Saving Dallas 2 Making the Cut

by Kim Jones

  “Will I get to meet her?”

  “Yes, ma’am. As soon as this shit is handled, I want us to spend a couple of days there. Escape from all this shit for a while,” Luke said, lying down and pulling me with him.

  “Was that your nanny too?” I asked, tracing Luke’s lips with the tip of my fingernail.

  “She was. I borrowed her for the week. Some of the kids are here and she is gonna help out until we get everything settled. These are all club kids. Either they are my brothers’ children or part of our extended family. It’s just safer right now having everyone together.” Luke kissed my finger, then my palm, then pulled my hand to his chest and kissed my head. “Let’s get dressed. We have a lot of shit to do today.” I had heard that before.

  Thankfully, I had thought to pack at least one outfit that was suited for work. In the mixture of jeans, t-shirts, shorts, and tank tops, I managed to find a black pencil skirt, a simple, button up aqua blouse, and a pair of aqua heels made by Jimmy Choo that matched only two outfits I had, this being one of them. I straightened my long hair, which was wavy from my wet-bed-head, and applied makeup to my face that was almost back to normal. I looked refreshed and ready to take on the world when I walked into the living room that now looked like a daycare center.

  The couch was lined with five children ranging from Logan being the smallest to one who could almost pass for a teenager.

  “Dallas, I want you to meet the Devil’s children,” Luke said, walking to stand next to me.

  “Luke!” Nanny yelled from the kitchen.

  “This is Zack, Dylon, Aloura, Joseph, and you already know Logan,” Luke said, pointing to each one and ignoring Nanny completely. None of the kids acknowledged my presence. They didn’t seem to notice Nanny either until she turned off the T.V. and ushered them off the couch.

  “It’s nice to meet you all,” I said to them, hoping to make eye contact with at least one.

  “They aren’t morning people, but I promise by the end of the week, they will be talking your head off,” Luke said, giving my shoulder a reassuring squeeze. “You look beautiful today, babe. Just like every other day.” I let the thoughts of the unsociable children leave my head and noticed how Luke was looking at me. His face was full of pride and adoration. It didn’t matter to him that we were in a room full of people; public displays of affection were something Luke was good at. He grabbed my face in his hands, turning my head slightly and kissing me long and deep. Giggles were heard around the room and I pulled away, blushing at the children who were watching us just as intently as they were their cartoons only minutes before.

  “They sleep naked too,” Logan informed all of them. I wanted to crawl in a hole and die at his casual comment. Of course, Luke didn’t seem to mind. He just laughed at Logan’s statement and said his goodbyes.

  In a single file line, the children followed Nanny out of the room and each gave me a sly smile and a wave. It would have been better if they had ignored me. I was expecting them to bust out singing the K-I-S-S-I-N-G song any minute.

  “You ready, babe?” Luke asked, walking out of the room and giving me that great view of him from behind. Luke was dressed nicely too, in khaki pants and a baby blue button up that was tucked in evenly around his waist. He wore a pair of brown loafers that matched my favorite brown belt, and if it were Sunday, we could have passed as a couple on our way to church.

  “Why are you so dressed up?” I blurted, immediately regretting the way it sounded. Luke wasn’t the least bit offended at my outburst.

  “I have to go by the office and clear some things up. I might scare people if I showed up in leather with a nine down my pants.” The thought of Luke wearing a gun scared me and I quickly changed the subject.

  “So, what’s the plan?”

  “I’m gonna go with you to your office first, and let you do some catching up, then swing by my office for a few, then stop by the hospital and visit the PROSPECT.” Just the thought of seeing Marty lifted my spirits, and abruptly I couldn’t wait to leave.

  We rode in Luke’s truck to town and I stared out of the window at the beautiful scenery, noticing that the leaves on the trees were beginning to turn a lovely shade of orange and yellow. Fall was in the air, and I knew that my days of sunbathing were coming to an end, until next spring. It was amazing how fast time seemed to fly. It felt like only yesterday when I had first met Luke. I looked over at the man I loved so much, watching as his lips moved in tune with the lyrics of Hank Williams Jr.’s song “Outlaw Women”. I thought of how perfectly that song fit the lives of the women I had encountered over the past several weeks. Red and Brooklyn, especially. Thoughts of Red, led me to thoughts of Regg and the sacrifices that he had made on my behalf.

  “Any news from Regg?” I asked cautiously. I didn’t want to put a damper on Luke’s mood, but I had not seen Regg’s face in some time and I was beginning to miss having him around.

  “He is good. Just worried about Red and trying to piece all this shit together. He won’t rest until blood is spilled. He is beyond pissed and Red’s making it worse by acting as if it’s not a big deal.”

  “But it is a big deal!” I countered, unsure of why Red would act like it wasn’t.

  “We all know that, babe. Even she does. This affects her too, but she thinks the more she shows it, the more it’s gonna bother Regg. She knows what she’s doing,” Luke said, reaching over and grabbing my hand performing his knuckle kissing signature move. I thought of how selfish I had been by not dealing with my own grief in a different way. The more I showed Luke that I hurt, the more he hurt. “I didn’t mean anything by that, babe. Regg has a temper much worse than my own, although when it comes to the woman you love, you will do anything.” I knew Luke was trying to tell me it was okay to cry and depend on him, but it still didn’t make me feel any better. Luke read my melancholy mood and reassured me once again. “Babe, you have dealt with this much better than I could have imagined. This is all new to you and instead of running, you have embraced it. Don’t beat yourself up about it. I like that you turn to me.” He smiled his heart warming, panty dropping, I’m a fucking stud and I know it, smile and I melted. So what if I was a big baby? I would suck my thumb and wear a diaper if it got me in the arms of Luke every night.

  My large, corner office was located in one of the oldest buildings in Downtown Hattiesburg. The old brick road beneath us made the ride bumpy and the familiar sound the tires made riding over it was music to my ears. I loved this part of Hattiesburg. From sidewalk delis to grand theatres, it was definitely the most exciting place to be. It reminded me of my home in Atlanta. The buildings were not as tall, and the streets were not as busy, but the feeling of home was still there.

  Luke pulled the truck smoothly onto the side of the road and I felt a twinge of nervousness. It had been weeks since I had stepped foot in my office. What if things had gone to shit? What would I do if Lindsey wasn’t running things as I had hoped? How big of a bitch would I be if I just waltzed in and took over?

  “Babe,” Luke said, pulling me from my thoughts. I was breathing a little harder and the look on his face told me that he understood my rising panic. “It’s gonna be fine. Come on, I’m sure they will all be excited to see you.”

  I rolled my eyes at his comment. The last thing I was worried about was whether my employees missed me or not. I was sure they had cocktails at lunch and wore jeans everyday just because they thought they could. When the cat’s away, the mice will play. That was a saying that I found to be true a long time ago. I walked up the brick sidewalk with my head held high, not even having the opportunity to enjoy the view or the smell of downtown. I really missed this place.

  I paused outside of the door and took a deep breath. With one heavy, heeled foot in front of the other, I pushed through the door and welcomed the familiar sound of the bell that rang though the office.

  Chapter 8

  Dallas

  “Miss Knox is coming and if she sees this, she is gonna be pissed,” I he
ard the ever so sweet Lindsey say over the quiet hum of copy machines and computers. “Get rid of it, now.”

  My curiosity was immediately peaked at the tone of her voice. Hell, if they were having cocktails in the office, I wanted one. Passing through the lobby, I turned down the small corridor that led to my office and nearly tripped over my own feet. The office had been completely rearranged. A small desk with a single lamp sat in the left corner of the room. It was older, wooden-and had two plush yellow chairs that sat in front of it. Canvas paintings covered the walls, and the sleek, modern furniture had been replaced with older more antique pieces. The lighting seemed dimmer and the place felt more like that of home and of a spa. Lindsey stood nervously before me dressed in a sharp, all black business suit. Her hair was swept up on her head and her makeup was just enough to make her look sultry, but not slutty. By no means, did her outfit correspond with the office décor. She would have fit in better in a sundress and flip-flops.

  “What the fuck happened?” I asked, waving my hands through the air and gesturing to the room that held a close resemblance to Lindsey’s house. My mind momentarily took me back to the bright colors and hundreds of paintings that hung in her home-all of which she had painted herself.

  “I felt like it needed something. Something that didn’t scream money or business. Something that made people feel better about coming in here and signing away the deed to precious property that had been passed down from generation to generation, or something that made people less nervous when they wanted to drop their life savings on a piece of real estate in hopes of turning it into a successful business. I don’t know, I just thought you would like it,” Lindsey said, cowering in front of me. Damn, I was such a bitch.

  “No, I like it, I just wasn’t expecting it,” I said, trying to smooth over my harsh comment. If it were physically possible to kick myself in the ass, I would have.

  Here before me, stood a woman who had taken on my business and treated it as if it were her own. I never once thought of the sacrifices she was making to be me while I was out trying to change who I was. Unlike me, prior to meeting Luke, Lindsey had a life. She had friends and dogs and shit she did. Her job was to be at my beck and call, only when she was at work. For the past several weeks, she had been so much more than that. Seeing her tears threatening to spill over was almost my un-doing. I would have signed the company over to her right then, if it would ensure us a reunion without tears.

  “I’m sorry. Really, I like it. It makes the place feel more like home. You’ve done a great job. Thank you.”

  Even from a distance, I could see the shock on Maria’s face-the part time filing clerk who had been hired on full time since I had been gone. I knew what she was thinking. Dallas Knox, apologizing? Damn, that was a new one.

  “Really? You like it?” Lindsey asked, her face now glowing and her eyes round without a tear in sight.

  “Yes, I like it.” And I did. There were not a lot of wealthy people in Hattiesburg. Many of them would have to spend their life savings to purchase anything that had my name on it, so giving them a place a little more comfortable and down to Earth to sign their life away, really wasn’t a bad idea.

  “Great! I didn’t touch your office though,” Lindsey said, reassuring me as she pulled me into her arms. Her embrace was warm, and welcome. Without even realizing my actions, I wrapped my arms around her. Lindsey was the kind of girl who did things because she was a good person. She didn’t hug me because she had to or because she thought it was the right thing to do, she did it because she wanted to. I pulled back and held her at arm’s length.

  “You look great,” I said, admiring how much pride she had taken in her appearance.

  “I got laid,” she whispered, winking at me. I cocked my head to the side and let out an uncomfortable laugh. Well, that was unexpected.

  “Well, good for you,” I said, unsure of the correct way to respond to a comment like that.

  “I would like you to meet the newest members of Knox Companies, this is Joanna and Kylie,” Lindsey said, introducing me to the two lovely creatures that stood behind her. They were impeccably dressed, just as Lindsey was, and had long blonde hair that fell down their backs. They looked like they could have been models, or porn stars. Knox Companies most definitely had a good looking crew. Even though they tried to hide it, I noticed that both of their gazes seemed to look past me. I smiled, knowing that the six foot two, amazingly handsome biker boy turned business man standing behind me was the one drawing their attention.

  “Ladies, it is so nice to meet you,” I said, stepping past Lindsey and forcing them to look at me as I took each of their hands in mine “Please meet my better half, Luke Carmical.”

  I turned to watch Luke saunter towards us, wearing that signature smirk that made my panties wet the first time I saw him. I was sure he was having the same effect on Joanna and Kylie, but my man had eyes for only me. He looked at them long enough not to appear rude, and nodded his head, “Ladies.”

  I swear he breathed the word, and when he did, there was no mistaking the sigh they blew out at the sound of his voice. Lindsey, obviously enjoying the show, saved us all from our moment of swooning.

  “Dallas, we have a lot to go over.”

  “Yes, of course.” I followed Lindsey to my office thinking that maybe I should have had handrails installed to keep me from falling. Luke looked delicious. He smelled delicious, and I was so caught up in the fact that he was mine that I didn’t care if the two hotties in the other room were drooling over him. I shook my head to clear my thoughts and took a seat at my desk. By the paperwork that covered it, I knew Lindsey was going to have some good news.

  “Forty-seven properties, Luke!” We were back in the truck and I was still dwelling on the sudden realization that Lindsey Ingram was possibly a better business woman than I was. “She acquired forty-seven properties! All of which already have interests! I can’t believe it!” My voice was a little too high and Luke laughed at my expression.

  “She’s good, babe. You should give her a raise.”

  “Oh, don’t worry. Nobody in the United States can afford her now.” I didn’t bat an eyelash when I called my lawyer to prepare the documents for a new contract with my Assistant CEO. Not only did I pay her what she was worth, but I doubled it. Lindsey would have no problem buying anything her heart desired. The kicker? She didn’t even want a raise. She just wanted permission to hang some of her paintings at the Abbey, the bed and breakfast that I owned in Tupelo.

  “I’m glad she has everything taken care of, babe. I don’t want you worrying about work until we get this shit with Frankie sorted out.” I know he didn’t mean to be, but Luke was definitely a buzz kill.

  “I know. When are you leaving?” I asked, my heart already missing him.

  “We will talk over the details tonight after church.” Ahh. Church. That lovely place of fellowship during which him and his brothers would be talking about how many different ways that they planned to murder Frankie. I could only imagine what Regg had in mind after what happened to Red.

  “We won’t be long here. I just need to wrap a few things up.” I hadn’t noticed that we had pulled into the offices of Carmical Construction. I had never even seen Luke’s office, and the thought bothered me. I was a real estate tycoon, I knew where every piece of property, available or not, was in Hattiesburg.

  “I didn’t know this place existed,” I said, admiring the large, white wood framed house with a porch that wrapped all the way around it.

  “You wouldn’t, it’s still listed as residential, and it’s not in the best part of town.” This was true. The office was one street over from the Avenues, an older subdivision in the lower part of downtown, but only three houses down from the low-income government housing that had been taken over by crackheads and prostitutes.

  We got out and Luke held my hand as he led me up the wide staircase and to the office on the left. A sign hung above the door that read Lucas Carmical, VP Carmical Constructi
on. To the right, was another office with a sign above it that read William Carmical, President Carmical Construction. I looked back at the road that was void of any traffic. The only sign of life was a stray cat that rubbed its slender body against the large tires on Luke’s truck. My first plan of action, once Luke left, was to find him a better location for an office. I had several buildings downtown that would be perfect for him.

  “You don’t like my office?” Luke asked smirking at me. His question caught me off guard. Was I really that transparent? I decided to lie.

  “No, I love it,” I said smiling my award winning, all teeth baring smile.

  “You’re a liar,” he said, laughing as he pushed open the heavy wood door. I shrugged it off, debating in my mind whether I should give Luke the office next to mine or on the street behind it. He most definitely would be moving from this shit hole very soon.

  Never judge a book by its cover is a saying I have heard numerous times over the twenty-six years of my life. I never fully understood its meaning until now. It didn’t matter that Luke’s office was located in a terrible part of town, or that it was in an old two story house instead of a brick building; his office was beautiful. Everything was made of wood. From the large, hand crafted, oak desk to the original hardwood floors and the large beams that ran across the ceiling. The strong smell of cedar invaded my nostrils, as I crossed the spacious room to admire the fire place that had a wooden mantel above it. Framed pictures of every kind of tree imaginable littered the walls. A set of very comfortable looking chaise lounges sat in front of the fireplace.

  “Take a seat, I’ll only be about thirty minutes,” Luke said from behind his large, immaculate desk.

  “Are you meeting any clients? Is your dad here? Can I meet him?” I fired the questions at Luke, not giving him much of a chance to process them. He smiled at me warmly.

  “I have a conference call in five minutes. I’m going to take it in my father’s office. He is not in today, but if he were, I’m sure he would love to meet you.” I nodded my head in disappointment and took a seat on the chaise. The gas logs in the fire place ignited and I turned to see Luke holding a remote in his hand.