“Thanks.” Cash plucked one of the muffins from the tin. “That Liv is something else, and damn can she bake.”
“Wait till you try the dumplings.” I crossed the room to one of the chairs, sitting on the arm.
“You better lock that shit down, Jax,” Luca warned.
Dallas rolled his eyes. “Sage words of wisdom from the guy who can’t even get a girlfriend.”
“I can get one,” Luca said. “I just don’t want one, but if I did, I’d want one like Liv.”
I smiled, looking down at my hands. “Trust me, I want her. She’s… incredible.”
Dallas took a bite of his pumpkin bread, chewing thoughtfully for a moment. A sad smile spread across his face. “She reminds me of Carrie.” His eyes widened as though he were shocked by the words that escaped his mouth.
For a second, it felt as though the air had been sucked out of the room. Luca’s eyes darted over to Cash, and I looked over at him tentatively.
“Cash, I’m sorry, brother.” Dallas frowned.
“Don’t be.” Cash waved him off. “You’re right. I was thinking the same thing. This is the kind of thing Carrie would have done.” His gaze fell to the floor, a mournful expression tugging at the corners of his mouth.
“Yeah, it is.” Luca’s voice was solemn. “She always made sure we were taken care of.”
“I miss her.” Cash sighed. “Every single day.”
“Me too,” I echoed. We sat quietly for a couple of moments before I gently changed the subject. “I’ve been meaning to tell you, I’ve got some new music in the works. I’ll send it to you later.” I gave Cash a hopeful smile. “I think you’re going to be surprised.”
“That’s great news,” Cash said. I could tell he was genuinely happy, but his smile didn’t quite reach his eyes. “I can’t wait to hear it.”
Before I could say anything else, Liv was knocking at the door. Luca let her in, and she busied herself by unpacking the bag, placing everything neatly out on the table.
“Who wants the first bowl?” Liv asked, lifting the lid off the crockpot. She turned to face us, ladle in hand, a big smile on her face. She looked to each of us, noticing the shift in the atmosphere. “Are y’all okay?”
Dallas rambled over to Liv and threw his arms around her in a bear hug. “Thank you, Liv.”
“You’re welcome.” Liv returned his embrace. “Can I make you some tea or anything?”
“Right now, I need some of these dumplings in my life.” Dallas rubbed his hands together, taking the ladle from her hand.
Cash rose to his feet. “So do I.”
“We better get on that before Dallas eats it all.” Luca moved in behind Dallas, patting Liv on the back when he passed her.
Liv’s eyes found mine, and she smiled. I ambled my way to her, pulling her into my arms. She yelped slightly as I lifted her off the ground, holding her close. Her arms tightened around me, and I savored the way she felt in my embrace.
When I finally set her back on her feet, she turned her face upward curiously. “What was that for?”
I reached out and squeezed her hand. “I’m just glad you’re here.”
Chapter 13
Liv
A couple of days before my birthday, Dallas asked if Jax and I would go with him to look at a place he was strongly considering buying. It was a gorgeous penthouse apartment in Midtown with an incredible view of the city. We cruised through town in my Jeep with the top off, soaking in the warmth of the sun and the slight nip of the autumn breeze. Occasionally, I noticed Jax watching me as the wind whipped my hair around, and I squirmed beneath his gaze. I’d felt a tension building the entire week we’d spent together, no matter how much I tried to deny it.
After we pulled into the garage at the condo complex, Dallas guided us to the top floor penthouse where we were to meet the realtor. Dallas knocked on the door and we were greeted by a lady who had to be in her mid-to-late sixties with bright red hair teased up to the sky and cherry red lips. When she gestured us in with her hand, I noticed her long oval nails painted the perfect matching shade of crimson.
“Dallas,” she drawled. “So good to see you again, hun. These must be your friends.” She turned to me, extending her hand. “Hi, doll. I’m Darcey Dubois, realtor extraordinaire. Pleasure to meet you.”
“Liv.” I smiled, shaking her hand. “Nice to meet you.”
“And who is this strapping young man?” Darcey turned her attention to Jax.
“Jaxon,” he replied with a nod. “Nice to meet you, ma’am.”
“Goodness gracious, seeing how gorgeous you three are makes me miss my youth,” Darcey said with a flourish, turning on her red-bottomed heels and leading us through the foyer into the expansive apartment. “It may be hard to believe, but when I was your age, I was quite the looker too. But age came a-knockin’ and honey, there simply ain’t enough Oil of Olay this side of the Mississippi to fix these wrinkles.” She turned to face us as we wandered into the fully furnished living room overlooking the city. “Not that y’all have to worry about that anytime soon. Y’all don’t look a day over twenty-nine.”
I snorted and felt Jax’s hands grip my shoulders as Darcey barreled on. “Listen to me rattlin’ on. What y’all really came to see is this gorgeous penthouse. Like I’ve told Dallas, I know y’all are musicians, as are many of our residents, so it’s important to note all of our units have been completely soundproofed. Our homes can also come fully furnished if you like what’s here. There’s this phenomenal interior designer who handpicked every single item in this house, down to the brass fixtures.” She began leading us through the apartment. She rattled off various details as she wound us through the kitchen complete with a bar, the spare bedrooms, an office, a game room, another separate den that would make the perfect music room, and finally, she took us upstairs to the master suite. “Now this, my dears, is the showstopper. We have an ensuite gas fireplace, a minibar, and that master bathroom may as well be a damn day spa. The closet alone is the size of my first apartment. Then, of course, there’s that magnificent view. You can see for miles from up here.”
“This is amazing,” Jax said from beside me.
“Wow.” I sighed, taking in the view of the city.
“Right?” Dallas asked. “What do you think?”
“You’d be crazy not to take it.” Jax crossed his arms over his chest, appraising the scenery.
“I think it’s stunning, Dal,” I replied. “That kitchen is pretty rad too.”
“I’m gonna need you to come over and help me break it in.” He poked me with his elbow. “Maybe you can teach me how to cook.”
I grinned. “Deal.”
“Alright.” He chuckled, placing a hand on my shoulder. “Well, Miss Darcey, I think you have yourself a deal. I’d like to put in an offer.”
“That’s what I like to hear,” she sang as Dallas walked around, inspecting some of the fixtures. She turned her attention to me and Jax. “Now, when can I get you two in a new home?”
“Huh?” I asked.
“You’ll need room to grow, I’m sure,” she continued on. “Do y’all prefer to be in the city, or do you want a place with a little land?”
“Oh.” My face flushed as I realized what she was saying. “I have a place over in 12 South. We’re not, um, together, but Jax is considering moving here.”
“Hmm,” she said as though she didn’t really believe me. She studied us a moment, pursing her red lips. “I’m sorry, darlin.’ I just assumed because y’all look so darn cute together.” She smoothed her hands over her black pantsuit. “Let me get this offer together. Dallas, hun, you want to follow me down to the kitchen, and we’ll get these papers started?”
“Yes ma’am.” Dallas flashed us a thumbs up as he followed Darcey back down the stairs. “Let’s do this.”
“Did you hear that?”
Jax nudged me with his hip as I focused my eyes on the Nashville sky. “She said we look cute together. I donut believe it.”
“You’re silly.” I laughed and shook my head, turning back toward the stairs.
“And you love that about me.” Without even looking at him I could hear the grin that stretched across his face. “That’s how I know I’m wearing you down.” I turned to face him as he stepped closer to me.
“I donut know what you’re talking about,” I teased. This time he didn’t laugh.
“She’s not wrong, Liv.” His thoughtful eyes held mine, and he tucked a strand of hair behind my ear. “You know she’s not. We’re good together in every possible way.”
I felt my breath catch in my throat. I knew he was right, but his being right didn’t change my fears. My insecurities came bubbling back to the surface in an overwhelming wave. I hadn’t been good enough for Ben. Some days, I wasn’t even sure I was good enough for me, and I was afraid there may come a day I would no longer be good enough for Jaxon Slade.
“You guys coming?” Dallas called.
“We should… we should go downstairs,” I mumbled half-heartedly. Before Jax could say another word, I all but fled down the stairs.
“What do you think of this one?” Ella held up a bottle of navy-blue nail polish, inspecting it in the light.
“You know I think that color looks great on you.” I picked up a deep oxblood color and handed it to one of the nail technicians who waited to lead us to our pedicure stations. It was my birthday, and Ella had managed to get full coverage for the bakery and booked a full afternoon of beauty at a salon down the street. We were scheduled to get blowouts and makeup applications, but we were beginning our afternoon of pampering with manicures and pedicures.
After we selected our colors, the technicians guided us to our adjacent pedicure chairs.
“Where do you want to go for dinner tonight?” Ella asked, kicking off her heels as I pulled off my suede knee-high boots. She busied herself with rolling up her jeans while I dunked my feet into the water, pulling the sleeves of my chunky black sweater dress over my hands. “Adele’s was booked already since it’s Saturday, but what about that fancy sushi place we went to for Katie’s birthday before she became a vegetarian?”
“Sure,” I said halfheartedly. “That sounds good.”
She fixed her eyes, studying me. “Talk to me. What’s going on in that beautiful head of yours?”
I picked at my cuticle as I looked over at her. “It’s Jax. It’s just that—”
“He’s head over heels for you?” She raised her brow at me.
“He’s not—”
“Olivia,” she cut me off. “Do you really think I haven’t noticed? I’ve seen the way you look at each other. I’ve seen the way he is around you, all squishy and adorable.”
I looked down at my hands, avoiding her watchful gaze. “Jax and I have been writing music together. He wants us to start our own musical act, just the two of us.”
Ella’s eyes gaped open. “Are you serious? That’s amazing, Liv. So, when is this happening? Are you guys signing a deal or something?”
“God, no.” I shook my head. “I don’t even know if I’m going to do it.”
“What do you mean you don’t know if you’re going to do it? Obviously you’re going to do it.”
I sighed. “It’s a huge decision, Ella. This would change my entire life.”
“Yeah,” Ella said. “For the better.”
“Not necessarily. I love making music, and writing with him is easy. It’s like we’ve always written together, but there’s so much more to it than that. The predictability of my schedule would be gone. I’d be on the road a lot, which means I would be away from you and Grace. And privacy? That would be out the window, and I don’t know, but there’s something comforting about being able to fuck up without the entire world knowing about it.”
“You are not going to fuck anything up,” Ella assured me. “This is an amazing opportunity. One that you deserve. You need to do this. You owe it to yourself to go after this dream.”
“What about the bakery?”
“What about it?” Ella asked. “We will make this work. Katie is a rockstar, and we can always hire more help.”
I chewed my lip. “What about Jax? What if we start this whole thing and he ends up hating me?”
“I hardly think you have to worry about that. That man is falling in love with you, Liv, and you clearly have feelings for him too. Why are you fighting this so hard?”
I sighed and rested my head against the back of the pedicure chair. “I’m scared, Ella. I’m so fucking scared.”
“Of what?”
“What if history repeats itself and—”
“I’m going to stop you right there,” she interjected. “The last week and a half, I feel like I finally have you back. Ever since Jax came into the picture, you’ve been more you than you’ve been in years. For fuck’s sake, you’re singing again. You’re writing songs and actually considering giving this music thing a go. This is huge, Olivia. Jax isn’t Benton. You know how I know that?” I looked over at her. “He encourages you to do the things you love instead of shoving them out of sight like they’re something to be ashamed of. Benton wanted you to suppress so many of the beautiful things that make you who you are. Jax doesn’t want to change a single thing about you.”
“Maybe not now, but what if that changes?”
She reached over and grabbed my hand. “Honey, love is a risk no matter how you slice it. There will always be a chance you could get hurt, one way or another. Love isn’t about choosing who you think won’t hurt you. It’s about choosing who’s worth hurting for. Look at me and Craig. I loved that man more than anything in the world. You know how good he was to me, and you know the hurt I’ve felt every day since we lost him. Even knowing the way it would end up, I’d choose him all over again. That’s what love is.” Tears glistened in her eyes, and I covered her hand with mine. “You’re getting another chance to live the life you always wanted, Liv.”
“What if I’m not good enough?” I whispered.
“You are more than good enough.” She squeezed my hand. “Besides, you know I don’t hang out with losers.” A smile twitched on her lips. “I mean it. You’re good enough, and honestly, I think if anyone can help you see that, it’s Jax. I think he could love you the way you deserve, but more importantly, I think he can help you love yourself the way you deserve. You’re getting a second chance here, babe. You should take it.”
I saw the sadness gloss over her eyes again, and I laced my fingers through hers. “You’re going to get your second chance too.”
“Maybe one day.” She smiled softly. “For now, I get to live vicariously through you. Promise me you’ll think about it, okay?” I sat thoughtfully for a moment until she nudged me with her elbow. “Okay?”
I knew Ella was right. I owed it to myself to think about what she’d said and about what Jax had been showing me since the night we met. I looked back over at Ella and nodded. “Okay.”
Chapter 14
Jax
“Let’s set up the snack table over here.” Grace pointed to a vacant part of Liv’s back patio. Luca and Derek followed her directives and moved the folding table accordingly. “Katie and Dallas will be back with the decorations any minute now.”
“Perfect.” I surveyed the backyard and envisioned how everything would come together. Ella had taken Liv out for a spa day so that we could spend the afternoon getting everything ready. “The caterers confirmed they’ll be here at six to get set up, and Brady texted to let me know he just picked up Cash from the airport. They’re going to stop by the florist and pick up everything there for me. I think we’ve got it all covered.”
“All that’s left is to start the cake,” I said, following Grace inside through the patio door. I started unpacking
the grocery sacks I’d placed on the kitchen counters.
“You sure you can do this?”
I placed my hand over my heart as if she’d wounded me. “You think I can’t bake this cake?”
She wrinkled her nose, looking over at me. “I’d be lying if I said I didn’t have my doubts.”
“My own coconspirator doubts me,” I scoffed. “I’m hurt, but since you’re worried, you can stick around and be my sous chef.”
“You better stay close,” Luca teased, maneuvering around us to grab a beer out of the fridge. “We want Liv to have a kitchen to come back to.” I laughed and picked up the dish-towel from the counter, slapping him on the arm with it. “You think we got enough alcohol?” Luca twisted the top off his beer.
“Yes, I do.” I narrowed my eyes at him. “This isn’t one of your ragers. This is a Liv party, and I’m going to need you to act accordingly please.”
“Fine.” Luca pretended to grimace. “I guess I’ll be on my best behavior. What can I do to help?”
Mama sauntered into the kitchen, turning her golden eyes upward at Luca before hissing disapprovingly and scampering off down the hall toward Liv’s bedroom.
“Weird cat,” Luca mused.
“That’s Mama.” Grace shrugged. “She hates everyone.”
“We’re back,” Dallas sang as he and Katie bustled inside, popping their heads through the doorframe of the kitchen.
“Perfect timing.” I clapped my hands together, turning my attention back to Luca. “Go help them unload everything, and you guys can start setting up. I’ll come help once I get this cake in the oven. We’ll have even more to do once Brady and Cash get here with everything from the florist.”
“On it.” He took a swig from his beer and followed Dallas and Katie toward the front door.
“You ready to bake this cake, Chef?” Grace started pulling bowls, pans, spatulas, measuring cups, and spoons out from their respective homes.
“I was born ready!” I exclaimed, examining the recipe for the dark chocolate cake with raspberry buttercream icing. Grace helped me decide on a cake, but I was going to use some of the tricks Liv had taught me to jazz it up a bit. At least, I hoped that’s what I was going to do. “You sure know your way around this kitchen.” I watched her find everything we needed with ease as I stepped over to the oven, setting it to 350 degrees as the recipe instructed.
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