Blown Away (20 page)

Of course, she
couldn’t tell her friend what she had in mind, and she’d have to
keep Eli in the dark as well until she’d seen the two of them
together. Her dad’s birthday party would be the perfect
opportunity.

She sat behind
her desk and called Eli. She sipped her latte as she waited for him
to answer, hoping it wouldn’t go straight to voice mail. She
wondered if he was at practice.

“Hello,” he
said, sounding winded.

“Hi, Eli, it’s
Ava Cooper from Lasting Connections. Did I catch you at a bad
time?”

“No, your
timing’s perfect, Ava. I just finished my workout. What’s up?”

A vision of all
that hard muscle glistening with a fine sheen of perspiration
flashed through her mind, making her blush. Just because she loved
Brent didn’t mean she’d lost the ability to appreciate a sexy man.
And Eli was sexy, in spades. “I was hoping you were available
tonight.”

“Um, yeah, I
think so. We don’t have a game until Saturday. Why? What’d you have
in mind?”

“I’d love to
get to know you better.” Ava winced when she realized how that
sounded. She didn’t want him getting the wrong impression. “Um, it
helps if I get to know my clients a little better before setting
them up.” She laughed when he didn’t respond. “We’re a little
unconventional here, Eli. This isn’t your typical dating
service.”

“I can see
that.” He laughed. “I like it.”

Knowing he may
still be under the mistaken impression that she was interested in
him, she said, “I was hoping you’d escort me to my father’s
birthday party tonight. As friends, of course.” Friends was a bit
of a stretch. They barely knew each other, but if things worked out
with Tara, Eli would be an important part of her life as well.
Besides, she wanted to make sure he was definitely over the
ex-girlfriend before she considered setting him up with her friend.
Tara had recently been through a bad break up, and she was
reluctant to get back in the game. As far as Ava was concerned, it
was time.

“Yeah, that
sounds great. In fact, Aiden mentioned his brother’s party. He said
I should come. Apparently a few cool country acts will be
playing.”

“You can count
on that,” Ava said, smiling. They didn’t have a party without
conning their friends into performing a song or two.

“Great, I’m
looking forward to it.”

“It’s at
Jimmy’s.” J.T. had offered to shut the bar down for their private
surprise party, and since her father wasn’t a black tie kind of
guy, they knew he would prefer the bar to a stuffy ballroom. “You
know where that is, right?”

“I sure
do.”

“Perfect. I’ll
see you there at seven. It’s a surprise, so try not to be
late.”

“I’ll be on
time. I’m looking forward to it. Thanks for the invite.”

“My pleasure.”
She was still smiling when Tara walked into her office a few
minutes later.

“What’s that
smile about?” Tara rolled her eyes when Ava looked up. “As if I
didn’t know. You wouldn’t, by chance, have woken up with a certain
sexy business mogul this morning, would you?”

Ava couldn’t
wipe the smile off if she tried. She’d found the man of her dreams,
and she was confident she was about to help her best friend do the
same. “Maybe.”

Tara leaned
over to pet Oreo when she started dancing around her feet. “I’m not
gonna lie, I’m jealous as hell. But I’m happy for you. I knew a
long time ago that Brent was the one for you.”

“How can you
say that? I didn’t even know.”

“Girl,
sometimes I think I know you better than you know yourself.” She
chuckled. “When you ran scared after y’all slept together the first
time and he had the kahunas to track you down, I knew you’d found
your match.”

Ava laughed at
the memory. She’d been angry, frustrated, and more than a little
flattered by the lengths Brent had gone to to track her down in
Europe. “That man is crazy.”

“But you love
him.” Tara looked at her, waiting for confirmation.

“I do.”

Tara squealed
and clapped, prompting Oreo to yap. “I knew it!”

“He’s leaving
on a business trip,” Ava said, pouting. She knew she was being
ridiculous. He traveled all over the world and she would have to
get used to it, but she wanted him to celebrate her father’s
birthday with them. “So he won’t be able to come tonight.”

“Aww, that’s
too bad. Nobody knows how to party like y’all.”

Ava laughed.
That much was true. Of course, most people couldn’t call on the top
singers in country music to perform at their private parties
either. “I haven’t told my parents I’m seeing Brent. I wanted to
tell them tonight.”

“That won’t be
a problem, will it?” Tara asked, taking a sip of her coffee. “Your
parents liked Brent when they met him back in college, right?’

“Yeah, I’m not
worried about that.” Her parents had always been supportive.
“Still, it would be nice for them to know things are… serious.”

“How serious?”
Tara asked, lifting an eyebrow.

“Serious.” Ava
wasn’t ready to walk down the aisle, and she didn’t suspect Brent
was ready to ask, but she knew she didn’t want to be with anyone
else. If their relationship evolved the way she expected, it
wouldn’t be long before they made that commitment.

“So the
ex-fiancée is definitely out of the picture?”

Ava still
experienced a twinge of uneasiness over the stunning woman, but she
knew if their relationship was going to work, she had to trust
Brent. “She’s out of the picture.” Ava thought of the time Brent
spent with Jasmine last night. “She went to a function he was
attending so she could talk to him.”

A look of
concern crossed Tara’s face. “How did he handle that?”

“He gave her a
ride home so they could talk.”

Tara shifted in
her seat. “I don’t like the sound of that. What kind of game is he
playing?”

Ava knew her
best friend was just looking out for her, so she tried not to get
defensive. “He told me the truth about her being there and the fact
he drove her home. He even told me what they talked about. That has
to count for something, right?”

Tara didn’t
look convinced. “Yeah, but how did he explain the fact that he lied
to you about her in the first place?” She sighed when Ava grimaced.
“You know I love you and I’m just looking out for you. I like Brent
and all, but if he hurts you, I’ll have to kill him.”

Ava reached
across the desk to grasp her friend’s hand. “I know. But I trust
him, and I believe that he doesn’t feel anything for her anymore.
She cheated on him. Brent’s not the kind of man to forgive that
kind of betrayal.”

“I guess you’re
right.” Tara stroked Oreo when she jumped up on the chair next to
her.

“So, I’m
bringing someone to the party tonight,” Ava said hesitantly. She
didn’t want to tip off Tara. If she did, her friend would nix the
idea before she even met Eli.

“What do you
mean, you’re bringing someone to the party? Didn’t you just finish
telling me you’re crazy about the sexy billionaire?”

Ava laughed. “I
don’t think Brent’s a billionaire.”

“Think
again.”

Ava didn’t want
to dwell on that. If she did, it would make her uneasy. Was he
really
that
wealthy? It didn’t matter, but it was a little
intimidating to think about what that kind of money could do and
buy if anyone ever crossed him. She hoped she could help Brent get
over his need for revenge against his mother. It hurt her to see
what it was doing to him.

Ava brought her
attention back to Eli and her plan for this evening. “Regardless,
I’m not bringing this guy as a date. He’s a client, sort of.”

Tara laughed.
“Another one of those? Wasn’t Brent a sort of client for half a
minute?”

“No!” Ava
cringed when she thought of what it would mean for her business if
word got out she was dating one of her clients. “I never officially
took him on as a client and you know that, so stop giving me
grief.”

“I can’t help
it, you’re so easy.” Tara winked. “Okay, tell me about this new
client. What’s he like?”

“Does the name
Eli Rea mean anything to you?” Unlike Ava, who barely knew the
basics of hockey, much to her uncle’s chagrin, Tara was a real
fan.

Tara’s mouth
fell open. “Seriously? That’s our new client? Why would he need our
help finding a woman? He must have to beat them off with his hockey
stick. The man’s gorgeous!”

Ava couldn’t
argue. Eli was the epitome of male perfection. “There’s an
ex-girlfriend in the picture. I think he might still have feelings
for her.” Ava would never forgive herself if Tara and Eli got
involved and she’d kept that piece of information to herself.

“That makes him
a lousy risk as a client. Maybe you shouldn’t take him on.”

Lasting
Connections could afford to be selective, so Ava occasionally
turned people away if she didn’t feel they were ready to commit.
“That’s what tonight is about, getting a feel for where his head
is. If I think he’s still into her, I’ll tell him to come back and
see us when he’s sure he’s ready to move on.”

“Sounds like a
plan.” Tara stood. “Hey, you want to come to Alisa’s with me on our
lunch break? You can help me pick out something to wear
tonight.”

“Sure,” Ava
said, smiling. She and Tara shared a passion for shopping, which
meant they often snuck out on their lunch break. Fortunately, Lena
and Alisa’s boutique was just down the street from their office.
“Can’t wait. Lena told me the new line from that European designer,
Mazaro, came in.”

“Thank God I
just paid my credit card bill.”

***

Brent was
trying to focus on work, but it wasn’t easy. Ava’s beautiful face
kept popping into his head. He wished he could rearrange his
schedule so he could be at the party, but the trip required his
personal attention.

Keith knocked
on his door and poked his head in. “You got a minute, boss
man?”

His brother
rarely indulged him by knocking, so Brent’s curiosity was piqued.
“Yeah, come on in.” He scrubbed his hands over his face. He’d
barely gotten four hours of sleep and it was catching up with him.
A slow smile spread across his face when he remembered why he’d
lost sleep.

“What’s that
smile about?” Keith asked. “Since when do you smile for no good
reason in the middle of a workday?”

Was he really
such an ogre that people found it an oddity when he smiled?
Pre-Ava… probably. “Spare me the commentary and get to the point.
I’ve got work to do and a plane to catch.”

“It’s about
Dad.”

That got
Brent’s attention. He gestured to the chair across from him. “What
about him?”

“His nurse
called a little while ago. Apparently he has pneumonia.”

“Son of a
bitch.” Their father had smoked for more than thirty years, which
led to a chronic lung condition requiring ongoing medical
attention. That’s why Brent had insisted on the private nurse to
check in on him and make sure he was taking his medication and
attending his doctor’s appointments. “Why didn’t he tell us?”

“I guess he
didn’t want to worry us.”

“The stubborn
old fool,” Brent muttered. Anyone who questioned his stubborn
streak only had to look as far as his father. The man was a menace
when he made up his mind. Brent and Keith knew his lung condition
made pneumonia a potentially serious illness. “Shouldn’t he be in
the hospital?”

“The doctor
suggested it, but he refused. He said he wanted to be at home.”

“Damn it,”
Brent said, slamming his hand on the desk. If anything happened to
the old man… He couldn’t imagine his life without him. His dad had
always been his rock. Everyone assumed Brent could handle anything,
but his father’s unwavering support gave him that strength. “Why
wouldn’t he agree to whatever the hell the doctor asked?”

“’Cause he’s
bull-headed.” A ghost of a smile appeared on Keith’s face, but it
disappeared quickly. “Like someone else I know.”

Brent knew his
kid brother. He was worried about their old man, and that made
Brent even more uneasy. Keith was as easygoing as Brent was
intense, and if he was concerned, there must be more to the story.
“So they gave him medication and they’re monitoring his condition,
right?”

“Yeah.” Keith
closed his eyes and tipped his head back. “And they ordered a lung
X-ray for this morning, to see whether the medication’s
working.”

The fear in
Brent’s stomach swelled. He knew things could go from bad to worse
quickly with pneumonia, and once the lungs started filling up,
doctors couldn’t do much if the medication wasn’t effective. “It
has to work,” Brent said quietly. He couldn’t consider the
possibility it wouldn’t.

When Brent
stood up and reached for his cell phone, Keith asked, “Where are
you going?”

“To see him. I
don’t care what he says, he’s going to the goddamn hospital.”

Brent sat in the
driveway taking a few deep breaths and trying to tamp down his fear
and frustration. He didn’t want to argue with his dad, but he would
be damned if he’d allow the old man’s stubborn streak to cost him
his life. Just thinking about losing the man who’d always been his
source of strength made Brent feel weak.

Brent got out
of the car, rehearsing what he intended to say. Insisting that his
father go to the hospital for his own good was a sure-fire way to
make Jerry dig his heels in. Dealing with his father was often like
dealing with an obstinate child. He had to make Jerry believe going
to the hospital for observation was
his
idea. If he felt he
was being forced, he would fight Brent to the bitter end.

The caregiver,
Elsie, was straightening a stack of newspapers on the living room
coffee table when Brent walked on. “Hi, Els.”