Chapter Nine
“You win, again,” Jax declared.
Piper squealed and pulled the cards across the table. “You guys are terrible at Go Fish.”
“Why do I feel like I’m raising a card shark?” he muttered as he came to his feet.
“Because you are,” Cash replied.
Cash and Tanner had come over about an hour ago. They’d eaten and settled into Piper’s favorite game, but it was getting later and he needed to get Piper into bed.
When they were home at a decent hour, he made sure she didn’t stay up late. There were circumstances where flights held him up, but even then his faithful babysitter and neighbor was always good to get Piper home and in bed.
“One more game.” She stared up at him with those big brown eyes and shoved that bottom lip out. “Please, Daddy?”
He laughed. “Nice try, darlin’. Go in and get your pajamas on and I’ll come tuck you in.”
“And read my story,” she stated climbing down from the kitchen table.
Cash stood and scooped Piper up. “How about I read your story? I haven’t tucked you in for a while.”
“Yay, but when you read, you’re not allowed to do funny voices,” she told him, patting his stubbled jawline. “This is a serious book.”
He gave her a mock salute. “Yes, ma’am. Let’s go.”
Tanner remained at the table and started straightening the cards. “You talked anymore to Livie?”
Jax opened the fridge and pulled out a beer. “You’ve been dying to ask that, haven’t you?”
Tanner shrugged. “You going to get me a beer?”
“No.” Jax popped the cap off and took a long, refreshing pull. “Piper barely got out of the room before you already started in on me like some gossipy old lady.”
“Call me what you want, but I’m still waiting to hear. You must’ve seen her again or you would’ve already told me no.”
Jax had seen her in person, as well as in every single dream since she’d stepped back into town. And she’d texted him earlier to inform him she wanted to sit down and discuss the airport. Heaven help him, she was going to test every bit of patience he had.
“No, wait. Don’t say anything.” Tanner stood and circled the table. “Cash will want to hear this too.”
He nudged Jax out of the way and took his own beer out of the fridge. Jax hadn’t told his cousins about the idea Livie had run by him. He was still trying to process it all himself. There wasn’t a doubt in his mind that she was full-blown into this concept and was probably home making spreadsheets or a PowerPoint presentation to go over with him tomorrow.
Well, he knew of one way to distract her if he didn’t like how their little meeting was going.
“Anything exciting happening in Haven I don’t know about?” Jax asked, hoping to deflect the conversation away from him.
Tanner pulled out one of the kitchen chairs and sank into it. Resting his elbow on the edge of the table, he took a drink before setting his bottle down. “Not much. I get nervous when it’s this quiet, though. It’s like the calm before the storm.”
“It’s Haven,” Jax stated. “Nothing too wild goes on here.”
Tanner winced. “Don’t say that. When I start getting too comfortable, that’s when something strange happens. Last month I had a call that there was a guy in a pool trying to have sex with a blow-up floatie.”
Jax was so glad he wasn’t taking a drink right at that moment. “How the hell is that even possible? I guess whatever people want to do in their pools is their business, but that’s gross.”
“It wasn’t his pool,” Tanner corrected. “The lady came home and found a guy in her backyard with one of her floats.”
“Brings a whole new light to breaking and entering.”
Tanner shot him a narrowed glance. “You’re hilarious.”
“I think so.”
“I did pull over a woman the other day who was pretty hot and I hadn’t seen her in town before. That rarely happens.”
Jax resisted the urge to roll his eyes as he took a seat across from Tanner. “Knowing you, I’d say it happens all the time. That’s how you get your dates.”
“I do not abuse my badge,” he corrected. “The woman claimed she was from Atlanta, which might explain why she was speeding through town. City folks have no respect for the small towns.”
“You said she was from Atlanta?” Jax asked, figuring he knew who his cousin had pulled over.
Tanner knew Jade and Livie, so that pretty much left Melanie. She would definitely be his cousin’s type. Beautiful, classy. Tanner actually preferred all types. He had a habit of dating once and being done. Settling down wasn’t an option for him because he’d seen enough from Jax and Cash to be scarred for life.
Perhaps Jax should’ve gone along with that way of life and just dated. Marriage clearly hadn’t worked for him, but had he not married, he wouldn’t have Piper and he couldn’t even fathom his life without her.
“Blond. I believe her name was Melanie.”
Jax smiled. Looks like the tide was about to turn. “That’s Livie’s friend. She’s staying with her.”
Tanner quirked a dark brow. “Is that so?”
“Livie, Melanie, and Jade are all staying together. I don’t know anything about Melanie, though. I just saw her the time I went to pick up Livie.”
Cash stepped back into the room. “What are you two ladies gossiping about?”
“She asleep?” Jax asked.
Cash nodded and grabbed a bottle of water from the fridge. As a fitness trainer and coach, he was extremely particular about what he put into his body. At times he could be extreme, but Jax wasn’t judging. Cash had made quite a name and a business for himself over the years. His gym was the most popular in the area and Cash’s clients were constantly singing his praises on social media and around town.
“I’m thinking about asking Livie out while she’s in town,” Tanner stated.
Jax refused to take the bait. “Go ahead.”
Cash smacked Tanner. “Shut up. You’re not asking her out because you know she’ll turn you down and you hate rejection.”
“I don’t get rejected,” he retorted.
Cash circled the table and took the seat Piper had been in. “We playing poker or is it time for our girl chat?”
Jax didn’t keep secrets from his cousins—they’d been through everything together from the time they were toddlers, through school, girls, sex, the military, and now as adults. He valued their advice, and though he didn’t always take it, he still wanted to hear it to weigh all his options. Besides, he wasn’t about to go into this little meeting with her without some type of mental backup.
“Livie approached me about renovating the airport.”
Cash and Tanner stilled and stared across the table. Sliding his thumb over the condensation dripping down his bottle, he tried to still make sense of how this plan would come to life . . . if he and Livie ever got on the same page about anything other than kissing. Because they were most definitely on the same page about that.
“So she doesn’t want it sold?” Cash asked. He leaned forward on his elbows and gripped his water. “What type of renovating does she want to do?”
“She mentioned turning it into a private airstrip for high-profile clients.”
Jax still wasn’t sure how he felt about that. This was a small town, he wanted to keep that ambiance. Granted the place could use some TLC, but changing the dynamics of the entire business was quite a bit to consider.
“She said I’d continue to fly my regular clients, and the hangars we rent would still be the same. Jade had an idea—”
“Jade’s here too?” Cash asked, his brows rising. “I haven’t seen her since high school.”
Jax nodded. “Livie, Jade, and their friend Melanie. Ask Tanner about her.”
Cash glanced over. “Melanie?”
Tanner shrugged. “I gave her a speeding ticket. That’s all.”
“She hot?” Cash asked.
“You could say that.”
Jax laughed and got up to toss his empty bottle. “She’s blond, petite, and he gave her a ticket days ago but is still thinking about it.”
“Can we get back to this talk of renovations?” Tanner asked with a frustrated tone.
“Jade said since there’s a huge influx of filming going on in Georgia, it would make sense to explore this angle.” Jax sank back down into his seat and leaned back, tapping his fingers on the table. “I don’t know, though. I mean, that would take an exorbitant amount of money, plus the planning, and . . . hell, I don’t even know what all would go into that. I’m sure some legal BS I don’t want to deal with.”
“So what are you going to do?” Tanner asked. “Tell her you don’t want to sell or renovate? She’s not just going to go away.”
No, no she wasn’t. Jax wasn’t so sure he wanted her to go away. She intrigued him. Beneath that stuffy exterior, the polished clothes, and the defiant tip of her chin she always gave him, Jax knew the girl who had grown up here and had fallen in love with the sport of flying was still in there . . . and he was damn well going to bring her out.
“I don’t know what to do,” Jax admitted, blowing out a frustrated sigh. “I guess I’ll let her talk and then think about it. I’m in no hurry to do anything, really. I’m not selling, so anything else she proposes will be in my court. She’s going to have to go back to Atlanta at some point.”
Not that he wanted her to go. He must have been a masochist because he actually enjoyed having her around. That was obviously the case considering he could still taste her kiss, feel her body pressed to his.
Jax reached for the cards. He didn’t want to keep hashing this out with his friends. He needed some guy time now that Piper was asleep, and poker was the perfect solution.
“Hope you ladies brought money,” he stated as he started shuffling. “I’m still saving for that new plane.”
Cash snorted. “You’re going to have to find a sugar mama if you want that to happen or sell everything you own and live in it as well.”
Jax wasn’t deterred by finances. Yes, things may have looked bleak, but he wasn’t about to give up. When had he ever? It may take him until he was ready to retire, but he’d save every extra dime he had.
“So let’s hear more about this Melanie.” Cash reached for his cards and shot a look to Tanner.
Jax merely smiled as Tanner groaned. “Yes, let’s hear more.”
* * *
“What are you doing?”
Olivia stared at Jade as her friend came out the back door with trash bags. Not just the small ones from the kitchen, but the large black ones they’d had upstairs.
“Getting a move on this.” Jade wrestled the bags down the steps. “There’s two more if you want to go get them.”
They’d only been back from their morning run for a half hour. Olivia had grabbed a quick shower and made coffee, and had just settled on the back porch to answer e-mails.
“I’ll throw the stuff away when I’m ready,” she argued. “Put those down.”
Jade dropped the bags and propped her hands on her hips. “Trash runs tomorrow. We need to get rid of these.”
“We’re not paying for trash,” Olivia countered. “We’re not going to be here that long.”
“One of your nosy neighbors said we could put it with hers. I asked.”
Olivia stared down at her friend at the base of the steps. At some point, Olivia was going to have to let go. She didn’t think saying good-bye to old memories and her father’s things would be this difficult. She’d assumed she’d come into town, offer to help set up the sale of the airport, clean out her childhood home, and be back in Atlanta before she had to tap into any emotions.
In theory that all sounded fantastic. But reality had settled in and Olivia knew she was going to have to truly focus if she wanted to get out of here.
“Which sacks are those?” she asked Jade.
“Just the old school papers you said to toss.” Jade tipped her head, her red ponytail swinging across her shoulder. “I’m doing this for you. If you can’t get rid of the stuff, then I can. Melanie and I are here to help.”
Olivia sat her laptop on the side table. “I know. It needs to be done. Go ahead and make sure you tell Mrs. Timmonds thanks. We’ll have to make her a cake or something.”
“Melanie can. I suck at baking.”
Olivia laughed as Jade hauled the two sacks across the driveway toward the elderly lady’s house. Glancing back to her laptop, Olivia stared at the e-mails, but reached over and closed out the screen. She grabbed her phone and went to the notes section. There were some minor repairs she needed to do to the house before she could sell it. There wasn’t much reason for her to keep it since she didn’t plan on staying in Haven. Even if she and Jackson came to some agreement on the plans for the airport, she had no intention of living here.
Olivia quickly typed in the issues she knew needed to be addressed. The living room and kitchen needed fresh coats of paint, the master bedroom carpet needed to be replaced, the floor in the kitchen needed to be changed out. The more Olivia added, the more she realized this was going to take a while to get done.
She’d need to call someone to come measure and give her a price on new flooring. Not exactly what she wanted to spend some of her savings on, but she’d get a return back once the house sold. There was no way she could put it on the market in the state it was now. With the town thriving, people would expect the homes to be up to the same standards.
As she was reading through her list, her cell rang. The number on the screen had her heart kicking up.
“Tom,” Olivia greeted. “Good morning.”
“Morning. I hope I didn’t catch you at a bad time.”
“No, this is perfect.” As if she’d tell the CEO any different. Why was he calling? The endless possibilities made her stomach churn. “I trust you saw the marketing plan I laid out for the VanKirk Agency.”
“That’s why I’m calling. I have given that account over to Steve for the time being.”
She’d busted her ass for this company. Her accounting degree was only a sliver of the talent she gave to this place. She’d always thought she was valued no matter what corporate hat she wore.
Olivia’s heart sank, her breath caught in her throat. She came to her feet just as Jade came back around the side of the house. Whatever her friend saw in her eyes had Jade coming up the steps and standing right by Olivia.
“May I ask why?”
“I have something else in mind for you, and it’s something I only trust you with.”
A little part of Olivia eased, but how could the largest account just be taken from her like that? Did this mean he thought Steve was better for the job or did Tom believe Olivia was the best and he was giving her an even bigger account? Too many questions and she was in no position to second-guess her boss.
“I’m honored you trust me,” she stated. “Is this a new account or an already established client?”
“I’m going to e-mail you the details shortly,” Tom told her. “I wanted to let you know about the VanKirk Agency first before you followed up with them or had any more contact. I’m putting you on a delicate would-be clientele. We’re hoping to sway them our way and if you can manage that, it will be the biggest project you’ve ever had.”
Olivia rubbed her forehead, a little worried over what was to come, but excited at the prospect of pulling in the largest account they’d ever had. Surely that would ensure her position as COO . . . right? There was no way to know what her boss was thinking, but with the promotion on the line, Olivia would do what was asked of her.
“I look forward to seeing more details,” she told him honestly. “Thank you for trusting me.”
“No thanks necessary,” Tom replied. “On a personal note, how is the packing coming along?”
Olivia had simply told her boss she needed to settle her father’s things and pack up the house before coming back. He’d been amazing by telling her to take her time because he’d lost his grandmother a year ago and had done the same.
“A little slower than expected, but nothing I can’t handle.”
“I never had any doubt,” he stated, a smile to his voice. “Take all the time you need. So long as you’re working, I’m fine with you not being in the office for now.”
She knew he was sincere with that, but at the same time, she wanted to be back. She didn’t know if Steve would try something sneaky with her gone and she didn’t want to give him the opportunity, either.
“I hope to be back within a couple weeks. I’m working on cleaning out the house, and then there are some minor repairs that need to be done before I can list it.”
“Well, like I said, if you need more time, just let me know. I’ll send that e-mail within the hour.”
Olivia disconnected the call and sank back into the chair. Her mind raced in all directions and she couldn’t wait to get that ping from her phone and open the e-mail.
“I can’t decide if you’re panicking or if you’re fine.” Jade sat down on the porch swing on the other side of the chair. “Was that your boss?”
Olivia nodded. “I’m fine, but panicking. He’s pulled me from one account and has something else for me. He claims it’s even bigger than what I was working on. I’m waiting on the details now.”
“Does that mean you’re out of commission until you hear from him?”
Narrowing her eyes, Olivia stared at her dearest yet sometimes sneaky friend. “What did you have in mind?”
“I just figured we could go see Jax.” She offered a megawatt smile. “All three of us.”
Olivia knew precisely what her friend was doing. She was being nosy and planned on pulling Melanie in on everything as a sidekick.
Jade merely raised a brow and crossed her arms. “I can be showered and ready in twenty minutes.”
“Which is another reason I hate you,” Olivia grumbled, reaching over to pull up her e-mails again. “How can you look like you walked off a magazine shoot and take so little time?”
“It’s the Irish genes,” she explained, batting her lashes. “Now, give me just a few minutes. I’ll let Mel know we’re leaving soon.”
As Jade literally raced past Olivia into the house, Olivia couldn’t help but laugh. Whatever it took to keep her friends’ minds off their own issues. If they wanted to join forces with her when she went to talk to Jackson, the more the merrier. Perhaps Jade could convince him to . . .
What? Did Olivia actually want to make this grand change to the airport? Did she want to devote all the time, energy, and funds to not only get the place up and running to a normal standard, but to make it bigger and better than ever?
Olivia stared at her e-mails as the one she’d been waiting for finally appeared in bold letters at the top. As she opened it and began reading, she realized her life may be getting more hectic than ever, but yes, she did want to make this work.
Somehow, someway, she would. Because Olivia had never backed down from a challenge and if this risky renovation was going to bring in more money in the long run, then she’d be a fool to pursue the sale like she’d initially planned.
First, she needed to reply to her boss, and then she needed to round up her girl posse and head to the hangar. She wasn’t sure if Jackson was out flying or if he’d be around, but she’d be ready for him. And if she had those chaperones they’d joked about, he wouldn’t try anything . . . would he?