Love Me: The Complete Series (30 page)

Jackson grinned. “Not near as crazy as you and the plant lady.”

Not funny.

“You could have told me about Amanda from the start and saved us both a lot of trouble.” He took another bite then washed it down with the drink he’d sent the waiter back for. He knew it was taboo during lunch, but one wouldn’t be a big deal, would it? He needed something to keep him calm.

“Well, I hadn’t even talked to her when you first met. The night we all went out for drinks to celebrate you landing the new assignment, I decided to ask her why she quit her job. Why she ran out without a word. She’d had a lot to drink, and while you were outside on the phone with some client from across the world, we talked. A lot. Turns out she left because of me. Anyway, one thing led to another and when you said you had to go to work, I took her home.” Jackson looked away. He took her
home.

“That was the week before she ditched me. You guys—”

“I know. She was tied in knots for days before we talked it out and decided we had to stay together. Then it was figuring out how to tell you. I was standing around the corner in case it got ugly. I told her it wouldn’t, but she didn’t believe me. I know you, man—I knew you weren’t in it for the long haul, no matter how much you pretended. I saw the way you drooled over that runner in the park.”

The light came on. Blaringly bright. Carter shook his head, gulped the last of the beer, and absorbed what he’d learned. What more could be said? All those years as kids, sparring and competing for kicks—and this?

He should be pissed, but the only thing that seemed to surface was relief. In truth, Amanda was more his style anyway. “Consider yourself off the hook, man. Why did you talk me into the baseball tickets? What was the point in that?”

“Don’t you remember? You were going to buy her some expensive bracelet. The price tag alone was gonna set you back a week’s pay. She’d never wear it and if you got it back, it’d be a total waste. At least with the tickets, you had something for yourself out of it. Something you could use.”

“You weren’t doing it for yourself?”

Jackson had the courtesy to look down. “I kinda hoped I’d go too. Once in a while. But I wasn’t sure how things would turn out. I expected it to take a while to get past this. At least we’re talking again though. That’s good.”

“I’d better get back to work.” He tugged his wallet out and dropped some bills on the table. “Here’s my part. We’ll talk later.” Much later. He still needed to digest the screw-ups he’d started when he sent the first text to Abby. And the last text to Jackson.

Jackson reached out and held his arm. “Wait. There’s one more thing you need to know.”

Carter shrugged his hand away and scowled. “I think I can handle this one from here, Jax. I can be civil about Amanda because—well, it doesn’t matter now, and Abby’s history. But you’re not going to screw up anything else in my life. Sorry.”

“Don’t
do
that to yourself, man. Listen to me. If you don’t, you’re gonna regret it.”

That caught Carter’s attention.
He seriously thinks I can make a bigger mess than he’s already made?
What a complete ass. “Listen to you? Are you kidding me? What’s happened to you, man? Do you get a sick pleasure out of screwing up the good parts of my life?”
Screech.
His chair legs were like fingers on a chalkboard as he jolted up. The chair toppled and the entire restaurant glanced his way. Carter ignored them. “Not this time, Jax. I’ve known you all my life and until now, I hadn’t realized what an asshole you are. I appreciate you getting me in the door with the Asians, but … ”

Jackson’s voice remained calm. “That’s exactly why I’m here. I did the intro—and I can’t let this go down the way—”

“It’s not up to you.”

“Look, you’re pissed at me about Amanda. I get that. This is different. This is your career.”

Carter yanked a fistful of Jackson’s shirt up and leaned lower. “And you want me to fail. Why? Is this competition we’ve had since high school really that big of a deal to you? Jesus, Jax, get over it. Nobody cares anymore.”

Jackson darted a glance around the room over the cloth that was under his nose. He sighed and held up his hands in a surrendering gesture. “You’re right. No one cares. Not even then, but think about it, Carter. I’ve known you since you were a snot-nosed kid that took showers once a week and hated girls. We built forts in the trees and fished in your pond. You changed. When Carley died, you caved in, man. My best friend … tanked. How the hell was I supposed to get you back? Guys don’t hug and kiss and talk shit out. We—compete.”

Carter rolled his eyes. “So all this is just therapy for me? Yeah, right.”

“Not for you, idiot. For me. You want to know why my parents moved to that po-dunk town? Because I was a shit-ass kid destined to either be in gang fights, on drugs or dealing them. I had a temper a mile long and nowhere to vent it. They planted me in that little town to get me away from trouble.
You
were
my
therapy, dumbass. The only siblings I had were you and Carley. You made me stop hating and start being a kid. I lost both of you when she dove into that water. So, yeah, I started throwing challenges at you. Every chance I got. It was the only way to get my brother back. You didn’t seem to respond to anything else.”

Carter winced. He pulled in a breath and clamped his eyes shut. Not once in all these years had he given a thought as to how his family trauma had affected Jackson. It never occurred to him it had. His stomach churned as if he’d been sucker-punched. He opened his mouth to speak but couldn’t.

Jackson clamped a fist over Carter’s fingers on his shirt. “You made me a better man, bro. I’m not going to let some half-assed investor who can’t manage his money take you down. I don’t intend to let you walk away from someone you want … or need … either. Nor am I going to let Roger’s slip-up on the number ruin our friendship forever. That was an idiot trick and I told him at the time. My mouth-fart in that meeting didn’t help either. Here I was, my best friend planning a serious relationship with a girl that had abandoned me. I just … went off. That wasn’t how it was supposed to go. Look, we messed up all the crap with Abby because we care. Roger bumbled the numbers intentionally. Maybe it wasn’t the right way to do it, but he knew just like I did that she’s right. Carter, sometimes you just can’t let the fences down long enough to see what’s waiting for you. Carley never wanted you to be alone, never trusting anyone. What kind of life is that?”

Carter’s mouth dropped.

• • •

Her family made the effort to come to visit and decided to go to the—Astros game? Seriously? It wasn’t a bad thing because she loved her team, but certainly unexpected. Not to mention they’d come from so many different places to see her and there was catching up to do.

Surely they’d change their minds? Apparently not. Jason had bought tickets on the third base line, right next to the dugout, so he could make a valiant effort at heckling the opposing team. Abby rolled her eyes when he started the first round of insults before a single pitch had crossed the plate. It had been his mode of operation since Little League. She’d hated it then and now. As a teen, she made sure to sit as far from him as possible, hoping no one knew they were blood. Fat chance. Tonight, she’d grin and bear it with pride because her entire family was visiting for the first time ever. Who knows? Maybe the Astros would win too—they were certainly due. It had been a rough season.

Besides, this week she’d decided to finally clear the air with Carter and her conscience would be clean and clear for the first time in months. She’d call him tomorrow. Her shoulders had knots the size of boulders and she couldn’t wait to get rid of the tension. Her family would be her support system.

Abby surveyed the empty seats flanking her. Except they’d all disappeared and left her—alone again.
Great. The national anthem hasn’t even begun and they all ran off.
She shrugged. Probably to shop or load up on beer and hotdogs.

The two-story-sized speakers crackled above then burst into action. “Ladies and gentlemen, we have a special program for you tonight. As you know, the Astros have entered the social media arena and our marketing group heavily searches for ways to improve our branding and offer you a better baseball experience. We also love finding local businesses that portray the spirit and entrepreneurial attitude that makes Houston a great place to live. Lisa, in marketing, happened onto one such business recently and tweeted out a link.”

“All of you responded in force and gave amazing support—not just to the business, but to the people affected by the business. Soooo, one gentleman whom you all decided to adopt and—let’s say—show the way, wanted to return the favor. Everyone, give a hand for—”

“Excuse me, ma’am. Can you come with me please?” Abigail rotated to a stadium employee with a security badge.

Huh? Is something wrong? Did Jason do something stupid like attempt to run out on the field? Dammit! He did.
Her brother was standing next to another security staffer. Right next to the rest of her family …
on the field.
What the hell?

“What have they done? Am I in trouble? I had nothing to do with whatever it is, okay?”

Her family had been in town less than a few hours and already made their presence known in front of the biggest crowd ever. She wanted to run into the bathroom and hide, but the security person slipped his fingers around her arm and motioned her to the steps then to an elevator that required a special key. “You’re not in trouble. Right this way, ma’am.”

She
might not be in trouble, but whatever they’d planned was going to be
serious
trouble when they made it back to her place. Maybe the lack of family involvement the past few years was a plus. How many times had she been publicly humiliated before? None. Okay, except for baring her undies at a craft fair, but that was her own fault.

Holy crap
, the entire baseball team was standing in front of her and this guy was leading her—to them? He opened a gate and motioned for her to step onto the grass.

This was surreal—her pseudo-bodyguard led her down the third base line then across to second. She shook hands with each of the baseball players and they handed her—roses? It wasn’t Valentine’s Day, or her birthday. There were no holidays nearby. She smiled and thanked each of them.
God, it would be nice to think up something witty. If I could swallow my tongue long enough to do so. And if I knew what the hell this was about. Has the anthem been sung yet? I am NOT singing. No way.
She shook her head as another rose was thrust her way.

“You don’t want it?”
Bo Porter, the Astros manager is talking to me? Someone prop me up before I pass out.

“Oh, uh, yes. Thank you. By the way—I’ve been watching your son. Think he’ll match your record?”

The man winked and laughed. “I’ve been watching him too—and if genetics has anything to do with it, we’ll see.”

Yay. The end of the line. Now what? Her stomach churned. What was the entire stadium about to witness, and why did her family stand there waiting?
With flowers.
Good grief. She worked with flowers all day. It wasn’t a big deal.

They all had daisies, her favorite—second to orchids, of course. Orchids were too high maintenance. Aw, that had to be Jason’s idea—he was the only one she’d told.

“Step aside, old man.”

She
knew
that voice. Intimately. Carter?

A hand slipped out and shoved Bo just before
he
stepped out. “Hi, there.”

Uh-oh—her gut was quaking. Her knees started to buckle.

He grabbed her hand to stabilize her. “You okay?”
Damn that smile.

She could stare at him all day. In fact, she probably was staring.

“Uh, I think so. You did all this?” She waved at the crowd. Holy shit they were standing. For her? Her ears were ringing and dark circles clouded her vision. “I think I’m going to pass out. Carter, look—I told you I’m sorry. I really never meant—” She grabbed his bicep to keep her knees from buckling.

He was going to do this right here in front of an entire stadium full of people? He grinned. “I know you never meant to hurt me. You never wanted to cause all the commotion. And you never meant to lie. Basically, you meant to stand in the background, but that didn’t work. Here, I brought you flowers.”

She stared at the froth of color he handed her. Orchids. “But you hate flowers.”

“I had a phobia about them, yes—which some of these people pointed out over and over again. I’m working on it.”

“I love orchids.” Abby peered deeper at the colors. “And daisies.”

He stepped in so close she smelled him. “Your brother told me. About the daisies. Caroline mentioned the orchids.” He pointed behind her and she swerved to see … Caroline? Yep, and Roger. Hmmm, and the two exes? As in ex-girlfriend and ex-best friend?

Abby brought her gaze back to Carter, knowing he was the only thing that kept her from fainting into the plastic cushion of second base. “You want to tell me what this is all about?”

“Sure, it’s about you. I have a question to ask.”

She vaguely heard the crowd cheer and an announcer’s voice. The signs across the top of the stadium blared in bright white lights: “Will she?” Uh-oh. The clamminess of her skin took over and her eyes went completely black.
Thump.
She smelled the dirt just before her face planted into it over the mound of second base. Then she saw nothing. Voices around her clamored.

She had no idea how long she lay there. Passed out on the Astros baseball field. Before an entire stadium of people. When her eyes finally cooperated and she was able to open them, Carter was right in front of her. And he was smiling. Geez, she wished he’d stop that. Or maybe not. It was the only thing that had kept her from passing out earlier and the one thing she could focus on now. The thunder of the fans yelling, whistling, and cheering roared around them.

And he laughed!

She furrowed her brows. “Knock it off. This isn’t the least bit funny. I just passed out in front of a baseball stadium of people, my family,
and
the entire Astros team. You brought me here for this? I mean I know I … ”