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“You? You’re the King of Cool. Here I am breaking out in hives, while you look like you’re about to slay a social gathering.”
“You’re the one slaying it.” He looked down at her dress and whistled. She was in that same shimmery number, that showed just enough cleavage to make a man stupid, and hugged every one of her curves. And the woman had curves. “Have I told you how beautiful you look?”
She bit back a smile. “You told me when you picked me up. When you opened my door. When you helped me out of the car. And right before I kissed you.”
He gave her another once-over and had to admit his decision-making skills were in serious jeopardy.
It started with the other night. The second Milly pulled him in the direction of her bedroom he should have protested. And when she’d pulled back the covers, he should have tucked her in and called it a night. But he hadn’t.
Nope, he and Milly had slept together. As in slept in each other’s arms the entire night. No sex, no kissing, just cuddling. Then there was the morning-after breakfast, where he’d made omelets while she baked blueberry muffins. All things that were a first for him.
When it came to women, Jax avoided moments that could be misconstrued as a door opening to something more. He didn’t know a whole lot about strings. Hell, he had a habit of doing things that severed any chances of strings forming. But he was forming something, all right. He was forming a serious habit for a cute blonde with whiskey-colored eyes, whose curves and silky skin made her the perfect cuddling partner. Which was the only reason he could come up with for saying, “What I haven’t told you … was that the other night … well, thank you.”
A beautiful smile lit her face. “Is that an admission that my cuddling prowess is ninja level?”
“That’s my way of telling you that you are truly amazing.”
“Your dad and I are just so proud of each one of you kids,” Peggy said, looping her arm through Jax’s and walking him through the crowd to a quiet corner of the room.
Jax worked hard to swallow. He couldn’t think of the last time someone had been proud of him for something other than winning a trophy. “We’re just doing what you taught us.”
“What you’re doing goes above and beyond anything we taught you.” Peggy paused as if pondering what she was going to say next, then reached up and cupped Jax’s face. “I know that you’re the one who rallied the troops to keep the lodge in the family.”
“Is that what you and Kent envisioned? To keep the lodge in the family?” he asked. “Or do you want to sell? Because I want you to have the life you’ve worked so hard for, and I will support your decision no matter what.”
“We know that, sweetie. It was such a hard decision. We went back and forth for nearly a year and in the end, we couldn’t figure out how to manage the lodge without putting all the responsibility on your brother. He’d take on the world for this family and that’s a lot to carry,” Peggy said. “The idea of some big chain coming in and turning my family’s lodge into impersonal, cooperate housing tore me to pieces.”
“What if there was a way for you to have both. Your home in Santa Barbara and the lodge in the family? I mean, I have enough money in the bank that I could—”
“Absolutely not,” Peggy admonished. “That’s your money and we won’t touch a penny of it.”
Damn, he hated it when his twin was right. Especially when they were at odds.
“Okay, then what if the company buys the Santa Barbara house as an investment.” In his mind, it was a win-win. Peggy and Kent end up with their dream and the lodge would stay in the family. “Companies do it all the time. And before you veto the idea, I really think that this year’s Cup is going to bring in a lot of unanticipated cash.”
Peggy’s eyes lit with possibilities. “We hadn’t even thought about that. I’d have to talk to Kent. Your idea might help us accomplish both of our dreams. Travel the world while having our own little world here to come home to. I mean, just watching you kids rally around Lucas, knowing that if we didn’t sell, he wouldn’t be alone in it, it all goes a long way.”
Peggy’s heart might be lighter, but Jax’s had become heavier. While Peggy listed off all the reasons she wanted to keep the lodge, Jax’s mind raced, mentally urging him to tell the truth. But how could he do that without betraying his brother’s confidence.
“How do you think Kent would handle us hiring a president for the company? Someone to handle the day-to-day managing and operations?”
Peggy’s poorly concealed grin told Jax she knew exactly what he was getting at. “Do you mean, would he be a busybody and stick his nose into places he’s not needed?”
“Something like that.”
“We’d have a long, lay-it-all-out-there conversation where I made it crystal clear that if we’re passing the torch on to you kids, then we’ll let you kids keep it burning.”
“Do you think he’d agree?”
“Oh, he wouldn’t have a choice,” she said, and Jax laughed. He could already picture the stern look she would give Kent. Jax had been on the receiving end of that look a few times. “With frostbitten winters and a two-hour airplane ride between him and the lodge, it would be impossible for him to ‘drop by’ the office every ten minutes.” Peggy smiled. “The lodge needs some fresh air, new energy. That’s what you kids are doing. You’re bringing this place back to life, rejuvenating something that had become stagnant, and that might give him the assuredness he needs to open a new chapter. One that might be even more exciting than the last.”
Chapter Sixteen
Take Life by the Balls
Go commando.
“You suck,” Kat said, shooting Milly a mock glare over the rim of her wine glass. “That Gemma and I had to get an invite to this shindig from her super sexy neighbor is a disgrace to Girl Codes everywhere.”
