Page 101 of The Main Event

I glared at his back. “As lovely as Levi said? What about what I said?”

“Oh, I’m guessing you didn’t say I was lovely,” Rosie drawled. She looked more amused than offended. “That is just so Daisy.” She graced me with an amused look before grinning like a loon. “You can call me Rosie, though.”

“Thank you.” Jax turned to Mom. “Then that would make you the other Mrs. Stone, the enchanting creature who bestowed Daisy with unrivaled beauty.”

Mom’s expression was hard to read, but she wasn’t the sort of person who could hold back a smile. It was as if the sun had suddenly risen over our table when she shook Jax’s hand. “You may call me Nikki, and I can already tell you’re a keeper because you delivered that line with a straight face.”

“It’s not hard when you’re telling the truth.” Jax winked at her before pulling out a chair for me. “Here, baby.”

“And such a gentleman too.” Rosie rubbed her hands together as she sat. “Well, we want to hear all about you, Jaxson.”

“Jax,” he clarified quickly. “The only people who call me Jaxson are my parents, and I’m determined to like you more than I like them.”

Dad barked out a laugh. “I’ve met your father.”

“I’m sorry.” Jax’s smile was rueful. “He comes across as cold when you’re meeting him in a business setting.” He rested his arm around the back of my chair. “He’s just as bad when you get to know him, though.”

“He’s got a reputation for being cutthroat,” Dad agreed. “I take it you’ve chosen not to follow in his footsteps.”

“Honestly, I didn’t know what my plans were when I first went to business school. It was just a given that I would go to business school. I was kind of floating—making a good living but not caring in the least about what I was doing—when I received word of my grandfather’s intentions regarding the Hunter Hotel.”

“And now what are your plans?” Mom asked. Leave it to her to get right to the nitty-gritty.

“Well, for starters, my grandfather had plans for renovations to the hotel. I’ve got a timetable that works. I plan to see those renovations through and make the Hunter as grand as it used to be.”

“And then what?” Rosie asked.

Jax darted a look toward me. “I don’t have a firm plan for after, but I’m figuring things out.”

“His father has been pressuring him to sell the hotel and split up the proceeds between the rest of the family,” I volunteered. “Even though they weren’t left any inheritance. He’s getting pressure from a lot of sides.” I realized too late that I probably shouldn’t have blurted that out and clamped my hands over my mouth. “Crap,” I said through my fingers.

“It’s okay,” he assured me. “It’s not a secret. It’s just more family nonsense. We shouldn’t talk about that, though. It will just bring everybody down.”

“Let’s talk about food,” Dad said. “We’ll order, and then we want to hear about how the two of you hooked up.”

“That’s not a very entertaining story,” I assured him.

“That’s not what Levi says.”

My eyes narrowed. “I’m going to kill him for running his mouth. There’s going to be blood and a cleaver.”

Jax chuckled. “Somehow, I think you guys will survive the murder attempt. What’s good here?”

“Everything is good here,” Rosie replied. “We only return to restaurants we like, and we come here at least once a month.”

“Good to know.” Jax focused on the drink menu first. “I bet I know what your favorite drink is here,” he said to me, his mouth tipping into a smile.

“You think you know me that well already?” I challenged.

He nodded. “It’s the Black Forest Possession.”

I tried to keep my expression neutral, but it was impossible. “How did you know that?”

“Because you love blackberries. I see you munching on them whenever Levi has extra at the bar. Sometimes you get a smear on your cheek you love them so much.”

I was embarrassed. “Geez. You could’ve at least told me, so I wasn’t walking around with food on my face.”

“I like the smear.”

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