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> “When are you going to talk to Jax about the airport?” Melanie asked as she unplugged the hot curling iron.
Olivia shook her head. “I don’t know. I guess today when I take Piper home. We can’t keep dancing around the doubts and worries. We need to make a final decision.”
“Need us to come with you?” Melanie offered.
“I’ll be fine.” Olivia crossed the room, but glanced over her shoulder. “It’s not the airport I’m worried about when I’m with him.”
Chapter Thirteen
Jax stared at the sacks of clothes and rubbed his forehead. When Livie had picked up Piper this morning, Jax never dreamed his daughter would come home with purple nails, curly hair like he’d never seen, and wearing a new dress . . . not to mention the six other shopping bags that held who knew what.
“Maybe I should’ve just taken her to the party,” he mumbled as he glanced from the sacks to Livie.
Oblivious to life around her, Piper twirled in her new dress. She spun one way, then the other, all while staring down at the rippling skirt.
“We may have gone a little overboard,” Livie agreed. “But three women who don’t have kids took an adorable little girl to a new boutique. I’m impressed we held back.”
Jax stared at her, stunned she thought this was held back. “You’re kidding, right?”
Livie shrugged. “Shop local. I’m just helping the economy in Haven.”
“Do you love this, Daddy?”
He turned to Piper, who stood across the room holding her skirt out for him to see the glittery pattern. “You look like my little angel. Why don’t you take your things to your room and play? I need to talk to Livie for a bit.”
“Oh, about the fancy new airport?” Piper exclaimed jumping up and down.
“How do you know about that?” he asked. He’d never said a word to her about this newfound idea Livie had presented.
Piper’s eyes widened. “Never mind.”
She grabbed her sacks and raced up the stairs to her bedroom. Jax immediately focused his attention back on Livie.
“Did you tell her?”
Livie held her hands up. “Don’t look at me. She overheard you talking with your cousins. She also heard you talking about our kiss. Care to unpack that conversation with me?”
Jax shrugged. “Like you didn’t tell Jade and Melanie about how much you liked kissing me.”
With an unladylike snort, Livie shifted toward the door. “Forget it. I’m done here.”
“We still need to talk.”
Livie put her hand on the knob and glanced over her shoulder. “About the airport? It’s simple. You’re either on board or you’re not.”
“Are you one hundred percent committed?” he countered, crossing the space between them. “Are you ready to work one-on-one with me to get this figured out? Because this will be daunting and it won’t be easy. I know you have a life in Atlanta, but you can’t forget this is my life here and I won’t have you screwing it up.”
Livie spun completely to face him, her eyes narrowing. “You think if we moved forward on this that I don’t have just as much to lose if we fail? I own half of this as well, Jackson. Don’t forget that.”
“As if you’d let me.”
He realized he’d come to stand so close, he could easily see the variation of blue in her eyes and the navy flecks. Her eyes seemed brighter today, whether from having a relaxing day or from being angry with him, he didn’t know, but she looked too damn good to resist.
“Don’t leave,” he commanded.
Her eyes widened. “I’m not staying—”
“You are.” He took her hands, holding them up between their bodies. “We’re going to talk. Piper will go to bed soon and then you and I can get this ironed out so we can take the next step. I’m done dancing around the topic and I know you want to have some finality.”
