So that he could see, he ripped down a sheet of newspaper that covered part of the front window. He didn’t remove all the paper though. He needed enough light to move around, although he knew he could navigate through the place blindfolded.
He put his hand out in front of him to feel for the display table his mother had in the center of the room. As soon as he touched it, he shifted to the side to make a beeline to the office area. Once he found it, he felt around the wall for an alternate light source. He flipped the second switch and the office light came on, which offered a bit more illumination to the main showroom.
Thane looked around the place. Nothing looked different, yet everything had changed. His mother wouldn’t be the one uncovering the display shelves and counters. She wouldn’t be the one selling her designs. She wouldn’t be here.
He went back into the office. The hardwood floors under his feet squeaked with each step. Thane felt odd taking a seat behind the desk. That had always been Queen’s spot. As the new owner, he would have to get used to occupying this chair and taking over her duties, or at least part of them.
Gunnar and Gideon had already taken over their inherited businesses and had been running them for at least a month or more. It would be business as usual for them. Thane felt so behind the eight ball on everything.
Elizabeth’s familiar floral scent immediately wafted up to his nose. In that moment, he felt like Elizabeth sat with him again.
Thane opened the desk drawer to see if he could find more clues about his mother. The slender top drawer offered nothing except for pens, loose change, stamps, and hard candy. He opened a side drawer. No surprise. It looked organized and straight.
He reached down for the first file and pulled it out. Instead of finding business documents, it contained sketches…his sketches. The first file had drawings he’d done at probably around age five or six. The crude drawings looked like he’d tried to sketch a man’s suit. From the thick blue lines, it must have been a pinstriped one.
Thane laughed at his failed attempt. He pulled out the second folder and found similar drawings he’d done. Twelve additional files contained his artwork. The last folder broke him. Inside, it held not only his sketch of his future baseball uniform, it also had a photo he hadn’t seen in years.
Tears filled his eyes as he stared at the shot of him and Queen sitting on the steps in front of her store. She had her arms wrapped around his shoulders as she kissed him on his cheek. He remembered taking that picture with his mother and had wondered where it had gone.
Thane dropped the picture and buried his face in his hands. He’d never imagined a life without his biggest supporter. There would be no way he could run her business. As soon as he could, he would have to figure out a way to sell it and go.
Chapter 9
Kari glared at her watch for the fifth time in two minutes. To be sure it hadn’t failed, she picked up her phone and checked the time there. Yep, Thane Wells had officially stood her up. The restaurant confirmed they hadn’t gotten a reservation from Thane or any special requests for a private table.
Twice in one day, she’d been disappointed by a man. Unlike her situation with Jarrod, she could rectify this circumstance face-to-face. She stormed out to the hotel’s lobby. She wanted to go to Thane’s room and curse him out to his face. She knew hotel security wouldn’t let her go up. She had managed to skate by yesterday only because she had Thane with her.
She punched in the speed dial to call him. It went straight to voice mail.
“Damn it.” She called Chelsi.
Even outside of work, the woman could work magic.
“Hey, Kari. How’s our favorite baseball player? Sign him yet?” Chelsi asked with a playful lilt to her voice.
“No, and I’m pissed.” Kari paced the marble floor.
“What’s going on?”
“He called me. He called me and asked me to meet him at his hotel restaurant at seven to discuss business. Nothing. He’s not here, and he’s not answering his phone. I even used the hotel’s phone to call his room phone directly. Have you heard any news about him going back to spring training? Anything online about him?” Kari knew if the man sneezed, Chelsi would hear about it and let her know.
“Let me check something.” Chelsi remained quiet for a moment. “Nothing about him going back to training.” After another beat, she offered more information. “Okay, I did a Google search on his mother, Elizabeth Sommerville.”
“Why are you looking her up? She died.” Kari felt bad enough that she’d intruded on the woman’s funeral.
“I’m seeing if I can find out anything about her other than she had three incredibly hot sons. Ah-ha.”
Kari stopped pacing. “What?”
“The mother owned a bunch of businesses.”
Kari shrugged. “And?”
“A couple of months ago, Gunnar Wells gave up his illustrious MMA career to start his own hair care line. I’m assuming he has something to do with his mother’s hair salon,” Chelsi said.
The logic kind of made sense even though it still surprised Kari that this champion had given up his career to do hair. “Okay, what else?”
“Uh, looks like she also owns a flower shop. Wait a minute.” Chelsi made a couple of clicking noises through the phone. “Ah, there are a ton of pictures on social media of Gideon in some flower shop. I would say he’s got that place locked down.”
“Makes sense. Anything else? Or are you saying I should check those two places first?” Kari headed to the front door.
“No. You need to check out a place called Sharp.”
Kari blinked. “Did you say Sharp?”
“Yep. Supposed to be a clothing boutique down at the Oceanfront area. If I were a betting woman, I would say that Thane Wells is there.” Chelsi sent the address of the store by text to Kari. “I’ll keep digging. I’ll let you know if I find anything else.”
“Thanks so much. You’re a life saver.” Kari slipped on her coat as she walked out of the hotel.
“Does that mean you won’t kill Thane when you see him?”
“Don’t go that far.” She would check out this boutique.
If she saw him there, she would give him a piece of her mind about standing her up for an appointment he’d made.
Kari tried not to speed down the interstate to the beachfront area. Anger more than embarrassment fueled her.
“Half a mile to your destination,” her phone’s mapping feature said in its robotic voice.
Kari looked ahead to see if she could see this business. If her phone hadn’t told her that she had arrived, she would have passed it. It looked like a small house with a parking lot big enough to fit about ten cars.
One thing did catch her attention. A single car sat in the parking lot. Since she’d only seen Thane getting out a limo, she had no idea what he drove. She assumed the rented Lexus belonged to him.
Kari parked her car next to his and slammed the door after she got out. She stomped to the front door. She found resistance when she pulled on it.
Undeterred by this barrier, she pounded her fist on the door. Patience had never been her strong suit. She walked to the large picture window next to the door and peered inside. Her heart stopped when she saw Thane sitting in what looked like an office area.
He had his head down on his outstretched arm. He looked like he’d fallen asleep. If he’d done nothing but run around all day instead of going to bed like she’d done, he probably needed the rest. For that reason, she would give him a pass.
She saw him stirring. Kari backed away from the window to retreat to her car. She would have to try him again tomorrow. As soon as she unlocked her door, she heard another door opening.
“Who’s there?”
Thane’s unmistakable voice stilled her. She couldn’t even turn around, an atypical response considering how angry she’d been when he missed their meeting. Kari finally turned to him.
He stared at her fo
r a moment before a look of realization crossed his face. He cursed right after he glanced at his watch. “I apologize and I’m so sorry. I mean it. I’m sorry. I planned this date—”
“Meeting.”
Had he actually called it a date? Kari’s stomach rippled in excitement.
“And I oversleep. I didn’t even know I had drifted off. You must think I’m the worst person out there.” He climbed down the few steps to stand in front of her.
In the darkened parking lot she couldn’t see much of his face, except for those hypnotic eyes. “I understand.”
“No, it’s no excuse.” He turned back to the building. “Let me lock up here and then we can talk, that is if you still want to. I know I’m—” Thane glanced at his watch. “—an hour and a half late. Jesus. Please, let me make it up to you.”
“By allowing me to represent you?” She smiled.
He finally smiled. “I’m embarrassed, not irrational. Nice try, Kari.”
She started liking hearing him saying her name.
“Give me a minute.” He raced up the stairs to the business.
Kari heard some knocking around before he extinguished the lights. Thane made sure to secure the front door before he bounded down the steps again.
“I still owe you a dinner. If you don’t mind, we can go back to my hotel to have that.”
Kari regarded him for a moment. She owed it to herself to see this through at least tonight. “Okay. I’ll see you at the hotel.”
Thane nodded. “Thank you.”
She reached for her car door again. Thane surprised her by holding the door open. After she got inside, he closed it.
Some of his manners might have waned, but chivalry hadn’t died in him. Thane got into his car. He pulled out of the lot first with Kari right behind him. She tried to stay close without being right on top of him. She didn’t want to lose him or have him change his mind as soon as they arrived.
At his hotel, Thane parked on the side with Kari sliding in next to him. She walked beside him to the front door.
“I’m sure the people who work here will think that I’m some sort of stalker.” Kari crossed her arms over her chest to ward away the chill in the air.
“Victims normally don’t walk with their stalker.” He smiled as he went up to the door.
Before the doorman could open it, Thane grabbed it for Kari. She could definitely get used to this type of treatment. When she headed toward the restaurant, Thane walked to the elevator.
“Do you need to change or something?” Kari asked as she stood outside of the restaurant’s entrance.
“No. I thought we could eat in my room instead of the restaurant, which looks a little busy.” He peered into the eatery, and so did Kari.
She saw what he meant. The waiting area now overflowed with patrons.
“Come on up.”
Kari suspected that going up to his room could be her downfall.
* * * *
Thane hoped that Kari didn’t think he’d planned to get her into his hotel room. When he woke up to find her standing outside of Sharp, he felt like a jerk for making her wait.
The elevator ride up to his floor remained eerily quiet. He could only imagine what she thought of him. When the elevator stopped, she walked cautiously as she followed him to his room. He suspected she might be calculating possible plans to get out of being alone in his hotel room. Although he hadn’t arranged for this turn of events, he didn’t mind the change in venue.
“I made a call when we left Sharp. I hope the room is set up.” He unlocked his door and opened it for Kari.
She stepped inside and stopped. Kari glanced around with her mouth agape. As he requested, the hotel had set up a table with food for both of them. He did notice one thing he asked them to do that they’d neglected.
“Excuse me.” He went to his bedroom door and closed it. “I took the liberty of ordering some dinner for us.” He picked up one sterling silver cloche. “Ah, steak.” He lifted a second one. “Chicken.” He replaced the domes and picked up two more covers. “Fish and salads, in case you’re a vegetarian or pescetarian. And”—he picked up the final one—“cheesecake.”
His showing got Kari to smile finally. “Aren’t you in training?”
Thane’s smile melted. “I’m taking a little break.”
“I don’t think I said it to you, but I’m so sorry for your loss. I definitely understand.”
He took her coat and hung it up in a closet before he pulled out a chair for her.
“Thank you.” Kari draped a white cloth napkin over her lap after sitting.
Thane sat across from her. “I’m glad you mentioned that. You were at my mother’s funeral.” He felt his jaw getting tight as he thought about the intrusion. “Did you know my mother? Were you her friend? Although we’ve talked on the phone for over a year, I wouldn’t consider us close.”
Kari stared at him for a moment before she sat up taller. “Although I met and talked with Elizabeth one time before, I didn’t know her. And even though I’m familiar with your brothers’ work, I’m not friends with them either.”
“So what were you doing there? You wanted to see a family on their worst day?” He gripped a fork to keep his hand occupied as he glared at her.
“Although I know your history, I should have done some research on you before I made the trip here. I don’t usually work unprepared.” She took a deep breath like she needed to steel her nerves. “When I arrived, I contacted my office assistant and found out about your mother. She told me where the services were being held.”
“So you went out there thinking you could convince me to sign with you? You thought that would be a good time?” He balled his free hand into a fist.
Kari’s gaze dropped down to the table, and for a short while, she didn’t speak. She sniffed and shook her head. “I didn’t believe my assistant. I went to the church, expecting to prove her wrong. When I saw it all, I stayed.” She hesitated before she finished her thought. “I stayed through the service and went to the cemetery to pay my respects. As soon as I did that, I left.” She brought her gaze up and looked him in his eyes. “I was at your hotel to apologize for being at your mother’s funeral.”
Thane sat back, stunned by her honesty.
“I’m sorry for the intrusion. That’s not my style.” She lifted her napkin to wipe under her eyes. “I would be mad if someone did that to…” She trailed off before she shook her head and picked up her glass of water to take a sip.
He loosened his grip on his fork. “You said you understand what I’m going through with my mother. Did you lose someone close to you?”
Kari brought her gaze up to meet his. “My grandfather.” A small smile peeked through her hard countenance. “My grandpa raised me. He loved that I loved sports. It united us. Baseball, football, even hockey. We would sit and watch it all.”
“Did you play any sports or were you only a spectator?” He couldn’t help but stare at her plump lower lip.
“I played softball for a while. I did lacrosse until…” She stopped herself and let her gaze fall to the table for a moment before she reconnected her stare to his eyes. “I didn’t do it for long.”
“Not tough enough?” Without really knowing her, Thane wanted to raise her spirits.
He thought he kept his life private. Kari Meyers proved she could hold on to a secret better than him. A wall surrounded her, and she only allowed her eyes to be seen. Her intense need for personal privacy should be a plus for a potential agent. He didn’t need to get involved in his agent’s life. His agent didn’t need to know his personal business. Yet Thane found that each time he looked into Kari’s eyes, he wanted to know more about her.
“Where were your parents?” He didn’t want his curiosity to become vocal, but while he had this woman captive in his room, he might as well explore all aspects of her life.
Her smile dropped. “They both died in a plane crash when I was a b
aby.” She drummed her fingertips on the table with her free hand. “If you can believe this, they were flying to Seattle to attend a friend’s funeral. They never made it. My grandpa told his son, my father, not to take me because at six weeks, I was too young to go on a plane. My dad agreed. If he hadn’t…” She stopped her story. “That’s why I don’t take no for an answer. My life was spared to do more than be on the sidelines.”
Her drive boosted up her attractiveness. Thane’s lower half throbbed the longer he looked at her. Why the hell had he brought her back to his room?
Thane offered Kari some salad first before serving himself. “Sounds like your parents loved you a lot, even for the short time they were here. And your grandfather sounds awesome. The fact that you two were into sports is amazing. At least you had that. My mother wasn’t into anything athletic, but she understood what it could do for me and my brothers growing up. It was the extracurricular activities that really bonded us with her, too. For me, it was the clothing store.” Before taking a bite, he stopped and stared at her for a moment. “How did you know where to find me?”
“Google. My office assistant looked up your mother and found out she owned three businesses. By doing some logical deductions, we figured out that you would probably be at Sharp.” She took a bite of her salad.
“Modern technology.” He picked up his iced tea and took a needed drink. “So I take it you’re an only child.”
Kari nodded. “And I know you have two brothers. Any other siblings? More importantly, any siblings in sports without representation?”
Thane laughed. “Just two brothers. That’s it.” He stared at Kari. “Wow.”
“What?”
“I think that’s the first time I’ve laughed in the last week. Thank you.” He exhaled. “I needed that.”
Her golden skin glowed with a slight pink hue. “Not a problem.”
Thane took that opportunity to check out her outfit. Tonight, she had on an all-black pantsuit. She took business attire to a new level. He noticed a lacy, red bra peeking out from her jacket, and dropped his gaze back down to his food to keep from staring at the garment.
Head Over Heels Page 11