Jade threw a glance to Melanie. “Heavy on the champagne.”
“What has happened to me?” Olivia muttered as she dropped her head into the pillow of her crossed arms. “I don’t do one-night stands.”
“Was this a one-time thing?” Melanie asked.
Jax’s parting words led her to believe this was just the beginning. But how could they continue? Wasn’t that just asking for a disaster neither of them had time for? What good would come out of an affair?
Her body still tingled, though. Spending the night in Jax’s bed had been . . . well, glorious. He wasn’t the cocky, egotistical man she’d first thought. He’d been attentive, giving, and oh so thorough.
The clink of the glass by her head had Olivia lifting herself up and reaching for the breakfast drink—because orange juice with anything was considered breakfast.
Olivia took a hefty drink, welcoming the cool, refreshing liquid. She gripped the glass with two hands as she sat it on the counter and stared at her manicured fingers.
“We ended up watching a movie and having popcorn with Piper.”
Melanie’s gasp echoed in the tiny kitchen. “That’s very . . . family-like.”
Olivia nodded in agreement. The whole family atmosphere had awakened something inside her, something she didn’t even know had been lurking.
There was something so therapeutic about watching a kid movie with a bowl of buttery popcorn and not worrying about e-mails or conference calls—
“Oh, damn it.” Olivia jumped to her feet. “I have a conference call this morning.” Panic settled in as she glanced to the clock above the sink and groaned. “I’m so screwed.”
She’d missed the conference call by thirty minutes. Thirty minutes ago she was still trying to figure out how to slink out of Jax’s house without Piper seeing when she should’ve been more concerned with her career and the promotion she’d hoped to receive.
Her boss had handed her an even bigger client, or one they hoped to sign. She’d been entrusted with this potential new client, something far better than the load that had shifted from her to Steve. Damn it.
Now she’d have to do some major ass kissing. Not to mention damage control, because there wasn’t a doubt in her mind that Steve was in on that call and had gotten his subtle jab in as to his thoughts on her not participating.
She wasn’t keen on lying, was adamantly against it actually, but she couldn’t be totally honest with her boss. She didn’t figure “I’m sorry I was sleeping off the morning after” was a valid reason.
“We’ll think of a good excuse,” Jade told her, patting her shoulder. “First, we need to get everything else straightened out and then you can call your boss. He’s on the other call anyway right now so just calm down.”
“Easy for you to say. Your ass isn’t on the line.”
Melanie pulled the juice and champagne back out and topped off Olivia’s glass. “This is an easy fix. All you have to do is explain you were in the middle of an emergency regarding your father’s estate. That’s all. They don’t need any more than that. They already know why you’re not at work, so I’m sure they’ll understand.”
Olivia listened to Melanie’s simple fix. It sounded easy enough, but this wasn’t how Olivia worked. Ever. She was always punctual, always efficient, and always prepared for every meeting whether it be in a boardroom or on a telephone.
“You’ve never missed before, have you?” Jade asked.
Swiping the cool glass with her thumb, Olivia shook her head. “Never.”
“Then there you go. You’re grieving and overwhelmed here.” Jade drained her glass of greens and sat it back down as she let out a sigh. “Okay, that was easy. So fill us in about Jax. Please, tell me you didn’t act weird this morning.”
Olivia shot her a glare.
“Oh, well, aside from the fact you left without shoes,” Jade amended. “You didn’t act like you regretted it, did you?”
Shoving her hair away from her face, Olivia smoothed it over her shoulder and concentrated on the ends. Perhaps she should get a trim while she was here. Surely there was someplace that wouldn’t botch up her cut too much.
“Your silence is telling,” Jade grumbled. “Why the regrets?”
Olivia glanced to Melanie, who seemed to be offering a sympathetic smile, but at the same time waiting for an answer.
“I don’t know what I feel,” Olivia answered honestly. “I mean, I’m glad that tension isn’t there anymore, but at the same time that probably wasn’t the smartest thing to do if we’re going to be working together.”
“What did he say this morning?” Mel asked, leaning across the island on her forearms.
“Well, we only had a minute to talk because he was sneaking me out of the house while Piper wasn’t looking.”
Jade made some humming sound under her breath as she and Melanie exchanged a look.
“What?” Olivia demanded. “You guys can’t do that secret code thing with me in the room.”
“Did he try to rush you out?” Melanie asked.
“No. He tried to get me to tell him what I was thinking, but I had no clue.” She released her hair and rubbed her forehead. “I still don’t know.”
“I’d say he cares for you.”
Olivia stared across the scarred island to Melanie. Her friend merely shrugged. “I’m just telling you how I see it,” Mel defended.
There was no doubt Jax cared. She knew by the way he’d treated her, from the little he’d told her about his past. He wasn’t the type of guy to have a track record of sneaking women out before his daughter woke. Jax was a man of integrity, he was honest and loyal . . . and damn it, she was liking him more than she had right to.
She wasn’t going to be in Haven forever, so why was she allowing her mind to get swept up into this fairy tale she’d just recently realized she wanted?
“I need a shower.” She came to her feet, taking her glass with her. “Then I’m going to call and give some veiled, lame excuse to my boss and hope it’s not a black mark against me for the promotion or this new client he’s trusting me with.”
She only hoped he remembered that he’d been grieving recently too. She had to play on that aspect.
“When you’re done, we have a few things we need to run by you,” Melanie stated. “I started the process for a grant for the airport. We just need some information from you.”
Olivia nodded as she headed from the room. “Later,” she called back, waving her hand in the air. “Much later.”
Right now, she couldn’t think about grants or anything related to the airport because that would inevitably circle back to Jax. And right now, she needed to think about work. That was the only constant in her life. Whatever she had with Jax was temporary, so there was no room for a man and a promotion.
Chapter Fifteen
She wasn’t answering her texts. Not that he expected her to, but he also didn’t like being brushed off, either.
Jax pulled into her drive and stared up at the big, two-story house. Paul Daniels would love knowing Livie was living here again, even if it was temporary. He’d wanted her to come home for so long, and here she was.
“Do you think they’re going to like these cookies?” Piper asked from the passenger seat. She held the tin of homemade snickerdoodles in her lap and looked at him with wide eyes.
“Of course they will,” he assured her as he turned off the truck. “I bet nobody has made them cookies since they’ve been here.”
“Then it’s a good thing you thought about it.”
He may have had ulterior motives when it came to the treats. One, Piper loved baking so that was some bonding time they got in. Two, he could thank the women for taking his daughter shopping. But the main reason was to see Livie and force her to stop hiding. When she’d left his house the other morning, he’d never dreamed he’d miss her, but he had. That in itself was a major warning sign he was getting in deep here.
“Can I ring the doorbell?” Piper asked.
He reached over and took the tin from her hands as she unbuckled her belt. Jax got out of the truck and circled the front as he came around to help Piper out of the booster and down onto the driveway. She promptly ran up onto the front porch and rang the doorbell . . . multiple times.
“I think that’s good,” he called as he headed down the sidewalk.
The front door swung open just as Jax mounted the steps. He glanced up to a smiling Melanie.
“Hope this isn’t a bad time,” he stated.
“We made cookies.” Piper bounced up and down, her lopsided ponytails flopping.
Jax held up the tin. “We wanted to thank you for shopping and pampering Piper the other day.”
“Oh, that was no problem at all. She’s such a sweet girl.” Melanie opened the door wider and took a step back. “Come in. Jade is out, but Olivia is here.”
Perfect. Never say he wasn’t one to take advantage of the situation.
“I hope you like snickerdoodles,” Piper exclaimed as she passed Melanie. “They’re my favorite.”
“I don’t remember the last time I had a snickerdoodle.” Melanie closed the door and reached for the tin. “You can go into the living room. I’ll put these in the kitchen.”
Jax knew the layout of the house. He couldn’t count the number of times he’d come here as a teenager and again when he’d returned from the air force.
As he stepped into the living room, he couldn’t help but be drawn to the mantel and the emptiness. Paul had always kept pictures of Olivia on display. Most were of her when she’d been a young girl, but now there were no images. As he glanced around he realized there was nothing on the walls, either . . . the newly painted walls.
There was a punch to the gut he hadn’t expected. Apparently, Olivia was sprucing up the place, no doubt to sell. He should’ve thought of that, should’ve seen it coming, but he’d been too preoccupied with fighting his emotions and ultimately giving in.
He’d known from the start that Olivia wasn’t staying, so why would she need a house? He should be thankful they’d come to some sort of agreement on the airport—terms they’d yet to discuss.
Piper wrapped her arm around his leg and leaned into him. “I miss Papaw Paul.”
Yeah, his little girl had also gotten to know the love of one of the greatest men. Jax leaned down and picked her up.
“It’s okay to be sad. I miss him too.” The void was more than he wanted to admit to his toddler. He chose to remain strong for her. “He sure loved you, so he’d be very proud that you are friends with his little girl.”
Not that Livie was a little girl anymore, but for Piper’s sake, he opted to keep his lingo simple.
“Jackson.”
He turned, keeping his arms banded around Piper. Livie stood in the doorway wearing a pair of capris and a crisp, button-up sleeveless shirt the color of strawberries.
They were back to square one if the look in her eyes and the way she used his full name meant anything at all. She was too reserved, too . . . emotionless.
Maybe him giving her this time apart wasn’t the smartest move, but he’d wanted her to think about him because he sure as hell was thinking about her.
“We made cookies,” Piper stated, her arms wrapped around Jax’s neck. “But I ate two on the way over.”
Jax patted her back. “You weren’t supposed to tell that part.”
Livie glanced to Piper and her entire face softened. “It’s difficult to resist cookies. I understand.”
Melanie came back through the foyer and stepped in behind Livie. “Why don’t I take Piper in the kitchen for milk and cookies and you two can talk?”
“Oh, you don’t—”
“That would be great,” Jax stated, cutting Livie off. “She’s had two already so maybe just one more.”
He let Piper down and she scurried across the room to Melanie’s outstretched hand. Once he and Livie were alone, she remained in the wide doorway as if she was afraid to step into the same room as him.
They’d definitely taken a leap backward.
“We didn’t get around to talking about the airport the other night,” he told her, remaining by the fireplace.
She crossed her arms over her chest. “Is that why you’re here?”
“Not really, but I was giving you an easier topic than what I really want to discuss.”
She glanced over her shoulder toward the laughing and chatter from the kitchen. Then she moved farther into the room. Jax held his ground and waited for her to come to him. He wasn’t going to beg and he sure as hell wasn’t going to make this easy because he was turned inside out . . . she may as well be suffering, too.
“Would you rather start with why you’re ignoring my texts?”
Without looking at him, she leaned against the window frame and stared out into the evening. “What do you want me to say?”
“I want you to acknowledge that you’re just as torn up as I am.” He pushed his hands into his pockets and decided to be brutally honest. “I know this complicates the hell out of things, but you can’t just ignore me.”
“I was doing a good job of it until you showed up.”
Laughing, Jax closed the space between them. She looked too damn rigid and fearful. He was glad she could at least attempt humor.
“You didn’t honestly think I’d let you off that easy, did you?”
Her hair waved down over her shoulder and he smoothed it away with the tip of his finger. She trembled, only proving she wasn’t as immune as she pretended to be.
“Maybe we should talk about the plans for the airport.” She turned to glance over her shoulder, those pale pink lips begging for his touch.
Without thinking twice, he leaned in and captured her mouth. He didn’t touch her anywhere else, but just that simple kiss was already so familiar, so right, he lingered a little longer than was smart.
When he eased back, her lids fluttered open. “You can’t do that.”
“I just did and I plan on doing it again,” he assured her. “I did come to discuss plans, but I also want you to be fully aware that just because I’m a guy, doesn’t mean I take this lightly. Something is going on between us and I’m not going to let you scare yourself away simply because it’s not what you wanted.”
She glanced back out the window and nodded. “You know nothing can come from this. I’m not staying long.”
So she’d reminded him a few dozen times. At this point Jax wasn’t sure if she was trying to convince him or herself, because he was starting to see a little crack in her defensive barrier. She didn’t want to like Haven, she didn’t want to stay here longer than necessary, and she didn’t want to like him. Yet here she was . . . doing all three.
He glanced around the room. “Looks like you’re gearing up to sell.”
“I can’t keep this house,” she told him as she turned to fully face him. “I have no need for a house in Haven, especially one this size. I think once I do some minor touch-ups, it will sell pretty quick, but painting one space has turned into working in every single room.”
There was no doubt the home would sell fast. The location was close to town yet still out where there was a little land, the neighborhood was great, and Haven was thriving and a hot spot for those wanting to be close to Savannah.
Livie’s childhood home was just outside the main part of town. It had a huge yard for children, five bedrooms, two staircases leading from the kitchen and the foyer up to the second floor. The old Georgian charm was everywhere you looked, from the built-ins to the original crown moldings to the curved staircase just inside the front door. The gleaming hardwood floors in some of the home were original and he’d bet there was more beneath the old carpet.
This house was a thing of beauty and he’d hate to see it go. Paul had loved this house. Even when he’d been alone and sick, for a time all he’d say was how many great memories he’d had here and he wouldn’t trade it for anything.
“I was going
to ask you first if you were interested.”
Her quiet statement caught him off guard. He hadn’t thought about buying it for himself. Hell, he doubted he could afford it. This house was more than double the size of his cottage. It wasn’t like he and Piper needed a ton of space, but this yard was so much nicer and it was actually on the side of town where the airport was.
“I doubt that would be possible.”
She tipped her head. “If you’re referring to finances, I can—”
“No.” Like hell he’d let her lower the price. Couldn’t a man have some pride? “Piper and I are fine where we are. We love this house, we loved Paul, but you need the closure and if selling is how you’re going to do it, then so be it.”
She opened her mouth as if she wanted to argue, but closed it and nodded. “Okay, then. Why don’t you sit and we’ll discuss the plans? Jade and Melanie have already put the ball into motion for a grant.”
When Livie sank into the leather chair, he smiled. Obviously, getting cozy on the couch together wasn’t an option. He was fine with that, but he meant what he said. He’d have her again. That simple kiss moments ago only whetted his appetite for more.
“How soon will we know about that?” he asked, sinking onto the old leather sofa.
“Could be anywhere between a week to a few months. If they need more information, they’ll let us know. If not, they’ll just come back with an answer.”
He didn’t know which scared him more, the possibility they’d be denied or if they’d get the funds and move forward with completely renovating the small-town airport.
“I think we have a pretty good shot,” she went on. “We have so many ideas regarding how to expand and how to pull in more clients, especially with the film industry booming in Georgia. But we don’t want to get ahead of ourselves and spend too much time on it if it’s not going to happen.”
Because they all had other jobs. It was understandable, but the airport and the current clients were his job—they were his life.
“And if the grants don’t go through, then what?” he asked.
More laughter filtered in from the kitchen. There was something so heartwarming about hearing his daughter bond with another woman. There were only so many things he could give her and a female’s perspective certainly wasn’t one of them.
Stay with Me Page 18