The awkward tension between them was hard to ignore.
Immediately, he wanted to kiss her.
Angry kisses for sure, but putting his lips on hers seemed like the best idea ever.
By the grace of God, he found the strength to resist.
When Harper opened her mouth to say something, he sidestepped her and kept walking.
He wasn’t going to play games anymore.
Harper had said her piece and he was going to respect her fool-ass decision.
He’d just have to find a way to deal with the disappointment.
And the yawning hole cracking open in his chest where his heart used to be.
Teagan spent the day at their last port looking for chintzy souvenirs to bring back to his friends and brother.
They’d all appreciate the boy humor of fart shirts, dancing naked ladies on a pen and scorpion candies.
For Hope, he went with something a bit classier—a handcrafted artisan necklace by a local artist.
But even as he enjoyed doing a little shopping, seeing the sights and just being a tourist, in the back of his mind, Harper remained.
What was she doing?
Was she shopping for trinkets, too?
And he couldn’t quite help admiring a dress that he thought would look spectacular on her.
He was seconds away from throwing down some cash when he came to his senses and walked away.
He’d already bought her a dress she refused to wear, why spend more on a lost cause?
Plenty of fish in the sea, as his brother would say.
But he imagined what J.T. would’ve said if Teagan had offered that same clichéd statement in regards to Hope, if things hadn’t worked out the way they had.
A middle finger might’ve been involved.
Teagan felt that way right now.
A giant middle finger to everyone.
Including Harper.
As he was finishing up, he saw Vanessa and Stuart shopping together. Their laughter rang through the stalls as they held hands, beamed at each other and looked like newlyweds.
They looked good together and he was happy for them.
And he meant that without any snark or self-pity.
It was amazing how quickly you could bond with a total stranger.
Vanessa saw him first and immediately waved him over. He planned to decline but he knew that Vanessa wouldn’t take no for an answer.
Seeing as it was their last night in port, he figured it wouldn’t hurt to say goodbye.
“You look like you’re doing your part to shore up Mexico’s economy,” he joked, gesturing to Vanessa’s bag filled with odds and ends.
“Oh, honey, this is nothing. I have things being shipped, too,” Vanessa said with a wink.
Stuart chuckled. “The lady loves her cultural art.”
“Art is what separates us from the beasts,” Vanessa reminded him with a cheeky grin.
They were almost too sweet for words. He hoped it worked out for them in the long run.
“What kind of goodies do you have?” Vanessa asked, wanting a peek.
“Just your classic guy stuff. Bathroom humor.”
Stuart grinned. “Classic. Always good for a laugh.”
He nodded. “Right?”
Stuart realized Teagan was alone and a subtle frown creased his brow. “Where’s your young lady?”
“She isn’t interested in being my lady, unfortunately,” he answered, going for honesty. It would’ve been easier to lie but he liked Stuart and he didn’t see a reason to hide the truth. “I tried, but she’s looking for something different than what I can offer.”
Stuart’s understanding warred with Vanessa’s expression of determination.
“You have a look that’s kinda scaring me,” he said to Vanessa. “She’s made her choice and I respect it. My dignity can’t take another hit by chasing after a woman who doesn’t want me.”
“Oh, the girl has her head up her ass. She wants you. It’s plain to everyone but her.”
“Be that as it may, Teagan is right to respect her decision,” Stuart added with a meaningful look to Vanessa.
But Vanessa rolled her eyes. “Forgive me, my handsome bald hero, but girls like Harper who think they know everything are about as clueless as a newborn when it comes to the stuff that really matters.”
“Harper’s pretty clear in what she wants.”
“Poppycock.”
Teagan chuckled, amused that Vanessa was so fired up on his behalf, but he figured it was time to let them finish their shopping without his interference. “It’s been a pleasure to get to know you both. I hope we can stay in touch,” he said, by way of courtesy. Not that he didn’t mean it, but he knew realistically, chances were slim that they’d ever see one another again.
But Stuart surprised him when he produced a business card and flipped it to scribble his personal cell number on the back. “Good men are hard to find in this world. If you’re interested, let’s talk about working together.”
Flabbergasted, he stared at Stuart. “Not that I’m not flattered as hell, but what could I possibly do for you?”
“You’re a pilot. A highly decorated airman. And you’ve got a solid head on your shoulders. That’s exactly the kind of man I like to have working for me and I just happen to need a private pilot. Let me know if you’re interested.”
Teagan stared at the opportunity in his hand, unable to believe a billionaire like Stuart Buck was willing to hire a man he’d met days ago.
“I’m...hell, I’m speechless,” he admitted.
Vanessa laughed and said, “Well, keep your schedule clear because we fully expect you to be at our wedding, too.”
“Wedding?” he repeated, shocked. “You two? Already talking about marriage?”
Stuart placed a hand on his shoulder. “Son, when you’ve lived a life like mine, you realize that when good things come to you, you grab on with both hands. I listen to my gut and it never steers me wrong. My gut says Vanessa is the girl for me. I never thought I’d meet another woman I could love as much as my first wife. Fate proved me wrong. Time doesn’t matter when you feel in your bones what’s right.”
“I’m stunned but super happy for you,” he finally said, breaking into a big grin. “Holy hell, I’m jealous, too. But mostly really stoked for you two. That’s fantastic.”
Vanessa smiled sweetly and pressed a motherly kiss on his cheek, a far cry from the first time she’d laid eyes on Teagan, and said, “Don’t give up on that fool girl. You’re what she needs. Even if she’s too blind to see it.”
Stuart slapped Teagan on the back and said, “Look forward to hearing from you,” and they went about their shopping, their hands locking together as if fused.
Damn. Isn’t that a turn of events?
If only he and Harper had been so lucky.
Teagan stared at the business card in his hand and realized this would change everything.
He’d wanted out of the charter business even before sales had stagnated, but his loyalty to J.T. had kept him plugging on.
Then, when the business had been destroyed and effectively rebuilt from the ground up, he’d let J.T. take the reins in the hopes that J.T. would want to explore taking over Blue Yonder for good.
Now that path seemed to be materializing before his eyes and he couldn’t quite shake the feeling that he was dreaming.
Except, he wanted to share this news with Harper and that wasn’t going to happen.
Still, good news needed to be celebrated.
Which meant, he needed to turn his cell back on and call his brother.
Knowing J.T., he’d probably left a million messages just to see what he was up to.
Well, wait until Teagan shared wha
t was going on.
He couldn’t believe it.
But he’d take it.
And if his excitement was slightly dimmed because he didn’t have Harper to share it with, he’d just have to accept the facts as they were and move on.
Opportunity didn’t wait for lovesick hearts to mend.
* * *
THE REST OF the cruise passed quickly as they churned through the water to return to Los Angeles. Aside from that one unfortunate brush with Teagan at the gym, she’d managed to avoid seeing him, which was a blessing.
Resisting the need to see him, to feel him pressed against her, had become an almost physical ailment that she suffered through only by focusing on her next target.
The research phase was the most time-consuming, so she used her downtime to bury herself in notes and strategy.
At the very least, this phase kept her attention riveted to the task. She felt nothing as she assembled pictures, articles, did background research and pulled financials.
She was detached from the process as she efficiently complied a neat portfolio of her next target, choosing to bypass her previous alternates in favor of an Italian businessman.
Billionaire Vincent Dario had a taste for fine women and wine and was currently searching for his next conquest.
He wasn’t kind or compassionate like Stuart—ruthless and self-serving was more his speed—and he was known to be a bit of a pervert behind closed doors.
But he was loaded.
As in, filthy, obscenely loaded, and Harper needed a fat payday if she hoped to retire with even a decent savings account.
No more spending frivolously on designer clothes and shoes. She wanted out of this lifestyle for good.
But she couldn’t quit until she had a certain amount squirreled away in her bank.
Which meant, she had to suck it up, stop mooning over Teagan, and get her head in the game.
Vincent wasn’t unattractive—dark hair, dark eyes, a slightly paunchy belly, but only marginally so, and a sharp wit.
At least she wouldn’t die of boredom.
It was difficult to play the part of the vapid arm candy for too long before she wanted to stab her own eyeballs out.
But even when she knew that was the course of action she needed to take, it didn’t mean there weren’t times when she closed her eyes and wished for something different.
In her private moments, she replayed Teagan’s smile in her memory—the way his eyes lit up when he laughed, how safe and secure she’d felt in his arms—and then, when she felt the sadness tug too strongly, she shut down those thoughts and returned to her task.
By the time they reached LA again, she was ready to move forward, even if she wasn’t entirely excited about the job.
However, she was surprised to see Vanessa at her door the morning they were docked.
She pressed a card into Harper’s hand. “When you come to your senses, give me a call. In the meantime, keep yourself out of trouble.”
Vanessa gave Harper’s cheek a pat and went on her way, pulling her travel luggage behind her with that signature sassy walk that only Vanessa could pull off without looking tawdry.
Harper stared down at the business card in her hand and noted it was one of Stuart’s. She chuckled at the older woman’s panache. On the back was a cell number.
She knew she wouldn’t call.
But Harper curled that card in her palm as if it were a treasure.
With a sigh, she tucked the card into her purse and grabbed her luggage, ready to put this trip behind her.
No sense in dwelling.
Harper managed to get off the ship without running into Teagan but her heart was beating furiously at the fear she might.
Then she fought with the irrational disappointment that she hadn’t.
Make up your damn mind.
Harper squared her shoulders and called an Uber to pick her up.
This was the strangest trip she’d ever experienced—and one she’d never forget.
23
TEAGAN WALKED INTO Blue Yonder Charter and immediately J.T. folded him into a big, manly hug, before assessing him critically.
“I expected you to be more tan,” he said.
“Well, sunscreen is your friend, buddy,” Teagan replied, dropping his bag on the floor. “I could use a beer, though.”
J.T. tossed him a beer from the minifridge as Teagan dropped into his chair with a sigh. “What a trip, right?”
“You could say that.” Teagan took a long guzzle of his beer, burped and met his brother’s gaze. “Never buy me a vacation again. Especially not a singles cruise.”
“It was Kirk’s idea. I wanted to send you to Jamaica for Hedonism but he said that wasn’t your speed.”
“Well, thank God for small favors,” he quipped. “Yeah, not sure a swingers resort would’ve been my thing.”
“Yeah, I guess not. So what happened? You shut your phone off and I couldn’t get ahold of you, and then you call me out of the blue with this opportunity to be a pilot for some billionaire you met on the ship? Are you for real?”
“As real as a heart attack. I can’t believe it myself. Stuart Buck is legit.”
“How’d you manage to find yourself in his radar?” J.T. asked.
“Extreme luck.”
J.T. grinned. “And here I thought I was the lucky one.” Sobering, he asked, “So, what did you decide?”
“Hell, I don’t know. I like running Blue Yonder with you—and a brand-new plane is pretty exciting—but you already know that I was starting to think the charter business wasn’t the right fit for me.”
J.T. nodded. “I know, bro. I also know you kept going because of me. So, whatever you decide, I’ll support you.”
“Really?”
“Yeah.”
“To be truthful, I kinda expected more of a fight from you,” Teagan admitted with a short laugh. “The last time I even breathed a word about leaving Blue Yonder, you threw a huge hissy fit.”
“I don’t remember it that way,” J.T. said, even though they both knew that was the case. But then J.T. added, “Okay, so yeah, I didn’t take it very well. But I felt like a failure, you know? I mean, the business was failing and you were itching to bail...it just felt like a huge ton of bricks on my shoulders and I felt bad for dragging you down with me.”
“You never dragged me down,” Teagan said, setting his brother straight. “Look, we both needed Blue Yonder when we started the business. But things have changed. You’ve changed. You’re ready to take the wheel on your own, if that’s what you want. I’m just more interested in a steady gig at this point in my life.”
“And squiring around a billionaire sounds like a cush job.” J.T. gave him a shit-eating grin. “You’d be stupid to pass up this kind of opportunity and I’d kick your ass if you did.”
“I’d like to see you try,” Teagan drawled, his mouth twitching. “I can still beat you in hand to hand.”
“Care to wager?”
But Teagan wasn’t sure he’d win that bet. They were both in good shape—military habits died hard—but J.T. was younger and built beefier. Plus, Teagan didn’t want his little brother getting the idea that he could whoop him, so he wasn’t going to take the chance. “Look, what I’m saying is...you can have Blue Yonder if you’re open to running it on your own. I think I’m going to take Stuart up on his offer.”
“Good.” J.T. nodded in agreement. “And yes, I’ll take Blue Yonder off your hands.”
“I’ll even give you a good price for my share,” Teagan offered and J.T. did a double take. “What? You think I’m just giving the business to you on a silver platter? That’s what your girlfriend is for. Pay up, little brother.”
“Hell no, you greedy asshole,” J.T. said, co
untering with, “I’ll offer you a fair buyout price.”
“You expect me to pay you to get out of our business? Sounds like double-dipping to me.”
J.T. hooked his arm around Teagan’s neck playfully. “Don’t worry, we’ll hash out the details, but in the meantime, you’re going to tell me all about the wild hook-ups you had so I can live vicariously through you.”
“Trouble in paradise?” he asked, mildly concerned.
“No, not at all. I’m just a horny bastard,” J.T. answered without a hint of shame. “Now, fess up...how hot was that cruise?”
Teagan laughed at J.T.’s insistence to know details, called him a “gossipy girl” but decided to share his experience with Harper, even down to the fact that he still wanted her but she didn’t want him.
J.T. grabbed two more beers and tossed one to Teagan. “Serious? That’s some messed-up shit. A real live gold digger. I thought that was sort of a cliché. I didn’t realize it actually happened to people, but then, I’m not in the right tax bracket for anyone to try it on me.”
“I don’t want to say she’s doing it for a noble reason but I kinda understand her drive. Her mom is real sick and she needs the money to take care of her.”
“Sort of noble,” J.T. agreed with a confounded expression. “But isn’t there another way? I mean, some kind of social program that can help out or something. Obamacare?”
“Hell, I don’t know. It doesn’t really matter, though. She’s handling the situation the way she sees fit and she doesn’t see me in her equation. I’m respecting her wishes and backing off.”
“You love her.” J.T. called it like it was. And yeah, he was right. Teagan shrugged with a nod. “Then, what the hell, you pussy, why are you giving up?”
“C’mon, J.T., I’m not about to chase after a woman when she plainly, in good English, told me to screw off. I do have some dignity to cling to.”
“Sometimes women don’t know what they want,” J.T. said with a sage sigh, as if he were suddenly the guru of the opposite sex. “Sometimes we have to help them figure out what they really want.”
“I can only imagine what Hope would have to say about that statement,” Teagan returned drily as he tipped back his beer. “And you’re an idiot if you believe that anyway.”
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