Chapter 15
Chapter Fifteen
Boone
“You’re here early again?” Oliver leans against my office door with a smug grin. “It’s like I don’t even know who you are anymore.”
I sit back in my chair and smooth my tie down the center of my chest. “Don’t worry, Golden Boy. I’m not coming for your job.”
He snorts. “I’m hardly worried about that.” He walks inside and sits down across from me.
The early morning sun rises over downtown Savannah. It’s a really cool thing to watch. It’s my new thing this week—grab a cup of coffee and then wait for the show.
It’s weird being at the company headquarters routinely, let alone at six in the morning. I had an idea about the Greyshell property after talking with Holt on Sunday at my house and came in Monday to work on it. I came back all week.
Turns out, working doesn’t kill me. Who knew?
“How are things going at your place?” Oliver asks. “Is it weird having housemates that you aren’t fucking?”
“Who said I’m not fucking Jaxi?”
He grins.
It’s like he knows that I haven’t slept with her.
Every day that passes, it gets harder—both literally and figuratively. I considered that my attraction to her might lessen over time, that having a child around would make her less sexy.
I was wrong.
My life before this tsunami was a lot of fun. It was wild and filled with late nights and even later mornings. I had a great thing going.
So why am I enjoying this new thing this much?
It’s not hard to enjoy walking into a room and have someone catapult themselves at you like you’re the coolest person in the world.
It’s quite nice to have someone expect you to come home in the evening and ask you questions about your day.
I love the way the house smells and feels like a home—like burnt food and cleaning supplies and laundry soap.
I’m needed and appreciated because of who I am and not just what I can give someone. It’s pretty fucking fabulous.
As long as I don’t screw it up, anyway.
“Well, look at you,” Holt says, poking his head around the corner. “In the office like a proper fucking adult.”
“Good morning to you, too,” I say.
He grins as he sips his coffee and slides into the chair next to Oliver.
“What are we talking about?” Holt asks.
“Nothing,” Oliver says, his eyes trained on me. “Meaning, how much ass our little brother is getting.”
I rock back in my chair and look at the ceiling. “Grow up, Ollie.”
“I never thought I’d hear Boone telling Oliver to grow up.” Wade walks in and stands behind Holt. “That’s what I heard him say, right?”
“Yup.” Holt laughs. “We’re just teasing you, Boone.”
I sit back up and stare into the faces of my brothers. “Does anyone have anything nice to say to me today?”
“Nope,” Oliver says.
Holt grins.
“I don’t. You look like shit,” Wade says.
He’s right. I know it. I feel like I look like shit.
My back aches from sleeping on the couch. My neck is cramped from the weird bend it has to take to fit on the pillow that clearly wasn’t made to be on a narrow space. I can’t sprawl out or stretch at all, and I woke up this morning determined to find a solution to the problem that’s marring me.
But the more I think about it, the more I realize that there’s not another space for me to sleep without losing my workout room. And I don’t want to do that. I also don’t know what to do about that.
I hate being an adult.
I sigh.
“Everything good with Jaxi?” Holt asks. “All joking aside. Don’t say anything stupid, Oliver.”
I consider how to respond to Holt’s question.
Yes, things are good. Very fucking good, really. She’s the easiest woman to be around. We love the same foods, the same movies, and laugh at the same jokes. We work together as a team like nobody’s business. And the sexual tension? It’s in spades.
I can tell she’s intentionally avoiding fucking around with me. Instead of being frustrated, and although I don’t fully understand why, I respect it. She has a lot on her plate and I admire how methodical she’s being about everything.
It’s better than I’d do if I were in her shoes.
“I’m thinking about getting a dog,” I say.
Oliver laughs. “You better slow down with the dog business.”
“Why?” I ask. “A dog would be nice.”
“Does Rosie want a dog?” Holt asks.
I nod but immediately feel embarrassed. “Yes, but it might be nice just having an animal around. They are man’s best friend, you know.”
Wade adjusts his tie. “May I point out to you that a dog is a commitment?”
“Obviously.”
“A long commitment,” he adds.
“Clearly, Wade. You can’t just decide you don’t want it in six weeks. I get it.”
Oliver leans forward. “I mean this nicely, but do you even have that level of commitment with Jaxi and the kid?”
And Wade moves up the Favorite Brother Leaderboard into third place.
Holt watches my reaction with the care of the oldest child.
“I think if you want a dog, you should get a dog,” Holt says.
Oliver makes a scene of looking at him like he’s lost his mind. Holt ignores him.
“I, for one, know what it’s like to fall in love,” Holt says. “It happens so fast you don’t even realize it’s happening.”
But I think I know that it’s happening.
I thought about buying a bigger house today. When I looked at houses on the market, I checked the school ratings in each neighborhood. I asked my secretary to find someone to give swim lessons to a four-year-old.
I think the seeds were planted the day I met Jaxi. I just can’t keep them from blooming.
“You might be rushing this just a bit,” Wade says. “You need to think this through.”
“Wade, stop being so clinical,” Holt tells him.
“I’m not being clinical, Holt. I’m being realistic,” Wade replies. “Even if he does love Jaxi—let’s say that’s possible in the time that he’s known her—”
“I loved Blaire that quick,” Holt snaps.
Oliver rolls his eyes. “We know. We were there.”
“Anyway,” Wade says, giving Oliver a silent high-five, “let’s go with it for the sake of the conversation. It’s easy for you to figure out your feelings. Jaxi, though, has a lot on her plate. How do you know she wants to buy what you’re selling?”
My jaw opens in mock horror.
“First of all, I’m very handsome,” I say. “Thank you very much. Second, I’m nice. And a gentleman.”
Oliver snorts.
“I can take care of her,” I say, motioning around my desk. “Look at me. I’m working. Bringing home the bacon. What’s not to love?”
“Is that what she wants from you? Or anyone, for that matter?” Wade asks. “She doesn’t want to have a say in how the bacon gets cured? She just wants someone to bring it home?” He shrugs. “It’s fine if she does. I don’t give a shit. Just asking.”
“Well, I mean …”
Wouldn’t she want that?
It hasn’t crossed my mind that she might not want me to take care of her. What if she wants to do things herself?
My brain thinks about my mother and how she has a life independent of my father. Sure, Dad makes money and could easily have taken care of our family. But Mom was adamant that she have a career of her own and opened a very successful jewelry line.
Maybe Jaxi wants something like that too?
This thinking is definitely putting the cart before the horse. A couple of weeks ago, I wasn’t looking for love and had zero interest in settling down.
Why does it feel like this is the right trajectory? Why does talking about Jaxi like this with my brothers feel completely natural?
Shit.
Wade looks at me like he’s exhausted by my life. “I think you need to have some conversations with Jaxi before you go buying a dog or any other harebrained idea that might be rolling around inside your head.”
“Handsome head,” I say, just wanting something nice worked in there.
“Whatever.” Wade turns to the door. “You do you, Boone.”
“I plan on it.”
Wade stops at the doorway. Anjelica appears beside him.
“I am not working for you today,” I tell her.
Her bright red lips break apart into a wide smile. “I’m not here to see you.”
“Good.”
She narrows her eyes briefly before settling them on Oliver. “I came to see you. I have a little problem that I need your help with.”
Oliver stands up. “I’ll see you guys around. No dog, Boone.”
“Oh, I disagree,” Anjelica says, pointing a finger at me. “I love dogs. Get a dog, Boone.”
“He doesn’t want it for him,” Oliver says. “He wants it for Jaxi.”
Anjelica grins. “I heard about her. What does she do?”
Holt stands and joins Wade at the door. “I need to get to my office. That Greyshell report should be in this morning from legal. See ya later.”
Wade waves as they move out of sight.
Oliver waves too. “I’ll be in my office, Anjelica. See ya, Boone.”
“Later,” I call after him.
“So,” Anjelica says, gripping the back of a chair, “tell me all the things.”
I lift my cup of coffee and take a long, steady drink. Anjelica notices my delay tactic and gives me a look. She slowly walks around the chair and sits in it, crossing one leg over the other.
“Don’t get comfortable,” I tell her.
She laughs. “Jaxi. Spill it.”
I don’t know what to spill. Nothing I can say quickly and succinctly can sum her up the right way.
“Does she work? Go to school? What?” Anjelica asks.
“She’s in-between jobs right now. She was going to work as a nanny but that kind of fell apart when she got custody of Rosie.”
Anjelica nods. “Coy told me about that. She seems really nice.”
“She is.”
“Is she staying with you indefinitely? Or finding a place of her own?” Anjelica asks.
“I have some contacts in residential real estate on that level. I know you guys do a lot of it commercially, but a friend of mine sells and rents out apartments and houses—stuff like that. He’s been a realtor around here for thirty years.
Knows everything. He actually hooked me up with the place I’m staying in now. ”
A whisper of an idea floats through my mind.
Even if things don’t work out between me and Jaxi, if she had something to build on, that would be great. And now that I’m acting like a grown-up, maybe it’s time I invest some of my own money too.
“You know,” I say, thinking it through. “Jaxi said she was interested in being a realtor and housing and things like that. Maybe she could reach out to your friend if she had questions about getting started.”
Anjelica nods. “I’m sure he would help her. He’s the nicest guy on the face of the planet.”
“Except for me, you mean.”
She grins. “Very funny.”
“Maybe I could talk to him too. I’ve been thinking about getting into some property on my own.”
“It’s a great buyer’s market. I’ll give him your number.”
“Great. Thank you. I appreciate it.”
She stands on her insanely tall heels and winks. “See? We can get along.”
“I’m still scared of you.”
She laughs all the way out the door.
I sit back in my seat and swirl my mug. The coffee goes around and around, creating a little tunnel in the middle. It happens so fast. It goes from a placid environment to a dynamic one with the flick of a wrist.
I watch the coffee and let my mind drift.
If it was just Jaxi and me, I know this thing between us would’ve already exploded wide open.
Jaxi’s putting up a front because it’s the responsible thing to do with Rosie in the picture.
I’m staying back because it’s the right thing to do too.
But my brothers aren’t wrong. I truly like my house feeling like more than a place that I crash.
Sitting down at a table in the evening and having a conversation.
Having another person as a teammate. Having someone look at me like I’m not just handsome but also respectable.
Having Jaxi think I’m worthy of being in her and Rosie’s life.
But aren’t we keeping our distance romantically because of that little girl who deserves the chance to live in the environment I think—I know—that Jaxi and I could create together? Isn’t that counterproductive?
What’s the worst thing that could happen? It not work out?
I take a drink.
I’d still be there for her. She’s a great person. And I adore that little girl.
The longer I think about it, the more I’m convinced that I’m right. Who am I to deny fate?
Who am I to … not be me?
Fuck it.
I grab my phone and make some calls.