13. Jax
THIRTEEN
jax
She wasn’t coming today.
That shouldn’t matter, but somehow, it did. After three days in a row of coffee, lake views as we worked, and a more mellowed-out Natalie than the one I first met, I’d gotten accustomed to mornings with her. Today, though, she had some fieldwork to do and the deck was conspicuously empty.
And then, of course, there was that kiss.
For a “big tough guy” as my younger brother liked to call me, I’d buckled under my own desire, and that was before we actually kissed. Afterward, my fantasies of Natalie had taken a turn I never expected. From hardcore to something more akin to a Hallmark movie. I’d gone from envisioning her riding me to her sitting with me every day, drinking coffee, working from home.
I picked up my phone. Nothing. She should be done by now, and I’d told her to swing by anytime today if she finished with her fieldwork. But it approached eleven, and usually by lunchtime she was gone, so it didn’t look like I’d be seeing her today.
On a whim, I pressed my older brother’s number. He picked up after two rings.
“A call? From Jax? Something’s gotta be wrong.”
I wasn’t much of a phone guy. Text, sure. But calls? Nah.
“Funny. You have a sec?”
My brother still lived in Maplewood with his wife and two daughters. As Mom said, “Thank god for Teddy or I’d have no grandchildren.” When I pointed out both my younger brother and I were under thirty and this wasn’t 1950 when people married young, she ignored me. There was nothing my mother loved more than babies, including her own sons.
That might be a stretch. But Mom did love babies.
“Sure. What’s up?”
The question that popped into my head, the one I’d thought to ask him, seemed ridiculous now.
“Never mind. How’s it going there? Anna okay? How are my girls?”
“She’s hanging in there. And the girls are great. But you’re not getting off the hook that easily.”
I didn’t respond.
“I have patients waiting, so spit it out.”
“I was surprised you answered, to be honest,” I said, my brother’s practice usually being slammed.
“Jax.”
“Fine. When you met Anna. Was it different? Like right away?”
He whistled.
Teddy was the only person on the planet I could have this conversation with and not get my ass busted. I actually smiled thinking about what would have happened if I’d called our younger brother. Or one of my buddies. They’d have laughed me off the phone already.
“Who is she?”
“Believe it or not, a woman who works for the Trust.”
“The one you’re trying to buy the land from?”
“That’s the one.”
“What does she do for them?”
“Conservationist.”
Speaking of laughing me off the phone . . .
“Teddy,” I interrupted him. “It’s not fucking funny.”
“Actually, it’s hysterical.”
“If you’re a sick bastard, maybe.”
“Takes one to know one. Alright, so she clearly hates you.”
“How did you guess?” I asked wryly. “It’s actually worse than that,” I said, knowing he was on borrowed time. “She has a personal connection to the land I’m buying. And is now the case manager for the project.”
“And how’s that looking?”
I winced. “It was good. Public hearing next week.”
“Was?”
My conservative, non-risktaking brother would think I’d lost it. “Was. Until I made a bet with her earlier this week that we’d get together. Told her if we didn’t, I’d drop my bid.”
More laughter. What the hell had I been thinking to call him?
“You crazy motherfucker. What the hell were you thinking?”
“I don’t know,” I admitted. “She hates the hell out of me, but wants me too. She’s been working here, at my place, since she was assigned to the case on Monday.”
“What aren’t you telling me?” he guessed.
“We kissed. Just once. Told her it was a pass from the bet.”
Nate exhaled. “You are seriously batshit crazy. How much are you looking to lose if she wins the bet?”
“A lot of fucking money,” I admitted.
“So why’d you do it?”
Why indeed? “I guess as an excuse to get close to her. So she stops hating me so much.”
“Since when does my brother need an excuse to get close to a woman?”
I was a stubborn bastard, but at least I knew myself and wasn’t afraid to admit it. “Since Natalie.”
Nate was quiet for a second. “Alright. To answer your question, no, I didn’t know Anna and I would get married after our first date. Or even our second. As we got to know each other, though, it became pretty clear she was different.”
“How so?”
“Jaxon,” my brother said. He hardly ever used my full name. “You already know how so. It’s why you called me and made the stupidest fucking bet in history.”
Of course, he was right.
I didn’t want her to hate me. Just the opposite, in fact. So I’d made the bet thinking the possibility I wouldn’t buy the land was the only way to get her to soften. And it had somewhat worked. Problem was, I really wanted the land too.
“I guess you’re right.”
“Got yourself in a real pickle, little brother.”
“Yeah,” I admitted. “I did.”
“Guess you have to decide what you want more. The girl, or the land.”
“Trouble is, I want both.”
He laughed. “You of all people should know life doesn’t always work like that. It’s not neat and clean.”
True. It was the opposite, actually. Life was messy, filled with the worst sort of people imaginable, so much worse than the general public imagined.
“I know you gotta go.”
“I do, but call me anytime. Actually, glad you did. Feels like old times.”
Before the Army, when I was younger, I’d gone to Nate for everything and anything. He was one hell of an older brother, and I probably never appreciated it fully.
“I am too,” I admitted. “Thanks, brother.”
“Good luck. Keep me posted. And get your ass down here to see the girls. They miss their uncle.”
“I miss them too.” Then I remembered. “I’m actually heading to Sicily in a few weeks. Do you remember Gian DeLuca? He’s getting married and invited me to the wedding. But I’ll get home after that.”
“Sicily? No shit. Of course I remember him. You have the life, Jax. I’ll say that.”
“No complaints here.”
“Glad to hear it. Talk soon, Beans.”
Smiling as we hung up at the childhood nickname, one I’d earned by stealing the jellybeans from everyone’s Easter basket, I wondered why I didn’t get my ass home sooner. After this deal, after Italy, I’d go home to see my mom and nieces. And I guessed my brothers too.
Smiling to myself, I looked down when my phone buzzed.
A text had come through.
I could have saved myself a call to Nate. The fact that my heart raced seeing the name pop up was all the answer I needed. I’d dated. Had girlfriends. But not once had my entire body come to life over a simple a text question.
Have a sec?
Damn straight I did.
For her, I had more than a second. And it was time to kick this bet into high gear.
Yes. But since you couldn’t come here this morning, be here at six. I’ll have dinner. Bring your question then.
As I waited, and watched my phone, I was glad not to be with the guys. My unit would laugh their asses off watching me watch my phone like a damned lovesick puppy.
Fine
Short, though not sweet, but I’d take it.