Chapter Four
There was something to be said for such a striking woman who demanded control—and then stealing said control from her.
Jax waited patiently while Olivia gathered her thoughts. She clearly hadn’t been expecting him to show up at her door, which is precisely why he was here.
Jax hadn’t wanted to set a specific time for their so-called date, a point he still needed to discuss with Piper. She was a sneaky one, and he was a bit proud of how quickly she’d manipulated Olivia. But still, he needed to talk with her about something deeper than her weaving this date.
Was his daughter already wanting a mommy? He had hoped they wouldn’t have to have such a difficult conversation for a while. Now that she was in preschool she was seeing more kids with their moms and he should have realized sooner that this would be coming.
He’d delicately explained that her mommy had to go away and couldn’t stay in Haven. He’d even lied and said she loved Piper very much, but sometimes people just had to go away. In truth, Jax had forced her to sign over her rights. If she didn’t want to be here now, he didn’t want to risk her coming back later and claiming Piper. The fact she signed over without too much of a fight proved exactly what type of woman she was.
Piper deserved better.
“I-I’m sorry,” Olivia stuttered, blinking. “Date? It’s late. Where’s Piper?”
“She actually is staying all night with our neighbor. This is her second sleepover there.”
“Who’s your neighbor?” she asked, crossing her arms over a perfectly fitted tank. Damn it. Why did her curves have to look even sexier outside of those stuffy, rich-girl clothes?
With her hair down and loose curls lying over her shoulders, her leggings, and tank, she looked almost human . . . not at all like the business shark trying to steal his only source of income and future.
“An elderly lady who watches Piper for me sometimes. She has a granddaughter the same age and she was staying all night. They asked if Piper wanted to come over to make cookies and watch movies.”
And that’s all that needed to be mentioned for Piper to run and grab her favorite stuffed horse and pillow. She’d changed into her pajamas with unicorns, shoved her ladybug rain boots on, and promptly clomped out the back door with a wave of the hand. She was growing up on him, which he was proud of, but she could at least act like she’d miss him.
Jax dropped his arm from the door and shrugged. “I figured this was as good a time as any since I’m not busy.”
Two women came down the hallway behind Olivia. Jax recognized Jade instantly. That woman was striking, she hadn’t changed one bit, but she’d never done a thing for Jax. Even though she’d been older, too, when he was a preteen, nobody held a candle to Olivia Daniels.
Mercy, he was an idiot for allowing those juvenile thoughts to resurface.
“Jade, nice to see you. I’m not sure you remember me.”
The redhead offered him a wide smile he was sure she’d used to trap many men into her web. “I do remember you. You’ve changed quite a bit since I saw you last.”
That seemed to be the consensus of people who hadn’t seen him since he was an awkward teen and hadn’t weighed more than a buck fifty.
Turning his attention toward the blonde, he nodded. “I’m Jax.”
“Melanie,” she greeted with a shy smile.
This one seemed quite different from the outspoken Jade and the uppity Olivia. A beautiful trio, that much was for sure. If those three strutted down the streets of Haven, there would definitely be talk.
“Nice to meet you,” he replied. “You ladies don’t mind if I steal Livie, do you?”
Jade’s smile turned into a smirk as she nudged her friend. “We don’t mind at all. We weren’t doing much of anything anyway.”
Olivia’s eyes widened as she stared back at him. “You can’t possibly think I’m going on a date right now. I’m not dressed—”
“What you have on will be fine.” More than fine because at least now he felt they were somewhat on the same level. He couldn’t deal with her in those stuffy clothes, anyway. “We’re not going far.”
Olivia rubbed her forehead and closed her eyes. “Jackson—”
“Go,” Melanie urged. “Jade and I are fine.”
Jax waited for Livie to come up with another excuse, but she legitimately seemed at a loss for words. Maybe this wouldn’t be as difficult as he first thought. Clearly, his plan of catching her off guard was brilliant. Now, if he could just keep this momentum going. He wasn’t going to put much effort into this fight for the simple fact he didn’t have to. He refused to sell, so there wasn’t much she could do.
But he was going to hear her out because he was a gentleman and respected women. Livie was wasting her time, though.
“You may want to put shoes on,” Jax stated, pointing down to her bare feet with the brightest shade of red on her toes. He would’ve pegged her for more of a French manicure type, something classy and simple. The red was a nice surprise and sexy as hell.
“I’ll meet you wherever we’re going,” she replied, crossing her arms in defiance.
Adorable how she thought she could act like a child. He was quite used to that sort of behavior, so again, he had the edge here.
“That wouldn’t be much of a date, would it?” he countered.
Livie turned back to her friends and Melanie held her hands out. “No argument from me. I’d love if a hot guy came and forced me on a date.”
Oh, he liked this new friend already. She could be a useful ally. Jade remained silent, which pleased him. At least her friends weren’t slamming the door in his face. They clearly wanted her to go, which spoke volumes about how lackluster her social life was. Apparently, they felt she needed to get out—or they thought she could persuade him into agreeing to a sale.
No doubt they’d all sat around and discussed this situation in depth and Olivia had been given advice and encouragement to go after what she wanted.
“Fine.” Livie turned toward the left side of the door and slid on a pair of flip-flops before facing him once again. “Let’s get this over with.”
Jax held a hand over his heart. “I’m crushed you’re in a hurry to get this over with.”
Livie let out an unladylike growl as she marched past him. Jax flashed a grin at Jade and Melanie, who weren’t even trying to hold back their laughter.
“Don’t wait up,” he told them.
Livie whirled around on the steps. “We won’t be that long.”
Ignoring her protest, he bound down the narrow concrete steps and headed toward his truck. He opened the passenger door and gestured for her to get in.
She plopped into the passenger seat and jerked her seat belt. “Don’t take this date too seriously, Romeo.”
“Oh, I’m just pushing your buttons because you’re too easy to irritate.”
Another growl escaped her as he closed the door. He gave her friends a mock salute as they stood on the porch and waved. Jax wasn’t sure if this plan was brilliant or one of his more idiotic moves, but he was about to find out.
* * *
“What are we doing here?”
Olivia had no idea what to expect, but she didn’t think they’d end up at the airport. Jackson’s lights slashed across the darkness, landing on one of the old hangars.
“Our date. I figured this was the best place.”
He was up to something, she just knew it. Whatever it was, she’d be ready. He’d caught her off guard once; she needed to be on her toes from here on out.
Once Jax killed the engine, Olivia opened her door. The creaky old truck needed some serious oil on those hinges, but that wasn’t her problem. She slammed the door and set off toward the hangar.
Surprisingly, Jackson followed without one snarky comment. Once inside, she flicked the overhead lights, and once again that old Cessna sat proudly in front of her. Years of memories flooded her and Olivia already knew what angle Jackson was working.
She had to remain strong.
Jackson headed to the plane and started walking around doing an inspection . . . an inspection that one usually did preflight.
“No,” she stated firmly. “Nice try.”
Without missing a beat, he opened the tiny door and climbed in. With his booted foot dangling out, he grabbed the preflight checklist from the pocket of the door. He flicked controls on the panel, watched the wings tip, and moved on to the rest of the panel. Any seasoned pilot still always went through the routine of the preflight, but she wasn’t having any part of this.
“Flying at night has always been my favorite,” he stated, as if they were having a normal conversation. “Maybe it comes from my years in the Air Force, or maybe I just enjoy the peaceful time and the beauty of the lights below.”
Olivia found herself crossing the space between them as he spoke. There was a different tone to his voice when he talked about flying. He came across almost nostalgic . . . laced with love. Definitely love. Still, she couldn’t get in that plane and keep control over all the swirling emotions.
After a moment, Jackson hopped out of the plane and hit the switch for the bay door. The loud groaning of the track filled the space and the warm summer air swept in as the door lifted. He attached the tow and pulled the plane out and onto the pavement.
Damn it. Olivia knew if she wanted to talk to him, she’d have to get in that plane.
First, though, she had to take a deep, calming breath. The last time she’d been in that plane her father had insisted she fly and he ride as the passenger. They’d talked about nothing, really, and Olivia remembered being irritated because she’d wanted to go to a bonfire with friends, but she’d ended up letting guilt make her decision.
That was the last time she’d been in this Cessna, the last time she’d piloted. She hadn’t given flying much thought since she’d left Haven; she’d tried to push that portion of her life behind her. But here she stood, literally face-to-face with her past when all she wanted to do was leave.
How had she gone so askew from her original plans?
“You want to fly?” Jackson asked, pulling her from her thoughts.
Olivia shook her head, holding her hands up. “Oh, no. I haven’t flown since I was seventeen.”
That devilish grin flashed her way once again. Why did he have to ooze charm and sex appeal? It wasn’t fair that her adversary could make her tingle from across the room. Nor was it fair that someone who was so awkward years ago looked like he’d stepped out of a calendar photo shoot.
She had to work damn hard to attempt to stay on top of her weight, her wrinkles, her dark circles beneath her eyes. Jackson probably just slid out of bed and into his perfectly form-fitted jeans and tees and left the house. No regimen needed when you looked that good.
“I’d say you’d remember the second you got the controls in your hands.” He closed the space between them and nodded toward the plane over his shoulder. “Come on. Aren’t you just a bit curious to see how she still flies?”
A sliver of curiosity had crept up, but she had the willpower to ignore the unwanted emotion.
“I thought we were going to talk about this sale.” There, she just needed to steer the topic back to the reason she was here. “We can do that just as easy in the office.”
“Probably so, but I never get to just fly at night for my enjoyment.” He leaned in closer, keeping that dark, mesmerizing gaze locked onto hers. “Fly with me, Livie. You won’t regret it.”
Oh, he could tempt the last piece of chocolate cake away from hungry women at a packed Weight Watchers meeting. He was too charming for his own good, and she truly needed to keep reminding herself she was here for one purpose . . . and it wasn’t to get swept into his web.
“You can fly,” she informed him. “I’ll just enjoy the view.”
He raked his eyes over her once more and Olivia braced herself for another of his comments. But after a moment, he nodded and headed back toward the plane. She pulled in a deep breath and marched ahead. She didn’t want to think about the last time she sat in the tiny leather seat. She didn’t want to flash back to the first time her father let her have the controls. And she certainly didn’t want to spend more time in Jackson’s company than she had to because . . . well, just because.
Olivia opened the passenger door, used the step on the wing, and climbed inside. That familiar scent surrounded her. The leather, the oil, the metal. There was no dodging the assault of memories. She gripped her hands in her lap as she waited for him to start the engine and do a final check.
Nerves swirled inside her. Not from flying, never from that. She’d actually loved the sport. So many people assumed the worst because the only press aviation received seemed to be when they crashed. But flying was safe, it was beautiful, peaceful. It calmed her in ways she couldn’t explain.
But right now, being back in the plane she’d learned to fly in, the plane her father had babied for years, was a bit difficult. Not to mention being inches from her sexy rival worked over her nerves pretty well too.
“You’ve taken great care of her,” Olivia stated, needing something to break the tension.
“She’s paid my bills, so it’s only fair I pamper her.”
He maneuvered down the runway, radioed his takeoff information through the headset for any surrounding planes to hear, and got into position. The engines roared to life, and then they were jetting down the paved lane flanked by bright blue lights. Within seconds, they were airborne and Olivia looked out her side window. The tiny town of Haven was breathtaking, all glistening in various shades of light.
Jackson was right in saying the night was the most beautiful, the most peaceful. She’d taken this plane out a few times when she’d needed to think or when she just wanted to get away. Her time alone in the plane was limited considering she didn’t get her pilot’s license until she was sixteen, but she’d fallen in love even more once she got behind the controls.
“I wasn’t aware you’d brought an entourage when you came to town.”
Jackson’s words sliced through her thoughts. “Jade and Melanie are hardly an entourage. They’re my best friends.”
“I remember you and Jade were always together. How did you meet Melanie?”
Olivia focused on the town below and not the way Jackson’s aftershave or cologne seemed to mess with her senses. Couldn’t he just smell like grease and sweat? That would make this so much easier. But no. She was enclosed in this tiny space with a man who smelled sexy and had charm dripping off nearly every word.
“We actually met at a marathon a couple years ago,” she replied. Melanie’s history was her story to tell, so Olivia wasn’t getting into all of that. “She twisted her ankle right before the finish line and Jade and I ended up carrying her over it so she could finish. We’ve been friends since.”
“Impressive,” he muttered. He turned the plane toward Savannah. “So what is it you do in Atlanta?”
Olivia adjusted the mic on her headset. “I’m an accountant for a marketing firm, but I’ve been doing some work in PR as well.”
“Sounds boring.”
Olivia clasped her hands in her lap. “It’s not boring. I stay busy and I have a very important position.”
“Staying busy and being needed isn’t the same thing as doing something you love,” he retorted.
“I enjoy nice things, so I like my income.” That may have been a vast understatement. “And I enjoy working somewhere that recognizes my talents.”
“So you need material things and praise with your job?” he asked.
Olivia gritted her teeth. She wasn’t shallow. She wasn’t. Couldn’t she be proud of the hard work she’d done? Why did he have to make her feel remorseful for having goals and reaching them?
“You won’t make me feel guilty for my lifestyle.”
When his whiskey-smooth tone didn’t come back through the headset, Olivia glanced back out the window. She couldn’t deny that she missed this. Flying was ingrained in her blood and no matter the person she was now, she was still the daughter of Paul Daniels.
“You remember Cash and Tanner?”
His abrupt question had her turning in her seat. “Of course. Tanner was in my grade, but Cash was a couple years younger. How are they doing?”
The lights from the panel illuminated Jackson’s face. That hard-set jaw with just enough scruff to make her wonder what it would feel like beneath her palm . . . No. She wasn’t wondering. She didn’t want to reach out and see how he reacted. What in the world was she thinking?
Maybe being confined in this small space was a bad idea. There was nowhere to go and she was literally at his mercy.
“Pretty good,” he replied. “They have a plane in one of the other hangars. They went in on a Beechcraft Piston a few years ago. It’s pretty nice.”
She’d had no idea anyone else occupied the other hangars on the property. Her father had rented the space to recreational fliers, but Olivia never thought about Jackson doing the same.
“Do you have other renters?” she asked.
“A few. I have one guy who was going to leave town, but he ended up falling in love and is staying.” Jax’s laughter came through the headset. “I admit, I’m the one who set them up. But I’ve since learned they knew each other years ago. She was his late wife’s nurse or something. It was an interesting story. Still, if I hadn’t reconnected them—”
“You’re a regular Cupid,” she stated dryly. “What about other renters?”
“I still have space for two more, but aviation is a dying sport. I have a few teenagers who are interested in getting their license. They’ve talked to me about getting hours in and already started their online training. We’ll see if they stick with it.”
Olivia knew some people loved to fly, but once all that power was in their hands, they froze up. Some people scared themselves on landings or even takeoffs. She’d loved every minute of all the rush, the freedom. But the push-pull relationship with her father had tainted her love of the sport.
This entire airport had left a bad taste in her mouth when she’d left, and she hated to admit it, but the longer she was here, the more she was remembering the reasons why she loved it as a child.
She pushed aside the sentimental thoughts and returned her focus to the conversation. “Sounds like you’re not doing too bad.”
She hadn’t meant to let that slip out. She didn’t want to start getting invested emotionally into this situation. That wasn’t smart business sense and she definitely knew better.
“I do all right.” That low, rich voice filled her headset. “As long as I can provide for my daughter and do what I love, I don’t care about extra.”
Guilt slithered through her. Had he purposely thrown his daughter into the conversation to make her second-guess selling?
Olivia couldn’t bear other people’s crosses. She had her own issues and her own life to get on with, and she planned to get on with that life as soon as she put this portion of her past behind her once and for all.
“So you have your teaching license?” she asked.
“Yeah. I didn’t necessarily have the urge to teach, but I’m always looking to learn more and better my skill. Things just fell into place, plus the extra money is nice. I have to watch the hours because of Piper and my regular flights.”
A single father was not someone she had experience with. She wasn’t sure what his life must be like. Olivia didn’t have to worry about anyone else’s schedule. When she wanted to do something, she checked her work calendar first and that was all.
Oh, no. She was shallow.
“Why haven’t you flown since you left?” he asked.
Olivia stared at the controls in front of her. The urge to grab hold was strong, but she fisted her hands in her lap. Everything before her was the past, not her future.
“Probably for the same reasons you’re not married.”
Silence settled over the airways and she wondered if she’d stepped over the line. Obviously, she had, but she didn’t want to delve into her issues any more than he did.
After a moment of tension-filled silence, Jackson’s gruff chuckle came through. “You really don’t want to talk about this, do you? Fine. I’m not married because when I was in the air force my wife gave birth while I was overseas. When she decided she didn’t want to be a parent, I knew I had to give up my career and step up to the plate. She was a heartless mother and signed her rights over as she rushed to get out of town. So, I’ve been a little too busy to date, let alone remarry.”
Olivia stared at the horizon where the darkness met the city lights. She wasn’t sure what to say. She hadn’t fully expected him to open up, so that was shocking in itself, but the picture he painted was heartbreaking.
His wife had left him and a newborn baby? She wanted to compare the parallel childhood she had to his instance, but she’d been eighteen when she’d walked away from her father.
“Nothing to say?” he asked. “You don’t want to share with the class your little secrets?”
Olivia tucked her hands beneath her legs. Part of her wanted to feel those controls once again, part of her wanted him to land this thing because she couldn’t handle being wrapped in all these memories.
“I don’t know what to say,” she murmured. “But no, I don’t want to share anything. I just want to sell this airport. I can’t have this in my life.”
“Wanting to cut those final ties? I guess being a city girl now you’re more concerned with promotions, getting to the top of that corporate ladder, and forgetting your roots.”
Olivia knew anything she said would only make her sound like she hated this place, so she remained silent.
“I guess it’s easier to move on than it is to water those roots, huh?”
Swallowing that lump of remorse, Olivia refused to answer. No, she didn’t want to revisit the past. Obviously, that was the entire point of trying to get out from under this burden.
“You can buy my half,” she suggested, as if that solution would wrap up this mess in a neat package.
“In a perfect world I would. But I have bills to pay and no extra cash.”
“How about a loan?”
“My wife pretty much destroyed my credit while I was overseas. I’m still digging out of that mess.”
Who was this woman he’d been married to? She left a newborn baby and had demolished Jackson’s finances all while he was fighting for their country. What was wrong with people?
“I’m sure there’s something we can work out,” she murmured, more talking to herself than anything. She refused to believe there was no way around this.
“Why don’t I get the property appraised and let’s take it from there.”
Jackson started their descent and part of Olivia was thankful their time was drawing to an end. The other part, the one she wished would shut up and get out of her head, wanted to learn more about the man who stood in her way. She wanted to know what happened after she left, how his relationship was with her father. Most likely Jackson was the exact child her father had wanted. With his love of aviation, Jackson made the perfect replacement once Olivia was gone. Hell, Jackson had been perfect while Olivia had still lived here. Maybe that was just another reason why her father stayed at the airport so often—he’d had someone to bond with.
Olivia couldn’t deny the hurt. She couldn’t deny that when she’d secretly wished her father would put her ahead of everything else, but instead he’d turned to the skies, to Jackson.
“You can do what you want, but you’d be wasting your time.” His voice came through seconds before he tapped the control and announced his landing. “This is my life, Livie. You wouldn’t like it too much if someone showed up at your place of employment one day and told you to give everything up.”
“This isn’t the same thing,” she argued.
“It’s exactly the same thing, I just reversed the scenario.”
He wasn’t going to make her feel guilty. Hadn’t she already had that pep talk with herself? The whole single father, ex-soldier, small-town hunk was too damn appealing on levels she couldn’t even address in her own mind. She refused to let him get to her, but that grip she had on the control was starting to slip. If she didn’t watch herself, she’d lose more than just this sale.
As he lined up with the airstrip, Olivia’s trained eye instantly went to the lights to the left of the runway to make sure all three were green for a safe landing.
“You’re a great pilot,” she found herself saying. “You can tell you have a passion.”
“I would’ve still been in the air force had my life not taken a different turn,” he explained. The plane made a gentle bump as the wheels hit the pavement. “But Piper is the best thing that’s ever happened to me and I wouldn’t change a thing.”
“Not every parent would have given everything up like that.”
“I never walk away from what’s mine. Not even when my marriage was falling apart. I would’ve stuck it out to make things work.”
Olivia didn’t understand that type of dedication. She’d never been shown such devotion or love. She couldn’t help but wonder if he loved his wife that much or if he was just determined to give his daughter the best life he knew how. No matter, she didn’t need his whole backstory. She didn’t need to know what made him tick to move forward with her plans. Selling this airport was nonnegotiable.
“Let me buy your half, Jackson. I would make it worth your while and give you enough until you found something else.”
He taxied around the runway, slowing the plane down and letting the engines cool. Olivia waited on him to flat-out refuse once again. It seemed to be their song and dance. But she wasn’t giving up . . . then again, neither was he.
“Not everything is a business decision,” he finally stated. “You don’t even bother getting to know someone before you try to turn their life inside out. You know the young boy I used to be. You see me as some sort of replacement for you in regard to your father. If you only knew how he was after you left, you might not be in such a hurry to sell his legacy.”
The unwelcome burning in her throat had Olivia swallowing hard. Those emotions she’d once thought buried kept creeping up at the most inopportune times . . . and even more so since she’d been back. Living in her childhood home, sleeping in her old bedroom, and dealing with Jackson really thrust her into dealing with things she’d rather run from. But she’d been running long enough. She was a big girl now—time to act like one.
“You only saw my father’s side of things,” she explained. “I’m sure you think you know the situation, but I promise you don’t.”
As they neared the hangar, he slid off his headset and placed it between them. Bringing the plane to a complete stop, he turned to face her.
“Then tell me,” he stated, as if things were that simple, and that open, between them. “Tell me what it was like. Because I assure you that you also don’t know all the sides of the story. You have no clue that your father kept those little overalls you used to wear as a toddler hanging in his office behind the door until he died. You have no clue that he was sick when you left, and you can’t possibly know that he busted his ass to hold on to this when his medical bills had become so much that he almost had to sell. He stayed at the airport more than usual because he didn’t want you and your mother to see how run-down he was from the illness.”
Shock flooded her as Jackson eased the plane back to the front of the hangar. She sat in utter silence, letting his words penetrate her mind. Once they were parked, he shut the plane down and abruptly exited as if he had nothing else to say to her. Olivia let him go, because she truly had no clue how to respond.
Tears pricked her eyes and she knew she was at a point where she was going to have to get some answers before she could fully move on. She was going to have to revisit that time when she’d left, and Jackson was going to have to fill her in because, no, she’d had no clue her father had been sick.
And that bit of information just changed the dynamics of this entire situation.