“A marriage?” I scoffed. “Getting a bit ahead of yourself, no?”
“No, because you’re marrying me, darling Mia, even if I have to ask you every day for the rest of your life.”
“Don’t know if I want that when you’re claiming I won’t get my perfect happily ever after.”
“You won’t, but you don’t want that either. You want the real parts, baby. Just like I do. And I’m going to enjoy those real parts the most, all the imperfect ones like when you and Franny are laughing at that stupid bunny for messing up my study, or when you’re ignoring me because my daughter has all your attention, when you tell me you’re not ready for something and you choose to lean on me instead. When you look at me with those pretty brown eyes and insist I water your plants, or when my men choose to protect you instead of me. I’m going to enjoy it … You know why?”
“Why?” I asked him with tears in my eyes now.
“Because the real you was made for me and no one else. I love you, darling Mia.”
And since that night, he didn’t keep a thing from me. He probably overshared every meeting and invited me even to the ones that were so boring I had to find a way out of them. Olive, Pink, and Rosy helped by excusing us all any time they could.
It took getting used to, being a part of a community I felt I belonged in. But Jameson embraced every part of me. He didn’t ask me to play nice or to pretend things were fine if Iwas uncomfortable. He didn’t keep doors closed or shut me out either. Not only did I have a seat at any table he sat at now, he was the one to pull out the chair for me and wait until I was seated to begin … always.
After Lex and what happened in that hotel room, I knew my life would change, but it changed for the better with him carrying me out of that place and carrying me home.
Fran had been waiting with a big smile and the bunny in her hands when we arrived. “Finally, daddy did something right,” she told me and then turned to her daddy. “Mia might need another puppy after how you made her feel so bad she had to leave. A dog would make her feel better.”
Jameson frowned but didn’t dare ruin the moment by telling her no.
Instead, he asked if I did want a dog the very next day. Franny whispered in my ear to say yes and I chuckled before I told her we needed to wait a bit.
“Heart-in-pinkie promise we can talk more about it in a few weeks?” She made sure her dad was listening.
“Ieven heart-in-pinkie promise.” Jameson held up his own pinkie and that had both Franny and me giggling.
It seemed that became Jameson’s goal after that, to make sure we giggled and laughed every single day, to make sure I felt like I belonged there too. Even now, as he stood in his office, pouring himself two fingers of bourbon after putting Fran to bed, he asked, “Want anything, Darling?”
I was curled up on the chaise lounge, wearing one of his navy button-downs as I smiled softly at him. “Nope. Seems we have a clear schedule for the rest of the night.”
He turned to come sit next to me, his sleeves rolled up to showcase those tattoos I loved so much. “You know better than I do. I hate checking that calendar.”
He’d given me access to his personal schedule, all his bankaccounts, asset reports, and probably twenty other things I didn’t need.
“By the way, did you happen to look at the contract with the Hardy Brothers and the new report we have for the East Coast?”
I blinked. “Um … yes?”
He bent down and brushed my cheek with the backs of his fingertips as he smirked. “I give you access to everything in my life and you find it boring, darling devil.”
“It’s just a lot of reading,” I whined, but as I did, my phone lit up on the side table, and I saw Marian’s name pop up. It was way too late for her to call. I sat up straighter and frowned. “My sister is calling.”
Jameson moved me closer to him as if he knew I might need the support. “Answer it, baby.”
“Marian?” I said her name quietly.
The breath she let out was all I needed to hear to look at Jameson with fear in my eyes. “I know it’s late, but if you could … I … Can I take you up on that offer to fly me out of here now, Mia? I lost the baby, and he’s … the weather is really bad. Really, really bad. He’s so mad, Mia.” She broke down then.
She didn’t have to say the words. I stood without realizing it, gripping my phone. “I’ll be there as soon as I can. Go to the airport. Now.”
I ended the call, and Jameson was already up and pulling out his phone to command to someone, “Have the jet prepped within the hour. I want wheels up before midnight.”
It only took me ten minutes to pack, and another ten to let Rosy know to care for Franny just for the night. Cal and Archer were in the SUV by the time we were ready and whipped open the door as we walked out. “What are you guys doing?” I frowned as Jameson held the door open for me to climb in.
“Jameson said we might be needed.”
As he got in, I frowned at him. “We’re not killing Felix,”I told him, and then I looked at Archer and Cal. “You all understand?”
