The Strength to Fall (McKinnon Brothers Book 1)

by Chisolm, D. M.

  “I’m not tricking you. I just thought it could be fun, but if you want to be a stick in the mud, let’s just ask questions.” I frowned and pouted a little. Not my usual style of coercion but it seems to be working on Ozias.

  “Ok! God, let the game begin, but I want to be on record saying this is a ridiculous version of this game. So why don’t you start, game master?”

  “Game master, oh, I like that. Well, ok. Let me think….Oh, ok let’s start with basics, what do you do for a living?”

  “I’m a business consultant.”

  “And, that’s it? No other explanation or details? You don’t get a kiss for that.” I held up one of the candies and dangled it in front of him.

  “You’re amending the rules, but ok, it’s your game. I’m do freelance consultant work for companies that are in trouble, mainly. Basically, they hire me when the consultant group they hired hasn’t done their job and they are in a crisis. I do some consulting at the company my brother runs for the family, McKinnon-Wallace. Sadly, despite the millions they made in the 80’s, both my grandfathers had delusions of grandeur, they always invested poorly and thought they would worm their way out of a bad deal. Alastair is really turning the company around, but I try not to mix business with family as much as possible. It never ends well. There, satisfied. Do I get my chocolate now?” He gave me a smart-ass look.

  “No, I don’t think so.” I said. “Why do freelance, why not work with a group?”

  “You don’t have enough candy in that bag for that answer.” He joked.

  “Well, I’m game master so I’m amending the rules. We have to answer follow up questions or do a dare.”

  “What if I chose dare, then?”

  “Come on, just answer. I’m curious. I am quite surprised at what you do for a living. I pegged you as the computer programmer type or come kind of scientist.”

  Ozias sighed. “Ok, here’s the short version of this answer and that’s all you get right now.” He hesitated, stood up and paced as he spoke not looking at me. “I’ve never been good with people. I’m honest to a fault. As I mentioned before, I graduated from high school at 15, and well, it turns out being a genius is not always enough to be successful at college and at life. College was hard for me, socially and somewhat academically. The classes were easy, but I’d disagree with my professors and it got me in trouble frequently. Seems professors don’t like you telling the class that they’re wrong.” He chuckled, still pacing. He took a deep breath. “Thing is I love analyzing data and making predictions based on that information, and I’m good at it, I mean, Adira,” He looked at me then. “I’m scary good at it, like it’s a sixth sense or something. So when I graduated, I had the pick of any consulting job I wanted, problem is I was just 19 years old. I could have got my master’s but I was tired of school and all the issues that came along with it. So, when I got job offers, I just went with that path instead. Being so young, CEO’s didn’t respect me and I couldn’t go on business dinners at certain places or travel like the rest of the employees. They still wanted my ideas, because, frankly, they were the best they’d ever heard, but they wanted me to use another employee as a front man, you know I’d do all the work, tell the “more appropriate employ” what to say.”

  I interrupted him, “I thought this was the short version,” I smirked at him.

  “Do you want to hear this or not? I’m not going to tell this story again because I hate it and it pisses me off just thinking about it?” Ozias said seriously.

  Wow. “Continue then,” I said.

  He nodded. “At first they were still giving me credit but soon that stopped and I didn’t want to do it that way, if I wasn’t getting the credit I deserved. So, basically I kind of crashed into a meeting with a very important client and let them know I was behind their success. Let’s just say it did not go well. The asshole who they had as my front man lied and told them I was a young, disgruntled employee and I was his apprentice. I said a lot of things I shouldn’t have about him and the group and, yea, that was my last day. Security escort from the building type of last day. Dad was pissed. I did get hired by another group but seems it’s not professional to tell the honest truth, at least not call a failing company’s CEO, ‘The biggest idiot I’ve ever met’.” He came and sat next to me and breathed deeply. “Ok, so that was a little longer than the short version, which basically is, consultant groups see me as too big a risk to employ, so I started my own company, and I’m the only employee. It works better that way.”

  I felt bad for pushing him. I extended my hand and offered him the kiss on my palm. He hesitated but then took it. He sat back down, un-foiled the candy, and then ate it. He turned to face me.

  “My turn,” he said. “So, Ms. McLeod, what do you do for a living?”

  I get excited when I talk about my work because I love it, so I sat up so I could talk with my hands, which is required when I’m excited. “Ok, well, I’ve told you my family owns a restaurant. I waitressed since I was about 13, unofficially ya know, and I started to help my mom and her best friend, Lauren Sanders, work the catering jobs. My mom would fuss at me for redecorating behind her. She was good at it, but I, this sounds conceited I know but, I was great at it, and I loved it. Before I knew it mom and Ms. Lauren would ask my opinion about catering jobs before they even consulted with clients.” I took a breath. “Then, my parents never came home and Ms. Lauren needed full time help, so I became the restaurant’s official event coordinator. I was 16. It was a lot of work with school too, but I loved every minute of it. I just get a vision in my head and run with it, so far I’ve only had satisfied clients. So, I obtained a degree in business with a minor in hospitality. I was just going to continue on at the restaurant until Aunt Claire died and I decided to come here. My whole life was work and my Gran thought that I needed more of a life. She’s the one who convinced me to come here, and I decided to make it a personal mission for independence. When I came into town Thursday, I had an interview with an event planning company that is just starting out, and they’re small, which I like. I really hope to work for them. They’re not far from here so that’s a plus too. They told me it would be the middle of next week before they make a decision because they had more interviews and the owner was out of town. So that’s my answer to what I do for a living.” I put my hand down and sat back. Ozias stared at me with big eyes and a smile.

  “Well, ok, then.” He waved his hands around mocking me. “I was afraid I might lose an eye there for a minute with all your hand gestures, but I have to say it was great to see you smile and so happy about something. Your smile is beautiful. I’d like to see more of it.”

  Damn it. Why does he have to say things like that and make him more irresistible to me.

  “Thank you,” I said blushing. “Can I have a kiss now?”

  “Yes.”

  Ozias’ mouth covered mine before I could object. I started to push him away but I couldn’t. I wanted to kiss this man. He’s not playing fair! When he broke for a breath I took my chance to be rational.

  “Stop. Ozias. I thought we were going to get to know each other. Talking. Not kissing. We already know you do that well.”

  “I do?” he beamed.

  “You know you do. I already told you. Can I have my chocolate kiss now?”

  Reluctantly, he handed me a kiss. I opened it and popped it in my mouth. Oh, chocolate was my weakness. I moaned at the taste. Ozias looked at me like I was crazy.

  “What?” I asked.

  “Um, I know I’ve never heard one in person, but, you get orgasmic over chocolate.” He laughed.

  I felt my cheeks redden. “So I’ve been told.” I laughed. “Sorry, well now you can say you’ve heard that sound in person.” I pushed his shoulder playfully.

  “I don’t want to hear that from you over chocolate.” Ozias’ eyes held a heated look.

  I choked on my kiss. I grabbed my water and drank half of it. “Ozias….can we talk about something else, please? I want to know you.
Seriously. It’s my turn.”

  He just nodded. His expression made me feel like a bitch. “Ozias, do you think I’m teasing you?”

  “Is that your question?” He looked startled.

  “No, not for the game. I want to know though, honestly.”

  “No. I don’t. I think we both are feeling something we can’t explain.” He held my hand and turned to me. “Adira, I’m not myself with you. Anyone that knows me, if that saw me with you, they wouldn’t believe it. I don’t talk to women well and only those that I know very, very well. I don’t know what to say and I end up sounding like an ass. Like, I said, I’m not good with people. I can’t explain why I’m so comfortable with you, but I am, and I’m drawn to you like a moth to a flame.”

  That was intense. I didn’t know what to say, so I just said, “Ok.”

  “What’s your real question?” Ozias asked.

  “Let me think…. Oh, I’ve got an easy one. What’s your favorite color, book, and song?”

  “What? Why do you get to squeeze so many questions in one turn?” he exclaimed.

  “I’m the game master.”

  “God, remind me never to play a real game with you.” He joked. “Well, color….green, like sea green, which happens to be the color of your eyes.” He held my gaze a while longer than necessary. “Book, that’s hard because like you, I can’t pick just one. I’ll say, Andy Weir, right now, is one of my favorite authors though. Does that count?” He looked at me and I nodded. “Song, that’s the same as books. I like a little bit of everything from old rock, a little country and I mean just a little, to current hits, mainly rock though. Is that enough for a kiss?”

  I unwrapped a kiss and pressed my lips to the tip and handed it to him He swallowed hard then took it. He held it a few seconds before putting it in his mouth. “Now that was teasing,” he said. I just smiled. “So, my question is the same. I know some of your authors, so what’s your favorite color and song?”

  “Color…red, but pink is a close second. Songs, same as you. I listen to just about anything if the music and lyrics speak to me. I do like country, but old country is better in my opinion. Musicals, too. Love them! I can’t wait to go to one on Broadway.” I held my hand out. “Kiss please, chocolate this time.” I pointed my finger at him as a warning.

  “Turnabout is fair play, Ms. McLeod.” Ozias took the unwrapped kiss, put the base in his mouth and leaned to me with the point of the kiss touching my lips.

  My belly clinched. I wrapped my lips around the kiss and sucked it in my mouth. Ozias wiggled his eyebrows at me. He was going to make me break all my rules, it was just a matter of time.

  “You’re kryptonite,” I whispered.

  He laughed. “Does that make you super girl?”

  “No, she’s lame. But if I was a female version of Superman, and they should have a real one, not a cheesy version, then you would be my kryptonite.”

  “Not sure how I feel about that analogy. I take it you’re a DC fan? This is your second reference to Superman. I’m more of a marvel man myself. This may be a deal breaker.” He joked.

  “No, I’m definitely more of a Marvel fan, but I love Superman. I don’t know, he’s just this alien who doesn’t fit in and he has all these amazing powers but he’s so shy and awkward. He gives me hope that I can find my super powers and overcome what makes me feel alien to this world.” I bit my lip and looked down embarrassed. “That’s stupid I know.”

  Ozias’ jaw was tense. “No, it’s not. I understand what you mean. Trust me. I was the quirkiest child you’d ever meet. Few friends, too smart for my peers and most my teachers. My childhood was lonely. I sought comfort in comics. I could relate to most of them. At my father’s insistence after my failure to maintain employment with groups, I was tested and diagnosed with ADHD and mild Asperger’s. It would have been nice to know that as a child although I doubt it would have done any good then. Schools weren’t as knowledgeable about such things at that time.”

  “I could relate to comics, too. I don’t feel as crazy knowing you have things you can’t control either. Hey, we’ve gotten off track. My turn, last one. If you could travel anywhere, where would you go?”

  “Ah, that’s easy. Scotland. I’m fascinated with history, especially my family’s genealogy.” He held his hand out for his prize.

  “Me too. I did a project in school on the McLeod Clan once. It was interesting. Hey, you know what? I think I remember the McKinnon Clan’s property being near McLeod’s. I wonder if our clans were enemies or allies. We should research it.”

  “That would be interesting. Let’s do it. So, my last question to you is this.” He paused and that made me nervous. “What music do you listen to when you’re in the elevator?”

  I was relieved. I was afraid he would ask me a question about my parents. I didn’t realize I was tensing my shoulders until I felt myself relax. “You’ll laugh, but I’ll tell you anyway. I Will Survive by Gloria Gaynor, the 70’s hit.” I smiled.

  Ozias through his head back in laughter as he handed me my chocolate. We decided to just relax the rest of the afternoon until Doc returned. I was as nervous as I was interested to hear the rest of his story, the part that directly relates to me. We watched TV and napped on and off on the couch. I am falling for Ozias and falling fast, and that terrified me. I don’t want to think about it too much, until I hear what Doc has to say.

  Chapter Seventeen

  We decided to order sandwiches from a local restaurant nearby. Ozias called Doc to ask what he wanted. He called in our order then went to pick it up. Doc stayed with Ms. Jo, who was sleeping, but he wanted to make sure she was ok until he came over. I went to the guest room to freshen up. I didn’t really want to hear another emotional story but I needed to hear the rest of this. I needed answers and closure. Then I could decide what to do from there. I heard Ozias call out he was back so I washed my face and went to the dining room. Doc was back too.

  “How’s mom?” Ozias asked his dad. I made everyone a glass of wine, even though it didn’t go with the menu it was all Ozias had but water. He must eat out every meal.

  “Still sleeping. We’re giving her a small dose of a sleeping pill now. The dementia has progressed faster than we thought it would and has been causing her insomnia and restlessness. She’s much clearer during the day when she sleeps well.” Doc looked so tired in that moment and I felt guilty for judging him before. He has been through so much in his life. I started to feel selfish for forgetting that other people in this life have experienced great loss too.

  “Ok, turkey on wheat, lettuce, tomato, mustard and Swiss cheese for Adira.” Ozias passed me my sandwich wrapped in white butcher paper. “Dad, here’s your Reuben and I have the best of all, roast beef on pumpernickel with a little bit of everything.”

  I laughed. “Ozias, I love that you are such a foodie. I couldn’t be friends with someone who didn’t love food as much as I do.”

  “Says the girl who ordered the most boring sandwich at the table.” He took a big bite and mayo squeezed out on his face.

  I grabbed a napkin and wiped the corner of his mouth, balled it up and threw it at him. He caught it in mid-air and tossed it in the garbage can behind him sitting beside the bar. He made the basket, “Two points. I’m awesome. High five!” He put his palm out and I high fived him.

  “Lucky shot.” I teased. “I have eaten very heavy, fattening foods the last two days thanks to you. I can’t eat that way all the time, it’ll ruin my hourglass figure.” I batted my eyelashes at him.

  He laughed out loud, “Trust me, you have nothing to worry about there.” I blushed and blushed again realizing Doc was staring at us intently. “So, forget about your curves and try these chips. Homemade at the restaurant and so good. Worth a little cellulite.”

  “Cellulite! Ozias Boyd McKinnon! You ought to be ashamed of yourself. If you think you have a chance with me, well, you just blew it!” I joked back. I was worried for a moment he wouldn’t know I was joking but then
he picked up a chip and help it out to me.

  “Again, nothing to worry about there. You’re beautiful,” he said with a serious face.

  “I can see what Claire was thinking, why she wanted you to meet, watching the two of you together,” Doc’s confession startled both of us. “You two remind me of the two of us, in the beginning, before loss and greed got in the way. I know you may not believe me because of how I’ve acted since I met you, but you remind me of her, you even resemble her. And your voice is almost identical. It’s all a little surreal to me.” I met Ozias’ eyes and felt heat fill me. Damn, he had such an effect on me.

  “Before my parents went away, I was a lot like Aunt Claire. I was not quite as adventurous as she was but I was curious and loved to try new things. Not, much scared me, certainly not elevators.” It angered me I couldn’t win over that fear.

  “Adira, there’s treatments for anxiety like that, you know. I know a great psychologist that specializes in biofeedback and holistic therapy. She’s had great success.” Doc offered.

  “Thank you. I’ll think about it. I have tried various things at home with some success. Truth is I didn’t have to ride elevators much at home. Mississippi isn’t known for our skyscrapers and I didn’t go to large office buildings often. If I stay here, I’ll ask you for referrals.” I felt Ozias glare at my remark that I may not stay here.

  “I hope you stay. You said at least a year, remember?” Ozias used my own words against me.

  “You should give it a chance,” Doc said, “It’s obviously what Claire wanted.”

  I couldn’t argue with that and there were too many emotions happening right now to make a decision so I just focused on my food and remained silent the rest of the meal.

  After dinner we decided to sit outside with our wine and enjoy the beauty of the city lights on the river. There was a slight breeze. It really was beautiful here. When we were all settled in our chairs, me with my ankle propped up with ice, Doc started to tell the rest of the story.