Cheap Shot

by Cheryl Douglas

  He’d been subtle last night when they were making love, but he’d mentioned forever because he wanted to remind her that’s where he saw them going. But she hadn’t taken the bait, which led him to believe she still wasn’t ready. “But it’s not Kiki’s decision, it’s yours.”

  “Yes, it is.” She bit her lip before her eyes drifted to the platter of fresh fruit. “I’m famished. Would you mind passing that over here?”

  “Sure.” He could tell she was using hunger as an excuse to avoid talking about the future. It hurt, but he supposed he deserved it. He passed her the plate. “I have to catch up with the guys. I bailed on that board meeting the other day, and Zach said there was a pressing matter he wanted to discuss. I should try to reschedule that meeting for tomorrow.”

  She reached for his hand when he stood. “You will come to my parents’ house with me, won’t you?”

  He knew her parents were a part of the deal. He didn’t have to love them, but eventually he would call them family, assuming Sela agreed to marry him someday. “Whatever you want, sweetheart.” He kissed her hand. “If you want me there, I’ll be there.”

  * * *

  Jaxon decided to stop at High Rollers before meeting Sela at her parents’ house. He was nervous, and he was hoping to talk to one of his buddies. He wouldn’t let Sela’s parents scare him away. He intended to be a part of her life for as long as she would have him, but he didn’t want her to feel compelled to choose between him and her family.

  “Hey, Jax,” Dylan said as Jaxon stepped off the elevator. “I’m glad you’re here. Zach’s been talking to me about rebranding. He thinks we should give the bars a new look. You know, something hotter, more contemporary, maybe move away from the sports theme. What do you think?”

  That must have been the reason Zach had approached him before the board meeting, to pitch his idea. He’d tried to call Zach earlier that day but hadn’t been able to reach him. “I think we’re all about sports. Why would we want to move away from the image that has made us successful?” He led Dylan into his office and closed the door.

  “Zach says we’re attracting a different demographic than we did in the beginning,” Dylan said, sitting on a guest chair. “We get more celebrities now, and not just pro athletes. High Rollers has become one of the hot spots in just about every city.”

  “Yeah, that’s what we wanted, right?” Jaxon eased into the chair behind his desk. “If it’s not broke, why fix it?”

  “We came up with this business model a decade ago,” Dylan reminded him. “A hell of a lot has changed since then. Besides, we want our core group of customers to feel comfortable, an they’re five-star all the way.”

  Jaxon smirked. “They couldn’t afford the drinks at High Rollers if they weren’t.”

  “My point exactly,” Dylan said, snapping his fingers. “I think we need to convey to people that coming to High Rollers is a five-star experience. Not only will they have a chance to network with other high rollers, but they’ll feel comfortable even if they’re not a sports fan.”

  “I don’t know,” Jaxon said, considering his friend’s proposal.

  “When we started out, our clientele was eight-five percent men. That’s not the case anymore.”

  “Yeah, I know,” Jaxon said. “It’s more like 65-35.”

  “Exactly. We get successful business women coming in for a drink after work or to have a nice dinner with their friends. We want them to feel welcome, like it’s a place where they belong too, right?”

  “Yeah, sure. But don’t you think the guys might complain if we turn into a sleek nightclub type of environment? We’ll be just like all the rest. The upscale sports bar angle was the thing that made us different. I don’t want to lose that.”

  “We won’t,” Dylan assured him. “We just have to work with a designer who can give us an updated look while staying true to our roots.”

  “It sounds like you have someone in mind?” Jaxon tried to stay focused on the business at hand, but images of Sela waking up in his bed kept filtering through his head.

  “Zach suggested we call in Carly Lawson.”

  “You mean Brett’s little sister’s friend?” The only thing Jaxon remembered about the young lady was that she turned heads wherever she went. “You think she’s up to the challenge?”

  “I talked to Brett about hiring her, but he was kind of weird about it.” Dylan frowned. “I don’t know why. But I did some digging on my own, and it seems like she’s more than qualified to take this on. Her last project was Amnesia.”

  Jaxon was familiar with that new night club. “I’ve been there. It was impressive, to say the least.”

  “I know, right?” Dylan grinned. “So what do you say? Are you on board with the plan?”

  “Let’s talk about it some more at the board meeting,” Jaxon said. “But I’m open to the idea.”

  “Cool,” Dylan said, rubbing his hands together. “This is gonna be good.”

  Jaxon considered reminding his friend it wasn’t a done deal, but that would be pointless. When Dylan made up his mind about something, it was a fait du compli. “How are things going with Sabrina?” He wanted to take an interest in Dylan’s love life before asking for more advice.

  “They’re not going anywhere,” Dylan said, his smile slipping. “She basically told me she doesn’t want to risk messing up our friendship by dating me. How crazy is that?”

  Jaxon knew it wouldn’t be the best time to remind Dylan he had a lousy track record with women. “Hang in there. She might change her mind.”

  Dylan raised his hands. “No way. I’m done with her. If she doesn’t want me, I’ll find someone who does.”

  It wouldn’t be difficult for Dylan to find someone else, but Jaxon didn’t think it would be easy for him to forget about Sabrina. She’d obviously gotten inside his head, and Jaxon suspected she was there to stay whether Dylan liked it or not. “Good luck with that, buddy.”

  “Hey, what about you?” Dylan asked, setting his tablet on the chair beside him. “How are things going with Sela?”

  “Good,” he said hesitantly. “Really good.”

  “No kidding?” A wide grin split Dylan’s face. “I thought when she turned down your marriage proposal, it was game over.”

  “Thanks for encouraging her to come to the hospital last night. It helped us get back on track.”

  “I’m glad. Your mother’s doing better today?”

  Jaxon nodded. He’d filled Dylan in on her condition last night, but he hadn’t spoken to him since he’d checked in with the hospital that morning. “They’ll be sending her back to the home later today. I’m going to try to pass by to see her tonight, maybe take Sela with me.”

  “That’s great,” Dylan said, smiling. “I’m glad things are working out for you, man.”

  “I owe a lot of it to you. You really came through for me with Sela. You’re a good friend. I don’t tell you that often enough.”

  Dylan chuckled. “This softer, gentler side of Jaxon Davis is going to take some getting used to.”

  “Don’t get used to it,” Jaxon said, trying to sound stern. “Doesn’t mean I’ll stop breaking your balls every chance I get.”

  Dylan grinned as he saluted him.

  “Smart ass,” Jaxon muttered. His smile slipped. “I need to forgive her.”

  “Who?”

  “My mother.” Jaxon had been thinking about that a lot lately, and he knew he couldn’t continue resenting his mother while trying to build a healthy relationship with Sela. Fred’s comments filtered through his mind. “Maybe there was a lot more to her than I realized. Maybe she did love me in her own way.”

  “I’m sure she did,” Dylan interjected.

  “Too bad I’ll never know what made her the way she was. It’s too late now to ask her.” Jaxon rubbed his hands over his face.

  “Yeah, but it’s not too late to tell her you forgive her.”

  “It’s not like it’ll make a difference to her.” Jaxon felt a pa
ng of sadness. Alzheimer’s was an insidious disease, and for the first time, he felt it had robbed him of something. “I don’t think she even remembers me anymore.”

  “But you’re not doing this for her,” Dylan said. “You’re doing it for you, to set yourself free so you don’t have to carry around this burden anymore. You don’t have to resent her or question why she made it her mission to make your old man’s life and yours miserable. You can just let her go.”

  Jaxon thought about how he’d felt on his way to the hospital. He didn’t know if he was ready to let her go. Maybe he was still hoping they would find a way to connect one last time. “I’ll think about it.”

  Dylan stood. “Well, I should go.”

  “Hold up a minute. I wanna ask your advice about one more thing.”

  Dylan laughed as he sat back down. “Who the hell do I look like, Dr. Phil?”

  “No, he’s better looking and has more hair.”

  “Shut the hell up! Start talking, or I’m walking.”

  “You know Sela’s parents hate me, right?”

  “Yeah, and the feeling’s mutual.” Dylan stretched his long legs out in front of him. “What about it?”

  “I don’t want to go on hating her parents,” Jaxon said slowly. He’d never been the first to wave the white flag, but there was nothing he wouldn’t do for Sela. “I don’t want her to feel she has to choose between us.”

  “You’re afraid she’d choose them?” Dylan smiled.

  “No, I’m afraid she might choose me.”

  “And that’s a bad thing? At least you wouldn’t have the in-laws from hell.”

  “I can handle them, but I don’t know if Sela could handle losing her family because of me. She might resent me someday, wonder if it was too big a price to pay, ya know?”

  Dylan chuckled. “I’ve met her parents. It’s not that big a loss.”

  “I’m serious, Dyl. These are her parents. What the hell am I supposed to do? I have to go over there later to have dinner with them. Kiki’s coming back from her honeymoon, and they want to get the whole family together to welcome them home.”

  “And they invited you?” Dylan smirked. “You sure they don’t plan to have you arrested for trespassing once you get there?”

  “Speaking of being arrested, what happened with Riley?”

  “He’s out on bail for now. Last I heard, he was laying low up at his cabin until his trial.”

  “If he’s smart, he’ll stay up there.”

  “You said it.” Dylan leaned forward, bracing his hands on his knees as he looked Jaxon in the eye. “You’re one of the toughest guys I know. Let Sela’s parents know the deal. You love their daughter, and you’re not going anywhere. They’ll just have to find a way to live with that.”

  Jaxon had never shied away from confrontations—they were a part of running a huge corporation—but this was different. This was personal. “You really think coming on strong is the best approach?”

  “I think it’s the only one that’ll work. They’re used to bullying people. You need to let them know you’re not gonna back down. If they bite, you’ll bite back harder.”

  “Yeah, you’re right.” It wasn’t what he wanted to hear, but Jaxon knew he didn’t have a choice. He had to suit up for battle.

  Chapter Sixteen

  Jaxon had fielded questions from Sela’s parents about the kind of year he’d had in the stock market, how many bars they had, and whether they intended to take the company public, but not once had they mentioned the way he’d treated their daughter. He couldn’t figure out why, unless they were treading lightly to avoid upsetting Sela.

  Kiki cornered Jaxon at the dessert table as the rest of the family lounged by the pool. “So you finally wore my sister down, huh?”

  “Don’t start, Kik.” He loved Sela’s sister—she was fun and quirky, bold and opinionated—but he wasn’t in the mood for her light-hearted humor today.

  “What?” she asked, looking all wide-eyed and innocent. “Kudos. I didn’t think you could do it.”

  He raised an eyebrow. He knew she wouldn’t let it go, but he hoped she could see on his face that he wasn’t up for teasing. Too many things were still up for grabs. Until his future with Sela was settled, he would feel edgy and tense. Jaxon thought about Dylan’s advice, but Sela’s parents hadn’t given him reason to come on strong. They’d been hospitable, almost nice. He wondered if they were up to something, maybe hatching a plan to break them up.

  “What’s up with your parents today?” he asked, making sure his back was to them so they couldn’t read his lips. “Why are they being so gracious? It’s not like them.”

  Kiki laughed out loud, then stuck her tongue out at someone behind Jaxon’s back. She looked like a gleeful five-year-old. Apparently married life agreed with her. Her feet had barely touched the ground since she entered her parents’ house. “Chad and I were trying to figure that out too. Did you bribe them or what?”

  Jaxon rolled his eyes. The Richards didn’t need his money; they had plenty of their own. “Get serious. Did they say anything to you?” He shouldn’t look a gift horse in the mouth, but he was dying to know what was going on with them.

  “Maybe they see that Sela’s happy, really happy, for the first time in a long time.” She smiled, touching Jaxon’s forearm. “And you’re the reason for that. So thank you.”

  Jaxon wasn’t used to Kiki’s warm and fuzzy side. He was more comfortable with the cheeky smart ass who had a quick answer for everything. “You don’t have to thank me. It works both ways.” He couldn’t help turning to look at Sela, who was busy watching them while trying to carry on a conversation with her new brother-in-law. “I’ve been miserable since Sela left me. Having her back in my life just made me realize how much. I don’t want to lose her again. Ever.”

  “She told me you proposed,” Kiki said, pouring some coffee. “That took a lot of guts, given how you feel about commitment.”

  “I’m working through that,” he said, feeling defensive. He wasn’t the only guy with a fear of commitment, but having a woman like Sela made him realize it was time to shed the chains that had held him captive. He wanted to be free to move on and start a new life with Sela.

  “Did you propose because you thought that’s what she wanted?”

  Jaxon gripped his glass tighter. Kiki was just looking out for her big sister, but he didn’t appreciate anyone questioning his feelings for Sela. “No, I proposed because it’s what I wanted. I love her. I want to spend the rest of my life with her. Period.”

  “So why don’t you ask her again? It seems she’s gotten over the job thing. Maybe she’d say yes this time.”

  Jaxon wanted to believe they’d moved past that mistake, but he was still afraid of rejection. “I don’t know if this is the right time.”

  Kiki giggled. “This is the perfect time. My father would probably have a coronary if you dropped down on one knee right now.”

  Jaxon frowned, failing to see the humor in her suggestion. He didn’t want to be at war with Sela’s parents. “She loves her family. I don’t want to drive a wedge between Sela and your parents. So while you may find this whole thing funny, I don’t.”

  Kiki set her coffee on the table before bumping his hip. “Come on, lighten up. Since when do you care what people think of you?”

  “These aren’t just people, Kik. These could be my future in-laws.”

  Kiki glanced at her parents to make sure they were otherwise occupied. “I love my parents and all, but you won’t meet two more shallow people.”

  Jaxon couldn’t hold back a smile. “Gee, how do you really feel?”

  “They’re all about impressing people. They can deny it all they want, but what you’ve accomplished is impressive.”

  “Thanks, I think,” he muttered. With Kiki, it was often hard to tell whether her compliments were genuine.

  “Trust me, once they’re convinced you really do care for Sela and you’re not going to hurt her again, they’ll
jump on your bandwagon.”

  Jaxon would like to believe that, but if life had taught him anything, it was that he couldn’t take anything for granted. “How can you be so sure?”

  “Because I know what kind of men they hoped their daughters would marry, and you fit the bill.” She scanned his white linen shirt and black pants. “You’re smart, ambitious, handsome, ridiculously successful, and your name carries a lot of weight in this town.” She shrugged. “Like I said, they’re shallow.”

  Jaxon smirked. Kiki seemed to have nailed her parents’ wish list. While most parents would care more about how a man treated their daughter and whether they were compatible, the Richards were concerned about whether their prospective son-in-law would help them move up the social ladder. Jaxon knew Kiki was the expert on her parents. She had always marched to the beat of her own drummer. She didn’t ask what her parents thought of her decisions. She merely told them what she intended to do. “So how do you suggest I handle them?”

  “By ignoring them,” Kiki said, biting into a plump strawberry. “Concentrate on your relationship with Sela. Make her happy, and you’ll make them happy. Whether you believe it or not, they want you to stick around.”

  “How do you know that?”

  Kiki rolled her eyes. “Haven’t you been listening to a word I said? Having a son-in-law who’s a gazillionaire would give them serious bragging rights at the club.”

  Jaxon put his arm around Kiki, grateful she was on his side. Having Sela’s little sister as an ally put him one step closer to winning over the Richards family. “Thanks for the pep talk, kid. It helped a lot. But enough about me and my problems. How’s married life treating you?”

  Her pretty face lit up as she snuck a peek at her new husband. “I had no idea I could be this happy, Jax. Being married to Chad is everything I thought it would be and more.”

  He was pleased for his friends—they deserved happiness—but Jaxon couldn’t ignore his envy. He wanted what they had. He reached for another beer from the outdoor bar fridge. “Just be good to each other. Don’t take a single day for granted.”