A Deal Made in Texas

by Michelle Major

  She decided instead to get to the real reason she’d phoned. “I’m calling about Sunday. I might not be able to make dinner.”

  “Christine, no. You promised when you moved back to Austin that you’d make an effort.”

  “I have,” Christine insisted, hating being put on the defensive. “I’ve come for dinner every week.”

  “It’s important to your father and me that the four of us spend more time together. Your sister is going through a rough time, and she needs our support.”

  Christine didn’t want to hear about Aimee’s rough time, which most likely stemmed from too many nights of partying with her friends and the monumental hangovers that seemed to prevent her from showing up to work on time.

  “I understand, Mom. It’s just one Sunday. I promise.”

  “Why can’t you come?” her mother demanded. “Are you behind at work and need to catch up?”

  “I have a date,” Christine blurted.

  Silence from the other end of the line.

  “Since when?” Stephanie asked. “Who is this guy who wants to keep you from seeing your family? I don’t like the sound of it.”

  Christine had to work not to growl into the phone. She loved her mother, but for some reason the love she received in return always manifested in criticism. It had been that way since she could remember. Her mother had constantly commented on Christine’s weight or lack of friends, comparing her to Aimee with Christine always falling short.

  “He’s not trying to keep me from seeing you. I didn’t mention it to him.”

  “Bring him to dinner,” her mother answered simply.

  “What?”

  “You heard me. Unless it’s some casual fling or you’re worried we won’t approve. I want to know more about your life, Christine. Let us meet your boyfriend. I want us to be closer. After the incident with my heart last year, you know I’ve been reevaluating things and focusing on what’s important. You’re important to me, sweetie.”

  Christine sighed. Just like that, all the fight went out of her. In addition to the position in Austin being a promotion, she’d taken the job to be closer to her family, and particularly her mother. Stephanie had a heart attack in March of last year, spending four days in the hospital then successfully completing months of cardiac rehab. Christine appreciated everything her mom was doing to make better choices in her life. She might not feel like she belonged in her adventurous, outgoing family, but she loved them.

  In the hospital, her mother had told her she regretted that they hadn’t been closer. She’d said she wanted another chance to repair her relationship with Christine. Wasn’t that what every nonfavorite child wanted to hear from a parent, even as an adult?

  “I’m not sure what time we’re going out,” she admitted. “But if it works, I’ll bring Gavin to dinner.”

  “Gavin,” her mother repeated, her tone gentler now. “I like that name. Does he make you happy?”

  “Yes,” Christine answered without hesitation. “So happy.”

  “Then I can’t wait to meet him.”

  Christine said goodbye and disconnected the call. She’d purposely not mentioned Gavin’s last name or that he was supposedly her fiancé. It was bad enough her mom would share with her dad and sister that Christine had a boyfriend. Christine still wasn’t certain she’d have the nerve to take Gavin to Sunday dinner with her family, although the truth was he’d fit in better with them than she ever had.

  She turned her attention back to her computer. Kenneth had tasked her with reviewing the agency’s historical contract data to find a pattern to help determine why many of their deals were suddenly going south. It was worrisome but the task was something she could manage, unlike her feelings for Gavin.

  Right now she needed to feel like she had control over something and it certainly wasn’t going to be her wayward heart.

  * * *

  “We’re doing what?” Christine felt her mouth go dry as she stared at Gavin.

  “Ziplining,” he repeated softly. “If you’re up for it.”

  She concentrated on pulling air in and out of her lungs without hyperventilating. “Did you miss the part where I said I’m afraid of heights?”

  He smiled.

  “Deathly afraid,” she added.

  He took her hand and drew her closer. They stood in the area between her kitchen and family room on Sunday morning, light spilling in from the window above the sink. Gavin had arrived minutes earlier and looked even more handsome in a casual cotton button-down shirt and jeans than he did in his normal workweek uniform of a suit and tie. His hair was slightly rumpled and a thick shadow of stubble covered his jaw, like he hadn’t bothered to shave for the entire weekend.

  She was a big fan of this outdoorsy side of him.

  Although not a fan of his plan for the day.

  As if sensing her unease, Diana rose from her dog bed in the corner and trotted over for a gentle head butt.

  “She can sense your fear,” Gavin said, bending to scratch Di behind the ears just the way she liked. The animal promptly forgot about comforting Christine and melted into a puddle on the hardwood floor, exposing her belly for Gavin’s attention.

  “Traitor,” Christine muttered.

  “If you don’t want to try it, we can do something else.” Gavin glanced up as he rubbed the blissed-out dog’s belly. “But you mentioned that you’d like to become more adventurous. The guy who runs the outfitter is a friend of mine from high school. I trust him implicitly so I figured this would be a safe way for you to face one of your fears.”

  “Safe,” she repeated, testing the word on her tongue. How could she possibly be safe while harnessed to a cable and soaring through the air?

  “I’ll keep you safe,” he said, straightening and looking into her eyes with so much sincerity that it took her breath away for an entirely different reason. A reason that made her knees go weak. “Do you trust me?”

  She nodded, not convinced she could manage actual words at the moment.

  One side of his mouth curved as if her answer made him happy.

  “Are you ready for an adventure?” he asked.

  She nodded again.

  His smile widened. “I promise you’ll be okay.”

  She said goodbye to Princess Di and followed Gavin out of the house, locking the door behind them.

  When they’d gotten into his vehicle and turned onto the ramp for the interstate, he smiled at her. “How was your week?”

  “Long,” she admitted. “And busy.”

  “Maddie and Zach return later tonight, right?”

  She nodded. “I’m glad they got away but it’s too bad it was such a short honeymoon and they’re coming back to—” She broke off, not sure how much to reveal about the drop in business at the agency.

  “What’s going on at the office? Is everything okay with Dad?”

  “He’s amazing as usual,” she answered immediately. “Why do you ask?”

  “You had a strange reaction when Everett asked about him in the diner the other day.”

  She shook her head. “It’s not your dad. I’m not sure whether it’s supposed to be a secret or not, but there have been some strange things happening with some of our deals lately.”

  “What kind of strange?”

  “We’re losing clients and having trouble with existing contracts. It doesn’t make sense based on how strong business was right out of the gate. I’m not sure what’s going on, but your dad’s upset about it.”

  “Does Maddie know?”

  “Not yet. It came to light this week, but there’s definitely a pattern. Your dad didn’t want to bother them while they were on their honeymoon. We’re scheduled to meet to go over reports and trends tomorrow morning.”

  “She and Zach will figure it out,” Gavin said, smoothing his thumb across the back of her hand
. “There has to be an explanation.”

  “I hope so. We all had such high hopes for the Austin office.” She stared out the window as the scenery changed from urban to more rural. It was one of the things she loved about Texas—the wide-open spaces. Even in the middle of the city, there was a sense of the cowboy spirit that made the state so special. Austin had a different vibe than Houston had, a more eclectic atmosphere with most folks taking the local slogan Keep Austin Weird quite seriously.

  “Do you miss Denver?” she asked, glancing toward Gavin.

  His fingers tightened slightly on the steering wheel. “I miss heading up to the mountains to ski on the weekends,” he admitted. “Denver still has a bit of the cowboy feel to it, so it’s not that different from Austin. A lot sunnier and less humid, I guess.”

  “My hair would love it.” She tugged on the ends of her long locks. “Some days I’m a massive frizz ball no matter how much product I use.”

  “Your hair is amazing,” he said. “The color is so bright.”

  She groaned softly. “They used to call me carrot top in school. I hated having red hair.”

  “It makes you special,” he told her.

  You make me special, she wanted to say but managed to keep her mouth shut. She’d told herself she would stay in the moment today and not worry about what might happen with Gavin or how much being with him made her heart happy.

  Nope. She was keeping her heart out of the mix.

  He exited the highway onto a two-lane road that led into the rolling hills north of the city.

  “You doing okay?” Gavin squeezed her hand, and she hoped he didn’t notice her sweaty palm.

  “I can’t believe I agreed to this.” She leaned forward when the first zipline tower came into view, the seat belt stretching across her chest. “It’s so high.”

  “You’ve got this,” he assured her.

  If only she had his confidence.

  He parked in front of a cabin that seemed to be the outdoor company’s office. Austin Zips read the sign above the covered porch.

  Gavin got out of the Audi and walked around to her side. Her body felt weighted with lead, but she forced herself to climb out and pasted a smile on her face. “Looks like fun,” she said, shading her eyes as she gazed up at the ropes course that had been built behind the office.

  “Liar,” Gavin whispered.

  She laughed. “It’s the stuff of my worst nightmares,” she admitted. “But I’m going to face my fears.”

  Gavin leaned in to kiss her. “That’s my girl.”

  “Fortunado!” A man’s deep voice rang out from the door to the office.

  “Hey, Marc,” Gavin called. “Thanks for letting us come out on such short notice.”

  “It’s our slow season,” the man said as he walked forward. “But I’d always make time for you, buddy. I hear you’re now one of the big-wig Fortunes.”

  Gavin’s expression didn’t change, but Christine felt a wave of tension roll through him. “You know how things go,” he said casually. “It just means an even larger family.”

  “Sure,” the man agreed affably. As he came down the steps, Christine couldn’t help but smile. Gavin’s friend could have been the Keep Austin Weird poster child. His sandy-blond hair was long enough to be held back in a man bun. Despite the temperatures hovering in the low fifties, he wore a pair of board shorts and a floral-print silk shirt like he should be hanging on a tropical beach instead of in the middle of nowhere outside Austin.

  He shook Gavin’s hand and did a couple of friendly back slaps then turned to Christine. “Gavin mentioned you have a bit of a fear of heights?”

  She licked her lips and nodded.

  “I want to reassure you,” Marc said, leaning closer, “that you’re in good hands with me. I’ve only had—” he tapped a tanned finger on his chin “—I guess that would be a half dozen equipment failures this year, but only one of them was fatal.”

  Christine took a step back. “Um...”

  Marc threw back his head and laughed. “Joking with you, darlin’. We have a perfect safety record at Austin Zips.”

  “Right.” Christine tried to laugh, but it sounded more like a croak. “Of course you do.”

  Gavin shook his head. “Not funny, Marc.”

  “Sorry.” The man held up his hands, palms out. “We’re going to make this easy and fun. By the time you’re finished, you’ll be shouting, ‘More, Marc. Give me more.’”

  Christine felt her eyes go wide.

  “You seriously need to grow up,” Gavin said, and his tone held a vague warning.

  Marc seemed to get the message because he launched into an in-depth overview of the zip lines, the safety procedures and inspections that occurred each day and the standards his company followed to ensure a safe and fun experience for its customers.

  Christine appreciated the information, and it gave her more confidence in Marc’s level of professionalism.

  “We’re going to take the Mule out to the first platform. I have helmets and water already packed.” He pointed to a four-seater utility terrain vehicle parked at the far side of the building. “You two load up while I grab my sunglasses and I’ll be right out.”

  He jogged up the steps and into the building.

  “You’re going to be fine,” Gavin said, wrapping an arm around her shoulder.

  “Famous last words,” she whispered, earning a chuckle from him.

  “It’s not too late to turn around. We can bag this whole idea and go see a movie or take Di for a walk. I’m just happy to have a day off and to spend it with you.”

  Christine appreciated the out, but she wasn’t going to take it. “This is my chance to have an adventure.” She flashed what she hoped was a confident smile as they got into the Mule with Gavin following. “Even if it’s a miniadventure.”

  “The first of many,” he told her.

  The sun had warmed things enough to turn it into a perfect January day in Texas. She kept her focus on the blue sky and how nice it felt to be sitting so close to Gavin as Marc joined them and they headed across the rolling hills.

  The zip line course was situated about a quarter mile from the building, traversing along the perimeter of the woods that bordered the property. As they got closer she realized the cables not only ran next to the woods but also through the trees, so that she’d actually have the sensation of soaring through the forest, if she could manage to keep her eyes open.

  Marc parked then led them to the first platform. He gave another safety talk and explained how the two points of contact system with the safety lines worked. She and Gavin put on helmets and then the harnesses while Marc used his walkie-talkie to radio someone. A minute later an ATV sped toward them through the forest.

  “This is Chip.” Marc introduced an older man, who was well over six feet tall and skinny as a rail. “He’s going to be leading the two of you today and I’ll follow.”

  Chip winked at Christine. “I’m going to go first down each run so you’ll know it’s safe.”

  She nodded then felt Gavin massage her shoulder. “You look a little pale,” he said gently.

  “Has anyone ever thrown up mid-zip line?” she asked Marc.

  He laughed. “You’d be the first, darlin’. But don’t worry about that. Do whatever’s gonna make you feel better in the end.”

  “You’ve got this, Adventure Girl,” Gavin told her as she clipped into the safety line then climbed onto the platform. Marc snapped Chip into the harness and with a playful wave, he took off across the huge open space between where they stood and the next platform.

  “Wow,” Christine whispered when Chip landed on the other side.

  “Easy enough, right?” Marc asked.

  Despite her racing heart and sweaty palms, she nodded.

  He crooked a finger at her. “Do you want to go next?�
��

  She shook her head. “Gavin will go.”

  “Are you sure?” Gavin asked.

  “You need to be on the other end to catch me,” she told him.

  “I’ll definitely catch you.” He allowed Marc to connect his harness to the cable then took off, giving an enthusiastic whoop of delight as he sped from one platform to the next.

  “I’d like to go home now,” Christine whispered, earning a belly laugh from Marc. “Gavin made it look so easy. He’s going to think I’m the biggest wuss in the world when I puke or pee myself on this harness. Could you imagine a worse way to end a date? I’m going to ruin everything.”

  “Darlin’, I’ve known Gavin since we were stealing hootch from his daddy’s liquor cabinet. I’ve seen lots of ladies on his arm over the years but never has he looked at one the way he looks at you. Don’t worry about ruining anything. If you climbed down this platform and said all you want to do is go shopping at the nearest mall, that man would gladly hold your bags.”

  Christine smiled despite her fear. “I doubt that, but I appreciate you saying it.”

  “It’s the truth.”

  “No shopping malls,” she said, stepping forward. “I’m going to conquer my fear today.”

  “That’s what we like to hear.” Marc snapped her harness to the cable, explaining once again how to use the active brake if she felt she needed it.

  Her knees trembled as she inched to the edge of the platform, and sweat beaded between her shoulder blades.

  Gavin shouted words of encouragement, but she could barely make them out over the pounding in her head. She drew in a breath and took off, screaming first from terror and then with excitement as she sailed across the air toward the trees. She hit the brake lever the way Marc had shown her as she approached the next platform and a moment later Gavin’s arms were around her. Good thing, too, because she wasn’t sure she could stand on her own at the moment.