Cheap Shot (18 page)

That must have been the reason Zach had
approached him before the board meeting, to pitch his idea. He’d tried to call
Zach earlier that day but hadn’t been able to reach him. “I think we’re all
about sports. Why would we want to move away from the image that has made us
successful?” He led Dylan into his office and closed the door.

“Zach says we’re attracting a different
demographic than we did in the beginning,” Dylan said, sitting on a guest
chair. “We get more celebrities now, and not just pro athletes. High Rollers
has become one of
the
hot spots in just about every city.”

“Yeah, that’s what we wanted, right?” Jaxon
eased into the chair behind his desk. “If it’s not broke, why fix it?”

“We came up with this business model a
decade ago,” Dylan reminded him. “A hell of a lot has changed since then.
Besides, we want our core group of customers to feel comfortable, an they’re
five-star all the way.”

Jaxon smirked. “They couldn’t afford the
drinks at High Rollers if they weren’t.”

“My point exactly,” Dylan said, snapping
his fingers. “I think we need to convey to people that coming to High Rollers
is a five-star experience. Not only will they have a chance to network with
other high rollers, but they’ll feel comfortable even if they’re not a sports
fan.”

“I don’t know,” Jaxon said, considering his
friend’s proposal.

“When we started out, our clientele was
eight-five percent men. That’s not the case anymore.”

“Yeah, I know,” Jaxon said. “It’s more like
65-35.”

“Exactly. We get successful business women
coming in for a drink after work or to have a nice dinner with their friends.
We want them to feel welcome, like it’s a place where they belong too, right?”

“Yeah, sure. But don’t you think the guys
might complain if we turn into a sleek nightclub type of environment? We’ll be
just like all the rest. The upscale sports bar angle was the thing that made us
different. I don’t want to lose that.”

“We won’t,” Dylan assured him. “We just
have to work with a designer who can give us an updated look while staying true
to our roots.”

“It sounds like you have someone in mind?”
Jaxon tried to stay focused on the business at hand, but images of Sela waking
up in his bed kept filtering through his head.

“Zach suggested we call in Carly Lawson.”

“You mean Brett’s little sister’s friend?”
The only thing Jaxon remembered about the young lady was that she turned heads
wherever she went. “You think she’s up to the challenge?”

“I talked to Brett about hiring her, but he
was kind of weird about it.” Dylan frowned. “I don’t know why. But I did some
digging on my own, and it seems like she’s more than qualified to take this on.
Her last project was Amnesia.”

Jaxon was familiar with that new night
club. “I’ve been there. It was impressive, to say the least.”

“I know, right?” Dylan grinned. “So what do
you say? Are you on board with the plan?”

“Let’s talk about it some more at the board
meeting,” Jaxon said. “But I’m open to the idea.”

“Cool,” Dylan said, rubbing his hands
together. “This is gonna be good.”

Jaxon considered reminding his friend it
wasn’t a done deal, but that would be pointless. When Dylan made up his mind
about something, it was a
fait du compli
. “How are things going with
Sabrina?” He wanted to take an interest in Dylan’s love life before asking for
more advice.

“They’re not going anywhere,” Dylan said,
his smile slipping. “She basically told me she doesn’t want to risk messing up
our friendship by dating me. How crazy is that?”

Jaxon knew it wouldn’t be the best time to
remind Dylan he had a lousy track record with women. “Hang in there. She might
change her mind.”

Dylan raised his hands. “No way. I’m done
with her. If she doesn’t want me, I’ll find someone who does.”

It wouldn’t be difficult for Dylan to find
someone else, but Jaxon didn’t think it would be easy for him to forget about
Sabrina. She’d obviously gotten inside his head, and Jaxon suspected she was
there to stay whether Dylan liked it or not. “Good luck with that, buddy.”

“Hey, what about you?” Dylan asked, setting
his tablet on the chair beside him. “How are things going with Sela?”

“Good,” he said hesitantly. “Really good.”

“No kidding?” A wide grin split Dylan’s
face. “I thought when she turned down your marriage proposal, it was game
over.”

“Thanks for encouraging her to come to the
hospital last night. It helped us get back on track.”

“I’m glad. Your mother’s doing better
today?”

Jaxon nodded. He’d filled Dylan in on her condition
last night, but he hadn’t spoken to him since he’d checked in with the hospital
that morning. “They’ll be sending her back to the home later today. I’m going
to try to pass by to see her tonight, maybe take Sela with me.”

“That’s great,” Dylan said, smiling. “I’m
glad things are working out for you, man.”

“I owe a lot of it to you. You really came
through for me with Sela. You’re a good friend. I don’t tell you that often
enough.”

Dylan chuckled. “This softer, gentler side
of Jaxon Davis is going to take some getting used to.”

“Don’t get used to it,” Jaxon said, trying
to sound stern. “Doesn’t mean I’ll stop breaking your balls every chance I
get.”

Dylan grinned as he saluted him.

“Smart ass,” Jaxon muttered. His smile
slipped. “I need to forgive her.”

“Who?”

“My mother.” Jaxon had been thinking about
that a lot lately, and he knew he couldn’t continue resenting his mother while
trying to build a healthy relationship with Sela. Fred’s comments filtered
through his mind. “Maybe there was a lot more to her than I realized. Maybe she
did love me in her own way.”

“I’m sure she did,” Dylan interjected.

“Too bad I’ll never know what made her the
way she was. It’s too late now to ask her.” Jaxon rubbed his hands over his
face.

“Yeah, but it’s not too late to tell her
you forgive her.”

“It’s not like it’ll make a difference to
her.” Jaxon felt a pang of sadness. Alzheimer’s was an insidious disease, and
for the first time, he felt it had robbed him of something. “I don’t think she
even remembers me anymore.”

“But you’re not doing this for her,” Dylan
said. “You’re doing it for you, to set yourself free so you don’t have to carry
around this burden anymore. You don’t have to resent her or question why she
made it her mission to make your old man’s life and yours miserable. You can
just let her go.”

Jaxon thought about how he’d felt on his
way to the hospital. He didn’t know if he was ready to let her go. Maybe he was
still hoping they would find a way to connect one last time. “I’ll think about
it.”

Dylan stood. “Well, I should go.”

“Hold up a minute. I wanna ask your advice
about one more thing.”

Dylan laughed as he sat back down. “Who the
hell do I look like, Dr. Phil?”

“No, he’s better looking and has more
hair.”

“Shut the hell up! Start talking, or I’m
walking.”

“You know Sela’s parents hate me, right?”

“Yeah, and the feeling’s mutual.” Dylan
stretched his long legs out in front of him. “What about it?”

“I don’t want to go on hating her parents,”
Jaxon said slowly. He’d never been the first to wave the white flag, but there
was nothing he wouldn’t do for Sela. “I don’t want her to feel she has to
choose between us.”

“You’re afraid she’d choose them?” Dylan
smiled.

“No, I’m afraid she might choose me.”

“And that’s a bad thing? At least you
wouldn’t have the in-laws from hell.”

“I can handle them, but I don’t know if
Sela could handle losing her family because of me. She might resent me someday,
wonder if it was too big a price to pay, ya know?”

Dylan chuckled. “I’ve met her parents. It’s
not that big a loss.”

“I’m serious, Dyl. These are her parents.
What the hell am I supposed to do? I have to go over there later to have dinner
with them. Kiki’s coming back from her honeymoon, and they want to get the
whole family together to welcome them home.”

“And they invited you?” Dylan smirked. “You
sure they don’t plan to have you arrested for trespassing once you get there?”

“Speaking of being arrested, what happened
with Riley?”

“He’s out on bail for now. Last I heard, he
was laying low up at his cabin until his trial.”

“If he’s smart, he’ll stay up there.”

“You said it.” Dylan leaned forward,
bracing his hands on his knees as he looked Jaxon in the eye. “You’re one of
the toughest guys I know. Let Sela’s parents know the deal. You love their
daughter, and you’re not going anywhere. They’ll just have to find a way to
live with that.”

Jaxon had never shied away from
confrontations—they were a part of running a huge corporation—but this was
different. This was personal. “You really think coming on strong is the best
approach?”

“I think it’s the only one that’ll work.
They’re used to bullying people. You need to let them know you’re not gonna
back down. If they bite, you’ll bite back harder.”

“Yeah, you’re right.” It wasn’t what he
wanted to hear, but Jaxon knew he didn’t have a choice. He had to suit up for
battle.

Jaxon had fielded questions from
Sela’s parents about the kind of year he’d had in the stock market, how many
bars they had, and whether they intended to take the company public, but not
once had they mentioned the way he’d treated their daughter. He couldn’t figure
out why, unless they were treading lightly to avoid upsetting Sela.

Kiki cornered Jaxon at the dessert table as
the rest of the family lounged by the pool. “So you finally wore my sister
down, huh?”

“Don’t start, Kik.” He loved Sela’s
sister—she was fun and quirky, bold and opinionated—but he wasn’t in the mood
for her light-hearted humor today.

“What?” she asked, looking all wide-eyed
and innocent. “Kudos. I didn’t think you could do it.”

He raised an eyebrow. He knew she wouldn’t
let it go, but he hoped she could see on his face that he wasn’t up for
teasing. Too many things were still up for grabs. Until his future with Sela
was settled, he would feel edgy and tense. Jaxon thought about Dylan’s advice,
but Sela’s parents hadn’t given him reason to come on strong. They’d been
hospitable, almost nice. He wondered if they were up to something, maybe
hatching a plan to break them up.

“What’s up with your parents today?” he asked,
making sure his back was to them so they couldn’t read his lips. “Why are they
being so gracious? It’s not like them.”

Kiki laughed out loud, then stuck her
tongue out at someone behind Jaxon’s back. She looked like a gleeful
five-year-old. Apparently married life agreed with her. Her feet had barely
touched the ground since she entered her parents’ house. “Chad and I were
trying to figure that out too. Did you bribe them or what?”

Jaxon rolled his eyes. The Richards didn’t
need his money; they had plenty of their own. “Get serious. Did they say
anything to you?” He shouldn’t look a gift horse in the mouth, but he was dying
to know what was going on with them.

“Maybe they see that Sela’s happy, really
happy, for the first time in a long time.” She smiled, touching Jaxon’s
forearm. “And you’re the reason for that. So thank you.”

Jaxon wasn’t used to Kiki’s warm and fuzzy
side. He was more comfortable with the cheeky smart ass who had a quick answer
for everything. “You don’t have to thank me. It works both ways.” He couldn’t
help turning to look at Sela, who was busy watching them while trying to carry
on a conversation with her new brother-in-law. “I’ve been miserable since Sela
left me. Having her back in my life just made me realize how much. I don’t want
to lose her again. Ever.”

“She told me you proposed,” Kiki said,
pouring some coffee. “That took a lot of guts, given how you feel about
commitment.”

“I’m working through that,” he said,
feeling defensive. He wasn’t the only guy with a fear of commitment, but having
a woman like Sela made him realize it was time to shed the chains that had held
him captive. He wanted to be free to move on and start a new life with Sela.

“Did you propose because you thought that’s
what she wanted?”

Jaxon gripped his glass tighter. Kiki was
just looking out for her big sister, but he didn’t appreciate anyone
questioning his feelings for Sela. “No, I proposed because it’s what
I
wanted.
I love her. I want to spend the rest of my life with her. Period.”

“So why don’t you ask her again? It seems
she’s gotten over the job thing. Maybe she’d say yes this time.”

Jaxon wanted to believe they’d moved past
that mistake, but he was still afraid of rejection. “I don’t know if this is
the right time.”

Kiki giggled. “This is the perfect time. My
father would probably have a coronary if you dropped down on one knee right
now.”

Jaxon frowned, failing to see the humor in
her suggestion. He didn’t want to be at war with Sela’s parents. “She loves her
family. I don’t want to drive a wedge between Sela and your parents. So while
you may find this whole thing funny, I don’t.”

Kiki set her coffee on the table before
bumping his hip. “Come on, lighten up. Since when do you care what people think
of you?”

“These aren’t just people, Kik. These could
be my future in-laws.”

Kiki glanced at her parents to make sure
they were otherwise occupied. “I love my parents and all, but you won’t meet
two more shallow people.”

Jaxon couldn’t hold back a smile. “Gee, how
do you really feel?”

“They’re all about impressing people. They
can deny it all they want, but what you’ve accomplished is impressive.”

“Thanks, I think,” he muttered. With Kiki,
it was often hard to tell whether her compliments were genuine.

“Trust me, once they’re convinced you
really do care for Sela and you’re not going to hurt her again, they’ll jump on
your bandwagon.”

Jaxon would like to believe that, but if
life had taught him anything, it was that he couldn’t take anything for
granted. “How can you be so sure?”

“Because I know what kind of men they hoped
their daughters would marry, and you fit the bill.” She scanned his white linen
shirt and black pants. “You’re smart, ambitious, handsome, ridiculously
successful, and your name carries a lot of weight in this town.” She shrugged.
“Like I said, they’re shallow.”

Jaxon smirked. Kiki seemed to have nailed
her parents’ wish list. While most parents would care more about how a man
treated their daughter and whether they were compatible, the Richards were
concerned about whether their prospective son-in-law would help them move up
the social ladder. Jaxon knew Kiki was the expert on her parents. She had
always marched to the beat of her own drummer. She didn’t ask what her parents
thought of her decisions. She merely told them what she intended to do. “So how
do you suggest I handle them?”

“By ignoring them,” Kiki said, biting into
a plump strawberry. “Concentrate on your relationship with Sela. Make her
happy, and you’ll make them happy. Whether you believe it or not, they want you
to stick around.”

“How do you know that?”

Kiki rolled her eyes. “Haven’t you been
listening to a word I said? Having a son-in-law who’s a gazillionaire would
give them serious bragging rights at the club.”

Jaxon put his arm around Kiki, grateful she
was on his side. Having Sela’s little sister as an ally put him one step closer
to winning over the Richards family. “Thanks for the pep talk, kid. It helped a
lot. But enough about me and my problems. How’s married life treating you?”

Her pretty face lit up as she snuck a peek at
her new husband. “I had no idea I could be this happy, Jax. Being married to
Chad is everything I thought it would be and more.”

He was pleased for his friends—they
deserved happiness—but Jaxon couldn’t ignore his envy. He wanted what they had.
He reached for another beer from the outdoor bar fridge. “Just be good to each
other. Don’t take a single day for granted.”

“Sounds like you’re speaking from
experience.”

“If I hadn’t messed things up so badly the
first time around, your sister and I would be married by now.” Just thinking
about the life they could have had made him feel empty. “Don’t get me wrong,
I’m grateful she’s giving me another chance—”

“But you want more,” Kiki said. “I get
that. Chad was happy just dating. I was the one who pushed for marriage. We’d
been dating for three years, and I was ready to take our relationship to the
next level.”

“I guess your plan worked,” Jaxon said,
glancing at her diamond wedding band.

“It did, but…” She sighed. “I wish I’d
backed off a little. I didn’t get the romantic proposal I’d been envisioning
since I was a little girl.”

“What do you mean?”

“We were arguing about when Chad was going
to propose. I was starting to lose faith, so I basically gave him an ultimatum,
marry me or it’s over.”

“Ouch.” Jaxon thought about how he would
have felt in Chad’s position. He likely would have bailed. He didn’t do well
with being cornered.

“Yeah,” Kiki said, looking sad. “He said if
I wanted to get married so badly, we would. The next day, we went ring
shopping.” She looked at the one-and-a-half carat diamond gracing her left
hand. “I picked out my ring, waited around to have it sized, and walked out of
the store wearing it.”

Even Jaxon knew women expected more. “I’m
sure he was just doing what he thought you wanted.” Jaxon knew from experience
it wasn’t easy to keep a Richards woman content.

“I know that.” She shook her head, as
though trying to rid herself of a bad memory. “And I really have nothing to
complain about. We’re married now. We’re happy. So what if I didn’t get the
proposal I’d been dreaming about, right?”

Jaxon didn’t know how to respond. He sensed
if he agreed with her, it would be like pouring salt into the wound, but if he
told her she deserved more, it would only add to her resentment.

“You tried the romantic gesture with my
sister,” Kiki said. “The timing was all wrong, and it didn’t work out for you.”

“Don’t remind me.”

“What if you opt for the element of
surprise instead?”

Jaxon knew Kiki too well. The wheels were
turning in that little head of hers. “What are you talking about?”

“This is just about the last place my
sister would expect you to get down on one knee, right?” Kiki giggled. “In
front of our parents? Come on, she’d be totally blown away.”

Jaxon choked on his beer, grateful he was
able to swallow before spewing it all over the crisp white tablecloth. “You
can’t be serious.”

“I’m dead serious,” Kiki said, with a
mischievous twinkle in her eyes. “Think about it. What better way to convince
my sister you’re all in while sending a clear message to my parents?”

“I’d have to be crazy to set myself up for
that kind of rejection.” Jaxon turned Kiki’s idea over in his head. He could
walk away today engaged to the love of his life or alone and miserable. It was
a hell of a risk. “She already said no once. We’ve gotten closer since then,
but I can’t help but feel we have a long way to go before she’s ready to walk
down the aisle with me.”

Kiki shrugged. “So suggest a long
engagement. It’ll probably take at least a year for Mama to plan the wedding
anyhow.”

Jaxon raised an eyebrow. He didn’t know how
he felt about his future mother-in-law planning their wedding. Of course, if it
made Sela happy, he’d get married in a tent in the middle of the woods. “I
don’t know…” Jaxon’s heart swelled when he caught Sela smiling at him. “You
really think she’d say yes?”

“Jaxon, she’s loved you since the first
night she met you.”

“What are you talking about?”

Kiki smiled and touched his forearm. “She
came home that night and asked me if I believed in love at first sight. I said
I did, and she said she’d just met the man she wanted to marry.”

Jaxon closed his eyes as emotions
overwhelmed him: love, gratitude, and regret for all the time they’d wasted.
“She really said that?”

“She did.” She squeezed Jaxon’s arm. “So
you see, there’s no chance she’ll say no. The first time, she was hurt and
angry, questioning whether she could trust you. I think she realizes now that
you made a stupid mistake not because you were trying to control her life, but
because you were desperate to get close to her again. If you ask me, it’s kind
of romantic.”

Jaxon’s lips twitched. “Thanks, but don’t
tell your sister that. I’d rather she forget the whole mess.”

“You got it,” she said, winking.

Jaxon took a deep breath. “I need to talk
to your father first.”

Kiki’s mouth dropped open. “You’re not
serious.”

“Come on, Kik. Where we come from, you ask
a girl’s father for her hand before you ask her.”

“You didn’t think of that before.”

“Because I was afraid he’d pull out his
shotgun.” Jaxon grinned. “I don’t think he’d do that today. There are too many
witnesses.”

“What are you going to do if he says hell
no?”

Jaxon had already considered that
possibility. “I’ll tell him that while we’d like his blessing, not having it
won’t prevent me from asking the woman I love to marry me.”

Kiki smiled. “Good for you. I’d like to go
on record as saying I think the old-fashioned approach may backfire, but I’ll
see if I can’t corner my dad and ask him to make his way over here without
making Sela suspicious.”

“Thanks, hon,” Jaxon said, kissing her
cheek. “You’re the best.”

“And don’t you forget it when my birthday
rolls around. My birthstone is diamond.”

*   *   *

“Kiki said you wanted to have a word with
me,” Gordon Richards said, sitting across from Jaxon.

Their rattan chairs were inside a gazebo,
well away from the rest of the group, so Jaxon was confident no one would
overhear them. “Yes, sir, I did.”

Gordon raised an eyebrow, obviously taken
aback by the deference in Jaxon’s tone. “Okay, I’m listening. What’s this all
about?”