“Listen to who’s talking. You’re older than me and you have yet to settle down and start a family.”
“I have a lot of responsibilities. I don’t have time for that stuff.”
Another pang of guilt assaulted her. If she hadn’t been arguing with her father that day, he wouldn’t have died. Her mother wouldn’t have melted down. And her brother wouldn’t be devoting his every waking hour to keeping the ranch afloat. Kurt might be happily married by now with a baby on the way.
“I should go.” She didn’t know what else to say. There were no words to repair the damage that had been done.
“Cleo, call Mom. Enough time has passed. I think she’d want to hear from you.”
After promising to think it over, Cleo disconnected the call. She still wasn’t sure about calling her mother. After all, her mother was right. The tragedy of her father’s death was her fault—no matter what Jax said. Why should her mother forgive her? If the roles were reversed, she didn’t honestly know how she’d deal with such a profound loss.
The phone buzzed, startling her. She glanced at the screen, but didn’t recognize the number.
“Jax! Jax! Phone.”
She didn’t know where he’d been but he entered the family room at a dead run, grabbed the phone and punched the talk button. “Yes.” A pause. “Yes, it is.”
He strolled out of the room.
That was strange. She thought that it was dangerous to let people have their phone number because of the GPS tracking system. So who did Jax trust enough with their location? The police? And why was his face creased with worry lines?
* * *
Jax’s entire body tensed as he waited for the doctor to come on the line. He paced back and forth on the veranda. The afternoon sun was hot, but his need for privacy trumped being comfortable. He didn’t normally pray, but in this instance if he had any points with God, he could use some help now.
“Jax, this is Dr. Collins. How are you doing?”
Did he mean besides the stress of knowing that his clients were up in arms because the funds in his investment accounts had been seized as evidence until this trial was over? Apart from the fact some thug attacked the woman that he...that he considered a close friend? Or aside from the fact that he was secluded in a ritzy home with a woman who could make him want her with just a look?
“I’m doing good,” he lied.
“That’s what I like to hear from my patients. But something tells me even if you weren’t feeling like your old self yet, you wouldn’t say anything. Don’t push yourself too hard, too fast. And if you won’t listen to me, at least listen to your body. It’ll tell you what it needs.”
Enough of this, he needed to know where he stood. “Doc, what did the tests reveal?”
“Nothing. That is to say there’s nothing wrong with you. At this point, you are fit and healthy.”
“Really?” His legs felt like jelly. He sank down on a chair. “You’re absolutely positive?”
“I am. You can relax now. There’s no reason you can’t continue with a normal, healthy life.”
Immediately Cleo’s face came to mind. “But the cancer, it can come back, can’t it?”
There was a distinct pause. “I won’t lie to you. It can. For the next couple of years we’ll keep a close eye on you. If anything develops, we’ll catch it early. But I would think positive.”
“Thanks, Doc.”
They talked a few more minutes and Jax promised to schedule a follow-up appointment in six months. By the time he got off the phone, he was so relieved, he pumped his fists and yelled, “Yes!” like a pro football player after scoring the winning touchdown in the final seconds of the game.
This was the game of his life. After months of tests and treatments, the endless wonder and worry, he could at last relax. For the moment, he was healthy.
He let himself back in the house, eager to seek out Cleo. She was curled up again with her pencils and sketch pad. She glanced up when he entered the room.
“Is everything okay?”
“Um, yes.” Had she heard him cheering? He doubted it. The house was far too big for voices to carry that far. “I actually got some good news.”
“You did? That’s great.” She smiled and patted the spot on the couch next to her. “Come sit down. You can tell me your good news, and I need your opinion on something.”
For the first time since he had found the lump under his arm, he had energy and felt as if he could run a marathon. Okay, maybe not a marathon but at least around the block.
The invitation to sit next to the most gorgeous woman in the world was just too tempting to resist. However, he forced himself to leave a comfortable distance between them.
Charlie lifted his head from where he was sleeping on the opposite side of Cleo, eyed him up and then promptly went back to sleep. He was going to miss Charlie. Every time he opened the fridge and grabbed for the bag of lunch meat, the cat knew it and made a beeline for the kitchen so he could have some, too.
Needing a moment or two to sort out what to say to her, Jax said, “First, tell me how the conversation with your mother went.”
“It didn’t.”
He turned to look directly at her. “What do you mean, it didn’t?”
“I didn’t call her.”
“But I thought that’s why you borrowed the phone.”
She went on to tell him how she called her brother instead. Jax’s body tensed as he wondered if this thing between Cleo and himself could ruin a lifetime friendship with Kurt. He hated the thought of losing yet another person from his life.
“Did you mention anything about us?” He braced himself for the answer.
“No, I didn’t.” Cleo’s eyes filled with compassion. “I didn’t feel it was my place. I know how protective Kurt can be, and I know he made you promise to stay away from me.”
“You do?”
She smiled at him. “Let’s just say that a little sister can have big ears when the need arises. I figure if there’s ever anything to tell him about us, you’ll find a way to tell him. After all, it isn’t like I’m a teenager any longer.”
“Maybe you’re right.” He desperately wanted to believe her. But he knew he was jumping too far ahead. It wasn’t as if they had a future. “And right now Kurt has enough on his mind.”
Two V-shaped lines formed between her brows. “Do you think I’ll get paid much for the time I was your casino host? You know, before ape man ruined things?”
“You don’t have anything to worry about. I wagered a sizable fortune while I was at the Glamour. And lost quite a bit. All in all you should get a generous paycheck.”
“Oh, good!” Color immediately rushed to her cheeks and she glanced away. “Sorry. I didn’t mean I was excited about your loss...just that I’d have some money to send home to Kurt. He sounded defeated on the phone.”
“I understand.” Jax wanted to ease the worry on her face, but he still wasn’t sure how to go about it without overstepping. “I’d like to help.”
“You would?”
“Yes. I’ve been doing some thinking about this even before I heard that the Bar S was in trouble.”
“We could definitely use the help.” She looked up at him with a hopeful gleam. “What did you have in mind?”
He