players. I just had to keep my chin up and start over.
Again.
When I got to the office, I struggled to get out of my car. No one looked forward to facing certain termination, but it made it that much worse that I was about to be sent to hell by a woman I genuinely cared about. A woman I could picture myself sitting beside on the porch when we were old and gray, watching our great-grandchildren frolicking in our backyard.
Lowering my head to the steering wheel, I banged my forehead against the leather a few times, my fingers gripping it like the answer would be different if I choked the life out of it. From the corner of my eye, I saw a plain rectangular piece of cardboard in my cupholder.
Big Mac’s card.
I’d never believed in signs from the heavens or the universe or the fucking stars, but this sure seemed to be one. Okay, so it’d also been me sticking it in there when I got off my flight, but I hadn’t even noticed it again until now.
As if someone outside of myself was making my decisions, I reached into my pocket and extracted my phone. Typing in the numbers on the card, I was halfway to convincing myself he wasn’t going to answer when he did.
I hadn’t even stopped to calculate the time difference, but he sounded as awake and jovial as ever when he picked up. “This is Mackleroy. How can I be of service today?”
“Mackleroy?” I echoed, trying to stifle a laugh. Just the sound of his voice made me feel like a ten-ton weight had been lifted off my chest. “This is Jaxon, man. Is your name really Mackleroy?”
He laughed, the sound booming and carefree. “Jaxon! I was wondering how long it was going to take you to get in touch. Mackleroy is better than Mackerel, which was my mother’s other option, but why do you think I call myself Big Mac?”
“Good call.” For just a second, I was transported back to the island and how easy it’d been to strike up a friendship with this man. He was the only one who knew both of us. The only one who had seen us together and, therefore, had any real idea of what we’d had together. “You got a second?”
“For you? Always. What’s going on?”
“I didn’t check the time before calling. Did I wake you up?”
“Nah. I’m getting ready for the breakfast service, but the minions can handle it for now.” He chuckled evilly. “It’ll be a good test of how well they listen. Hit me. What’s happening over there? You and Lindsay work it out?”
“Not yet.” I highlighted our current situation to him, but not surprisingly, he didn’t sound distraught or even shocked.
“This is it, my friend,” he said. “The planets are aligning. This is your moment. It’s your chance to kiss and make up, so to speak. Don’t let the moment pass you by, Jaxon. Not many people in your shoes get one chance to get the girl back. You might not get another.”
Well, that was heartening. He had a point, though. Once again, Lindsay and I had been pushed into each other’s paths. Who knew how many bites we had at the cherry before it was all a distant memory?
Before I become the old guy in the nursing home harping on about how I’d missed my one shot. Obviously, I’d respect her wishes. I wouldn’t push too hard and I definitely wouldn’t try to insert myself—unwanted—into her life again.
But I sure as hell was going to at least give redemption a try. Who knows? Maybe the planets and the stars and whatever the fuck else really are rooting for us.
Chapter 35
LINDSAY
My palms had been sweating since I’d told Anna to contact Jaxon. I never thought he’d reply saying he’d be right over.
Maybe I really hadn’t known him at all. If I was being completely honest with myself, I’d admit that this prompt side of him made him even hotter. He’d told me he was punctual and structured professionally, but I hadn’t really believed him.
The happy-go-lucky side I’d seen on the island hadn’t correlated with a man who took his job seriously, showed up when he was supposed to, and replied within minutes of receiving a request from the company that employed him.
Of course, I wasn’t currently being completely honest with myself, so I refused to admit it. He had more than enough qualities that made him endearing to me as it was.