Chapter 23
JAMISON
I bounce my knee up and down under my desk in my office at home. “When do you think it will be ready?”
“We should have the ring done by tomorrow morning. Should we expect you to stop by and pick it up?” my jeweler asks.
“Yes. Is noon a good time?”
“It should be fine.”
“Great. I’ll see you then.”
We say goodbye, and I glance at the clock. I only have half an hour before I need to take Dori to the airport, and there’s still a lot to do.
I scroll through my phone and bring Hunter’s number up. Gazing out the window toward the beach, I hit the call button as I run my palm over the stubble on my face.
He answers on the second ring. “Jamison. What can I do for you?”
“Hey, Hunter. Did I catch you at a bad time?”
“No. I’m just wrapping up a few things before I go work out, so your timing is perfect.”
The muscles over my ribs tighten. “Do you have a few minutes to discuss a couple of things? ”
“I do.” He pauses for a beat. “What’s this about, Jamison?”
“Dori.”
“Ah, I see. She must have told you we spoke yesterday.”
“She did.”
“Before you go any further, I’ll save you some time. I’m not taking the money back. If it weren’t for me and my mother, Dorothy never would’ve been terminated or abducted.”
“She said you’d say that.” I stand, meander to the door to the balcony, and go outside.
The warm spring breeze caresses my bare arms.
Hunter cuts in. “If you knew that would be my response, what’s this call about?”
“Dori told me you have Aiden doing some work for you.”
“I do. What’s that got to do with this?”
“She said Aiden’s been investigating Isabella so you can fight for full custody.”
“That’s correct.”
A woman in the background says something to Hunter. He must cover the speaker because he responds to her, but it’s muffled, so I can’t make out what he said.
He clears his throat. “I’m going to need to ask you to get to the point. I have a guest I need to attend to.”
“Yeah, sure. I have a proposal for you. It’s about the money you gave Dori. I think I have a way to make her accept it, but you would need to be a part of it for it to work.”
“Tell me what you have in mind.”
I walk the length of the deck and stop in front of the sliding glass doors that lead to the living room that connects to the kitchen.
I grip the railing of the balcony, hoping to get his buy-in, then I dive into the details. He listens as if he’s considering it but has a few questions. We go over all his concerns. Once we iron out the details, I sigh in relief .
“Thanks, Hunter. I appreciate this more than you know.”
He laughs under his breath. “After speaking with Dorothy yesterday, I can only imagine how this has weighed on her. The money was never meant to cause her turmoil, so I’m glad we have a resolution we can all agree to.”
“She’ll be grateful you’re willing to do this. Thank you.”
“Anything for her.” He sighs and pauses for a beat. “I best get back to my company.”
“Of course.”
We say goodbye, and a weight lifts from my shoulders. I turn and notice she’s in the kitchen sorting her vitamins.
I tug the sliding glass doors open and join her inside. “That was Hunter.”
She peeks up and stops what she’s doing. “And?”
“He’s on board.”
Her posture softens, and her eyes close. She brings in a deep pull of air like it’s the first time she’s taken a breath in days.
I soak her in. She’s wearing a flowy black jumpsuit made of a thin, delicate material cinched at the waist with a shining black and silver chain-like belt. The outfit is sleeveless, so her sleek, toned arms are on full display.
A silver necklace lies over her perfect breasts, and silver bracelets adorn her wrists.
“You steal my breath away.” I slide up behind her and circle my arms around her stomach, resting my hands on her lower belly.
A flash of her being pregnant flickers on the screen of my mind, but I shake it off. Why do I keep thinking about that?
One step at a time, Jamison.
Dori’s under too much pressure as it is.
She rests flush against my chest, placing her palms over my hands. “What would I ever do without you?”
“I don’t want to entertain that idea, so I’m not going to answer.” I nuzzle the crook of her neck. “Could I entice you back to bed?”
“Babe, we had sex when we woke up and again after we had breakfast. As much as I’d love to, I need to get going soon.”
“Okay. I understand, but you’re irresistible, so it’s hard to hold in my desire for you.”
She pats the top of my hand. “I’ll be home in the blink of an eye. This trip is so short, you probably won’t even notice I’m gone.”
“I doubt that. I already miss you.” My chest heats as I sink into my love for her.
“I feel the same.” She turns and gives me a quick peck. “Help me bring my bags out of the bedroom. I need to get going.”
“Okay. You finish getting what you need in here, and I’ll get your suitcase.” I break away and go get the items she needs.
We leave for the airport a few minutes later. She chews on her thumbnail as she gazes out the window.
I place my hand on her thigh. “Are you doing okay?”
“Yeah. Just nervous.” She weaves her fingers with mine. “Do you think he’ll agree to this?”
“I don’t know. Hunter says Aiden’s a great private investigator. If you two get on the same page, I think he’ll get on board.”
She rolls her lips between her teeth as she nods and looks out the window again. She’s in her head, and there’s nothing I can do to ease her worry.
I release her hand so I can turn the wheel. “When you spoke with Hunter, did he say anything about seeing anyone?”
She faces me. “No. Why?”
“He had a woman at his place today.”
“Really?” She shifts as she glances down. “It could’ve been his assistant, Katy. ”
“I don’t think it was. He told me he had company he needed to attend to.”
“Hmm. Maybe he’s dating again.”
I peek over at her as she plays with her jewelry. Her calm expression tells me she’s not bothered by the information, but she’s a pro at hiding her feelings when she’s confused.
Maybe I shouldn’t have said anything, but she called him yesterday. As much as I want to believe her reason for doing so, there’s a question in the back of my head.
Would she be happier there with him?
My adrenaline has taken over, so the sting of the needle is more muted than when the tattoo artist started. The machine buzzes as he takes another swipe at the design he’s creating.
I breathe through the burn. “How’s it coming along?”
“Sick.” He lifts the needle from my skin and wipes a cloth across my shoulder blade. “Your story is wild, and this piece will tell anyone looking at it what you went through in a second flat.”
“I only need one person to understand the meaning of it.”
“The woman who inspired this?”
“That would be the one.”
He goes back to scratching at my skin. Another artist walks by and does a double take.
She stops and checks it out. “Damn, that’s one of the coolest scar cover-ups I’ve seen in a long time.”
“See how I blended these flying particles into the frame of his previous work?” My artist stops what he’s doing and runs his finger along the edge of the family crest I have inked on my back.
“Yeah. The colors work well together. The shading really gives it depth.” She inches closer. “Nice extension from the old tat to the new one. They look like they were meant to merge.”
“That was the goal.” The guy working on my back continues dragging his needle in long strokes as he creates his art.
I’ve been here going on six hours, and I’m about at my threshold.
The tattoo artist must read my thoughts. “We’re about finished.”
“Perfect.”
About fifteen minutes later, he has me check out his design in a mirror. It’s exactly how I envisioned it.
“It’s amazing. You do great work.”
“Tell your friends.” He rubs some ointment on my back and puts a clear bandage over the top of it.
We go over how to care for it as I work back into my T-shirt. While I’m paying, I go through my messages.
Dori: I just checked in. The flight was great. Call me when you get a chance.
Me: Give me five minutes. I miss you already.
I stroll to my car as I make a mental note of the list of things I need to get done before Dori gets home. She’s been feeling neglected by me, and that stops now.
Once I get in my car, I call Dori. The call connects to the speakers, and the ring blares throughout. I turn it down right as she answers.
“Hi, stud. How has your afternoon been?”
“A little painful, but good.” I pull out into the street and start driving home.
“Are you still having problems with your wound?”
“No. I feel fine. I’m just missing you. It sounds like you’re settled. ”
“Yeah. I’m in for the night, but you’ll never guess who I ran into.”
My thoughts run through a list of people. I can’t think of anyone. “I’m stumped. Who’d you run into?”
“Gia Armstrong from high school. Isn’t that wild?”
“Yeah. Where did you see her?”
“At the airport. She was here visiting her mom and was going back to California.”
“Hmm. That reminds me. I ran into her at the airport once.” I glance out the side window to make sure I can safely switch lanes. “Did you get to spend much time with her?”
“We talked for about fifteen minutes. She’s filming another movie in Miami, so we made plans to meet up when she gets there.”
“Nice. It will be good to see her again.” I veer into another lane. “So what’s your plan?”
Dori sighs heavily. “I’m going to rest and get up early to go to Aiden’s.”
“Did you tell him you’re in town?”
“I decided against it. I’m going to surprise him. He won’t have time to come up with a way to flip our issues back on me.”
My nerves fire. “Just stand your ground if he does.”
“I hope I can.”
“Remember, you have the power, Dori. You always have. You just need to own it.”
“Thank you.” Her tone softens. “I needed to hear that.”
“You’ve got this.”
“I hope so because Aiden knows how to make me back off and cower to him.”
“I know, but you’re stronger now, and he’ll see that.”
We talk more about little things as I drive back home. She’s still unsure of herself when it comes to Aiden, and that bothers me.
Once I pull into the parking garage, I have to disconnect because the call will drop. I wish I was there with her. She’s strong enough to handle Aiden, but I’d like to be there for her if it doesn’t go well.
I meander up to our penthouse and debate with myself if I should go there and surprise her or let her see she’s strong enough to take on her family alone. It’s a tough call.
Being alone is uncomfortable for me because of all the people I’ve loved and lost. I can’t project that onto Dori.
She needs to trust herself and her decisions, but I really want to be there in case she needs someone to lean on. I get into our place and decide to run it by Mel, so I call her.
“Hi, Jami. What’s up?”
“I wanted to run something by you. Do you have a minute?” I sit on a stool at the kitchen island.
“Sure. Use my brilliance to your advantage.”
“Dori’s been down about her job and Aiden. I’m not sure if she told you, but she went to see him. She wants to see if they can clear the air.”
“No, she didn’t tell me. I’ve been so busy with work I haven’t had much time for Dori.”
My stomach wrenches. “I’ve been busy too, so she’s been ruminating over how much her life looks like her mother’s. When she gets back, do you think you could make some time for her?”
“Yep. I’ll plan a girls’ day out. I could use one myself.”
“Thanks. She wants me to set up a night out on the town too. Maybe we could plan something and surprise her with it.”
Mel releases a wicked laugh. “On it, big guy. This is the kind of task I live for.”
I push off the stool and walk out to my favorite spot on the balcony. “Great. Talk to Mateo and see if he has any suggestions.”
“Good idea.”
“Another thing. You said you wanted to look at condos, but you haven’t. I’m still up for investing in one if you’re still looking to rent from us.”
“You bet I do. I’ve just been swamped with work.” She clicks her tongue as she takes a pause. “Why don’t I plan a day out with Dori, and we can start looking then?”
“Whatever you want. I just thought I should circle back and see if that was still an option.”
“It sure is. I’ll put it in my calendar after we hang up.”
“Good.” I glance down at the pool area. “I have one other thing I want to run by you before we hang up.”
“Let me have it.”
“If I’m trying to help Dori see she can trust herself and her decisions, would it be wrong of me to surprise her in Denver? Just in case things don’t go well with Aiden and she needs someone to lean on?”
Melanie hisses. “Maybe you should look in the mirror.”
I wrinkle up my nose. “Why?”
“You say Dori needs to trust herself, but here you are asking me what you should do. It sounds to me like you both could learn that lesson.”
My cheeks heat as a smile lifts my lips. “You got me there. I’ve just always had the uncanny ability to fuck things up with her and don’t want to do it again.”
“You’re going to mess up. Everybody does. Just do what you think will be best for her. Don’t second-guess yourself.”
I watch the waves roll in as I consider Melanie’s advice. She’s right. If Dori and I are going to work in the long run, we both need to trust ourselves with the decisions we make.
We also need to trust each other with our choices. And I have one huge issue that needs to be addressed pronto.
That thought has my heart rate beating triple time. “You’re right, Mel, but I have one thing I need your help with.”
“And that would be…?”