Page 6 of The Comeback Road
The boys met me in the meeting room with puzzled looks still marring their features.
“Power up your laptops, please. Are you both connected to the internet?”
“Yes,” they answered together.
It only took me a few seconds to take control of their screens from my laptop.
“Woah, what the hell?” Dexter murmured as the program I’d spent a few weeks on took over their screens. I couldn’t help howexcited I was about it. It was a relatively easy program, but I was able to get all our inventory uploaded.
“What is this?” Jace asked.
“Just give me a second. So impatient.” I shot him a mocking glare before continuing. “I realized when I first started that, most of the time, coming up with a presentation to your clients and sorting through inventory you needed was taking you away from the project itself. It costs you guys time when it comes to starting on the project.”
Dexter leaned back in his chair, studying me, very clearly trying his best to read me. Jace was still just staring at the computer screen, trying to make sense of what I was saying.
“So, I reached out to a few people I know, and voila! Welcome to your new software! It’s actuallyveryeasy to use.”
For the next forty-five minutes, I went over how it worked, how it pulled from our inventory and listed the prices, gave accurate estimates on how long it would take to get supplies in based on where our supplies were located, and the algorithm that worked on the back end to calculate estimated delivery dates based on location, weather for that time of the year, and previous shipping dates. If I was being honest, it was easy enough to create. It only took a few weeks to get the coding right and flush out any bugs. Plus, the time to file for a patent—the last of my surprises. I took out the patent in their names. It was software only they would have access to.
“This is incredible, Lexie, really. Where’d you find this?” Dexter asked while clicking through, building a mock house to test out all its different capabilities.
“Oh, you know”—I waved my hand around—“just some people I used to work with.” Which wasn’t a lie, exactly. I had to reach out to a few contacts to get the patent so quickly. A fleeting thought had me wondering if that was why Luke hadreached out. That maybe he had heard I was reaching out to some contacts and was coming out of my retirement.
Focusing back on the matter at hand, I put my attention back on Dexter and Jace and clapped my hands together. “Last part of the surprise!” I shoved the paperwork over, showing that the software wastheirsalone.
“How did you manage to do this?” Jace looked at me in awe, and I couldn’t help the way that my insides melted.
“It’s really no big deal.” I shrugged.
“Dinner now seems inadequate.” He stood up, pushing his chair in and stalking over to me.
“On that note, great meeting. We will speak more about this later.” Dexter packed up his laptop and all but ran out of the meeting room.
“Do you think we scared him off?” I jokingly whispered to Jace, but he just kept looking with this intense stare that wavered between awe and lust. I found myself tilting my head at him in invitation, and he started to advance toward me before his lips met mine. Both of our phones went off with alerts, signaling it was time for Jace to head over to a house they were putting a bid on outside of town. He growled at the sound.
“Until tonight, Lexie. Then, you’re all mine.”
I felt his words from my head to my toes.
Chapter Five
Lexie
I felt the lingering effects of Jace throughout the rest of my day, and I couldn’t help the restlessness I felt over the coming night. I had already told myself that I wasabsolutely notgoing to shave my legs. I needed to protect myself a little bit, and not shaving my legs would be the way to do that.Right?
A quick glance at my clock read that it was 4:58 p.m., and I sent up a silent prayer. It was only two minutes away from the day ending, and I knew Magnolia would find a way to be at home come hell or high water to be there to see me off to my date.
The drive went by almost too fast, and I found my anxiety building. I missed the extra car in the driveway as I pulled in. “Magnolia? You home?”
“We are in the kitchen!” she hollered. I assumed she meant her and Sloan, but as I advanced, I heard thecutestbaby laughs. My heart started to thaw. There was a time in my life when all I wanted was a family of my own, but the older I got, the more I had seen, and the more I kept thinking that maybe kidsweren’tin my future. Even so, I couldn’t help the random vision of the future that seemed to flash through me. Jace waking up for midnight feedings, Jace at a playground…Jace…
“HI!” A sweet voice, unbothered by life’s problems, interrupted my daydream, and a quick look down had me taking in a little girl who couldn’t have been more than four or five years old.
“Well, hi, there, sweets. What’s your name?” She was adorable, chocolate curly hair, round hazel eyes, chubby red cheeks, a pink Tonka truck in hand.
“My name’s Raya.”
“Hi, Raya. I’m Lexie.” I winked at her, and she broke into a fit of giggles.
