Stay with Me

by Jules Bennett

  At the time, Jax didn’t understand why Paul would literally give the last bit of cash from his wallet, but now he realized that he only wanted Livie to love him.

  As she grew older and more distant, Paul randomly reached out to her, trying to connect with her but not push too hard. Livie had always been his little girl, they shared a bond. But when the marital issues started, Jax firmly believed Livie’s mother told her lies and turned her against Paul. Jax never really knew, but nothing else made sense.

  He turned to keep his eyes on Livie. She stood within inches of the picture, her shoulders not as rigid as they normally were.

  “You said he was sick when we left.”

  Her words hovered in the air between them. He knew she’d bring that topic up and he owed her some answers since he was the one who’d tapped into this to begin with.

  “He didn’t want you or your mother to know.”

  Livie threw a glance over her shoulder. “It doesn’t much matter now, does it?”

  Not really, but he’d been the only one Paul had confided in about his fears. Most of the people in town knew he was sick, but Paul did a good job hiding the fact. He never wanted pity, never wanted handouts. He was the most prideful man Jax had ever known.

  “He had cancer.”

  Livie stared at him another minute before turning her attention back to the picture. “Why didn’t he want anyone to know?”

  “The marriage was over, you had sided with your mom and were eager to leave Haven.” Jax would never forget the look of defeat on Paul’s face when he realized his family was leaving for good. “He didn’t want your attention or your mom’s out of pity. You know how he was.”

  Livie nodded as she twisted around and gripped the back of his desk chair. “I know. Damn pride.”

  Tears shimmered in her eyes, but he wasn’t going to mention it or try to console her. He may not have known the new Livie well enough, but he figured someone this determined and strong wouldn’t appreciate having her weakness brought to light.

  She glanced around the office once again, this time her eyes landing on the back of the door. He didn’t even have to turn to know what she saw.

  “They’ve hung there forever,” he told her. “Piper loves to put them on and pretend to be my helper.”

  Livie’s sad smile caused a tear to trickle down her cheek.

  Well, hell. He couldn’t exactly ignore that. Jax circled the desk and came to stand beside her.

  “Don’t.” She held up a hand. “If you touch me, if you try to comfort me, I’ll break. I’m barely holding it together.”

  Ignoring her request, Jax wrapped an arm around her shoulders and pulled her against his chest. Her fists hit his shoulders as she dropped her head.

  She may not have wanted to accept his comfort, but he wasn’t a complete jerk. No way could he stand by and watch as she was obviously hurting. He had no idea what she was going through, and he’d do well to remember that. Her life had been turned upside down too.

  “I don’t want to be here,” she murmured.

  He knew she didn’t mean in his arms. Livie wanted to be back in Atlanta with her perfect life she’d created. Instead, she was here dealing with a past she’d done a pretty good job of ignoring.

  “You’re not upset because you’re here,” he told her, running his hand up and down her back. “You’re angry because you have feelings. You’re upset you left and never saw your dad. Maybe you feel guilt—”

  Livie pushed back, swiping at her damp cheeks. “I’m not feeling guilty. I’m angry that I didn’t know what was going on in his life.”

  “But you chose to walk away,” Jax stated.

  “I was eighteen,” she cried.

  Jax wasn’t about to get into a pissing match with her over the past. They both had their own points of view on the subject . . . the only problem was, he knew the full story and she didn’t.

  The office door opened slightly and Melanie poked her head in. “Sorry. Um . . . we heard yelling and there’s a young boy out here to see you, so—”

  “We’re done here.” Livie wiped her face and smoothed her hair back into place—always needing to put the best image forward. “Jackson is free for his visitor.”

  Now wasn’t the time to protest or tell her that what was happening between them, and even in her own mind with her internal battle, was much more important than any unexpected guest.

  “I’ll be in touch,” Livie said as she started toward the door. “Make sure you know your answer when I call.”

  Her parting words sounded so businesslike, as if she hadn’t just broken in his arms. They’d shared something whether she wanted to admit it or not. None of this was going to be as perfectly cut-and-dried as she wanted it to be. Things were going to get messy and they were both going to be tested—and they’d both see exactly what the other was made of.

  Jax stepped out of his office and watched as the trio of gorgeous women exited the hangar. That sight alone would have any man giving a double take.

  Pulling in a deep breath, he turned to the young boy who was checking out the Cessna. “You’re here to see me?”

  The young man turned around and Jax recognized him as Brock Monroe. Brock was part of the family who had opened the women-only resort and spa in Haven. He’d been a runaway, then adopted, and blended in perfectly with the family.

  With Haven being a small town, and Brock being added into such a prominent family in the area, everyone knew who he was.

  “I wanted to talk to you about taking lessons.” The young man started across the open hangar. “I’m Brock, by the way. I should’ve called first.”

  Jax held his hand out and greeted Brock. “I know who you are.”

  Brock gave a lopsided grin and shrugged. “Do you give lessons? I’ve done some training on the Internet, the book stuff, but I wanted to try to get some hours in and I didn’t really know who to talk to.”

  “How old are you?” Not that it mattered for flying purposes. Jax was just curious.

  “Just turned nineteen.”

  Young and eager. Perfect pilot material. Jax loved getting the younger generation involved in this dying sport. With Brock already doing much of the training, he was going to be a great student.

  “You in college?” Jax asked, shoving his hands in his pockets.

  “Yeah. I help at the resort and take online classes.”

  “What do you want to study?”

  Brock shook his head. “No idea.”

  That was common for someone fresh out of high school. “Thought about the military?”

  A wide smile spread across Brock’s face. “All the time.” Jax reached out and slapped Brock on the shoulder. “You got somewhere to be?”

  “Not for a few hours. Why?”

  “Let’s take a ride and talk.”

  When Jax started heading toward the plane to do a preflight check, Brock came up beside him. “In this?”

  Jax laughed. “Do you object?”

  “No, man. I just . . . I didn’t expect to fly today.”

  Jax propped his hand on the wing and stared at this young man who had his whole future ahead of him. He was at a crossroads and if Jax could help him through to the next journey, he damn well was going to. Hadn’t Paul done that for him?

  And now Jax found himself at his own crossroads. The only problem was, Livie was wanting to go one way, and he wanted to go another. Somehow, they were going to have to meet in the middle.

  Chapter Eleven

  “You can’t possibly paint the kitchen something called Yellow, Is It Me You’re Looking For.”

  Olivia held up the paint swatch and met Jade’s horrified look. “I think it’s pretty. This place is too beige.”

  “It’s bright yellow,” she reiterated.

  Melanie pulled a sample from their pile on the island. “What about this one?”

  “What’s the name on that one?” Jade asked, examining the colored square.

  “Blonde. James Blonde.”r />
  Olivia laughed. “The names don’t matter. It’s the tone and the entire house is drab.”

  “Do you want to sell this house or make it about what you like?” Jade asked. She took a seat on one of the barstools and started sorting through the colors. “You need to keep things neutral because most likely whoever buys the place will put their own touch on it anyway and repaint.”

  “Then if they’re repainting, I’m doing the bright yellow,” Olivia confirmed.

  Jade groaned. “Can I at least choose the color of the master bedroom?”

  Olivia glanced through the shades. “As long as it’s a color and not another shade of beige.”

  “Your condo is full of color,” Jade argued. “Why are you making this house about what you like?”

  Olivia shrugged. “Maybe because it’s still mine for now and I want to see the change.”

  Quite possibly there was some deeper meaning she wasn’t ready to face yet. Which was even silly to entertain considering she didn’t like being back, she didn’t want to be here. But she couldn’t help but feel the nostalgia in each and every room. She’d have to be completely unfeeling and dead inside not to have all her emotions stirred with each picture she came across.

  “I’ll do this one, then.” Jade pulled up a swatch. “Shades of Summer.”

  Olivia rolled her eyes. “Even the name is boring. It’s a cross between tan and yellow.”

  “Then get bright curtains if it makes you feel better.”

  Dollar signs kept racking up in her mind. She knew she’d regain her investment once the house sold, but she also didn’t want to get out of control with the amount she sank into this place. She truly only wanted to do the necessities. And so far, the kitchen was going to be the biggest money suck.

  “Fine,” Olivia conceded. “Mel, do you want to choose a room color?”

  “Sure, but if you want me to paint, you should know I’d rather go see the dentist and gynecologist in the same day.”

  Jade’s brows rose. “Well, then. We’ll just count on you to fix lunches and make sure we’re well supplied with drinks.”

  With a nod, Melanie reached for a color. “Sounds like a deal. I’ve been looking at this color. I think it would look nice in the living room.”

  “I wasn’t going to paint the living room,” Olivia stated.

  “Honey, every room needs some love.” Jade took the sample from Melanie. “Olive-ia Newton John. I like it.”

  The pale shade of green was beautiful and would look nice in the living room with the wide bay window letting in the morning sunlight. Since Olivia wasn’t changing out the furniture, that color would be perfect with the dark brown leather sofa and dark tables.

  “Fine,” she told them. “Now that we have this done, who’s going to Knobs and Knockers to pick all this up?”

  Knobs and Knockers was the town hardware store now owned by the third generation. Macy Hayward Monroe had taken over her father’s business, but she was now married to Liam Monroe.

  Everything in this town seemed to circle back to the Monroe boys and that resort they opened. Maybe Olivia should go and chat with Macy and see if she could squeeze in some massages at Bella Vous. They’d need their muscles worked out once all the painting was done.

  Well, Melanie wouldn’t, but Olivia would make an appointment for her, too. She was part of this painting project by default.

  “I don’t mind going,” Melanie volunteered. “What time do they close?”

  Olivia glanced to the old clock over the window. “It’s only three. She’ll be open another couple hours.”

  They’d gone straight from the airport to Knobs and Knockers to get the samples. Her friends were wise enough not to question her when she came out with tear-stained cheeks after talking with Jax. They knew her well enough to know that if she wanted to talk, she would. Right now, though, she wanted to do something productive to make it seem like she was getting somewhere and not at a total standstill.

  “I’ll go get the paint,” Melanie said as she grabbed her purse and the keys off the hook by the back door. “I assume we need drop cloths, brushes, rollers, trays.”

  “All of that,” Olivia agreed. “And paint stirrers. We won’t get to all of the rooms today.”

  “Want to start in here?” Jade suggested.

  Olivia glanced at the walls, the curtains. “Sure. I’ll take this stuff down. Oh, make sure you get some painter’s tape so I can protect the cabinets. Several rolls since we’re doing so much.”

  “You might want to text me all the supplies so I don’t forget something.”

  Jade came to her feet. “I’ll ride with you. Between the two of us we’ll remember.”

  Olivia handed over all the colors they’d agreed upon and waited until they were out the door before she started removing pictures from the walls. She piled everything onto the island, ignoring the faded outline from where things had hung for the past decade.

  The ache in her chest couldn’t be described. Knowing her father had been sick when she and her mother left cut so deep through her emotions. He’d spent more time at the airport in those final days before Olivia left in an attempt to hide his illness. What did that say about the marriage? Olivia was starting to see that maybe her father had stepped back when his marriage fell apart and let his daughter make her own decisions.

  Part of her feared she’d made the wrong one.

  Granted, the cancer hadn’t taken his life and he’d come through, but Olivia wondered who had been there for him. Had he been sick long? Who helped him get to and from appointments on days he felt too bad to drive?

  She climbed on the counter and started tugging at the curtain rod. It came loose and she tossed it to the floor. She stared at the brackets and realized she’d have to go to the garage and get a screwdriver. The garage was one place she dreaded tackling. What should she do with all those tools?

  She swallowed the lump of guilt and hopped off the counter. Pulling her phone from her pocket, she sent off a text to Jackson. She didn’t want to see him or talk to him right now, not when he’d slapped her in the face with reality and the truth. She was humiliated and angry at herself for being a selfish teen, not seeing how much her father had needed someone.

  Olivia could freely admit, since this new fact had come to surface, she was angry at her mother as well. Had she seen signs her father wasn’t feeling well? He’d obviously had to go through some doctor appointments and testing to get the final diagnosis. How had they not known?

  Another part of her was angry at her father and his pride. Damn it. Why hadn’t he reached out? Yes, she understood his concern of them staying out of guilt, but what would have been so wrong with that? At least he wouldn’t have been alone.

  Olivia grabbed the handle in the middle of the garage door and gave it a twist. She shoved the door up and headed inside. She didn’t park her car in here because there was no room. She doubted her father ever had his car in there since she left because the one-car garage was overflowing with tools, spare parts for lawn mowers, a couple of old push mowers, and random things she’d have to classify as junk.

  She had no clue what his filing system was, or even if he had one here, but she was going to have to find a screwdriver in this mess. With the sunlight pouring in, she glanced around the mayhem. At this rate, she may have been better off texting Melanie and telling her to just buy one. There was no way she’d find anything in here . . . except maybe a critter.

  The thought crept into her head and sent shivers racing through her. Olivia didn’t want to stick around to see if something had chosen to take up residence.

  Just as she turned, she ran directly into a hard chest.

  “Easy there.” Jackson’s hands gripped her arms. “Where you running to?”

  This was the second time today he’d grabbed her . . . and the second time her body responded instantly to his touch. The arousal that assaulted her each time he was around was only growing stronger and stronger. Denying her ache was
a moot point because she constantly lived with it now.

  Why did she have to find this man attractive? Wait, attractive was much too tame of a word to describe what she felt for Jax. He was sexy, caring, frustratingly smart, and managed to take up some serious real estate space in her mind.

  There were so many red flags that popped up when her hormones attempted to take over. She was much older than him, she wasn’t sticking around here, and . . . well, that’s all the reasons she had. Wasn’t that enough?

  “I’m positive there’s a rodent in there or a snake or a hairy spider.” Once again, she shivered. “I was trying to find a screwdriver and . . . what are you doing here?”

  “I was on my way home when I got your text.” He glanced over her shoulder and surveyed the inside of the garage. “It would be a miracle if any living creature could survive in that place.”

  His eyes focused back on her, a naughty grin spreading across his face. “How bad do you want that screwdriver?”

  Olivia narrowed her gaze. “I’m still upset with you, so keep your lips and all other body parts to yourself.”

  Jackson reached out and tucked her hair behind her ear, feathering his fingertips down her jawline. “You can still be upset and turned on.”

  Batting his hand away, she lifted her chin because damn it she was definitely turned on.

  “I’m not any such thing,” she insisted.

  His laugh mocked her, but she held her ground. No way would she admit the mere sight of him did funny things to her belly. Fighting this attraction clearly wasn’t working. How could she lose a battle with herself? That didn’t even make sense.

  “Well, then I guess that was someone else clinging and moaning when we kissed.”

  Before she could reply, he’d released her and headed into the garage. And he had the gall to whistle. Whistle as if he hadn’t kept her on her toes since she came back. Whistle as if he hadn’t a care in the world while she was more confused than ever.