Head Over Heels

by Crystal B. Bright

  “Don’t push it. Michael’s passport is in my desk drawer. Be sure to pack his bathing suits and plenty of underwear. The hotel has an indoor pool. And it’s chilly here so lots of hoodies, long pants, and socks.” Her son would hate to hear how much she fussed over him.

  She also imagined that he wouldn’t be too happy to hear about him going so far away from New York when his father would be there. Kari would have to make it up to him somehow.

  “You got it, boss. See you later.”

  Kari disconnected the call. She stared at her phone. She reviewed the calls she’d recently received. When she saw Thane’s name and number, she almost smiled. Again, that passionate kiss filled her thoughts.

  His scruffy beard felt better against her skin than she’d imagined. In his hands, she’d felt safe and desired all at once without him having to touch her breast or her ass. She brushed her ear when she remembered how he’d whispered, “Stay.”

  Her body screamed for her to drop her silly rules and give this man a ride. She couldn’t. She had more at stake than her job. A man like Thane Wells could damage her already fragile perception of men and relationships.

  Kari threw her phone on the bed and made the reservations for her child and his nanny. She didn’t care that they would get in late on Thursday. The sooner she could get them down with her, the better.

  When her phone rang, she immediately thought it would be Reagan complaining about the time of the flight or the seat assignment. When she saw her boss’s name across the screen, she shoved her phone into her purse. Kari didn’t know how to explain to Frank that she hadn’t gotten her client because she’d decided to be ethical and not sleep with him.

  A walk. That would help her clear her head. Kari slipped on her trusty white Keds and grabbed her purse and room key. Even though tourist season hadn’t officially started, she could still enjoy a peaceful stroll on the boardwalk.

  The crashing waves along with the seagulls’ call offered her some peace. She filled her mind with thoughts of what to do with her child while he visited her. Where would she take him? What would he like to see? When she passed the closed fun house, she had to smile. Michael would have loved something like that. Maybe she could bring him back down to Virginia Beach in the summer when the Oceanfront area came alive.

  After walking a couple of miles down the boardwalk, Kari bought herself a coffee from a small diner and headed back to her hotel room. She heard her phone chime in her purse again. For a split moment, she thought about not looking at it. She knew it would be Frank calling a second time. Then she thought about Michael and realized it could be Reagan.

  She dove into her purse and pulled out her phone. When she saw Thane’s name across the screen, her heart thrummed.

  Going against her better judgment, she answered the call. “Kari Meyers speaking.” If she kept up the professional tone, he would get the hint that she had no designs on slipping her standards.

  “I need to apologize for this morning.” His husky voice rumbled through her phone.

  “No, you don’t. I shouldn’t have kissed your cheeks. I wouldn’t have done that with anyone else. I crossed the line. I’m sor—” She stopped herself when she remembered what Thane had told her last night. “I apologize.”

  “I would like to see you again…to talk about business, of course. I have a dinner date tonight.”

  Kari’s heart slowed. “Oh. Okay.”

  It hadn’t taken Thane long to find someone to put in her place.

  “I’m having dinner with my brother Gideon. Nothing else,” he quickly supplied.

  She smiled and continued walking. “After you asked me to leave this morning, I didn’t think you would want to see me again. I definitely didn’t think you would want to do business with me.”

  “Only an impetuous young man would turn down a potential business relationship because of a misunderstanding. I told you, I’m patient.” Thane’s voice dipped down lower. “I have some time right now. Are you able to meet me?”

  Kari’s insides did cartwheels. Before she could allow herself to say yes, she blurted, “I can’t. I have to go to the airport tonight.”

  “What? You can’t—”

  “You have my contract. If you’re serious about signing with me, do it and send the contracts to the address at the bottom of the last page.” She threw her coffee cup in the trash can outside of her hotel’s front door.

  As soon as she stepped inside, an employee said, “Welcome to the Cavalier.”

  Kari smiled and went to the elevators. “Unless you need me for anything else, I don’t think it will be wise to meet again, at least not in hotel rooms. Good day, Mr. Wells.”

  Before he could mount any kind of argument, Kari disconnected the call and put her phone on mute. She didn’t need the interruptions or the distractions. If Thane really wanted to do business with her, he had all her information. She would wait and see what he had in store.

  * * * *

  Thane thought about flaking out on Gideon on purpose this time. He couldn’t get that close to perfection only to lose her. He couldn’t believe after the kiss they shared that morning that she wanted to hop on a plane and leave.

  He came up to the guard shack into Gideon’s complex. An Asian woman occupied the small space.

  She smiled at him. “How can I help you?”

  “I’m here to see Gideon Wells.” Thane smiled back only to be pleasant.

  His agreeable expression waned as soon as she scowled at him.

  “What’s your name? What is your business with Mr. Wells?” She picked up a clipboard and scanned it.

  “I’m Thane, his brother. I’m here for dinner. That’s all. Do you need to see my ID?” He started to reach in his back pocket for his wallet.

  By that time, the woman had picked up a phone and punched in a series of numbers. Good Lord. Had she called the police on him? He knew Gideon lived in a secured area, but this seemed extreme.

  “Hi, Mr. Wells. I have a—” She leaned her head out of the guard shack window. “Your name?”

  Thane sighed before he answered. “Thane Wells.”

  “A Thane Wells here to see you.” The woman kept her gaze down as she listened intently. “Really? He doesn’t look like you or Gunnar.”

  Thane settled back into his seat and waited for this humiliating moment to be over.

  “Okay. Yes, sir.” She disconnected the call. “Put this on your dashboard. Be sure to discard it in the box on your way out.” She lifted the gate. “Have a good night, sir.”

  Thane powered up his window and rolled through the barrier. By the time he got to Gideon’s home nestled in the back, he had calmed down from hearing the guard’s comment. He parked in front of the house and strolled up to the door.

  He didn’t need to ring the bell or knock. It opened as soon as he approached. Janelle smiled as he strolled toward her.

  “Janelle, right?” He remembered her from the funeral but wanted to make sure he didn’t mess up her name.

  She nodded. “Yes, Thane. Great to have you here.” She wrapped her arms around his shoulders for a big hug.

  She smelled like the outdoors, but in a floral sense. Not like grass or wood. Like violet and lilac. No wonder Gideon had fallen for her.

  She pulled back from him and ushered him into the house. “Let me get your jacket. Your brother is in the kitchen. He refuses to sit down and let me cook.” She closed the door and headed to a closet. “Will you please talk some sense into him?”

  “Impossible. Gideon is a Wells. That means he’s headstrong and stubborn.” Thane headed toward the kitchen.

  He saw Gideon hobbling behind the counter, going from one pot on the stove to the refrigerator. Gideon had his blond hair pulled back in a ponytail, a look Thane recalled Gunnar having not too long ago. Today Gideon wore a simple black T-shirt and long gym shorts. The shorts allowed Thane to get a good look at the brace around his knee.

  “Shoul
d you be doing that much moving around?” Thane strolled into the kitchen and gave his brother a hug while Gideon continued with his mad rush to prepare dinner.

  “Damn, you’re on time for once.” Gideon braced his hands on the counter. “A bit behind but no worries.” He nodded toward the stainless steel fridge. “Will you get out the salad and put it on the table, please?”

  “Sure.” On the way to the professional-size icebox, he asked, “No, seriously. Should you be doing all of this? Janelle said she offered to help you.”

  “She did. I’m fine.” He lowered his head for a second. “I promised I wouldn’t say that anymore. My knee hurts. But it’s okay. I feel good in the kitchen. Feel like my old self. Remember how Mom taught us all to cook?”

  Thane pulled out a big wooden bowl filled with spinach leaves, cut-up tomatoes, cucumber slices, sliced mushrooms, and slivers of almonds. He carried it to the dining room table and placed it in the center. Thankfully, he only noticed three place settings. Thane didn’t need any surprises like Gunnar showing up out of the blue.

  “I remember Mom having to teach you and Gunnar how to cook because you were about to leave home. After you two left, Mom let me fix all the dinners. I think she got tired of cooking for us boys for all those years.” Thane fondly remembered how much fun it used to be to prepare dinner. He missed doing that for someone.

  “Yeah, I listened. Gunnar, well—”

  “Is he still eating pasta and toast?”

  Gideon laughed. “I think so. Probably not though. Eboni is really good to him. You remember her, right?”

  Thane nodded. “Candy girl.”

  Gideon furrowed his eyebrows.

  “So that she and Gunnar could do bad stuff together, she would feed me candy to keep me from telling Mom when Gunnar climbed out his window.” Thane patted his belly. “Thank goodness he did leave the house. Otherwise I would be a butterball.”

  Janelle strolled into the kitchen. “Honey, will you please sit down and enjoy time with your brother? I’ll get the rest of the dinner.”

  Gideon scanned the items on the stove. “The corn is done.”

  “Okay, dear.” She put her hands to his chest and walked him backward out of the kitchen area.

  “I put the rolls in the oven. They should be ready in about ten minutes.” Gideon pointed to the oven.

  “Got it, honey.” She eased him back to the dining room.

  Thane took a cue from her movement and pulled a chair out for Gideon.

  “I took the roast out. It needs to rest a bit.”

  Janelle got him to sit. When he did, she kissed him. Thane liked seeing his brother so in love with a woman who truly adored him.

  “I love you.” She kissed his cheek. “I’ll bring dinner out.”

  When she disappeared into the kitchen, Thane leaned forward. “Looks like she’s good for you.”

  Gideon stared at her working in the kitchen. “Yeah, I got really lucky.” He turned to Thane. “You’ll find the one once you stop messing around.”

  Thane took a seat next to Gideon. “I’m not as much of a player as you all think.” He felt the heat creeping up under his collar.

  To get Gideon on his side, he would hold off trying to argue with him.

  “Sure. Whatever you say.” Gideon patted Thane on his shoulder.

  This would be a long dinner. Thane hoped he could make it a quick meal. During his earlier phone conversation with Kari, he caught a hotel staffer saying the name of the hotel. Now that he knew how to find her and what she drove, he would be able to locate her. Now if he only knew when she planned on leaving.

  Gideon truly outdid himself with dinner. The food reminded Thane of Elizabeth’s cooking, even down to the amount of spices used. Gideon had proved to be a good student when Mom taught him how to cook.

  As Thane watched Gideon and Janelle interact with each other, he understood why they worked so well together. Thane watched Gideon fighting the urge to get up and get things for himself. She waited on him but also stood toe to toe with him on issues.

  “How did you two meet? Gideon never told me.” Thane volleyed his attention between Gideon and Janelle.

  “Gideon had won the Super Bowl.” Janelle stared at Gideon as she told the story.

  “My team did. I couldn’t have done it without them.” Gideon brushed his thumb over Janelle’s cheek.

  “Gunnar had been shot that night, and Gideon rushed home. As soon as he got to town, he took over your mother’s flower shop. He came over to my flower shop to ask for help.” Janelle giggled like she knew a secret. “Apparently, Queen Elizabeth told him that if he needed anything, to come see me.”

  “She refused to help me.” Gideon’s smile widened.

  Thane blinked. “Really? Football hero and you didn’t want to help him?”

  “At the time, I really didn’t know him. I was barely scraping by at Flowers Galore, and I didn’t want to give up anything or ask for help. He wore me down.” Janelle broke her stare from Gideon for a moment to address Thane directly. “I’ve never met a man like Gideon. I love him so much.” She leaned forward to kiss Gideon.

  “Wow. Nice. Sounds like you two belong together.” Unlike he and Kari. Thane glanced at the clock on the wall. “So what’s going to happen when your knee gets better?”

  Gideon held Janelle’s hand. “Training starts about June or July. Luckily, it’ll be in Richmond.”

  “You’re not going to commute, are you? That’s a heck of a drive.”

  “Janelle will be running the flower shop. Otherwise I would have her stay with me in Richmond. I don’t mind the two-plus-hour drive as long as I get to see her every day.” He cupped her cheek.

  “I told him he would be crazy to do that. I think Victor will be fine running the store for the week.”

  “Business has increased so much since I took over Pick ’N Clip. It’s too much work for Victor by himself.” Gideon shook his head.

  “He’ll have Penny with him.” She squeezed his hand. “I hate the idea of you traveling so far each day.”

  “You make sacrifices for love.” Gideon looked at Thane. “Mom did it for us.”

  Janelle stood. “Anyone want any coffee?”

  Thane shook his head. “None for me.”

  “I’m good, honey.” Gideon patted her hip.

  “I’ll clear off the table and clean up the kitchen.” She picked up a couple of plates. As Gideon started to stand, she put a free hand on his shoulder. “Don’t help me, please. You and your brother go in the den to talk.” She kissed him on his cheek before going into the kitchen.

  “Come with me.” Gideon stood. “I’m afraid if I step into the kitchen, she’ll take out my other leg.”

  Thane stood and followed his brother into a room Gideon kept dimly lit. “Look, I can’t stay very long.”

  Gideon glared at him before taking a seat. “Really? I thought you would want to talk about Mom and the good ol’ days. I didn’t know you had an agenda.”

  Thane took a seat across from him. He glossed over Gideon’s comments to say what he needed to express. “I loved Mom. I loved what she did for us. I appreciate all the sacrifices she made. No one gets that more than me.”

  Gideon’s eyes widened. “You don’t think Gun and I get all that Mom did? We were old enough to experience the difference. You were a baby. You had no idea how rough we had it.”

  “Mom taught us to fight for what we wanted and to chase after our dreams. You wanted to be a football player. Now look at you.” Thane glanced down at Gideon’s hand. “Nice ring.”

  Gideon kept his stare on Thane while he brushed his thumb over the underside of the ring.

  “Gunnar wanted to do this ultimate fighting thing. He did that. And now he’s choosing to step back from that career. You get to go on with yours when training starts. My training is going on now. My season will be starting soon. I can’t run Sharp and play baseball. As much as I loved and appreciated
Mom, I need to sell that business.” He braced his elbows on his knees. “Ms. Sortoberg came by earlier today about the girls at Rosa Parks. She wants to come over Friday to get twelve dresses, and that’s the day I had planned on going back to Florida.”

  “So this trip, the dinner, that was your way to convince me to sign some agreement so that you can sell the store?” Gideon propped his leg up on an ottoman as he continued glaring at Thane.

  “It wasn’t all about that.” Thane dropped his gaze to the floor.

  “Liar. I can always tell when you’re not telling the truth.” Gideon adjusted his seated position. “Have you even tried finding someone to manage it for you? You don’t have to be there.”

  “I don’t want the responsibility of owning it.”

  “You could have stopped that sentence at the word responsibility. Mom would be so disappointed if she knew you wanted to sell something that meant a lot to her and that she probably thought meant a lot to you.” Gideon shook his head.

  “You’re one to talk. You have someone running your shop. You didn’t have to interview anyone or change your life.” Thane felt that same tickling heat engulfing his chest. The sensation took no time burning its way down to his stomach. He coughed and hoped nothing would come back up and allow Gideon to worry about him.

  Gideon brought his injured leg down and leaned forward. “You don’t think losing Mom changed my life?” He peered over his shoulder before he continued his conversation with Thane. “You selfish bastard. I love you, but I don’t like you right now. While you’re here in town, you’re more than welcome to stay with me. And you can come over to my house whenever you want. But we will not talk about this anymore until you sit down and actually think about everything you’re doing.”

  Thane had known convincing his brothers about his plan to sell would be hard. He’d thought Gideon would be an easier to persuade than Gunnar.

  He stood from the couch and made his way over to Gideon. “Thanks for dinner. Be sure to tell Janelle good-bye from me.”

  “Think about your decisions, Thane. Do the right thing.” Gideon brought Thane down for a hug.

  Thane pulled back as quick as he could to get out of the house. He sped through the streets in Gideon’s neighborhood before finally getting out to the main road. He drove a few miles down to Kari’s hotel.