Chapter 19
Chapter Nineteen
T he weekend went by too fast , Harrison thought as he stared out the kitchen window drinking a cup of coffee. It was Sunday, late morning, and according to Nyla, time for her to get back to her life. If he had his way, she would be by his side forever, and wasn’t that funny?
He grunted and shook his head. For years, and even as recent as weeks, he had vowed that he’d never let a woman get close to his heart again. And wasn’t he the one who vowed to be a bachelor until he took his last breath?
That would be a yes, but that was before Nyla came into his life. He had never fallen for a woman as quickly as he’d fallen for her. Surprisingly, it didn’t freak him out. If anything, he was more at peace today than he’d been in the last five years. Happier too, and he owed it all to Nyla Priestly.
“What are you thinking about?” Nyla asked as she looped her arms around his waist from behind. Her hands rested on his stomach, and he covered them with his free hand and squeezed.
“You,” he said simply. “I was thinking about how sensational you are, and how I’ve enjoyed having you here.”
Even though yesterday’s conversation about his past had worn him out, after a nap, he felt refreshed. It was as if talking to Nyla about his life helped him release the burden of keeping that information to himself.
The year he’d been arrested had been the worst year of his life. A year plagued with hurt, betrayal, humiliation, and loss. Yet he survived it. That was something Nyla made him see last night when they’d continued the conversation over dinner. No, he would never want to relive that time but surviving it had made him stronger. After what he went through, he could now handle anything that life threw his way.
Harrison sat his mug on the counter and turned within Nyla’s hold until he was facing her. Bending down, he captured her mouth with his. He loved kissing her, holding her, and inhaling her essence. She felt like a gift that he hadn’t known he needed or wanted, and he would cherish her for as long as she’d have him.
When the kiss ended, he asked. “What are your plans for the rest of the day?”
Nyla sucked in air and released it slowly as she moved out of his hold. “That’s a good question. At first, I was going to have you drive me home. However, if you don’t mind, can you drop me off at my parents’ B & B instead? It’ll give me a chance to visit with them for a minute. Then my father and I are going to look at a car that a friend of his is selling. I didn’t want to spend the money on one yet, but I need a vehicle.”
“I would let you use my other car, but it’s not great in this type of weather,” he said of his older model BMW. It was in immaculate condition, but he learned the hard way that it wasn’t good in snow.
Nyla moved around the center island and sat on one of the barstools. “That’s sweet of you, but I need to do this for more reasons than just needing transportation.”
Harrison frowned. “What other reason is there?”
She lowered her gaze and nibbled on her lower lip. “A couple of weeks ago, my sister, Cree, told me that I needed to grow up. I’ve been couch surfing, bumming rides, and basically not standing on my own two feet.”
“Do you need money?” Harrison asked, prepared to do anything that could help her.
“I have the money to support myself, but it’s earmarked for buying Moody Days. I need to prove, mainly to myself, that I can afford to support myself while also buying and owning a business.”
Harrison leaned on the counter in front of her. “I see. Can you?”
“It’s going to be tight, especially since I don’t know if I’ll have enough saved by the time Gordon retires in a couple of months. Even though I hadn’t wanted to hear it, Cree was right. I need to get my priorities straight. I have to have a roof over my head and dependable transportation.”
Harrison wanted to suggest she move in with him, but that wouldn’t be helpful. Clearly, these changes were something she needed to prove to herself. Even if he’d love to have her under his roof every day for the rest of their lives.
“Would you consider an investor or a silent partner for Moody Days?”
“No,” she said quickly, a sting behind that one word. “I don’t want anyone telling me how to run a business that I’ve been managing for years. That’s exactly what would happen if they got involved.”
Her words were spoken with passion and maybe even a little anger. It was safe to say this was a sore subject.
“Why not?” he asked carefully. “Why wouldn’t you want to hear their opinions or suggestions?”
“Because I know what I’m doing!” she snapped, fire in her eyes. “Just because they all have college degrees doesn’t mean they know better than I do. I know how to run that club. I don’t need them telling me what to do!”
Harrison lifted his hands. “Okay. Okay, I get it. You’ve already proven that you can run the club. Nobody—especially not me—is denying that. I’m sorry. I’m sure if they offered you money to help you achieve your dream of business ownership, it wasn’t because they didn’t believe in you.”
She blew out a breath and glanced away. “No, I’m the one who’s sorry. I keep letting my insecurities make me lash out. I know you mean well, but Harrison I have to do this myself.”
Their conversation the other night came to mind. He’d forgotten that she felt inferior to those with college degrees. If only she could see herself the way he saw her. Strong, smart, intuitive. He’d seen those qualities in her the first week she worked at Telecom. She handled every assignment given to her with ease and professionalism. There was no doubt that others saw those qualities in her too, and that’s what he told her.
Moving around the counter, he sat next to her. “You’re an amazing woman who can accomplish anything you set out to do. I’m sure I speak for me and your family when I say that.”
“Thank you.” She squeezed his arm. “I appreciate you saying that. I know my insecurities are in my head, but occasionally, they make an appearance when I least expect it.”
“That happens to all of us from time to time. I’m just glad you haven’t let that stop you from pursuing your dreams. Would you consider a silent investor?”
She narrowed her eyes at him, but when she opened her mouth to probably say no, he lifted his hands to silence her.
“Hear me out before you automatically shoot down my idea. After releasing me from prison, the state gave me fifty-thousand-dollars.”
Her mouth dropped open. “Seriously?”
He nodded. As far as he was concerned, they owed him a helluva lot more than that, but he kept that to himself.
“I lost a year of my life, and I guess that was their way of saying sorry, let us help you out. Anyway, I invested the money in stocks that have done extremely well. I haven’t touched the funds because I’ve been wanting to invest in a business. Why not Moody Days? Let me help you obtain your dream.”
Nyla started shaking her head before he could finish the last sentence, but he pushed on.
“I can have a contract drawn up that says that I’m only an investor. I won’t have any say in how you run the business. All decisions are your own unless you ask my opinion on something. You won’t have to pay interest or anything back for the first five years that you’re in business.”
“Harrison…”
“It’ll all be in writing. Whether you and I make it as a couple or not, and yes, we’re a couple,” he added quickly, “the money is yours for five years with three percent interest. After the five-year mark, you’ll start paying it back in monthly installments.”
“Harrison, I can’t ask you to do that.”
“You didn’t ask. I’m offering.”
She was still shaking her head. “That’s a horrible investment. You wouldn’t be receiving much of a return, especially with that low interest rate.”
“I’ve been planning to find a business to invest in, and I can’t think of a better one than Moody Days. If it makes you feel better, we can negotiate a deal. At any rate, my love for jazz and music is only part of the reason why I think this is a good idea. The other? Not only will I be investing in your business, but I’ll be investing in you. Baby, I believe in you . I know you can make the club even more successful than you already have.”
Tears filled her eyes, and his heart lurched. The last thing he wanted to do was make her cry, even if they were happy tears.
“If you cry, you might make me cry, and I did enough of that yesterday.”
She laughed, but he was serious. He had never cried in front of a woman, and he never wanted to again. Hell, the only time he could ever remember shedding tears was that first night in prison after the jury found him guilty. He had lost hope and thought his life was over. He had also cried when his father died, but that didn’t count since he’d been a child at the time.
“I don’t know what to say,” Nyla whispered.
Harrison stood and stretched out his hand. “Say we have a deal or that we’ll start working on a deal.”
She looked at his hand for a second before sliding her smaller one into his grasp. They shook hands, and Harrison gently tugged her to him.
“I really do believe in you, and I’m glad you’re going to let me help you make your dream come true.”
“I don’t know how I’ll ever be able to thank you,” she said, putting her arms around his neck.
“You can thank me by being the best damn club owner in Chicago.”
She grinned at him and heat spread to every cell in his body. His new life mission was to keep that smile on her gorgeous face.
Harrison kissed her long and hard, savoring her unique, sweet taste. He regretted that their weekend was coming to an end, but he was happier than he’d been in a long time. She made him feel alive again.
“I wish I could keep you here forever,” he mumbled against her lips before pulling back.
Nyla glanced up at him. “The feeling is mutual, and though that would be fun, it’s not realistic.”
Maybe not yet but one day , Harrison wanted to say but kept the thought to himself. What he didn’t want to do was move too fast and scare her away. Yet, he believed with all his heart she was the one for him. His other half. The person who completed him. The person who he would spend the rest of his life with.
It was only a matter of time.