Stay with Me (Return to Haven 1)

Tanner shrugged. “I gave her a speeding ticket. That’s all.”

“She hot?” Cash asked.

“You could say that.”

Jax laughed and got up to toss his empty bottle. “She’s blond, petite, and he gave her a ticket days ago but is still thinking about it.”

“Can we get back to this talk of renovations?” Tanner asked with a frustrated tone.

“Jade said since there’s a huge influx of filming going on in Georgia, it would make sense to explore this angle.” Jax sank back down into his seat and leaned back, tapping his fingers on the table. “I don’t know, though. I mean, that would take an exorbitant amount of money, plus the planning, and . . . hell, I don’t even know what all would go into that. I’m sure some legal BS I don’t want to deal with.”

“So what are you going to do?” Tanner asked. “Tell her you don’t want to sell or renovate? She’s not just going to go away.”

No, no she wasn’t. Jax wasn’t so sure he wanted her to go away. She intrigued him. Beneath that stuffy exterior, the polished clothes, and the defiant tip of her chin she always gave him, Jax knew the girl who had grown up here and had fallen in love with the sport of flying was still in there . . . and he was damn well going to bring her out.

“I don’t know what to do,” Jax admitted, blowing out a frustrated sigh. “I guess I’ll let her talk and then think about it. I’m in no hurry to do anything, really. I’m not selling, so anything else she proposes will be in my court. She’s going to have to go back to Atlanta at some point.”

Not that he wanted her to go. He must have been a masochist because he actually enjoyed having her around. That was obviously the case considering he could still taste her kiss, feel her body pressed to his.

Jax reached for the cards. He didn’t want to keep hashing this out with his friends. He needed some guy time now that Piper was asleep, and poker was the perfect solution.

“Hope you ladies brought money,” he stated as he started shuffling. “I’m still saving for that new plane.”

Cash snorted. “You’re going to have to find a sugar mama if you want that to happen or sell everything you own and live in it as well.”

Jax wasn’t deterred by finances. Yes, things may have looked bleak, but he wasn’t about to give up. When had he ever? It may take him until he was ready to retire, but he’d save every extra dime he had.

“So let’s hear more about this Melanie.” Cash reached for his cards and shot a look to Tanner.

Jax merely smiled as Tanner groaned. “Yes, let’s hear more.”

* * *

“What are you doing?”

Olivia stared at Jade as her friend came out the back door with trash bags. Not just the small ones from the kitchen, but the large black ones they’d had upstairs.

“Getting a move on this.” Jade wrestled the bags down the steps. “There’s two more if you want to go get them.”

They’d only been bac

k from their morning run for a half hour. Olivia had grabbed a quick shower and made coffee, and had just settled on the back porch to answer e-mails.

“I’ll throw the stuff away when I’m ready,” she argued. “Put those down.”

Jade dropped the bags and propped her hands on her hips. “Trash runs tomorrow. We need to get rid of these.”

“We’re not paying for trash,” Olivia countered. “We’re not going to be here that long.”

“One of your nosy neighbors said we could put it with hers. I asked.”

Olivia stared down at her friend at the base of the steps. At some point, Olivia was going to have to let go. She didn’t think saying good-bye to old memories and her father’s things would be this difficult. She’d assumed she’d come into town, offer to help set up the sale of the airport, clean out her childhood home, and be back in Atlanta before she had to tap into any emotions.

In theory that all sounded fantastic. But reality had settled in and Olivia knew she was going to have to truly focus if she wanted to get out of here.

“Which sacks are those?” she asked Jade.

“Just the old school papers you said to toss.” Jade tipped her head, her red ponytail swinging across her shoulder. “I’m doing this for you. If you can’t get rid of the stuff, then I can. Melanie and I are here to help.”