Page 36 of Save the Last Dance
“And?” He wanted to cover her hand with his and kiss her again. Thoroughly. And for a long, long time.
“I’ve worked really hard to not be as impulsive, both personally and professionally.” She shifted on the leather seat, the material creaking. “I’m sure that change hasn’t been obvious to you lately. Being back here, coming home, reminds me of who I used to be. And to a certain extent, I always loved taking chances or being the first one to stand up and say ‘I’ll try it.’”
“Like when we went cliff-jumping.” He’d nearly had a heart attack when she barreled over the edge, the first to leap into the water. But then, all his friends followed and they’d had the most memorable senior picnic ever.
“Right!” She smiled, lit up with the memory. “Exactly. And that was such an awesome day. But looking back, itcould have been dangerous. Plus, in a lot of situations, it’s not a good idea to throw yourself into things.”
“Like having dinner with me.”
“Actually, I was thinking more in terms of kissing you again.”
Amazing how just talking about it could fuel the fire inside. The air between them felt highly charged despite the chill in the fall breeze.
“Right, kissing is not a good idea.” He repeated it in the hope his body would get the message.
“Well, we both know there’s actually a lot of good about it.” A hint of her old self shone through for a second, the flirtatious and yes, impulsive, girl who had captivated him. But then she shook her head. “In fact, it’s so good that it inhibits my judgment. And that’s a scenario I’m trying to avoid.”
On a rational level, he understood and respected the hell out her for what she was saying. That didn’t mean he approved.
“Setting aside your personal reasons for a minute, I just hope that professionally you’re happy with the kind of decisions you end up making.” He lifted the center console, opening up the space. The leather bench seat was custom and roomy, putting way too much distance between them. “You’re very creative and that kind of talent has been a driving force for your success. You don’t want to second-guess yourself so much you lose that edge.”
“But my business fell apart because I followed my heart by partnering with a friend.” She flipped up the collar on her jacket, tucking one lapel under the other to keep the wind out. “I knew she was flighty when we signed the partnership agreement, but I thought I could just work harder tomake up for that because it felt like a dream come true to open the shop.”
“Working together is tough on a friendship.” After seeing the way business could spill over into relationships in his own family, Mack had been eager to start a venture that was completely his own. The bar had the advantage of being away from Heartache and far removed from the building supply or construction companies that his family ran.
“But it was business, you know? My livelihood. I should have respected my dreams enough to wait for the right opportunity instead of rushing headlong into the partnership and hoping that a lot of effort and passion for the job would be enough.” A cricket jumped onto the dashboard, making her jump just a little. She used one hand to direct it so that the little creature’s next jump took it back outside. “I guess that’s why I mentioned a business venture to Bethany. I want people to honor their dreams.”
He wasn’t ready to go in for round two on that discussion. She knew how he felt about her trying to entice Bethany away from the hardware store while Scott struggled to right his failing marriage. With an effort, he steered the topic elsewhere.
“Still no word from your runaway partner?” He settled deeper in the seat and looked up at the stars. The sky was incredibly clear, the layers and layers of stars mesmerizing.
“No. I’ve tried texting and calling, but Olivia’s been ignoring me.” She huffed a frustrated sigh. “I’m having my mail forwarded to Gram’s house, so it’s a few days behind, but it should all arrive sooner or later. The creditors want their money, that’s for sure. This is going to be hell on my credit if I ever apply for another business loan.”
He glanced at her, hating to think of her struggling when she was so talented and had so much to offer.
“The business lawyer who helped me set up the contracts for Finleys’ Tavern was really helpful. Have you talked to somebody like that to make sure you’ve protected your assets?”
“I talked to a lawyer long enough to know I can’t afford that kind of help.”
“You can’t afford not to.” Mack withdrew his phone from a shelf on the dash and wrote a memo to himself to have his attorney touch base with Nina. “You want to walk away from this with as much as you can. Actually, the guy owes me a favor after I gave his musician sister a good slot on the lineup the other night when there were some Nashville bigwigs at the bar. Maybe he’d take your case on a contingency basis.”
She stared at him a long moment, assessing. He wondered if he’d offended her pride by suggesting it. Then she sat up straighter.
“Is it super nosey of me to ask how you financed the bar and still retained control? Assuming you did? I mean, the place is named after you, so I figured you must have a big say in it.”
“I do. I got lucky and found financing from an investor. I pitched the idea to one of those angel clubs?—”
“What’s an angel club?”
“Groups of investors who look for entrepreneurs to back. They make bigger profits that way and have more control than investing in the stock market, so it’s beneficial for them. And obviously, it’s ideal for the entrepreneurs who have great ideas and just need someone to back them.”
“And you got an angel to sponsor Finleys’ Tavern?” She sounded skeptical. The bar business was notoriouslyunstable but the profits could be excellent when things were running smoothly.
“The guy was a big country music fan and he liked the idea of owning a piece of a honky-tonk. It was just a matter of convincing him I was the guy to make it a success.” His pitch had been the whole goal of his MBA and he’d spent all his independent study hours on the business plan while attending Belmont.
“Well, I guess I had my shot at an angel investor and she turned out to be a selfish devil in disguise.” Nina tucked deeper into the seat and pulled her throw blanket around her legs as a crisp autumn breeze picked up.
Mack switched on the vehicle’s engine and cranked the heat, angling the vents toward her to keep her warm. He would have preferred to apply himself to the task personally, but after giving her a tough time about flirting with him, he wasn’t going to suggest it.
