“Damn it!”
“Hey, no fair!” The chorus of complaints has me almost speechless.
“You dibs her?” Jacinta’s quiet voice has the boys quickly shutting up. “Whatever happened to asking a girl if she would like to be your date? What if she doesn't want to go with you? She's good friends with Shane SilversandAlexander Winters. Maybe she wants to go with one of them. Lord knows they can probably dance better than the lot of you.” Jacinta looks a little ill at the suggestion, but I guess she’s taking this whole sister thing to heart. I may have to put her out of her misery, but then again, it won't hurt for her to sweat just a little longer.
“Don't forget her new friend Jace,” Nana calls out cheekily.
“Well, there you go.” Jacinta gestures broadly, her voice getting louder. “Harlow has lots of options, so how about instead of dibsing her, you show her some proper respect and ask her.” She holds up her hand as mouths start to open. “Notnow. Now you’ve just looked like a bunch of asses. I suggest you give it a while for it to fade in her memory.”
Ha! I think I like being on Jacinta’s good side; it’s fun watching her put them all in their place. Almost in unison, the guys cringe, though Dad gives her a wink. Jacinta practically preens at his approval, and I have to desperately hold my laughter in. This family is so much fun now that they're not all anti-Harlow.
Thomas clears his throat. “Dad, Poppy, and I need to go and inspect the headquarters of the NW European Airline we bought. I think it would be a good idea for all of you to take some time and come too, or Harlow at the very least. You can stay on the yacht at Cannes, or I have a place in Ireland where you could stay too,” he offers quietly, and everyone looks surprised. Huh, I’m right there with them. He’s willing to be with me alone if the others decide not to come; he was friendly enough in the stable the other day, but I didn’t think we were on ‘alone together’ kind of terms.
“When did you buy a place in Ireland?” Declan asks.
“Just after the Clarissa fiasco. I wanted a place I could go and be anonymous, and it works well there,” he tells him, a firm note in his voice sending the message that he doesn’t want to go into any greater detail right now.
“I think that's an excellent idea,” Dad tells Thomas. “Let's make it a week from Monday. That gives Holden’s shoulder a chance to rest, and he can see the physical therapist as well. It also gives you all time to get your leadership teams up to speed on what needs to be done while we're gone.” No one argues, so I guess that’s supposed to be that. But then Dad looks at me. “Is that alright with you, Harlow?”
“Oh yeah, sure. I haven't got a passport though. Will I be able to get one in time?”
Everyone looks at Thomas with concern. “I can take care of that for you while you're in Hawaii,” he says, and the room collectively exhales. Huh, another thing I’m going to have to ask about. I’m not an educated world traveler since I really haven’t even traveled around the US, but it seems to me that it might be kind of hard to get a passport for someone who isn’t you. What is it about Thomas that makes him so confident he can get this done? Not only him, but everyone else. Clearly, they believe he’s able to get this done. Not to mention he’s familiar with a gun, was trusted to guard the stables alone after that dummy Jacinta set up, and there are all these little looks that just hint at secret after secret to uncover. I’m dying to ask about all of this, but I know it’s not the time.
In the silence that follows, Kai stands up. “Okay, if everyone is done with updates, I’m going to finish my packing.” He gives Nana a kiss on the head on the way past. “Harlow, I’ll be back, and we’ll leave soon, okay?”
“Sure,” I reply, smiling as the butterflies in my stomach start to flutter. Holden has started to look tired, so Oliver convinces him to return to bed, whispering something in his ear that causes Holden’s eyes to light up and those damn butterflies to flutter even faster. Before the two of them head out from the kitchen, they have a quick word with Dad, asking to speak with him privately, then get a head start to his office to wait for him. Instead of immediately following them, Dad comes over to me. “Be careful but have some fun. I worry that everything has been so stressful for you since you’ve been here. I’m so sorry, Harlow. I’m almost afraid that you’ll leave when this is over and not want to come back.”
He sounds so guilty, which in turn makes me feel sad and guilty myself. Needing to do something to make the both of us feel a tiny bit better, I stand up and open my arms for a hug. There’s a little hint of surprise in his gaze, not having expected me to offer the little bit of affection, and it makes me that much more confident that I made the right decision. I want to connect with my dad, and I need him to know that I’m happy to have this chance with him despite the drama.
“Dad, none of this is your fault, and I am so glad I'm here and getting to know you. You’ve done everything in your power now to make sure we are safe, and that’s all I could ever ask for. Stop worrying.” I give him a kiss on the cheek, and the tension leaves his body before he blows out a sigh of relief and pulls back, making his way after the other two.
Once Dad leaves, Thomas gets up, muttering something about making a phone call as he disappears. Poppy picks up his newspaper and stands up. “Come on, dear, I want to go into the office and start to make those changes regarding Cecelia’s access. I know you want to go and check on Couture, don't you?”
Nana quickly agrees, and they both say their goodbyes, wishing me a fun and safe trip.
“I’m going out to check on Prada!” Jacinta says almost too excitedly, standing up and practically sprinting for the door.
“I’ll come with you. I want to talk to you about something before I go to the office,” Declan tells her, his eyes not leaving mine. A small smile crosses my lips, and I wink in his direction.
“I’m just going to finish my coffee, and I’ll be out to check them over,” I assure her when I see her looking at me hopefully. I have to give Declan a chance to talk to her on his own; he doesn't need any help from me.
That leaves me and Jaxon.
“Looking forward to the trip?” I ask him.
“You have no idea,” he replies, his voice low and gravelly, and I feel my toes curl in anticipation. Wicked ideas try to bombard me of how this trip could turn out for us, but first I need to speak to both him and Kai about the others, and what better place to do it than 20,000 ft in the air? Jaxon hasn’t tried to make amends as much as the others have, so if there’s going to be any chance of a future for us, we need to work some shit out. Might as well do it when there’s no way for him to escape.
Chapter Eighteen
Jaxon
Igive my excuses to Harlow, telling her I’m going to grab my bag from my room, because I want to talk to Dad about something, so I search for him in his office. When I get there, the door is closed. A quiet jiggle of the handle lets me know it’s unlocked, which is enough of a signal for me. Cecelia’s latest interference notwithstanding, Dad has always made as much time for his children as possible. Knocking, I enter without waiting to be called and find Dad with Holden and Oliver in a threeway embrace. They all look kind of emotional, and when Dad pulls away, Holden and Oliver continue to hold hands.
“About time you got that shit sorted. I mean, over ten years is a long time to play hard to get, Holden,” I joke, hoping to break the emotional atmosphere, and it works somewhat. Oliver snorts and Holden gives me a relieved smile, but Dad just raises an eyebrow.
“Take a seat, Jaxon; I want to know how you feel about this crazy plan of Mom’s. Holden and Oliver have just been sharing with me how they both feel about Harlow and that maybe some of you other boys feel the same. And that Nana suggested that maybe you couldshareher. I want to believe the best in all of my children and look out for all of you, Harlow included, so I need you guys to sell me on this idea. Especially considering your less than warm reception of her. If this is a game in any way, it will not be tolerated.” Dad doesn't seem angry, just curious and definitely protective. I can't say I blame him.
Closing the door behind me, I take a seat on one of the chairs while Oliver and Holden share the sofa. Dad sits down behind his desk, his business face on.
