Never Say Never (Resetter Series Book 2)

by Brenda Barrett

  Sky who he hadn't spoken to yet. Sky who didn't even know he existed.

  Celibacy was something that was not as difficult for him to practice as he had thought it would be. In the last couple of years while he waited for Sky to come to him he had been ridiculously fastidious where sex was concerned.

  Gym was his outlet these days and he wondered not for the first time if it was still worth it. What was he waiting for?

  He was lonely. He could drag Sky out of university convince her that they had a thing in an alternate timeline and wait for her to fall in love with him again or he could just move on with his life, take another direction.

  It was time. The more he thought about his Sky stories from the other timeline, the more he was convinced that what he had with Sky before was half fantasy and half reality. Why would any young pretty co-ed be interested in a guy in a wheelchair?

  And when they were together had she really loved him? Or was he fantasizing about that too.

  And did she really throw herself into the line of fire for him and save his life or had she been running away and accidentally got caught in the shooter's crosshairs.

  Were his writings even true? What if he had lied to himself? Penning about a fantasy woman that couldn't meet up to his present day expectations. He had changed drastically from the man he was before. What if Sky was not the partner for him now? Maybe she had been perfect for wheelchair bound Travis, the university lecturer, not Travis the CEO of a large corporation.

  The whole situation was driving him crazy. He got on the treadmill and started walking at a brisk pace.

  He had doubts every time Garfield visited these past couple of weeks and now he was practically buried under an avalanche of them right now. He cranked up the speed of the treadmill and increased the incline.

  Maybe he should fire Garfield, let Sky live her life and he live his. If they were to meet again then it would be like a true sign that they should always meet.

  He was doing his best by Sky. She had a full scholarship. He was working behind the scenes to make her future an unbelievably good one.

  Maybe that was all he should do. Holding out for romance with her was probably a long shot. A dream that needed to be put to rest.

  A dream that may never happen.

  He wiped the sweat off his brow and reset the incline.

  ****

  Amelia Perkins was surprisingly beautiful, as Kenton had said. Somehow Travis had doubted his claims that she was his sister.

  She was definitely someone who you would take a second look at if you were driving by. She was petite and curvy and on their initial meeting had the kind of personality that was compatible with his.

  She was witty and entertaining and he found himself warming to her in a few seconds. Kenton excused himself to go to the office on what was obviously a made up errand to leave Travis alone with her. Travis didn't mind.

  She was good company.

  "So tell me," Amelia said flipping her hair over her shoulders in a gesture that managed to be sexy and casual at the same time.

  "How is it that Travis Jefferson, the man in the prime of his life, the leader of one of the Caribbean's top companies is still single?"

  Travis leaned back in his chair and shrugged. "It is the way it is for now."

  He pictured Sky's half smile from a picture that Garfield had taken of her last week. And then closed his eyes briefly and focused on Amelia who was chuckling at his answer.

  "Or you work too hard?"

  "I do work hard," Travis shrugged, "but there is balance. I get that there is time for family. I learned that from my dad. What about you? Why is Amelia Perkins, gorgeous, senior lecturer at a university still single?"

  "Because I am waiting for someone who gets me." Amelia smiled sadly. "It's amazing how important that is to me."

  Travis nodded. "Yes, I would imagine so."

  And then he couldn't help himself. "Do you know a business student in your department, Skyler Porter?"

  Amelia seemed put out by the change of subject but she nodded.

  "Yes I do know her. I taught her Macro Economics."

  "What type of student was she?" Travis leaned forward, his interest more than piqued now.

  "She was good. Sharp as a tack." Amelia smiled. "She is very smart. Why, is she a friend's daughter or something?"

  "She is a friend of the family," Travis said vaguely. "It's something she doesn't talk about. So I wouldn't tell her that you know. She thinks we are highly uncool."

  "Wow," Amelia widened her eyes. "Who would have thought it? She is so unassuming. I have never heard her namedrop, not once."

  "That's her." Travis changed the subject. If he wasn't careful he would inquire about Sky all night. He didn't want the conversation to devolve into that.

  His earlier ruminations about Sky had his brain buzzing with thoughts of her. He felt like driving up to Mount Faith and getting their first meeting over with.

  He would look her in the eye, feel nothing and then his twenty-one year obsession would be over.

  Or he could channel his thoughts elsewhere. Amelia was looking at him with open adoration and he liked it. He more than liked it.

  "So what are you doing this weekend?" he found himself asking, "I have a boat..."

  Chapter Twenty One

  May 1998

  "How is it possible that you are graduating university already?" Emma moaned to Sky. "You just got here."

  "I got here three years ago and I did two years of summer," Sky smiled happily. "When you think about it, if you work flat out to finish your degree, it is doable."

  Sky was in the University records office waiting to get her graduation package and make sure that her grades were all in their database and accounted for.

  Emma had followed her, hoping to share her woes about her grades. As usual her headphone was around her neck.

  "My parents said I had to work this summer. Emma grimaced. What are you doing?"

  "Harvard tour." Sky chuckled. "My MBA begins in August. It's gonna be fun."

  "I am a tiny bit envious." Emma shrugged. "Maybe this year I'll get serious."

  Sky smirked. "Yes, I've heard this before."

  She was about to add something else when Amelia Perkins walked into the office. As usual she was dressed impeccably and looked like she was strutting on a runway somewhere instead of being an educator. She spotted Sky in the crowded waiting room and stopped.

  "Skyler!" She said it like they were long lost friends.

  "Hello Miss Perkins." Sky waved to her.

  She walked over to Sky and smiled. "Let us do lunch, today."

  "Me?" Sky stuttered, she glanced at Emma in shock and then back at Amelia.

  "Of course you, silly," Amelia laughed. "Where have you been hiding out, I haven't seen you on campus since last year."

  "I, er don't live on campus," Sky said hoping that her incredulity wasn't showing. She had never spoken to Amelia Perkins outside of class in her three years of being at Mount Faith.

  "Oh that's right." Amelia nodded. "There is so much I don't know about you."

  Emma was widening her eyes and looking slack jawed between Sky and Amelia.

  "Well see you at one," Amelia said smiling. "Faculty dining room. I heard they have lasagna on the menu today, yum."

  She walked away her hips swaying.

  "What just happened?" Emma asked looking at Sky. "When since you and Amelia Perkins started having lunch together?"

  Sky looked at Emma in bewilderment. "I have no idea what just happened myself."

  ****

  The faculty dining room was near empty when Sky showed up at five minutes to one. She was more curious than ever about her meeting with Amelia.

  She had no clue what it could be about.

  She looked around and Amelia wasn't there. She recognized a few of her past lecturers. She was not really into socializing with them. It would be awkward. She was just about to turn and leave when Amelia showed up.

 
"Hey Sky," Amelia was grinning at Sky like they were long lost friends.

  "Hello again Miss Perkins," Sky said apprehensively. Why was she getting all of this attention from this lecturer?

  "Ah, call me Amelia. Let's head for the food line and then we'll talk."

  They chose their dishes. Amelia insisted on paying for Sky's food and then they sat in the back of the cafeteria.

  "Away from prying eyes and listening ears," Amelia said conspiratorially.

  "What's this about?" Sky asked before she took a bite of her food. "Are you changing my grade for the Econ course or..."

  "Oh none of that," Amelia fanned her questions off. "This is personal."

  Amelia inhaled. "My er significant other said you were a friend of his family and that I shouldn't mention him to you. I tried to keep my distance but it is so hard. You are leaving this semester and I wanted to pick your brain about him and the family a bit."

  "Oh," Sky chuckled too relieved to even pay attention to what Amelia was saying, "I thought it had to do with my grades!"

  "No, no." Amelia smiled. "You can relax about that. I hear your A's are so straight that they have to use a ruler to line them up."

  Sky grinned. "That is so, I have a perfect GPA. So who is your fiancé?"

  "I won't say his name." Amelia grinned, "I did promise him on more than one occasion to not mention him to you."

  "Intriguing." Sky laughed, "so how can I tell you anything about him if I don't know who we are talking about?"

  Amelia grinned. "We'll get by. I want to be able to say honestly if it ever came up that I never once mentioned him to you."

  "Ah," Sky nodded, "clever."

  "So," Amelia took a bite of her lasagna and made a face. "Too heavy and bland."

  Sky looked down at the big slice she took for herself and grimaced. "I wasn't that hungry anyway."

  Amelia put her fork down. "I want to get married and he's a commitment phobe. I have never seen anything like it. He literally shies away from the very word commitment. If I say engagement he looks like he is about to faint. Marriage he gets apoplectic.

  "We've been seeing each other seriously for a year now and he has never invited me to stay over at his apartment. He has never introduced me to his family. I mean, it's crazy. My brother spends more time with my boyfriend than I do."

  Sky made a face. "That can't be good."

  "I mean he is fabulous," Amelia said wistfully. "He is tall dark handsome rich considerate, romantic but unavailable. It's like when I am with him there is somebody else there between us, like I do not have his full attention."

  Sky was intrigued. Amelia had never spoken to her before and now she was pouring out her relationship problems on her like she was a part of her inner circle.

  "I know you know who I am talking about," Amelia winked at her. "I know you are close to the family. I visited his apartment once and there were portraits of you in the living room and passageway from you were very young to now."

  Sky shook her head. "I still have no clue who you are talking about. Just tell me. I'll not say a word."

  "Ah come on, Sky," Amelia said frowning. "His brother said you are dear to their hearts. He is the only family member I have met so far and only because we were at dinner and it was unavoidable. He keeps me away from his precious family like I was too common for them or something. It is frustrating! I am too fine to be a deep dark secret. Even for him."

  "Then leave," Sky said. Who on earth could Amelia be talking about? Was it the Warren's, Addi's mother's side of the family? They would have pictures of her around or her mother's side of the family? She had dutifully sent her graduation pictures to most of them. And her mother had sent pictures in the past.

  "Are you crazy?" Amelia looked at Sky almost cross-eyed. "You know I can't fathom you if I was that close to such an influential family I would not be so secretive about it. And I am not going to leave the most eligible bachelor on the planet for anything. I just need a shoe in. I need him to love me, to fall crazily and completely in love with me."

  "Do you love him?" Sky asked gently. Amelia was acting much unlike the totally together lecturer she had seen leading her class.

  "Of course I love him." Amelia groaned. "I love him so much sometimes it hurts."

  "I am sorry Amelia," Sky sighed, "I can't help. You can't make people love you. I still have no idea who..."

  "Just tell me if there is someone else." Amelia interrupted her impatiently, "Tell me if there is something I can do to get him to focus all his attention on me."

  Sky sighed. "This is what I would tell my girlfriends if they asked me the same thing. Give him an ultimatum; if he loves you even a little bit he won't want to lose you. Are you sure that it was my pictures you saw?"

  "Yes." Amelia was staring off into space.

  "But how..." Sky didn't get to finish her sentence.

  Amelia got up. "Thank you Sky. You just gave me a brilliant idea. We'll chat some more later."

  Then she was gone, hurrying through the dining room like she had something urgent to do.

  Sky stared at the chunk of lasagna and got up too.

  The video for The Boy Is Mine was playing on the lone television in the now empty dining room.

  She stopped and listened to it in its entirety. It was going to be her new jam for 1998 even though she had no boy to claim.

  Chapter Twenty Two

  "Are all your needs being met, Mr. Jefferson?" The question was business related. Travis looked at the asker. He was a shrewd negotiator name Jasper Lewin who wanted to extend his current relationship with Jefferson Pharmaceuticals.

  He nodded and pointed to the contract. "Everything seems okay. Your company has been outstanding so far."

  They shook hands and he walked with Jasper to the door and told Betty to hold his calls. He was feeling as glum as the weather outside. It had been raining for most of May, mostly in the evenings but he was probably the only one in the entire country who was feeling so constricted in his head.

  The country was hyped up about the FIFA world cup in France. It was the first time that the Jamaican Reggae Boys were representing on the world stage and everyone including his father, a staunch golf lover, was suddenly a football fan.

  But here he was dissatisfied, unfulfilled. He was missing something. His emotional needs were not being met. He glanced at the calendar on his desk; he had circled blue around the date July 11— Sky's graduation.

  He had to wait two more years while she completed her masters.

  He sighed.

  He was getting tired of waiting, and he didn't have to. He could just start a relationship with her now, get this anticipation over with. He needed to meet her. The longer he waited the more the anticipation was devouring his life.

  His phone rang. He picked it up; it had to be important. He had told Betty to hold his calls.

  "Travis," Betty cleared her throat, "there is a lady out here who's claiming to be your girlfriend. She is demanding to see you."

  "Amelia?" Travis asked.

  "Yes that's her name," Betty said in relief. "Should I send her in?"

  "Yes." Travis closed his eyes and then turned around when the door opened. He was casually sitting at the edge of his desk and he didn't crack a smile when he saw Amelia's anxious face.

  He wasn't amused. This was the first time she was intruding on his business space. They usually went to dinner and his suite at the Jamaica Pegasus. He liked to keep her out of what he considered his main life. Amelia was just his lover with hardly any emotional ties to go with it.

  He liked it like that. She said she understood that that was how it had to be.

  "Hi," She smiled at him tentatively.

  "Hi." Travis folded his arms. No greeting in his tone.

  "This is a nice office." She spun around and looked at the plants and then the view of the mountains.

  "Sorry to drop by so unexpectedly but I have unexpected exciting news!"

  Travis raised an eyebrow, no humor in
his face. "What is it?"

  "I am pregnant!" Amelia walked up to him and kissed him on the lips.

  Travis recoiled in shock. "What?"

  "P.R.E.G.N.A.N.T." She spelled out the letters in between little kisses on his cheek. "I am carrying the next Jefferson heir."

  Travis froze. Literally. He never imagined that hearing this kind of news would make him feel so genuinely devastated. Maybe, because it was coming from the wrong woman. This wasn't how it was meant to be.

  "You do not look pleased." Amelia pulled away from him.

  "This is a lot to take in." Travis focused on her and then looked away. "And it is a little odd your phrasing, 'you are carrying the next Jefferson heir.' We are not the royal family you know?"

  Amelia cupped her belly protectively and avoided answering him. "Why are you like this, so cold? "

  "I am not cold. Just shocked." Travis moved away from his desk and went to the patio and looked out.

  "If we get married in a few weeks we can pretend that this isn't a shot gun marriage." Amelia said helpfully. "I know that you are the CEO of a large company and having a child out of wedlock is not your cup of tea."

  Travis nodded, it wasn't. Appearances were important in his line of work. Besides, his dream was to have children with one woman, his wife.

  Marriage. He hadn't even thought about that possibility with Amelia and he had used protection every time and she had claimed to be on the pill.

  "I think I should meet your parents." Amelia sat down in one of the guest chairs and crossed her legs. "I am booked in at the Pegasus for the rest of the week."

  "Give me some time to think," Travis said sharper than he had intended. He heard Amelia gasp.

  "I'll call you." He looked over his shoulder at her and tried to smile to soften the blow. "Maybe we can have a private dinner later in the suite."

  He waited until he heard her leave the room and the door click in place before he slumped his shoulders in defeat. He had messed this up.

  ****