Janna toyed with the promise ring that went everywhere she did. She knew now that Austin would never listen to anything she had to say. He would never forgive her.
Two days later, Austin sat in a meeting, half listening to the weekly report from department heads. Due to traveling, he had already missed two meetings that month and needed to be brought up to date, but he couldn’t focus. He couldn’t shake the confusing emotions left behind by that kiss Janna had planted on him. It might have been unexpected, but he would be lying if he said that he hadn’t enjoyed finding out that her lips were still cushiony soft. But damn his treacherous body for wanting more than a kiss from her.
“We’ve had to hire a different carpenter contractor for the San Jose project.” Clarence Golding, the project director, cut into Austin’s thoughts. “The one we were using is under a federal investigation, and no, it has nothing to do with Reynolds Development,” he said, as if knowing Austin or his father would ask.
“That’s good to know.” Patrick stood and walked across the room, pouring himself another cup of coffee. “How are things with...”
Austin’s mind drifted again as he stared out the conference room window, exhaustion consuming his body. He hadn’t had a good night’s sleep since the fundraiser. Flashbacks of the way he had spoken to Janna continued to trouble him. There was a time when he wouldn’t have even considered raising his voice to her or uttering a mean word. And after he’d told her to stay away from him, the night had gone downhill from there. He had intended to leave the event early but not before the dinner. Of course, the first call he received Sunday morning was from his mother. To say she was pissed would be an understatement. But she’d definitely gotten his attention when she pointed out his recent failures where women were con—
“Is everything all right, son?”
Austin’s gaze lifted to where his father stood near the chair at the head of the conference table, staring at him, concern in his eyes. Glancing around, Austin was surprised to see that everyone else had cleared out.
He closed the file in front of him and stood. “Yes, sir, everything is fine.”
“Then why have you been distracted since you arrived this morning? This is our third meeting of the day and you have only interjected maybe once or twice. Normally on a Monday morning, you’re full of information, bringing us all up to date on the financials for each project.”
Austin gathered his files and pen. “Sorry, Dad. I guess I just have a lot on my mind.”
“Does your lack of focus have anything to do with this?” Patrick unfolded a newspaper and dropped it in front of Austin. “Looks like you put on quite the show Saturday night. I’m not sure how your mother and I missed this.”
Austin groaned and picked up the newspaper, zoning in on the picture of him and Janna kissing.
Catwalk Queen Has a New Beau was splashed across the top of the article.
Janna Morgan has been on the arms of many leading men, music moguls and professional athletes, but this is the first time she’s been caught kissing anyone. According to our sources, the mystery man is an Atlanta business executive, Austin Reynolds. Is Reynolds just another notch in the model’s designer belt, or could this be more serious?
Austin quickly skimmed the rest of the article as anger simmered within him. For almost twenty-eight years he’d managed to stay clear of any negative publicity, and Janna showed up in town and suddenly he was top entertainment news.
Cursing under his breath, he dropped the paper on the table. How should he handle this? If he kept quiet, maybe it would just go away.
“I didn’t realize you two had reunited. I spoke briefly with Janna Saturday night and she’s as sweet as I remember, but she didn’t lead me to believe that you two were back together.”
“That’s because we’re not. That...that,” he stuttered and pointed at the photo, “shouldn’t have happened.”
“Well, you can’t tell by looking at the picture.” His father chuckled. “As a matter of fact, if I didn’t know any better, I would think you two were very much in love. A man doesn’t kiss a woman like that unless he still has feelings for her.”
Austin didn’t want to have this conversation. It had taken him weeks after Janna had left for him to even tell his parents that she’d gone to Italy to pursue a modeling career. And even then the only thing he’d told them was that they weren’t together anymore.
“Well, this is a good example of the media getting it all wrong.” Austin made a move to leave but stopped when his father called his name.
“When will I have the numbers for the Dunkin project in Alpharetta?”
Patrick and his brother had built the company from the ground up and within five years had made it into a million-dollar business. While in college, Austin had interned for his father, working six days a week while carrying a full class load. He had always had business sense, even from a very young age, and had been good with numbers. His father had groomed him to one day fill the role of chief financial officer. His BA in business and finance, as well as his MBA, enhanced what he had learned on the job.
“I had planned to have that information to you this morning, but you’ll definitely have it on your desk before I leave today.”
Austin got to the closed conference room door before his father spoke again.
“Son, I know it’s none of my business, but when are you going to let the past go?” He nodded toward the newspaper. “It’s clear you two have some unfinished business. And I have watched you the last few years, getting in and out of relationships, looking for something you apparently haven’t found. Is it possible that you’ve been looking in the wrong place? Maybe Janna is what’s missing in your life.”
“Dad.”
“Hear me out.” His father grabbed the newspaper from the table and refolded it, sticking it in the file that was in his hand. “There’s nothing I want more than for you and your brother to find women who will make you as happy as your mother has made me. But there’s something you need to understand. Getting hurt is a part of life. Staying hurt is a choice.”
Austin stood stunned. His father was an intelligent man, a man he’d always looked up to. Hearing him go deep on him was a new experience, though.
“You are never going to find what you’re looking for until you deal with whatever happened between you and Janna. You’re also not going to find it if you continue to spend every waking hour here at the office or holed up in your workshop.”
When most people went home to their families or out for drinks after work, Austin spent his spare time at home in his workshop. Since he was a kid, he’d loved working with wood and as an adult built cabinets and chests in his spare time.
“Search your heart and reevaluate your priorities. I guarantee you’ll get the life you long for.”
Silence fell between them until Austin asked, “So when did you know Mom was the one?”
His father chuckled. “The first time I kissed her. From that moment on, she was the first person I thought of when I woke up each day and the last person I thought of before I fell asleep each night.”
A sick feeling swirled around inside Austin’s chest. Hearing the same words Zoe had spoken made him realize that he hadn’t thought about her all weekend. What the heck? How could he have planned to marry someone whom he could forget that easily? The day before the fundraiser, she had flown to Tampa to check on her mother, who had taken a fall.
Shaking his head, he followed Patrick out of the conference room.
“I’m