Laces and Lace (Assassins #6) (68 page)

“It doesn’t work that way. You have to be smart about this.”

“I thought I was,” Lacey said, completely annoyed with this. “I mean, all I said was I was going to go look and now we are arguing.”

“Lacey, I am saying all this for you. Don’t get up under something you can’t get out of.”

“Okay, I hear you.”

Even though she really didn’t agree, there was some truth and something to consider in Rachel’s words. She had been there from the beginning and knew that this wasn’t an easy feat. She had worked hard for Lacey’s Lace, and she would do the same for the next one but this time with the help of Karson. But maybe she should wait. Lacey hated the doubt that Rachel caused. She should just ignore her, but she couldn’t shake the idea that maybe she was right.

She loved her store, treated it like it was a piece of her, and she didn’t want to leave pieces of her all over the damn United States. Maybe one store was enough. The online sales were awesome, but even with that, she wanted to expand. It was always a dream of hers to be all over the place, helping women because not everyone wanted to shop online. They wanted to try stuff on, and she wanted to give that to people. She did, but was it smart to do that now?

“Ugh, I think I’m gonna be sick. We can talk more Friday. Talk to you later.”

“Yeah, feel better, or take a test or something. Bye,” Lacey said, hanging up the phone and letting out a breath.

She had no clue what to do.

“What’s wrong?”

Looking up, she found Karson leaning against the doorjamb, his shorts hanging low on his hips, barefoot and bare-chested. His hair was all in a frenzy, and the stubble on his chin was dark and sexy. In other words, he was fucking hot.

“Hey, good afternoon,” she teased with a grin as he came over and leaned into her, kissing the top of her head.

“Good afternoon,” he said pulling her out of the chair and into his arms. He was all warm and homey and she never wanted to go anywhere. She could live in his arms. “What’s wrong?”

Running her fingers along the lyrics on his chest, she let out another breath. “Just thinking about expanding.”

“That shouldn’t make you huff. It should make you happy.”

“It does, but it also makes me nervous,” she admitted, meeting his caramel gaze. “Rachel thinks it’s a bad idea.”

He raised an eyebrow. “I bet she does.”

Rolling her eyes, she complained, “Karson.”

Leaving his arms, she turned to go to the coffeepot to pour him some as he said, “What? Seriously? Of course, she doesn’t want you to do that. More roots here and putting you farther from them. I bet your dad will be calling in no time.”

Huffing, she poured milk and sugar in his cup before bringing it to him and saying, “It’s not only that. What happens when you move?”

“I’m not going anywhere,” he said, taking the cup. “Thank you, by the way.”

“You’re welcome, but how do you know that? Hockey players trade to teams all the time.”

“This is true, but with the deal they are working right now, I’ll be here for seven years. And if I do move, which I doubt, I’ll probably retire so I can raise our kids. But if I don’t, it will be fine because we will hire a team to run this store. We will be okay.”

There was a whole lot of stuff in his answer that made Lacey’s stomach twist, but still, she wasn’t sure it was the best idea. “I just remember how hard it was opening Lacey’s Lace, and I don’t know. It makes me nervous.”

“So you are letting fear keep you from this? Just because of the doubt that Rachel caused? That’s crazy, Lacey. You have a good thing in this company. Something you can capitalize on. Everyone believes in you. Believe in yourself and leave the naysayers in your dust.”

Running her fingers through her hair, she took in a deep breath. “I don’t know. She was there from the beginning, Karson.”

“What are her reasons for not doing it? Because I’m a hockey player?”

“Yeah, and that our relationship is so young. We could divorce or something.”

“Do you believe that?” he asked and she shook her head. “Okay, then what’s the problem? I eased the first worry, you smashed the second, so what other reason is there not to do this? Not to take the chance. Plus, we are looking, baby, not signing paperwork.”

There wasn’t another problem, and he was right, but still, she wasn’t one hundred percent committed.

“I don’t know. Maybe we should wait a bit.”

“For what?” he asked, his expression telling her he was not happy at all. “What are we waiting for?”

“I have no clue,” she answered, shaking her head. “But I don’t know if I’m ready.”

“You were ready before you talked to Rachel.”

“I know, but now I’m not sure,” she said as he stood, draining his coffee.

He shook his head as he exhaled a long breath. “I’m going to go take a shower. When I come out, let me know if you are going to believe in yourself and take a chance or keep doing what your family thinks is right. They continue to try to keep you under their thumb, and you allow them. Do what makes you happy, baby. That’s all I want, for you to be happy.”

Taking the hem of his shorts, she pulled him to her. “I’m happy with you.”

His lips curved in a sinful grin as he cupped her face. “Same here, but I get so frustrated when you do what they want. Follow your heart; do what you want.”

She nodded and was about to say that she would when her phone started to ring. They both looked over to see that it was her father.

“Oh look, your dad is calling to talk you out of it too. Are you going to let him ruin more of your dreams of helping women all over the world? Or are you going to do what you want to do?”

Biting into her lip, she looked at her phone as he dropped his hands and started out of the kitchen. As she watched his retreating back, she knew what she wanted. Reaching over, she rejected her father’s call. When the ringing stopped, Karson looked over his shoulder at her and his brow came up.

“You aren’t going to answer that?”

She shook her head. “Nope, I’m gonna take a shower with my husband, and then we are going to go out and look at locations for my new store,” she said, coming up to him and wrapping her arms around his waist. “And I expect lunch and maybe a new pair of boots.”

Grinning, he kissed her temple. “I’ll do all that, and I’ll even do you against the wall in the shower.”

She nodded, her lips pursed. “I think we have a deal, husband.”

“Good, let’s go, wife.”

The search for a new store went well, but Lacey didn’t fall in love. He understood that the space would call for her to love it and didn’t push her on the matter. He wanted her to settle there. He wanted her to have a store and something to do there. But most of all, he wanted her to be comfortable, and if the locations they saw didn’t do that, then they would wait. They did get some ideas though, and she seemed excited.

Things had been a little tense between them, but he blamed it on himself. He was still irritated with her whole family, and the fact that she didn’t fully believe him really bugged the hell out of him. She seemed to move on from it, hadn’t mentioned their fight or anything. When her father kept calling over and over again, she finally answered it and Karson was surprised when she said she was going to do what she wanted.

He wanted to think that she was finally done being under their thumb, but he still felt like he’d never really shake the Martins until Lacey did. She had to put them in their place, but to do that, she had to believe Karson. It was a tangled web of crap and he wasn’t sure what was going to happen, but he wasn’t going to let that bother him. He was about to go to the Adlers’ house for dinner, and he was going to enjoy this time with his wife.

“It was just, with my store back in Chicago, I walked in and knew it was it. You knew? Kinda like with our house. I just knew it was ours, ya know?” she asked, leaning back in the car, running her palms down her jeans. She was wearing the new cowboy boots he had gotten her with some tights jeans and a billowy copper colored shirt that made her eyes shine. Her hair was in big curls down her shoulders while her makeup was soft and classy on her beautiful face. Karson had no problem saying his wife was all kinds of hot.

“Yeah, I get it, and I completely understand,” he said, kissing the back of her hand.

“Okay, so you aren’t upset I didn’t pick something?”

“Not at all. This is a big decision,” he answered with a grin. “It will happen.”

“For sure,” she agreed before letting out a long breath. “I don’t want to leave tomorrow.”

He liked how unmotivated she was to leave because he didn’t want her to leave either. “Can’t cancel, huh?”

She shook her head. “Nope, I love speaking for the foundation.”

“I know, wish I could go and support you.”

She grinned over at him. “In a perfect world, you would be there, but no biggie, I’ll be home before you get home from the game on Saturday.”

“Cool,” he said as he pulled into the Adlers’ driveway. Shutting the car off, he got out and went around to help her out. Smiling a thanks to him, she held his hand as they headed to the front door.

Elli answered the door before they knocked and grinned widely at them. “Hey, y’all! Come on in!”

“Hey!” Lacey said with as much enthusiasm as Elli had. They hugged tightly before Elli leaned up to kiss Karson’s cheek.

“So glad y’all could make it. Quinn has been begging for Ms. ’Acey, and Shelli and Posey want their nails done pronto, so good luck to you. Shea is in the garage with Evan and Owen, shooting the puck, obviously. So disperse how you please, and I am going to finish dinner.”

“Do you want help before I’m attacked by your kidfolk?” Lacey said, and Elli laughed as Karson took her coat and hung it up.

“No, go get attacked. If I have to hear Quinn call your name one more time, I’m gonna flip. He’s killing me. He loves Lacey something fierce.”

Karson grinned. “She’s easy to love.”

Lacey blushed as she waved a hand at him. “He has to say that.”

“No, I don’t,” Karson laughed as he kissed her temple. “I want to say it.”

“Aw! I just love y’all so much!” Elli basically cheered as Karson grinned against Lacey’s temple.

“I’m gonna go play with Shea and the boys,” he said, and she leaned up to kiss his jaw.

“Okay, have fun,” she said and he smiled back before heading to the garage. He couldn’t help but feel amazing as he headed toward the garage. Lacey was bright and excited to be there. She hadn’t been like that ever since coming to Nashville, and he felt down in his soul that she was adjusting. That she was making Nashville her home.

Once in the garage, after greeting his captain and the boys, they played some intense two-on-two. Since Karson and Shea were giants, the boys made them play on their knees. And only because of that, they lost to some five-year-olds.

“You two cheated!” Karson complained as he got up slowly. Playing intense hockey on his knees was probably not the best idea.

“How?” Owen laughed.

“We don’t cheat,” Evan said, shaking his head. “Y’all just slow.”

“Oh my God, they sound like Elli,” Karson said to Shea and he laughed.

“They are their mother made over,” Shea muttered as Karson looked down at the cute little guys.

“You cheated using your super twin mind-powers on me and your dad. It’s not fair.”

Owen sputtered with laughter as Evan rolled his eyes. “Again, y’all just slow and we are beast mode, like my dad.”

“Yeah, you slowed our dad down,” Owen said, placing his hands on his hips. “Might need to trade him, Dad.”

Shea laughed. “Talk to your momma about that.”

“Wow, thanks, Cap!” Karson complained, feigning hurt, but they all laughed at him.

“Anytime. Now go on inside, boys. Wash up for dinner. Momma should be done soon.”

The boys fist-bumped Karson before running out the door, and once it slammed, Shea looked over at Karson and asked, “Want a beer?”

“I don’t say no to beer,” Karson said with a grin before Shea put one in his hand. They said cheers before taking long pulls.

“Get that shit taken care of with Lacey?”

He nodded before saying, “Yeah, my lawyer got it taken down, thankfully. I have a private investigator searching to see who put it up.”