by Ella Jade
“Are we still following that policy?”
“I guess not.” He kissed her head. “I know where we’re headed.”
“Where’s that?” Her eyes were getting heavy. It had been a long day but now she was comfortable and content in his arms. “What have you been thinking about?”
“Just that I’ve fallen in love with you.”
“What?” Her eyes darted open as she processed his words. Suddenly she wasn’t so sleepy. She shot up in a seated position, searching his expression. “What did you say?”
“You heard me.” He grinned. “But I’ll say it again if you need me to.”
“Please.” She’d fallen in love with him weeks ago. She couldn’t pinpoint the exact moment because over the last few months they’d shared so many special memories. She loved them all. And she loved all of him. It was a gradual process.
“I love you.” He sat up, resting his arms on her shoulders. “I’ve been feeling it for a few weeks but it somehow hit me when I was in Boston. I still wasn’t sure what I wanted to do with those feelings because I don’t want to put any pressure on you.” He gently kissed her. “You have enough going on but after seeing you this morning I realized how much I love you. How much I want to be with you.”
“I’ve loved you for a while.”
“You have?” He smiled. “That makes my heart fuzzy.”
“Fuzzy?” She giggled as she kissed him back.
“And warm.” He nodded. “I’ve never met anyone like you.”
“You make my heart light and happy.” She traced his lips with her fingers. “When I’m with you I don’t stress. I have so much on my mind but when I’m with you it all disappears.”
“I was waiting for a more romantic time to tell you like at dinner or snuggled by my fireplace, but as usual my impulsive side won out.”
“I love your impulsive side.” She took his hand and ran it across her breast, her nipples hardening beneath his fingers. “I love everything about you.” She guided his hand lower. “All the ways you make me feel.”
“What are you doing?” He bit his bottom lip when she rested his hand between her legs.
“Make love to me again.” She laid back and spread her legs. “I can’t think of anything more romantic then being connected to you.”
“I couldn’t agree more.”
Chapter Thirteen
Brody and Gavin tried to resolve the Jackie situation. Gavin hadn’t seen her yet and that was probably for the best. He wasn’t sure he could contain his anger and might fire her on the spot. That wasn’t the way Brody handled things and Gavin had to defer to his older brother. Not because Gavin wasn’t Brody’s equal, but because Brody had more experience and didn’t let his emotions get in the way when it came to business.
“I don’t want her here,” Gavin yelled as he paced Brody’s office. “Not after what she did to Justine.”
“Gavin.” Brody sighed. “We can’t make this personal.”
“Jackie did when she fired Justine.” He couldn’t believe his brother was going to fight him on this. “I don’t interfere with the staff,” he reminded him. “That’s all you but Jackie doesn’t belong here. She’s had issues with other employees. Two left in the last month and she tried to fire Justine.”
“I’m aware of her track record. It’s being investigated but we have to be patient.”
“Why? What is she still doing here?” He threw his hands in the air but he knew his brother was right. “Dad wouldn’t put up with it.”
“I can’t just fire her.”
“She just fired Justine.” Gavin was still furious over the humiliation Jackie inflicted on Justine. “She had no reason. Shouldn’t the fact that she knew I was seeing Justine and she fired her without speaking to either one of us raise suspicion? That’s not normal behavior. Who would want to piss off their boss?”
“You’re too close to this situation. Let me handle it.”
“If this were Claudia would you let me handle it?”
“No.” Brody tapped his fingers on his desk. “Justine means that much to you?”
“This isn’t just about Justine.” Gavin sat down, trying to collect his thoughts. “Something is off with Jackie. I can’t say for sure what it is but I don’t trust her.”
“The lawyer in me says we have to go about this the correct way. For now, I think you should move forward with your proposal to place Justine at the theater. It’s an excellent idea. It was purchased for Callahan Industries to give back to the community. I’d like to see that followed through. If she can help us with that then it’s worth pursuing.”
“I’d like to give her the chance to expand on the whole idea. My mother got bored too fast and we’ve been too busy to do anything with it.” The position would be a wonderful opportunity for Justine. “What about Jackie?”
“The office building we took over last month is going to need reorganization if we want it to work for us. It might be a good fit for her if I don’t have grounds to dismiss her. I have to consult a few people, so for now we leave her here until we’re ready.” Brody signed the contract sitting in front of him. “I want to give her the benefit of the doubt. I don’t want any legal headaches for us later, but I trust your instincts. If relocating her doesn’t work we’ll move forward from there.”
“I can live with that.” He’d much rather fire Jackie the way she had let Justine go but if Brody said to wait he had good reason. It would be Gavin’s pleasure to escort her out of the building. “As long as she doesn’t have any contact with Justine.”
“When I speak with her this afternoon I’ll make sure she’s aware of her miscalculation. I’ll also let her know we’re looking into her conduct with other employees. That should settle her down a bit.”
“Maybe she’ll quit.” Gavin got up and headed for the door. “I have a call in a few minutes.”
“Wait.” Brody looked up from his computer. “You didn’t answer my question.”
“No, I guess I didn’t.” Gavin smirked. “You want to know if Justine means that much to me?”
“Just wondering.” His brother had an inquisitive expression on his face. Gavin was tempted to leave him hanging. “If you don’t want to discuss it...”
“You’ll grill me anyway.” Gavin laughed. “To answer your question, yes, Justine does mean that much to me.”
More than I thought possible.
***
A few days later, Gavin led Justine into the lobby of the Marsh Theater. It was old and needed some work but Callahan Industries could renovate the whole place and make it into a modern, trendy place to see a show. The possibilities were endless. The location was ideal and Callahan Industries owned it all so whatever she wanted to do she’d have the full resources of his company.
It took a couple of days, but Gavin eventually put Jackie out of his mind. He would let Brody handle that situation. It was kind of nice having Brody clean up a problem that wasn’t Gavin’s fault for a change.
Justine gazed around, rubbing the tops of her arms with her palms.
“It’s drafty in here,” Gavin said. “It needs work. I hadn’t realized how run-down it was.”
“Most theaters are cold and damp but its got a solid foundation.”
“No wonder my mother jumped ship. She hates work.”
“It’s fantastic.” She ran her hand along the marble pillar. “It has so much charm.”
“You think so?”
“Yes!” She pointed across the room. “Look at that staircase. It’s magnificent. Can’t you see all the patrons lining up to get to the balcony?”
“The building does have a rich history.”
“I’ve been researching it. In its heyday a few Broadway hits made their debut here.” She peeked behind the velvet red curtains that concealed the auditorium. “Can I go in there?”
“That’s why we’re here.” He untied the gold, rope bow and took her hand. “Watch your step.” He pointed to the narrow steps that led into the large th
eater. “What do you think?”
“It’s perfect.” She ran down the aisle and to the stage. “Look at this place.”
He’d much rather look at her face and the excitement she couldn't conceal as she made her way to the front, climbing the steps on the side she took to the center. Looking out at the seats, she smiled. Gazing down at the orchestra pit she nodded. He wondered what was going through her head. When he joined her, she was backstage checking out some of the older set designs.
“Did they do The Music Man here?” she asked. “These designs are beautiful.”
“I think that was the last production in the spring. We donated the proceeds to a charity that supported a child oncology wing.” He followed her around as she admired the props strewn throughout. “We have a group of actors who have all expressed interest in another production but we just haven’t had the time to put into this place.”
“That’s so sad.” She returned to the stage. “There’s so much that could be done here. Some friends that I graduated with would love to be part of this. We used to talk about building from the ground up. Doing something different.”
“Really?” Maybe she was on to an idea. “An opportunity to get experience and do what you love.”
“Exactly.” She twirled around the stage. “The charity aspect is what intrigues me the most. Callahan Industries doesn’t make a profit?”
“No.” He laughed as he pulled her into his chest, taking her hand in his so he could dance with her. “We don’t have to make a profit on everything we do.”
“More rich people problems?”
“Something like that. We’re not the only investors. We had some generous sponsors who helped with the programs and the funding of the sets.” He swayed her to the music in his head. “My dad thought it was important to give back to the community.”
“He sounds like he was a wonderful man.”
“He was.”
She giggled when he dipped her, holding her for a few seconds. Taking in the moment, he realized he never wanted it to end.
“It took me a long time to understand just how wonderful.” He returned her to a standing position. “I miss him. I wish he could see who I am today and not who I was when he was alive.”
“He raised a good man.” She hugged him. “He’d be really proud of you.”
“I’m still working on accepting that.”
“You’re too hard on yourself, Gavin.” She traced her finger over his lips. “You’re so guarded when it comes to your past but I don’t believe you’re as bad as you make yourself out to be.”
“You didn’t know me then.” The closer they became the more he knew he had to let her decide for herself if she wanted a future with him. By withholding the truth about Jason, he wasn’t being fair. He’d built their entire relationship on a lie. Why had he done that?
“I know you now.”
When she smiled his gut clenched as if someone had punched him. All the time they’d spent together, the things he said to her, the promises he made were all genuine but how was he going to prove that once his secret came out?
“You’re kind, caring and understanding.” She kissed him. “You’re generous and you take care of me.”
“I’ll always take care of you.”
“I want to take care of you too.” When she gazed into his eyes he wondered who she saw? Who did he want her to see? “Just let me in, okay? Whatever you think is so horrible, it isn’t.”
“I have let you in.” He kissed the corner of her mouth wishing he had the courage to open up completely. If he did that she’d walk and that was a chance he wasn’t willing to take. “More than you know and I’m trying. I hope you know that.”
“I do.” She hugged him again. “I don’t mean to be impatient. You’ve given me so much. I know you’ve opened up to me. I won’t push but I’m here for you. I’ll listen when you’re ready. I wanted to make sure you knew that.”
But will you stay after I confess?
“So, am I really going to work here?” She turned and looked out at the seats.
“Do you want to work here?”
“Do you really have to ask?”
“Brody is working out a contract for you now. If you have people you’d like to bring in I think you should. It’ll take some time to get this place up and running. It needs work but you can take as much time as you need. This is your project. Your new job. It can be whatever you envision.”
“This is a dream come true.” She motioned around the stage. “You’re handing me a dream.”
“I’ll make all your dreams come true.” He wrapped his arms around her, gently hugging her belly. “You’ll never have to worry about your future or your child’s.”
“You’re too good to be true.”
I’m afraid that’s exactly what you’ll think once you know the truth.
Chapter Fourteen
Justine sat between Gavin’s legs as she concentrated on her breathing. The lights were dim and her eyes were closed but she was aware of her surroundings. The quaint yoga studio smelled of clean hardwood floors and calming lavender. The place was new and they were offering different types of classes including the prenatal yoga course. When she found out about it she was excited. It was supposed to help with labor and delivery, reduce stress and anxiety, and bring the couple closer together during this special time. It was that last part that made her apprehensive to ask Gavin if he wanted to join her. She’d never pushed her baby on him and wasn’t sure how big of a role he wanted once the baby was born. But true to Gavin fashion, he agreed to come to the class with her.
As the instructor spoke a few quiet, inspirational words, Gavin rubbed her stomach. The session ended with the lights coming back on. She looked up at him, resting her head on his shoulder. “That was really relaxing.”
“It made me clear my mind for an hour. I didn’t think about work once.” He kissed her forehead. “I was totally focused on you and the time we were spending.”
“Thanks for coming with me.”
“Thanks for asking me.”
He stood and extended his hand for her, helping her off the floor. “I’ll get the mat.” He bent down and rolled it neatly, slipping it into the case.
“I’ll get our stuff.” She went to the front of the studio and retrieved their shoes and her bag from the cubby. “Oh.” She placed her hand on her stomach when her little one gave her a strong kick. “Hello.”
“Are you okay?” Gavin glanced down at her hand with a worried expression. “Does anything hurt?”
“I’m fine.” She took his hand and rested it on her stomach. “The baby is awake.”
“Whoa.” Gavin smiled when he felt another strong kick. “I guess yoga didn’t make little relax.”
“Little?”
“Well, since we don’t know if it’s a boy or a girl I have to call little something.”
She pressed her hand on top of his, wanting them to feel the movement together. When it happened again, Gavin grinned. “That’s amazing.”
“I think so too.”
“Gavin Callahan.” A man approached them. “I thought that was you in class but I said no way would you be in a prenatal yoga class.”
Gavin’s jaw tightened as he removed his hand from her stomach. “Leo,” he said. “I haven’t seen you in a long time. How are you?”
“I’m well.” He took the hand of the woman he was with. “This is April, my wife.”
“Hi.” She smiled at Justine. “How far along are you?”
“Six months.” Justine extended her hand. “I’m Justine. It’s nice to meet you.”
“Justine.” Leo grinned. “I went to college with Gavin. You’re the woman who has tamed him. Impressive.”
“College was a long time ago,” Gavin said. “When are you due?”
“May.” April rested her hand on her stomach. “Those two months can’t come soon enough.” She turned her attention to Justine. “Do you live in the city?”
“Of cour
se they do,” Leo interrupted. “Gavin has a huge penthouse that overlooks Manhattan. Remember that party you had that time with the strippers?”
“Yeah, that was a long time ago.” Gavin slipped on his shoes, looking disinterested. “Congratulations to you both. It’s an exciting time.”
“Do you want to exchange numbers?” April asked Justine. “We live in the city too. Maybe we could help one another through the last trimester? Our due dates are close. Maybe the kids can be friends too.”
“Sure.” Justine took out her phone and set up a new contact. “Put your number in here and I’ll text you mine.”
“Great.” April took the phone from Justine, her gaze lingering on her hand. “Did you stop wearing your wedding ring too?”
“Huh?” Justine was caught off guard. “Oh, well, Gavin and I aren’t married.”
“Oh, I’m sorry,” April said as she quickly typed her number in. “I just assumed. My fingers are swollen so I can’t get mine on anymore.”
“I know what you mean. My feet hurt all the time.”
“Gav, maybe we can have a drink?” Leo offered. “The four of us could have dinner.”
“Sounds good.” Gavin smiled at Justine. “Are you ready?”
“Yes.” She slipped on her shoes. “Good to meet you.”
“You too,” Leo said. “I hope we see you soon.”
“I’ll be in touch.” April waved as Justine and Gavin left the studio.
“Sorry about that.” Gavin looked around for Dominick. “Leo remembers what I was like when I was in college.”
“You were wild?”
“That’s an understatement.”
“Strippers?”
“Exotic dancers.” He shook his head. “It sounded like a good idea at the time. I was too drunk to remember.”
“A bad boy with a lot of extra cash. You must have been a legend.”
“I’m lucky I’m still alive.” He pointed to his SUV. “There’s Dominick.”