Chapter 34
JAXON
Mom sat in stunned silence for at least five whole minutes after I told her about my meeting with Lindsay. Eventually, a wide smile broke out across her face and she leaned back in the armchair she’d favored since I was born.
“You, my dear, are up shit’s creek without a paddle in sight.” Mirth laced her tone, and I stared her down.
“Have you been talking to Kavan?” I narrowed my eyes at her. “Because I’ve already heard that, and you said it in almost the exact same way.”
“Maybe I had another son I never knew about,” she mused, her eyes still turned up at the corners. “That boy certainly seems to share a brain with me. His wife too. They’re lovely people. Dinner once a week isn’t nearly enough time with them.”
“You see them once a week?” It was my turn to swallow my surprise. “Since when?”
“Since three years ago when I ran into Shira at the post office. We got to talking, and things happened.”
“Three years?” I asked slowly, my jaw nearly coming off. “Why haven’t I been invited?”
“You’re away so much.” She flicked her wrist. “Why? Are you jealous? If you are, you should start being home more often.”
“Not jealous. Just surprised.” But there was a little flicker of jealousy. Not because they’d all been spending time together or even that I hadn’t known about it but because I’d always longed for big family dinners.
Being an only child, that was the one thing I’d never had.
I would never complain about not having any siblings, but every only child got that occasional pang to know what it was like.
Kavan was the closest thing I’d ever had to a brother, and his wife had wormed her way into my idea of family just as fast.
If I stayed in my current job, I might get to experience it. Chances of staying in my current job, however, were slim to none.
Mom regarded me with sorrow in her eyes. “Surprised but not so much that you’d like to join us next time?”
“I’d love to join you.” I braced myself for what I had to say next. One of the main reasons I’d come to see her today was that I had to talk to her frankly about the logistics of what it would mean if I got fired. “I won’t be able to if I’m going to be based in Dallas, though.”
Her entire body stilled, and for the first time, I really saw the toll the years of my absence had taken on her. “Excuse me? Why on earth would you be based in Dallas?”
“If I get fired.” I started when the chiming of an incoming email on my phone interrupted me. “Let me check this. It might be work.”
Mom harrumphed but glared at my phone. “Go ahead.”
My gaze flitted across the screen. Anna, who I now knew was Lindsay’s assistant, asked me to come into the office to discuss what was happening. I sighed, shoving my phone back into my pocket.
“I have to go. I’m being summoned by the powers that be.” I got up and kissed her cheek. “I’ll let you know what’s going on as soon as I do.”
“Pick up an application for some other local airlines while you’re near the airport, darling. This girl isn’t going to help you and I’m not having you move to Dallas.”
I gave her a blank stare, but she just shrugged and giggled. “Let me put it to you this way. If she helps you despite what you did, you drop down on one knee and ask her to marry you right then and there.”
“She’d say no, Mom.” Worse yet, I’d deserve it. “We haven’t even known each other a month. Even if she wasn’t pissed off as all hell with me, she still wouldn’t say yes.”
All my mother did was to shrug and let out another giggle. For a woman who had looked so serious not even a minute ago, she sure was cheerful all of a sudden.
I didn’t question her, though. Her mind worked in mysterious ways. For all I knew, she was taking this communication from Lindsay as a good sign.
I was a little more pessimistic about it. There was no way she’d have let go of her grudge so fast, and the last I’d heard was an email from Anna addressed to both myself and my manager that they were investigating and would update us in due course.
A day hardly felt like due course, but so be it.
Leaving my mother’s house, I mentally prepared myself for receiving my marching orders.
She was right, though. Just because I was being let go from one airline and had had another opportunity in Dallas didn’t mean I had to take it.
There were plenty of other local players.
I just had to keep my chin up and start over.
Again.
When I got to the office, I struggled to get out of my car.
No one looked forward to facing certain termination, but it made it that much worse that I was about to be sent to hell by a woman I genuinely cared about.
A woman I could picture myself sitting beside on the porch when we were old and gray, watching our great-grandchildren frolicking in our backyard.
Lowering my head to the steering wheel, I banged my forehead against the leather a few times, my fingers gripping it like the answer would be different if I choked the life out of it. From the corner of my eye, I saw a plain rectangular piece of cardboard in my cupholder.
Big Mac’s card.
I’d never believed in signs from the heavens or the universe or the fucking stars, but this sure seemed to be one. Okay, so it’d also been me sticking it in there when I got off my flight, but I hadn’t even noticed it again until now.
As if someone outside of myself was making my decisions, I reached into my pocket and extracted my phone. Typing in the numbers on the card, I was halfway to convincing myself he wasn’t going to answer when he did.
I hadn’t even stopped to calculate the time difference, but he sounded as awake and jovial as ever when he picked up. “This is Mackleroy. How can I be of service today?”
“Mackleroy?” I echoed, trying to stifle a laugh. Just the sound of his voice made me feel like a ten-ton weight had been lifted off my chest. “This is Jaxon, man. Is your name really Mackleroy?”
He laughed, the sound booming and carefree. “Jaxon! I was wondering how long it was going to take you to get in touch. Mackleroy is better than Mackerel, which was my mother’s other option, but why do you think I call myself Big Mac?”
“Good call.” For just a second, I was transported back to the island and how easy it’d been to strike up a friendship with this man. He was the only one who knew both of us. The only one who had seen us together and, therefore, had any real idea of what we’d had together. “You got a second?”
“For you? Always. What’s going on?”
“I didn’t check the time before calling. Did I wake you up?”
“Nah. I’m getting ready for the breakfast service, but the minions can handle it for now.” He chuckled evilly. “It’ll be a good test of how well they listen. Hit me. What’s happening over there? You and Lindsay work it out?”
“Not yet.” I highlighted our current situation to him, but not surprisingly, he didn’t sound distraught or even shocked.
“This is it, my friend,” he said. “The planets are aligning. This is your moment. It’s your chance to kiss and make up, so to speak. Don’t let the moment pass you by, Jaxon. Not many people in your shoes get one chance to get the girl back. You might not get another.”
Well, that was heartening. He had a point, though. Once again, Lindsay and I had been pushed into each other’s paths. Who knew how many bites we had at the cherry before it was all a distant memory?
Before I become the old guy in the nursing home harping on about how I’d missed my one shot. Obviously, I’d respect her wishes. I wouldn’t push too hard and I definitely wouldn’t try to insert myself—unwanted—into her life again.
But I sure as hell was going to at least give redemption a try. Who knows? Maybe the planets and the stars and whatever the fuck else really are rooting for us.