the eightieth floor in downtown Chicago. Sometimes, I wondered where I would’ve been if I’d taken him up on his offer to come work at his company. Then again, I knew deep down in my soul I was a southern boy through and through. Big city lights didn’t call me home. I felt more at peace deep in the woods.
Stacey didn’t stick around for long. Even though I said she was more than welcome to crash our dinner, she disagreed, saying we needed time to catch up.
Derek picked out the best steak house in the whole city, and I was more than willing to let him pay for it. Plumbers didn’t make the kind of money that Derek did, and most of my paychecks went toward Dad’s medical bills.
“It’s really damn good to see you, Jax. We should start making visits more often. Once a year doesn’t feel like enough anymore. Especially with Stacey being such a family girl. She was horrified when I told her we only saw each other once a year,” Derek said, cutting into his ribeye.
“You’re more than welcome to come down to Havenbarrow,” I replied, to which he scrunched up his nose. His reaction was no surprise to me. I knew that Derek hadn’t any plans of returning to his hometown. Not even to visit me. Too many of his demons lived there. Truthfully, I didn’t blame him for not wanting to revisit them.
“You know that’s too hard for me, Jax.” His voice dropped a little. “But you’re always welcome here.”
“I know. I’ll make more of an effort to get out this way, too.”
Maybe I’d bring Kennedy to meet him and Stacey. The fact that bringing Kennedy up to visit was even a thought shocked me. The fact that it made me so happy shocked me even more.
“Or, you can just take a position at my business firm. You know I’ll always make room for you, and it wouldn’t be some bottom barrel position. You can work beside me, be a partner.”
I laughed. “I don’t have a business bone in my damn body, Derek. The idea of making me your partner is insane. I’d ruin your business in a heartbeat.”
“I could train you. Seriously, Jax. We could make a great team.”
I cocked an eyebrow. “Why do we have this conversation every year I come up here?”
He sighed and put his silverware down. “I want more for you than your life back in Kentucky.”
“My life is fine down there. I have my business.”
“That was Cole’s plumbing business—not yours,” he argued. “You only took it over after he had his first stroke, because for some reason you feel as if you owe that bastard something.”
I always felt like I did owe my father something because I killed his wife. Seemed reason enough to keep his business going. “I’m good at it.” I shrugged. I knew Derek would never understand it, but I actually did enjoy my job. I was good at it and didn’t see me quitting any time soon. “Why are you always pushing me to leave Havenbarrow?”
“Because it’s a shit town. You don’t need that place in your life.”
I didn’t feel like arguing with him. We only had so much time to hang out. The last thing I wanted to do was fight.
“Subject change,” I said, shifting around in my seat. “How about a little more about this Stacey woman.”
Derek grinned like a schoolboy with his first crush. The conversation grew lighter, and after he finished telling me all about Stacey, I informed him all about Kennedy.
“No shit,” he breathed out, stunned. “That same girl you were crazy about as a kid?”
“That’s the one.”
“That’s right out of a Nicholas Sparks movie or something,” he joked. “So, she’s your girlfriend?”
The question lingered a bit in my mind. We didn’t really talk about labels, but it was no secret that Kennedy was mine, and I was hers. At least in my mind she was mine, and I didn’t see that changing any time soon. “You could say that.”
He kept smiling like a dork. “This is good stuff, Jax. Look at both of us. In relationships with good women. Mom would be proud.”
The mention of Mom tightened my chest a little as guilt hit me. “She should’ve been about to attend your wedding, Derek…” I swallowed hard and looked down. “I’m sorry I took that from you.” I took a lot of memories from him, and I hated myself for it. Mom was never going to meet her