spoon with a grunt of satisfaction. “We should go for a walk.”
Stacey chuckled. “I’m not sure I could. Perhaps a waddle … oh my goodness, I haven’t eaten that much, or that well, since Thanksgiving at your house seven years ago. Before you left for college – do you remember?”
He nodded. He’d often thought of that Thanksgiving. Especially lying alone in his dorm room at night as he fell asleep, homesickness gnawing at his semi-conscious mind. “I remember. You wore a green dress with little flowers on it and a cream sweater.”
Her eyes widened. “I can’t believe you remember that.”
“Sure I do.” He took her hand, her eyes still full of wonder, and led her back to the truck.
Jax drove them up to Mulligan’s Lookout, a small hilltop clearing that overlooked Ardensville, with the glittering lights of Raleigh in the distance behind it. They stepped from the truck and he took her hand again, enjoying the way their touch had taken on a familiarity that filled him with a desire for more. More of Stacey, more time with her, more conversations that flowed smooth as honey.
“You know, this is still the most popular make-out spot in town?” she teased with a grin.
He feigned innocence. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.” She gave him a shove and he stumbled sideways laughing. “Hey!”
“Did you bring me up here to make out, Jax Green? Now my entire opinion of you has changed – the preacher’s boy from the nice neighborhood
has another side.”
He laughed and pulled her close. “You think you’ve got me all figured out.”
They sat on a large boulder perched on the edge of the hill, rubbed smooth by thousands of other couples that had done the same. Stacey sighed. “You know, when we were teenagers I wanted so badly to come here with you. I used to daydream that you’d ask me out and we’d walk up here …”
He gaped in surprise. “Really?”
“Yes, but you didn’t even notice me. I was just Brad’s kid sister.” She laughed, but the sound was forced.
His brow furrowed. What was going on behind that smile of hers? “I noticed you.”
She arched an eyebrow skeptically. “You did?”
“Of course. You were beautiful, even back then. But yeah, you were Brad’s kid sister – off limits. We had some great conversations – not many, you were pretty quiet – but I still remember them. You always seemed to see past the football stuff. And you were nice to me.”
“Everyone was nice to you.”
“No, everyone wanted to be near me, or wanted something from me. But you cared about me, not just the number on my jersey.”
“I did. I do …” Her gaze met his, then darted away.
But Jax had seen something there behind her eyes. Did she care for him the way he was beginning to care for her? He knew she wasn’t impressed by his position on the Falcons, so if she felt anything for him it’d be real. He studied their linked hands. Was she ready for something more than friendship? Was he?
13
Jax tugged on the rope that fastened his new heavy boxing bag to the rafter overhead. He loved the basement in his new house – it had been partially finished by the previous owners, and he intended to make it into a home gym the next time he came back to Ardensville. For now though, the heavy bag and a jump rope would have to do.
He tore open the plastic casing containing a new set of boxing gloves, put them on and punched each fist into the other to settle them into place. With his wireless earbuds in and Switchfoot pounding through his head, he began jabbing at the bag. It swung a little, but didn’t fall off. Perfect. Within an hour he’d worked out all the frustration and unspent energy that had been boiling in his veins for days. It felt good to get back to physical activity.
“Hello?”
He glanced over his shoulder, one eyebrow raised. Stacey had gone to bed over an hour earlier when they got back from their trip to the lookout, and he wasn’t expecting guests, not at midnight.
Brad appeared on the staircase, frowning.
“Brad? I knew I shouldn’t have given you a key to the house,” Jax quipped, leveling another punch at the bag. He pulled the gloves off and faced his friend, unsure of what his reaction would be. No doubt news of the fake marriage had reached him, and he hadn’t returned any of Jax’s calls.
Brad shrugged, his eyebrows low. “Thought you might still be awake. You never could sleep when you were taking a break from sports.”
Jax chuckled. “You know me well.”
Brad sat on the lid of a large unopened box and crossed his arms. “I thought I did.”
Jax sighed. “I’ve been trying to call you, man.”
“I know. I didn’t want to talk to you until I calmed down.”
“There’s nothing to be upset about …”
“I asked you to do one thing for me. One lousy thing. In our friendship, have I ever asked you for a favor?”
Jax frowned. This wasn’t going well. He shook his head.
“That’s right. The only thing I ever asked is that you leave my sister alone.”
Jax crossed his own arms “Am I so bad that you’re afraid of what I might do to your sister?”
“There’s nothing wrong with you. But she’s going to get hurt.”
“Why do you say that? What have I ever done to make you think I’d hurt her?” Now he was angry too.
“You don’t mean to. But that’s what you do. Girls fall in love with you and you don’t feel the same. You let them down and you move on.”
That wasn’t true, was it? He’d never meant to hurt anyone. He’d never loved any of the girls he’d dated before, and they hadn’t loved him either. “Well, not that it matters, but Stacey is a woman, not a girl.”
“Why wouldn’t it matter?” Brad’s face flushed.
“Because it’s not true. We’re not married. We’re not even dating. She’s pretending to be my wife so people will leave me alone, and I’m letting her live here so she’ll have a place to stay and I’ll have someone keeping an eye on it. Plus, she’s a pretty good interior decorator. That’s all – nothing more, nothing less.” He’d been full of energy before Brad entered the basement, now it felt as though the wind had been knocked from his lungs.
Brad blinked in surprise. “Really.” He looked around the room, letting his thoughts settle. “Well, why didn’t you say so?”
“You mean, when you returned my call?”
“Okay, okay. Well, man, you had me fooled. Can I take a shot at that bag?”
Jax handed Brad the gloves, and soon they were smiling and joking again. But something still bothered Jax. “Do you really think it’d be so bad for me to date Stacey?”
Puffing hard, Brad wiped sweat from his forehead with his forearm. “She’s been through a lot, been hurt so many times by people she loves. And she cares about you. She might not say so, but I’ve always known. If you hurt her … I’m not sure she’d recover.”
Jax stared at the floor, his thoughts in a whirl. She’d cared about him. That was just beginning to sink in after she’d told him so at the lookout, and now Brad was confirming it. But how did she feel about him now? “Hey, how would you feel about staying here in the house with us until I go back to Atlanta? My mom’s not keen with Stacey and I being here alone together unmarried – you know.”
Brad laughed. “Oh, the irony. Everyone else thinks you’re married, but you need a chaperone.”
Jax laughed too. “So will you stay?”
“Sure, it’ll be fun.”
Stacey hurried through the parking lot and into the café, her heels clacking loudly on the pavement. She still hadn’t gotten used to wearing heels every day. The diner had required white tennis shoes as part of the uniform, and it was the only thing she missed about working there besides the free curly fries.
She pushed open the glass door, spotted June waving at her from a small table on one side of the room, and smiled. It had been awkward between them since she moved in with Jax, and she hoped that wouldn’t last. But June had asked to meet her for coffee, which was a good sign.
She kissed June on the cheek and took a seat opposite her. “How are you?
June smiled wearily. “I’m okay. Some days are harder than others. Mom is doing better though, I think.”
Stacey patted June’s hand, her heart aching for the Greens and their loss. She hadn’t had a father like Frank Green, but she could imagine how it might feel to lose someone like him from her life. “I’ve been praying for you.”
June’s smile widened. “Thank you. That is so kind.”
They ordered coffees and muffins and chatted about what each of them had been doing. It began to feel like old times again, and the knot of anxiety in Stacey’s stomach slowly loosened.
“How’s work going?” asked June as she sipped her cappuccino.
“It’s fine. I could use some more clients, but I’m off to an okay start.”
“I’ll bet it’s hard to get started in real estate. So much of that seems to be word-of-mouth.”
“It is. I mean, I shouldn’t even have clients yet – I haven’t been working there long. But Jax got me started with that first sale, which was amazing, and I guess it just gave me a taste for more. I’m helping out Brad and Susannah with their listings until I can get some of my own.”
“What can you do to get more clients?”
Stacey shrugged. “Wait, and it’ll happen in time. At least that’s what Brad says.”
; “Maybe we could do something to drum up some business for your office. That way they’ll have so many clients they’ll just have to give some to you.” June grinned, her eyes flashing. It was the first time since her father’s death that Stacey had witnessed a sincere smile on her friend’s face.
“We could. And I’m guessing from the look on your face you’ve got an idea of how we might do that.”
June laughed. “Have you ever seen those people who advertise pizza by dancing around in a silly suit on the side of the road?”
Stacey’s heart fell. “Uh-huh.”
“We could do that!” June’s eyes were wide and her mouth open, seemingly excited at the prospect.
Stacey forced a smile. “Wow. That’s … wow. Great idea.”
Stacey pulled the fuzzy panda head over hers. She could barely see out through the gauze visor – it was too high and the head lolled to one side. She scanned the room, holding the panda head straight. Where was June?
A lion with a long tail and huge grin walked out of the restroom and across the office toward her. Then it rammed knees-first into a desk and roared – in pain.
Stacey giggled. “Are you okay, June?”
June nodded, the lion’s head bobbing up and down. “Fine. Ugh. Who put that desk there?” She rubbed her knees with her front paws.
“Let’s go, I guess.” Stacey was less than eager to humiliate herself for the cause of gaining some new clients. And she couldn’t see how anyone would sign up to a realty office because of a dancing lion or panda waving a sign on the side of the road. But June’s face had lit up at the idea, and Brad had said “why not?” and now she’d be spending the entire afternoon in that panda suit. “This thing stinks,” she added, and meant it literally – it smelled like a boy’s locker room.
“Yeah, mine too. Although there’s something sweet mixed in with the stank.”