Twenty-nine
Will chatted with an acquaintance he’d known for some time but his gaze kept wandering to Lexi, who was listening intently to whatever Kyra was telling her as they browsed the silent auction table. The money would go to charities. As much as his mother got under his skin at times, she was doing wonderful work in the community. The tension at their table hadn’t been easy to ignore but the food was excellent and his grandparents already seemed enamored with Lexi. Maddie fidgeted with her linen napkin, her shoulders ramrod straight, her expression guarded even though he could see Rachel was doing her best to make her laugh. The plan was for Will’s dad to give a speech wishing the company a happy birthday, Will to honor his grandfather and grandmother and their success, and his grandfather to announce Maddie taking over as CEO, followed by a few words from his sister.
He and Kyra had tried to soothe her nerves but their father’s snide comments since Granddad told them hadn’t made it easy. Will was just happy to enjoy one of these things without feeling like his mother had him on some sort of eligible bachelor display. But he didn’t like seeing either of his sisters worked up over something that should be a celebration.
Excusing himself from the conversation, which he was doing a lousy job listening to, he headed Lexi’s way. She captivated him. The way her hair was swept up off her neck, exposing delicate skin he’d explored with his mouth. The way she played with the snap on her clutch, opening it and closing it, a tiny tell no one else would notice but one reminding Will that no matter what she showed to the world, she wasn’t entirely comfortable in this setting.
He’d just about reached Lexi, locked eyes with her, felt that spark of lust and something much deeper that happened every time they were together, when someone said his name.
He turned to see Nigel, the fiancé of Lexi’s friend, striding toward him. From the corner of his eye, he saw Lexi’s look of recognition morph into nerves only to be immediately smoothed out again into a welcoming expression.
“How’s it going?” Nigel said, a bright smile on his face. The guy was polished and friendly. Will had enjoyed talking with him at the party and he knew Lexi enjoyed reconnecting with Jackie even though there was hesitancy in her tone the times she’d brought up her old friend.
Will shook his hand. “Great. Thank you for coming.”
Lexi headed toward them.
Nigel dropped his hand, looking around. “Thanks for inviting us.”
Will laughed. “Trust me, if I were in charge of the guest list, it’d be more like the party you guys threw. That was a lot of fun.”
“Speaking of, we should go for dinner or something; the four of us or six, I guess. Becs and Jackie are pretty inseparable and now that they’ve got Lexi back in the mix, we might be in for a lot of get-togethers.”
The idea of planning couples get-togethers and having more of Lexi in his future appealed to him in a way he’d never expected.
“There she is,” Nigel said as Lexi came the rest of the way to where they stood. “Hey. Great to see you and be part of the celebration.” Nigel leaned in to kiss Lexi’s cheek.
After greeting him, she moved back, closer to Will. “Good to see you too. It’s quite the party, isn’t it?”
Will put an arm around her waist, smiling as she nestled into his side like it was the most natural thing in the world. “My parents know how to host an event.”
Nigel chuckled, nodding. “I’ve been to my share of these things, whatever the celebration. They don’t always feel so welcoming so I’d say you’re right.”
As a former pro athlete, he’d likely attended far bigger events than this. And maybe if Grand Babies had gone the route Will’s father had wanted, they would’ve opened up more doors, but in this moment Will was perfectly content with exactly what he had. And he didn’t see that changing anytime soon.
In a flurry of glitter and satin, Jackie joined them, a little squeal leaving her mouth as she hugged Lexi.
“I was sad we didn’t do the whole dress-up thing earlier this week but it worked out for the best because this dress is gorgeous. Your future sisters-in-law have amazing taste.”
Lexi pulled back from Jackie, her smile a little more forced than it’d been. “They absolutely do. I’m so glad you guys are here. Where’s Becca?”
Jackie hooked a manicured thumb over her shoulder. “On the dance floor. What have you been up to? Your texts are so quick and we haven’t been able to nail you down to a girls’ night.”
Will smoothed a hand over the soft skin of Lexi’s back, hoping his touch lessened the tension coiling in her.
“Actually, I started a new job and I’ve been busier than I expected.”
“Congratulations,” Jackie said. “What are you doing?”
Lexi stood a little taller next to him. “Technically, my title is operations manager for a soon-to-be-opened second Side Tap location.” She leaned toward her friend just a little. “But really, it feels like I’m just on a huge shopping spree and it’s amazing.”
They all laughed. “I would love that job. But seriously, carve out some time because we want to hang out and talk wedding stuff. I’m pretty sure Becca will be wearing her own ring by Christmas.”
“I was just saying to Will that we should all go for dinner. We’ve been to Side Tap a couple of times. Maybe we should go there,” Nigel said, wrapping an arm around Jackie’s waist.
Jackie nodded. “Yes. That’s a great idea.”
Lexi tensed beside him before blowing out a breath. “Actually, we’re having a Halloween party there. You should come. You’ll love it. Costumes mandatory, great food. I’ll email you the information.”
“We absolutely will, but I still want some solo time,” Jackie said.
The emcee for the evening tapped the microphone, letting them know speeches would start soon.
As they walked back to their table, Will noticed his mother gesturing somewhat dramatically as she spoke into his father’s ear. His dad’s posture was rigid, like he was a cement version of himself. Just do the right thing, Dad. Don’t let ego get in the way. Will looked at Lexi, saw her glancing around the room, and stopped.
“You okay?”
She met his gaze, her own vulnerable and sweet, unleashing a protective streak in him that he didn’t know he had. She nodded. “I am. I hate lying. I mean, at least we’re actually together but Jackie sees me as who I used to be and that’s not who I am now. She put me on some sort of pedestal and thinks I’m a better version of who I was. It makes me feel awful for lying, but also like a complete fraud. She wants to get together and pick up where we left off but I feel like if she knew who I am now, she’d want nothing to do with the real me.”
People milled around, jostling past them to get to their seats. Will ignored them, turned Lexi into him, bending his knees so he could see her eyes.
“Who you are is a woman who has worked her ass off, fighting back against some hard knocks to land on her gorgeous feet. You’ve knocked me off mine and I couldn’t be prouder to have you here with me tonight, celebrating and spending time with my family. Sometimes our own self-doubt colors how we think others see us. She may have put you on a pedestal, Lexi, but so what? You deserve to be there. You’re an incredible woman. You guys were teenagers the last time you were close. You weren’t rich or powerful then. Just a great track star. Whatever she liked about you then is still inside of you. Only better.”
Desire slid over his skin when she pushed her hands up into his hair, likely making it stand up at odd angles. He absolutely did not care and he tugged her closer, despite the crowd around him.
“I think that as soon as speeches are over, my fake fiancé should take me back to his place so my boyfriend can get really lucky.”
Will laughed as he closed the distance between them, kissing her with as much restraint as he could, given the audience. “That sounds absolutely perfect.”
Will was glad he’d written his speech down because now, the only thing he could think about was Lexi. He pulled her seat out for her to sit down, meeting his dad’s unhappy gaze. The lines around his eyes were more deep-set than usual, his frown more pronounced. Granddad was chatting with Rachel and seemed oblivious to the tension. Will moved around the table, squeezed Maddie’s shoulder as he leaned down.
“You’ve got this.”
She turned her head slightly. “Let’s hope so.”
The emcee welcomed Jackson Grand to the stage. The crowd immediately quieted when his dad tapped the mic. “Thank you all for coming and celebrating with us tonight.” He lifted the champagne flute he’d brought with him. “Happy birthday, Grand Babies.” The crowd interrupted with applause. His father cut off the response. “This company has always been a part of my life, my makeup. I’ve given it my heart, my time, my energy. Everything.”
Will’s jaw tightened. Like she felt his nerves, Lexi covered his hand on his thigh and squeezed.
“I had a big speech planned out,” his father continued. “All about how proud I am of being part of this company and this family.”
Will’s stomach tensed.
“Family is an important thing, and those connections and bonds matter even more when you’re in business together. Trusting and relying on any co-workers matters to a company’s success. You would think that working with family would ensure a built-in trust. That there wouldn’t be secrets and behind-the-scenes conversations and decisions you have no part in. The kind of decisions that change a man’s course. And yet, tonight as I wish my father a congratulations on fifty years of running a company, I’m also, regrettably, acknowledging I didn’t hold the place in it I thought I did. The future of Grand Babies is not in my hands. And it won’t be in my father’s either. My daughter Madeline Grand-West will be stepping into his very large shoes. And I, after twenty years of working there, am stepping down.”
Will’s heart plummeted into his gut even before he saw the shocked and saddened faces of his grandparents.
He wasn’t a pessimist but even he should have thought, with everything that had been going so well, something was bound to go wrong.