“Okay. Let’s hear the speech you rehearsed.” He held up a hand to stop them before they started. “Wait. Do you each have a part, like a play? Or are you winging it? Oh, no. Is this going to be a good cop–bad cop rendition?”
Melanie laughed. “How do you want us to deliver the message?”
Livie waved a hand. “We didn’t come for dinner and a show,” she stated. Her bright eyes came back to land on him, once again socking him right in the gut with arousal. “I’ve been thinking and Jade’s idea is actually brilliant and something that is a win-win for both of us.”
Crossing his arms, he made sure to look her right in the eye. She may be a corporate shark and used to negotiating, but he was a former member of the United States Air Force. He used to answer to the government. He wasn’t too afraid of three women. Though they seemed to be staring at him. Were they waiting to attack or were they evaluating him?
No doubt Livie had told them about the kisses. Women liked to chatter, to get opinions, to make sure their friends were in their corner. He didn’t care. If she was talking about their kissing, then that meant she was thinking about him. Jax was more than okay with that.
“And how will we be winning?” he asked. “Because the way I see it, we’d have to invest an amount of money I can’t even wrap my mind around, plus hire contractors, designers. All of that renovating would disrupt the flights.”
Jade held up her hands. “Wait. This can all be worked out. As far as the money goes, there are grants for this type of thing. The money isn’t going to be as big of an issue as you believe.”
“Grants,” he muttered. “So who will draw up those proposals?”
“Actually, I’m an attorney and Olivia works with budgeting and numbers all day.” Melanie offered a sweet smile and Jax immediately saw why Tanner had been so taken with the new girl in town. “Between the two of us, we’ll get it done.”
Her assurance seemed so genuine. He had no doubt with these three they would get the job done because Olivia and Jade were strong, independent women. He didn’t know Melanie, but if she kept company with these two, then she had to be cut from the same cloth.
“Where do you fit in?” He nodded toward Jade.
“Oh, I’m the mastermind,” she stated as if that should’ve already been known. “I’ve been working in business for years. I am more than capable of finding contractors and architects to draw up plans.”
Jax rubbed the back of his neck. Was he supposed to make a decision now? He had six eyes on him, the room wasn’t filled with tension, it was more like . . . uncertainty. How the hell was he supposed to know what the right decision was? If he knew the investment would be profitable, if they could get the funds covered, and only if his already established clients were not disrupted. Not to mention the pilots who rented from him. There were so many variables and not enough answers.
“I need time to think about this,” he told them. “It’s not something that I can decide in a short time. This is my livelihood. You’ll plan from Atlanta where you can continue to work. I have to be with the mess, the contractors. I’d be the one on-site trying to make decisions while you’re hours away.”
Livie’s gaze never wavered. Not once. It was as if she was daring him to keep finding reasons this wouldn’t work. Her set jaw, her clasped hands over her perfectly pressed capris were all telltale signs that she wasn’t going to back down from this.
Well, he’d wanted her to move on from selling, right? In his mind, though, he figured he could talk her into just leaving him alone and moving on.
But on the flip side, she’d have to stick around at least for a while to get this ball rolling . . . wouldn’t she? Jax wasn’t too proud to admit he wanted her. That adolescent crush had blown up into something he hadn’t expected, and frankly didn’t welcome. He had a young daughter and he was always careful not to bring women around. Not that he dated, but if he were to find someone, he’d have to be very careful about who he let into his life. Piper was at an age that she wouldn’t understand. And with her mentioning a mother lately, he really had to watch his actions and words.
“I’d be here some,” Livie informed him. “But I am going to have to get back to Atlanta soon. So we don’t have a lot of time to think on this.”
Jax came to his feet, propping his hands on his hips as he shook his head. “You’re not giving me much choice when half of this is mine.”
“Maybe Jade and I should wait outside.” Melanie stood and glanced down to her friends. “This is between Livie and Jackson.”
Jade came to her feet and sighed. “As much as I want to stick around and be nosy, I know Olivia will tell us anyway.”
Jax watched as the two ladies left his office. Jade shot him a wink as she closed the door behind her. With a laugh, he turned his focus back to the woman on his couch.
With her hair perfectly groomed over her shoulder, the polished clothes, and manicured hands, she looked completely out of place in this dingy room. But, at the same time, she belonged here, because beneath all that perfection was the girl who used to call this hangar home.
Her eyes darted around the room. Nothing had changed since her father had passed. The same picture hung on the wall behind the desk. The picture her father had taken of him when
