With that said, Dennis stood, picked up Josh, and left the kitchen himself. James shook his head in disbelief. What had his father meant by not making the same mistake that he had? Maybe he’d been fooling himself thinking that his family would be excited about this move. He’d thought that this would be a good thing for everyone. Evidently he’d been wrong. He had no idea how he was going to make things right. Turning down this contract was not an option. He would be out of a job in a year and, in this economy, that was something that he couldn’t afford.
Maybe they could work something out about the move to Houston, but he wasn’t going to completely turn down the job. He stood and headed upstairs to do damage control. He went to Jenna’s room first. She was lying facedown on the bed. Her little body was shaking, and he knew she was crying. He walked over to the edge of the bed and sat down.
Before he could say anything, Jenna turned to look at him. “Why do we have to move again? I like it here.” She paused to catch her breath. “Grandpa is here, my friends are here, and Kayla is here. I like it here.”
James scooped her up and placed a kiss on her forehead. He wiped away the tears that he’d caused. “I didn’t realize that you liked it here so much.”
“I do, Daddy. We all do.”
James stifled a groan. He would find a way to bargain the move to Houston. Or maybe he could be out there full-time during the summer months. Yet, there was no way he would uproot his kids again when they were happy where they were. He had to figure out a way to make it all work out.
“I will find a way to keep us here. Okay?”
That quieted Jenna some. There was still a short pause before she agreed. After one last kiss on her forehead, he stood up. Leaving her with the instructions to pack her bag, he headed to talk to Jana. She was standing by the window with her forehead pressed against it. He called her name softly, and she turned to look at him. The sadness in her eyes made him pause for a second. He hadn’t seen her look this sad since Nicole passed away. It hit him hard, knowing that he was the reason behind that. When her gaze went back to the window, he moved toward her.
“I just wanted to come and tell you that we won’t be moving to Houston.”
She turned and looked at him with surprise. The expression turned to confusion. “Did you turn the job down?”
He gave a slight shake of his head. “No, I haven’t. But I may have to do that to keep us here.”
Jana dropped her head. “I really like it here, and I want to stay, but I don’t want you to lose your job because of it.”
James held out his arms, and Jana rushed into them. “I don’t want you to worry about that. I have always provided for you and always will.”
He had a pretty substantial amount of money set aside because he was well paid, and he had more money coming in than going out. He felt Jana nod against his stomach. “I will let you worry about the big stuff.”
The corners of his mouth curved upward at the comment. He had a habit of telling the kids to let him worry about the big things, and they would worry about the small stuff. It was his way of keeping his children in their state of childhood. Kids shouldn’t have to worry about adult problems. Jana’s arms tightened around his waist briefly.
“I love you, Daddy.”
He placed a kiss on her forehead. “I love you too, sweetheart.”
Pulling back, he gave her instructions to pack up because they would be leaving for home shortly. She nodded, and he took a deep breath then left the room. He was getting ready to deal with the toughest of his children. When he made it to the room that Kayla had put Jamie and Josh in, the door was closed.
He knocked on the door and was greeted by silence, but he entered the room anyway. Jamie was reclined across the bed with her head facing away from the door.
“Jamie—”
“Go away, Dad. I don’t want to talk right now.”
He sighed heavily. “I know that you are upset with me right now, but it doesn’t excuse rudeness. Now sit up, and talk to me. There are some things that I need to say.”
It took a moment, but Jamie finally sat up and looked at him. He closed the door behind him and sat on the edge of the bed beside his daughter. “I want to apologize for upsetting you with my surprise.” He shrugged. “I truly thought everyone would be happy.”
Jamie shook her head. “Before we moved to Baxley, we might have. Jana is happy, and she is smiling, Dad. How long has it been since you have seen her so content? She even told Kayla one of the jokes that you told her one time, although Jana’s version was funnier. This is home, Dad. Baxley is the place that we have all been looking for.”
James sighed, knowing that his daughter was right. Baxley was home. Baxley’s residents made it a good place to be. “Well, based on what you just told me, I think that it wouldn’t bother you if I told you that I changed my mind about moving to Houston.”
Jamie frowned. Confusion was clearly expressed on her face. “I’m not going to ask what changed your mind.”
“I am sure that you already know.”
He stood, informing her that they would be heading home tonight. Jamie slid off the bed, and he left the room. He ran into his father and son in the hallway. “It sounds like you have settled most of the problem.”
He looked at his father with puzzlement. “What do you mean?”
His father gave him a pointed look. “Kayla is downstairs cleaning up the kitchen.”
He closed his eyes and sighed heavily. His concern for his children had been so great that he’d forgotten about her, and he was ashamed to admit it. He told his dad that they would be heading home shortly. Dennis nodded and headed off to pack his bag.
James went downstairs wondering how he was going to make things right. He’d never intended to get serious with Kayla, but he had. Now he had to decide just how far he wanted to take this. His feelings were developing for her. Could he say that he loved her? No, he couldn’t but the feelings could mature to that level if he opened his heart completely to her. When he entered the kitchen, she was putting stuff away angrily. “I don’t want to hear it.”
“But—”
She turned around to face him. “Did you give your family any thought when you made this decision? Did you give me any thought?” She didn’t give him a chance to reply before presenting him with her back again. “Don’t answer that. I might be tempted to throw something sharp.”
He would have laughed if it he thought he could get away with it without her fulfilling her threat of bodily harm. Instead, he held himself in check. He watched her hands on the towel as she walked toward the doorway leading out of the kitchen exit.
“Don’t call me again. I don’t want to see your face or hear your voice again unless it has to do with your father or the children, and even then it had better be life or death.”
With that said, she left the kitchen. He would have stopped her, but he knew that she needed time to cool off. He would give her that time, but he would be back. After leaving the kitchen himself, he went to gather up his family. A few minutes later, he was herding the bunch out the front door.
The kids informed Kayla that they had a good time and hoped that they could do it again. Josh even gave her a wet kiss on the cheek. James knew right then that she cared for his children as if they were her own. It made him feel like a jerk to see that she’d been crying. Her eyes were puffy and red, and her nose matched. He’d obviously hurt her, and that really bothered him. Kayla said good night to his father but refused to acknowledge James. She was truly ticked, and he was smart enough not to push her either.
Walking out to his SUV, he prayed that the following days wouldn’t be torturous ones. He had a lot to do to get everything back on track, but he was up for the task. Pulling out of Kayla’s driveway, he drove toward his father’s home. It was going to be a long evening, but as soon as they made it home, he hustled the kids inside the house.
The children and his father went to their rooms and began getting ready for bed. With
in the hour, they were settling into their normal bed routine. He’d missed this the past few days. Putting his children to bed was something that he truly enjoyed. Kayla had even praised him for his idea of recording the bedtime story that he told Jenna. He’d heard the admiration in her voice at doing something so thoughtful. He smiled to himself at how quickly things could change, because she obviously saw him as a heartless bastard now. And honestly, he couldn’t blame her. The longer he thought about it, the more he realized how stupid he’d been. Once his children were in bed and settled, he made his way downstairs and went into the kitchen. He opened the refrigerator and reached for a bottle of beer. In the living room, he settled down to think.
In the morning, he would fax a copy of the contract to his lawyer to see what he thought of it and to make sure that he wouldn’t have to move to Houston as a part of the deal. He finished off the beer and discarded the bottle in the trash then headed back upstairs. After taking a quick shower, he began to get ready for bed. Shortly after stepping out of the shower, he fell into bed and began to wonder what the next several days were going to be like. Whatever they would bring, he would make sure that he had enough sleep to face any issue that arose.
Kayla was so tired that she should be yawning, but she was too numb to do so. She’d shed too many tears over the man, and she’d cursed him several times over. The man was despicable. She’d given herself to him unconditionally, and in the end, he’d proved to her that he hadn’t cared. It hurt to even think about it. The last bell for the day rang, and she began to pack up her things. She was glad that it was the weekend. She needed a break, time to collect himself and get her thoughts together. Gathering up her briefcase and her purse. The only thing she wanted to do was relax. She was going to go home, get in her spa tub, and consume a gallon of Chunky Monkey. Calling her sisters over to help her consume the ice cream sounded like a good idea, but she really just wanted to be alone this weekend. She walked out of the school and climbed into her vehicle. She drove out of the parking lot and passed right by James and Jamie.
James watched Kayla pull off. She didn’t see them, but they saw her. Jamie slammed the car door and began to grumble.
“What did you do to her, Dad? She is different now.”
James gave her a stern look. “First, young lady, we don’t slam doors around here. Second, Kayla and I will work this out.”
Jamie put her seatbelt on, folded her arms across her chest, and glared at him. “You had better, Dad. My sisters and I don’t want to have to interfere again.”
He shook his head. His children were going to be the death of him. “I will handle this starting tomorrow.”
Jamie nodded, satisfied with the answer. He had been busy the last two days securing his job. Now that he’d been successful with that, he could focus on trying to get back in good with Kayla. He had a plan that would include Keirra and Kristen. Fortunately, they had been very understanding when he’d explained to them what he’d done. More understanding than they should have been. Once he picked the kids up and got them home and situated, he would fill everyone in on his plan. Hopefully, it would work.
Chapter Nineteen
“I am going to have you two arrested for kidnapping.”
Kristen laughed. “Now, do you really think that would happen considering the men that we are in relationships with?”
“Don’t forget that a good friend of mine is a lawyer.”
“Trust us, we didn’t forget that, and he is well aware of our plan. He also wishes you luck.”
Kayla mumbled something unintelligible under her breath then renewed her struggling efforts. Her sisters had burst into her room early this morning, handcuffed, and blindfolded her. She’d put up a fight in the beginning but saw that it was useless. After realizing that trying to escape wasn’t going to work, she’d decided to conserve her energy for when she could really use it.
She remembered that thought and stopped struggling once more, but it was hard to because the handcuffs were uncomfortable. She made that fact known. “Which one of you did these handcuffs?”
Keirra laughed. “If you hadn’t put up such a fight, I would have been able to leave them a little looser.”
“When I have to the chance to put these things around your wrists, we will see how much you like it.”
Keirra was smug when she replied, “Too late. Eric and I use them all the time.”
She flinched at the horrible thought, and Kristen couldn’t contain her laughter. Kayla shuddered. Now she really wanted the handcuffs off and hoped that they would be soon.
It seemed like they had been driving forever, but suddenly they rolled to a stop. She tried to listen and gather her bearings, but it was too quiet for her to distinguish anything. “Where are we?”
Keirra was the one to respond, and it was obvious that she was enjoying this torture. “You will find out soon enough.”
The door opened, and she was assisted out. They hustled her to a building quickly, not that she blamed them. Anyone who saw a woman blindfolded and handcuffed was bound to become suspicious. It also offered her the perfect escape. She opened her mouth to scream, but Keirra warned her before she could. “You can scream if you want to, but it won’t work. There is no one else around.”
“You are lying.”
She could hear the amusement in Keirra’s voice when she replied, “Try it.”
Just as she started to, she realized that her sisters were no longer leading her. The click of a door sounded loudly behind her, and she turned in the direction of the sound.
“Keirra and Kristen, if you two have left me by myself, I am going to kill you.”
She jumped and did scream as a hand touched her shoulder. It was definitely a man’s hand.
“Who are you?”
Whoever it was didn’t speak. Instead, his hands came up and took the blindfold off. She spun around and gasped. “You are behind this?”
James was standing there looking as tired as she was feeling, but he still managed to look sexy as hell. She was not going to let that fact weaken her resolve. “Take these handcuffs off me now.”
He shook his head, walked over to the bed, and sat down. “Not until you hear me out.”
She rolled her eyes. “No need to. I already know what your plans are, and I am not included in them. Trust me, you only have to tell me once.”
He ignored her sarcasm. “The plans have changed, and I do want you to be included in them.”
She sighed heavily, and then she narrowed her eyes as she took in the room. It was set up for seduction. He actually had the nerve to try to seduce her to take him back? He was crazier than she’d originally thought. When her gaze went back to his, she was furious. “James, undo these handcuffs now.”
Instead, he smiled and patted the space beside him. “After we talk.”
She groaned with displeasure. He was going to pay as soon and her hands were free, she would make sure of it.
“Do you care about me?”
Her mouth dropped opened and almost dragged the ground. She recovered quickly. “If you don’t know the answer to that question, then we don’t need to talk.”
She backed up against the wall and closed her eyes. It took everything she had not to collapse. She was exhausted, and all she wanted to do was go home and crawl under the covers so that she could cry herself to sleep as she had the past few nights. It seemed the only way she was going to be able to do that was by listening to what James had to say. If that was what it took, that was what she would do, but she was only going to hear him out.
That didn’t mean that she had to believe him. Sighing with defeat, she spoke without opening her eyes. “Why did you bring me here, James?”
He responded without hesitation. “To talk to you. I want you to know what is going on.”
One eye opened in disbelief. “A little too late for that, don’t you think?”
“No, I don’t. I am sorry that I sprang the news on moving to Houston to you in the fashion that
I did.” He paused, and when she didn’t say anything, he kept going. “I want you to know that we aren’t moving to Houston.”
She gave a snort of irritation. “Oh no, don’t stay here on my behalf.”
He gave her a sincere look. “I’m not. I am staying because of my family.” This time, he did pause slightly, then continued. “And because I want to see what develops between us.”
Her mouth dropped open, and she looked at him as if he’d lost him mind. She finally came off the wall and stalked toward him. She didn’t bother to hide her anger and disgust. “Am I supposed to be grateful? Two days ago, you told me that you were leaving town without blinking.”
She paused before laughing harshly. “You admitted that you didn’t even think about me when you made the original decision.”
He didn’t deny her accusation, but it didn’t lessen her rage.
“So now I am supposed to be happy when you decide to include me?” she spat. She shook her head at him in complete disbelief. Turning her back to him, she held out her hands. “Undo these cuffs now, James.”
Surprisingly he finally did as she asked. When she was free, she rubbed her wrists as she headed for the door without looking back. She had the door open when he spoke again.
“I think that I am falling in love with you, Kayla.”
Kayla felt her heart skip several beats, but she didn’t look back when she responded. “Well, I know that I am in love with you.”
With that said, she left the room and closed the door. Tears sprang to her eyes, and for the first time, she held them back. She wouldn’t cry didn’t have time to cry. Right now, she had to keep a level head to figure out where she was and get back home.
How she was going to do that, she had no idea. She could find a payphone and blackmail her sisters into coming back and picking her up. The door opened, and she instinctively whirled around and backed up when she saw James standing there. She didn’t really fear him. She just didn’t know what to expect. “What is it now?”
Her Every Fantasy Page 15