“I can see how that hurts, son, but did you ever think you could be wrong about her? Perhaps you’re jumping to conclusions.”
“I don’t think I am.”
“Your judgment is skewed. Ever since your mother left us, you’ve been mistrustful of women. Your marriage to Christine made it even worse, because she betrayed you, solidifying in your mind the idea that no woman could be trusted. But it’s not true, Wynn. There are some good women out there.”
“I thought Giana was one of them, Dad, but I was wrong.”
“Why are you rushing to see the worst in her? I haven’t met Giana,” his father said, “but I would like to, given what you’ve just told me. She could be someone you could believe in, love even. Because I want that for you, son. I don’t want you to be like me, going through life in a haze. And I can see now it was my fault. I wasn’t able to be the father I should have been after your mother left us.”
“Don’t blame yourself, Dad, not after what she did.”
“It takes two for a marriage to fail,” his father replied. “That’s not to say her infidelity is excusable, it’s not, but I wasn’t the perfect husband, either. I’ve made my peace with it, Wynn, and you should, too. The failure of our marriage wasn’t solely your mother’s fault. You can’t keep holding on to the hurt like a shield against love.”
“That’s not what I’m doing!” Wynn raised his voice.
“Aren’t you? You’re using what you perceive to be a betrayal by Giana to push her away because you’re afraid. Don’t give up on love. If you do, you’re missing out on a blessing.”
“Dad, I know you mean well, but why would she have been with Blaine if not to betray me?”
“Did you give her time to explain?”
Wynn remembered Giana mentioning something about her father setting her up, but he’d thought she was blowing smoke to cover her tracks. “She tried.”
“But you didn’t let her,” his father responded. “Do you want to end up alone with only your business to comfort you? Because I promise if you continue down this path, that’s all you’ll be left with.”
“What do you expect me to do?”
“I expect you to listen, son. Not just with your ears, but with your heart. Deep down, you know the truth.”
Wynn sighed. “I appreciate your sage advice.”
His father chuckled. “I don’t know about sage, but years of experience have shown me how fragile love is. You have to nurture it.”
After the call, Wynn thought about his father’s advice and put the cap on the bourbon bottle. Had he judged Giana too harshly? Was she telling the truth that her father had set up the meeting without her knowledge? If she was, he had just blown their relationship to smithereens, and he wasn’t sure if it could be put back together again.
* * *
Wynn woke up the next morning with a pounding headache. Over the course of last night, he’d come to realize his father was right. Maybe the situation was exactly what Giana said it was: Josiah had ambushed her by inviting Blaine Smith to the lunch.
Wynn recalled what Giana had told him about her father, how he’d interfered in Roman and Shantel’s relationship by forcing the issue of a prenup. And then there was Julian. Josiah had had Elyse investigated, which revealed she was the daughter of his old business partner, who held a grudge against him. Was it possible Josiah was now trying to cause a rift between him and Giana? But why? He had what he wanted: Starks Inc.’s business.
In the cold light of day and with time to think, Wynn realized he’d overreacted. Betrayal was a big trigger for him. At the first opportunity, he’d condemned Giana, like his father had said. He owed it to himself and Giana to talk to her again and listen like his father suggested.
Listen with his heart.
Deep down, Wynn already knew the truth. But would she listen to him after what he’d done? Thinking she’d hurt him, he’d lashed out at her like a snake trying to get the first strike. He would have to do a lot of groveling to get her to hear him out and accept his declaration of love. And no doubt, he would have to run the gauntlet of Lockett men to get to Giana.
Wynn heard a knock. At first, he thought the pounding was in his head, but now he realized someone was at his front door. He padded barefoot to the foyer, and when he swung the door open, he saw a fist coming at him seconds before he was flattened to the ground.
“That’s for my sister,” Xavier said, standing above him as Wynn held his throbbing jaw. “I should be beating you to a bloody pulp, but I promised my sister I wouldn’t lay hands on you. I couldn’t quite keep that promise, so consider this a warning. Stay away from Giana.”
“I’m afraid I can’t do that, Xavier.”
Xavier punched his hand with his other fist. “Do you want another one of these?”
“Not particularly,” Wynn said, slowly rising to his feet but keeping his distance. Although Wynn was spry, as a former quarterback, Xavier Lockett was formidable, and Wynn didn’t want to tussle with the man.
“Then what? You already made a fool of yourself by throwing away someone as good as my sister.”
“You’re right.”
“Excuse me?”
“I said you’re right,” Wynn yelled. “I was wrong. I should have never assumed the worst of Giana, but I did because I have a lot of baggage that I haven’t done a particularly good job of dealing with.”
Xavier frowned. “And what do you want now, a gold medal? You hurt Gigi.”
“I know, which is why I have to make things right. To tell her I made a mistake.”
“You don’t deserve her.”
“Probably not, but I love her nonetheless.”
“Did you say love?” Xavier sounded skeptical, and Wynn couldn’t blame him. Over the past twenty-four hours, he hadn’t shown that love. He’d tossed it away because of fear and mistrust. But now Wynn was hoping there was a chance Giana would forgive him and give him a chance to turn the page.
“Yes. I love Giana, and it took realizing I could lose her to make me see it,” Wynn said. “I want her back, Xavier, and I’m going to do everything I can to show her how much I love her. And I have an idea.”
“You do?” Xavier still sounded skeptical.
“Yeah.” Wynn rubbed his beard. “Care to help me out?”
“I don’t know, man,” Xavier said. “You’re in the doghouse, and I don’t want to join you.”
“Understood, but if what I think is true, which is that Giana loves me as much as I love her, then I’m willing to take the risk.”
“Mighty big words.”
“It’s going to take big actions to back them up,” Wynn said. “You with me?” He held out his hand for Xavier to shake.
Xavier smiled. “God help me, but I’m in.” He pumped Wynn’s hand.
Wynn prayed this would work. And if it did, he would be starting the new year with the woman he loved.
* * *
“There you are,” Giana’s mother said when she finally emerged after twenty-four hours confined to the guesthouse to come to the kitchen in the main house. “Are you all right, darling? You didn’t come up for breakfast, and Xavier said you were under the weather.”
“I’m fine,” Giana said, reaching across the island to grab a homemade cookie from the jar. She closed her eyes and savored the chocolaty goodness.
“I doubt it,” her mother replied. “Your father told me about yesterday. Said he overstepped his bounds on a business deal and now Wynn’s upset with you.”
Giana glanced up. “That’s about the long and short of it.”
“Care to tell me more?”
Giana shook her head. “Not really.” She’d thought incessantly about Wynn for an entire day, and she was plumb exhausted. It was New Year’s Eve, and she refused to mope, because in less than twenty-four hours, this year would be over. She would put her rela
tionship with Wynn in the past until eventually he became a footnote in her life. Giana had a great marketing team and could assign one of them to work with Starks Inc., leaving her to run things from behind the scenes. It was possible she could have very little interaction with the man if she planned it right.
“Maybe I could help. Surely it’s not as bad as you think?”
“Then Daddy didn’t tell you everything,” Giana replied, “like the fact that he butted in after I told him I wasn’t interested in meeting Wynn’s competitor. But did he listen? No.”
“Your father is bullheaded, same as you, but he didn’t mean any harm.”
“He never does, Mama, yet it causes his children pain. First Roman, then Julian and now me. Xavier had better run before Daddy gets him next.”
“Gigi.” Her mother walked toward her. “It’s not like you to talk about your father this way. I expect it from Julian, maybe even Roman, but you’ve always been your father’s favorite.”
“Which is why this feels so bad,” Giana replied. “I loved Wynn, Mama. I love him still, and Daddy interfered. He may have said it was business, but maybe he can’t stand to see us happy.”
“I do want you to be happy.” Her father’s deep baritone voice resonated from behind her, but Giana didn’t immediately turn around. “I know I fail sometimes at being a father. No one gave me a playbook.”
Giana spun around. “Is that an excuse for your bad behavior?”
“I didn’t intentionally set out to come between you and Starks, Gigi. I thought having a second company to work with as a backup for our other players was a good thing for the franchise. As Roman mentioned when Wynn first brought up an exclusive contract with the Atlanta Cougars, it wasn’t a smart idea to tie our hands. Curtis is our star, yes, but we have an obligation to help other players find endorsements. It’s not fair to put all of our eggs in one basket.”
“I told you how Wynn felt about this and I wanted to respect his wishes, but you set up the meeting anyway. Why? Because you don’t respect me. You don’t see me as your equal. You’ve always groomed Roman to be your successor. Well, guess what, Daddy? I’ve been right there beside him every step of the way. Like him, I want to run the Atlanta Cougars or at least have more of a role beyond marketing and charity work.” She glanced across the island. “No offense, Mama. The foundation does important work for some worthy causes.”
“None taken,” her mother stated.
“I do respect you, Giana, not because you’re my daughter, but because you’ve earned it. Every time I’ve told you no or blocked your path, you went around me and showed me you were as smart as your brothers. And I admit at times, I underestimated you. But you are a valuable part of the franchise.”
Giana was shocked. Her father had never said any of this to her. “Why is this the first time I’m hearing this?”
Her father shrugged. “It’s not easy for a man like me to admit when he’s wrong. To admit his daughter showed him up, but you have. You have great instincts and business acumen, Giana. I’m extremely proud of all your accomplishments.”
Tears welled in Giana’s eyes. “Thank you, Daddy.” She hadn’t realized she needed to hear it until he said those words of validation. They were like a salve to her wounds.
“What can I do?” her father asked, coming to her and placing his hands on her shoulders. “Do you need me to go to Starks and tell him I arranged the meeting? I’ll make it clear that you knew nothing about it and I was the sole mastermind because I wanted to keep the Atlanta Cougars’ options open. I’ll admit I was trying to take charge of the situation like I always do because I’m a control freak. I’ll do it for you, baby girl.”
Giana shook her head. “No, you don’t have to do that. Wynn honestly believes I betrayed him even after everything we shared, so it’s pointless. He doesn’t love me the way I love him.”
Her father lifted her chin with his finger and gazed into her eyes. “So, you admit you’ve lost your heart to Starks?”
“I may have lost it, but clearing the air with you, Daddy, I’m slowly gaining it back.” Her father pulled Giana into his warm embrace, and she sank into it, allowing herself the comfort only a father’s love could provide.
Twenty-One
“This is unexpected,” Silas said when he met up with Wynn in a secret location midmorning on New Year’s Eve. Wynn had sent Silas a cryptic text message telling him when and where to meet him but hadn’t told him why. Silas would figure it out when he arrived.
“Yes, well, I realized I made a big mistake accusing Giana of betraying me when that was far from the case.”
“What made you change your mind? Did you speak with her?”
Wynn shook his head. “I haven’t seen or spoken to her since we saw her at the country club yesterday. But when I woke up this morning with the mother of all headaches, I realized I knew the truth. Giana would never take a meeting with my archenemy. She has too much integrity, and I was an idiot to accuse her.”
Silas let out a long sigh. “I’m so happy to hear you’ve come to that conclusion all on your own. I was worried about you, man. When you saw her at the table, I was scared. Scared of the effect something like this might have on your psyche. But I’m glad my fear was in vain and you’ve seen the error of your ways.”
“I have,” Wynn said. “Once I was clearheaded enough and spoke to my dad about it last night, I was able to see the situation for what it was. Josiah Lockett was trying to pull a boss move and act like he’s still in charge of the Atlanta Cougars. Meeting Blaine wasn’t Giana’s doing, and I can’t wait to tell her.”
“How do you think she’ll respond?”
“I haven’t the foggiest idea,” Wynn replied. “But I’m going to talk to her about my past and how it’s colored my view of the world and hope I can win her over. I’m going to tell her I love her.”
Silas shook his hand. “I’m rooting for you, brother, and after she sees that—” he pointed to the ring box in Wynn’s hand “—I think she’ll know how serious you are.”
Wynn wanted to do something grand to show Giana exactly how he felt and how much she meant to him. He’d even recruited Xavier to ensure his name was on the guest list to get into the Locketts’ New Year’s Eve party so there were no hiccups. Wynn hoped it wasn’t too late to repair the damage he’d done to their relationship.
* * *
The annual Lockett New Year’s Eve bash at the Fox Theatre was a dazzling affair. The crowded ballroom was filled with white and gold balloons, metallic pom-poms, streamers and towers of champagne flutes on sequined tablecloths. But none of it could get Giana into the party spirit. Even after she’d donned a gold Versace gown with a plunging neckline and chain-link detailing from her wrists all the way down to her ankles, strapped her feet into a pair of four-inch sandals, and put her hair up in a sleek ponytail, Giana still felt like an impostor.
Everyone around her was filled with the holiday spirit, but all Giana wanted to do was curl up under a rock and wait for the clock to strike midnight. Her parents were shining bright near the entrance, greeting guests as they came in. Roman and Shantel were laughing and dancing on a night out away from Ethan. Meanwhile, Julian and Elyse were living it up, because next year they’d have a little one of their own.
Giana would like to get lost herself, but her mother relied on her to help host the splashy party.
“Hey, Gigi, you all right?” Xavier asked, sidling up beside her. He looked debonair in a black tuxedo and crisp white shirt and no tie.
“Yes, I’m fine. Don’t I look fine?” She’d done her best to repair the damage a day of crying had done to her eyes and face.
“You look beautiful,” he replied. “But all these people—” he tilted his head, indicating the crowd around the room “—don’t know you like I do. And they certainly have no idea what went down the other day.”
“I don’t want to
think, much less talk about it.”
“That won’t make it any less real.”
“Maybe not, but putting it out of my mind might make this night a little more palatable.” Even though her thoughts kept wandering to what her evening would have been like if Wynn was with her tonight.
And just as if she’d conjured him up, Wynn was walking toward her from across the ballroom. Giana blinked several times, because she was wondering if she was dreaming. But when she opened her eyes and he winked at her, she knew she wasn’t.
Wynn was immaculately dressed in a black tuxedo with a red tie. His hair appeared freshly cut and his beard freshly groomed. He looked mouthwatering.
“What are you doing here?” Giana asked.
“Can we talk?” Wynn asked.
“Talk?” Giana snorted. “I think you said enough yesterday, don’t you think?”
“Giana, please...”
“What’s going on over here?” Out the corner of her eye, Giana saw Julian charging toward Wynn, with Roman close on her brother’s heels. But before they could get close enough to cause Wynn bodily harm, Xavier stepped in their path.
Giana was shocked. What was going on? She looked at Xavier, who was as cool as a cucumber. Wasn’t he as angry with Wynn as the rest of her brothers?
“Step aside, Xavier,” Julian said.
“No can do.” Xavier shook his head. “Giana and Wynn need to talk.”
“Says who?” Roman asked, taking a dangerous step toward Wynn. But Wynn didn’t move. He seemed determined to accept whatever was coming his way, as if it were his due.
“I say.” Xavier’s voice boomed out.
Julian and Roman stared at each another in confusion.
“Listen, after Wynn and Giana speak, if she still wants him to go, I’ll be more than happy to throw him out.” Xavier glanced at Wynn. “Sorry, but bros come first.”
Holiday Playbook--A Christmas workplace romance Page 16
