The Perfect Storm (The Blake Boys Book 6) (7 page)

“Tyler has that same smoldering charisma that runs in your family. He just hasn’t learned how to control it yet.”

A waiter passed by with a tray of appetizers.

Sam offered J.J. a mini quiche but he refused. “You need to eat something.”

“If the wait staff passes by with something edible, then I’ll eat.” He moved his head back and forth like a child an unappealing vegetable.

“Just a bite. Stop acting like a baby.” Sam laughed.

J.J. held her hand steady, gulped down the appetizer then lightly nipped the tip of her manicured finger. “Not bad, but not good either.”

“Hello, J.J.” A voice said behind them.

J.J. turned around to see that Eden and Dax had snuck up behind them.

“Eden.” He kissed her on the cheek and gave her a hug. J.J. glanced at the glittering bling around her neck and saw the diamond necklace he’d bought her for their first anniversary. He turned to her jackass of a date and simply nodded. “Dax.”

“J.J. It’s been a long time.” Dax extended his hand but J.J. wouldn’t shake it.

“Samantha Jane, this is Eden, and you already know Dax.” J.J. smiled when the color drained from Dax’s face.

“A pleasure, Eden. Very nice to meet you.” Sam extended her hand to Eden but she didn’t shake it. Touché. “Dax, I would shake hands with you but I’m not sure if that restraining order you had filed against me is still in effect.”

Dax cleared his throat. “I dropped that complaint. I thought I’d cleared that up with Jack Stanton. After all, it was a big misunderstanding.”

“Some things do get lost in translation, but most things don’t. If Eden finds herself in need of a translator, I’ll be back for another visit.”

The next few minutes were painful for all involved. J.J. knew from his wife’s pouty look that his reaction to Dax was not what she’d expected. Not to mention her obvious confusion about what Sam said to Dax. The longer he stood there, the more he had to temper his anger. He wanted to beat the man’s face in for making an advance on Sam that caused her to defend herself physically, and for preying upon Eden. But the idiot’s grasp on Eden’s arm did lighten up. Sure, she was a big girl and she was no longer his responsibility, but that didn’t mean he wanted her to get hurt.

Dax finally herded Eden towards the governor, who was holding court about a recent fishing expedition. It was a great time to get some fresh air.

“Would you like to take a walk around the garden?” J.J. asked Sam.

“I’d like that.” She wrapped her hand around his forearm.

They started the path that began as a small maze of shrubbery.

“So,” she asked. “On a scale of one to ten, how uncomfortable were you in there?”

“Two.”

“Wow. Seeing the ex-wife in public for the first time since the divorce with a world class douche bag only warrants a two?”

“The purpose of a divorce is to rid yourself of anxiety like that. It would be second guessing the decision I made, and that decision did not come lightly. I loved her for a long time, and I still do. But as corny as it may sound, sometimes love isn’t enough to sustain a relationship when two people want different things. Life is much simpler than people make it. Either you give your all to someone, or you’re wasting their time.”

“Feel better?”

“Yes, I do.” He shook his head. Letting go of it felt good, saying it in front of Sam, the object of his desire, not so much.

“I think it’s nice that you still love her.”

“Now, wait a minute,” he protested.

She rolled her eyes. “Can I finish my motivational speech? I think it’s nice that you still love her. That means you separated before any ill will cemented itself into your heart. Why would you love someone one minute and despise them the next? I think sometimes people don’t ask themselves poignant questions like that when they’re sifting through the rubble of past relationships. It shows you know what love means, if you were able to let go of it. For her sake and yours.”

“Thanks. I have my momma and daddy to thank for that. They made loving each other look so easy.” He took her hand and gave it a squeeze. “Listen to me, I sound like some mushy greeting card. I need a beer.”

“How about a big juicy burger to go with that beer? I know a great place. My treat. And before you say anything, I’m not one of those dainty salad-and-yogurt-eating women. I like good food and a keep a balanced exercise program so I can offset the calories.” She nudged him gently in the ribs with her elbow.

“No surprises there. Salad and yogurt doesn’t exactly go with cigars and hard liquor. Let’s go get us some real grub that doesn’t taste like papier-mâché.”

She snorted in response. “Cool.”

“Sam, thanks for the warning you gave Dax. You beat me to the punch.”

“I know all you Blakes like the back of my hand. I intervened to prevent the fist fight I saw coming. You are my charge, after all, and no matter how devastating I look in this dress, I’m always ready to provide excellent customer service to my clients.

“I may designate you as my plus one for the foreseeable future.”

Sam smiled and he led her outside to the valet stand. He saw Eden engaged in a conversation with a group of people. She did look good tonight, and wearing the necklace he gave her for their first anniversary could have been a coincidence. But he noticed she also had on the matching bracelet and earrings. She looked at him with those damn eyes that held him captive for far too long, as if she wanted him to come over and snatch her away from Dax. Perhaps Sam did save him from lighting the powder keg that surrounded them, but Dax wouldn’t be so lucky if J.J. ran into him in less formal circumstances. Too bad Dax didn’t frequent the Bright Star…

* * *

It had been a week since Sam saw J.J. and she found herself oddly missing him. They had a great time after they ditched the governor’s party and had gone for burgers and a beer. He didn’t mind talking about Eden, and she was pleasantly surprised at how frank he was about their relationship. She thought about the kiss they shared in her kitchen, but he’d seemed to be totally past it, so she filed it away in her mental file cabinet as an impetuous moment between to healthy adults who were attracted to each other.

Now they were headed to Denver. Sam wasn’t crazy about flying, but she’d been working on calming her fears since she had so many high-profile clients that moved around the country and sometimes internationally to work. A few days before she did plenty of yoga and listened to relaxation CDs to and from work.

“Have you been hydrating?” J.J. greeted her when she stepped onto the private plane.

“Yes, I have. And why did I do that again?” Sam furrowed her eye brows.

“The high altitude and the hot weather in Denver can wreak havoc on your body if you don’t drink plenty of fluids. I’ve found it helps if you start a few days ahead of time.”

“Oh. You learn something new every day.” She smiled.

Sam took a seat and fastened her seat belt when the captain informed J.J. they were taking off soon. He looked good today, dressed business casual with a lavender dress shirt and a pair of jeans. She wore one of her suits but packed some casual clothes just case she’d get to sightsee while she was there.

They spent the plane ride going over the itinerary and discussing the weather, sports, just about anything while they ate a nice lunch. It was so easy to talk to him, which was a change of pace from a lot of her wealthy clients who were really out of touch about the world around them.

The minute the private plane touched down, Sam immediately fell in love with Denver. The scenic mountains in the backdrop called to her, and J.J. maneuvered expertly through the city streets, pointing out a few sights before reaching his home. J.J. punched in a code that opened a beautiful iron gate, but she didn’t see a house anywhere in the distance. He made a left and ascended a sloping hill that seemed to go on forever. When they reached the top she could see three huge houses, spaced out but within a reasonable distance from each other. Now she knew why the Regency staff dubbed this place Blake Ridge. He pulled in front of the house on the left.

“This place is magnificent,” she said.

He retrieved their bags from the trunk of the Range Rover. “Thank you. This is my home away from home.”

“So what’s the itinerary for today? We got here in record time if you want to start working.”

“Today we take it easy. I thought we could go to the market and get some supplies and have a nice dinner here.” He opened the front door and turned off the alarm.

“Sounds good.”

The house didn’t seem like he hadn’t been there in over a year. The fridge was stocked, there were no coverings over the furniture, and the mail he received was neatly stacked in a pile on the kitchen counter. There was a note next to vase of fresh flowers on the beveled mahogany table in the foyer. J.J. read the note and snorted.

“My momma sent Tyler and Channing here a few days ago to remove any memories of Eden. I thought those rug rats were in California.”

He gave her a tour of the enormous house, which had four bedrooms, two studies and an exercise room that could have rivaled a chain of fitness gyms. There was a lavish spa hot tub that she was dying to try. J.J. explained its specialized features were installed for when he played ball.

J.J.’s bedroom was beautifully decorated and had an elegant walk-in closet and a huge bathroom. He gave her the pick of bedrooms and she chose the one at the opposite end of the hall, to avoid any late night run ins. She normally preferred to stay at a hotel, but when she brought it up to J.J., he flat out insisted she stay with him. The back yard went on for days. J.J. opened the gas grill to air it out and checked the propane tank.

They made the trip to the market and stocked up on food for the week. He drove around, showing her some of his old haunts from his football days. When they rode by his old stadium, a look of nostalgia flashed across his face. By the time they returned back to the house it was early afternoon, but she strangely felt tired.

“I apologize, my energy level is unusually low.” She yawned uncontrollably as she placed the vegetables in the fridge.

“That’s why I suggested we start fresh in the morning.”

“So what’s on the menu tonight?” She asked.

“My famous buffalo chili.” He winked at her as through the meat on the counter.

Sam blanched at his choice. “I don’t eat buffalo.”

“Have you ever tried it?” He countered.

“Well…no, but—”

“You like beef, you’ll like buffalo. It’s just leaner and full of protein.”

She shook her head no, still not convinced.

“I ate that cardboard quiche thing at the party. You owe me.” He handed her a bottle of water and shooed her out of the kitchen. “How about this, just give it a chance and if you don’t like it, I’ll take you out to eat. But I promise you’ll like it.”

Sam perused the house while he got to work in the kitchen. She patched into his system with her tablet and began running a diagnostic. Eden was still listed as an authorized entrant in the home and she would ask him if he wanted her removed. According to the logs, she’d visited the home about six months ago. She wondered if he knew about it. Why wouldn’t she want this home in the divorce settlement? It was their first house and the view from every window was spectacular. But then again, Seth and Tate owned the other two homes on the mountain, it would have been damned awkward to run into them periodically. She made her notes, put her gizmo away and went in search of the magazine she’d brought with her. She peeked in on him in the kitchen and noticed he’d changed his clothes. He was now sporting a T-shirt with his old team’s logo on it and a pair of running shorts. He was lean, muscled, and sexy as hell.

She cleared her throat. “Um, I have a question for you.”

“Sure.” J.J. stirred the meat browning in a cast iron pot.

“Eden is still an authorized entrant on this security system and that stands to reason she’s still in the system on other properties. Do you want me to revoke her credentials?”

He stopped stirring and scratched at his beard. That usually meant he was thinking hard about something. It was also a trait she’d noticed in all of the Blake men. They all had the classic body language tell.

“You don’t have to decide right now,” she added.

“No, I should have requested it be done a long time ago.” He picked up a cutting board with chopped onions and added them to the pot.

“OK.”

He smiled. “Dinner will be ready in a couple of hours.”

* * *

J.J. knew Sam was trying to hang in there, so he made sure they didn’t do anything too strenuous when they landed. He wanted a day to just relax and enjoy his return to Denver. In addition to visiting Blake Enterprises locations, he was getting together with some of his buddies from his football days. A few were still playing for the Colts, but some were retired like him. He’d dodged the informal reunions for years but now seemed like a good of time as any to try new things. Besides, two of them were heads of the construction company he owned.

The plane ride was pleasant, and he enjoyed chatting with Sam. She was well versed on many topics and had a strong opinion about everything. She didn’t hold back in fear she’d bruise his ego, and he didn’t mind when she called him on the carpet about some things. It was nice—different—to be able to speak his mind and disagree with a woman without it turning into a fight.

Coming home to find the house Eden-free was a bittersweet feeling. He expected to be doing some packing and reminiscing, much like he did before the house on the ranch had been demolished, but his momma had beaten him to the punch. Bless her heart for helping him move on with his life. The whole family seemed to be on a campaign of forward movement for him.

The timer on the stove dinged, which meant his cornbread was done. He called out to Sam that dinner was ready, only to find that she too had changed. She wore a pink sweat suit, which was undeniably cute, but he’d never tell her that. He suspected she liked the shark persona she exuded when she wore one of her business suits.