Drawing Hearts. J.M. Jeffries
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journey from computer genius to casino owner amazed him. What was his next step going to be? He didn’t know. His whole train of thought disappeared when Kenzie walked into the bar. His breath caught in his throat. She looked stunning in dark maroon tailored pants and an ivory silk blouse. A gold chain looped around her neck and bounced against her throat as she walked. She’d swept her short hair back from her face. Her very presence lit up the whole bar. He found himself smiling and couldn’t seem to stop.
He stood as she slid into the booth. “Good evening.”
She smiled at him. “Hi, and good evening to you.” She paused as the waitress rushed to the table to take Kenzie’s order. She chose a key lime martini, which surprised him. He didn’t think she was a martini type of person. “You look like you have good news.”
Her statement dimmed his smile. “Not really.”
“What do you mean, not really?” She gave a little pout. “That doesn’t sound good.”
The way she looked at him made him want to slay dragons for her. “Where did you get this software?”
“I hired a company in Canada that came highly recommended.” The waitress brought her martini and she took an experimental sip, then nodded at the waitress, who smiled back.
“Well, fixing your program is going to mean pulling it apart down to the core and rebuilding it, module by module.”
“That’s not good news.”
He scrambled in his head trying to make the better news. “The good news is, it’s fixable. But it’s going to take time.”
She frowned at him. “How much time?”
An ache started in his chest. He wanted to be her hero and fix it yesterday. “A few weeks maybe. I won’t really know until I get started. I don’t know what I’ll be able to keep or what will need to be tossed.”
“We’ll work this out.” She took a sip of her martini. “My grandmother can’t say enough good things about you.”
“She’s made me feel like a part of your family.”
“Miss E. is good like that. Once you get the Miss E. Seal of Approval, you’re in for life with no escape.” She chuckled.
He laughed, pretty sure Miss E. wasn’t about to let him get away. “I don’t want to escape.”
“Why did you stake my grandmother for the poker game that resulted in all this?” She held up her hand in a sweeping gesture.
“Because I knew she’d win and...well...” He looked around. “Owning a casino is cooler than owning a yacht or an island. And the only thing cooler than a casino would be owning a hockey team.”
“I’m a football fan myself. Owning a casino is way cooler than anything.”
He nodded. “It’s so hedonistic. It’s about potential and luck and energy.” He leaned forward, looking her straight in the eye. “This may sound corny, but I like seeing people having fun.”
“You sound like you haven’t had much fun in your life.”
He’d been busy making money. “I’m working on that.” He was betting she could help him in that department.
She cupped her chin in her hand. “Having fun shouldn’t be work.”
He didn’t quite know how to respond. “When I started my first company, I had fun. I loved working with computers, I loved creating new software and seeing it fly out into the marketplace. The bigger my company grew, the less fun it became.”
She nodded. “So then what did you do?”
“I got out.” He’d sold his company for mucho millions and decided now was the time to have fun, only to have his father face cancer. “I devoted a lot of my life to my company and I needed to start devoting my life to me. What about you? Your grandmother is really proud of you and your brothers.”
“She’s thrilled we’re all back in the fold. If I didn’t know any better I’d think she’s been planning this for years.”
A shadow fell across them and Reed glanced up to Hendrix Beausolie with a plate in her hand. “Here.” She put the plate down midway between Reed and Kenzie and placed a smaller plate in front of Kenzie and another in front of Reed. “Try this.”
Hendrix had recently made headlines with her innovative approach to baking pastries. A glowing article in Reno Today magazine had brought her a new fan base. People flocked to the restaurant and diner just to have her brownies. Her recent engagement to Kenzie’s brother Donovan had made her a minor celebrity in the family.
“Why are you here so late at night?” Kenzie asked.
“The swing dance contest Donovan and I were going to was canceled, and I’ve been mulling this dessert over in my mind for days so I thought I’d try it while he’s working on his food orders for the week.” She shoved into the booth next to Kenzie. “Blueberry white chocolate cheesecake. Try some.” She slid a slice onto a small plate and pushed it at Kenzie. She filled a second for Reed and a third slice for herself.
Reed forked a bite into his mouth and let the dessert sit on his tongue for a moment. Hendrix was an amazing pastry chef. The subtle tastes of vanilla, white chocolate and blueberry were heavenly. He devoured the slice in less than a minute.
“Wow,” Kenzie said, admiration in her tone. “This is to die for.” She forked another bite into her mouth and chewed, a dazed look filling her eyes.
“Yeah.” Hendrix grinned. “Scott and Nina decided they didn’t want champagne cake for their wedding. So I decided to try this. What do you think?”
“I can’t give you an honest opinion until I eat another slice.” Kenzie grinned at Hendrix.
Hendrix laughed. “I figured you would.” She slid another slice onto Kenzie’s plate.
Reed tried to eat healthy, but was willing to overlook his health for the decadence of Hendrix’s dessert. He finished the second slice. “I approve.”
“You only approve,” Hendrix said.
“Right now, I really want to marry you.”
She held up her left hand and flashed a brilliant yellow diamond ring. “Taken.”
He laughed. “Multimillionaire.”
Hendrix tilted her head. “Money means nothing to me.”
“That’s why I’d marry a woman like you.”
“You get me in the next life.” She stood up and slid out of the booth.
“Fair enough.” He was so comfortable with this family. As an only child, he’d missed having siblings.
Hendrix waved as she headed back toward the kitchen.
“Are you okay?” Kenzie said quietly.
“I’m an only child and I always wanted to have brothers and sisters,” he said, a wistful tone in his voice.
“Until one of them decapitates your dolls.”
Reed stared at her, shocked. “Your brothers decapitated your dolls?”
“Scott always wanted to play soldier with his G.I. Joes and I wanted to play fashion Barbie. He found a bunch of old G.I. Joes somewhere and exchanged their heads for the Barbie heads and wouldn’t tell me where he hid them. He came close to losing his life over that.” She burst out laughing. “Though now I do think it was pretty funny. I can’t imagine being an only child,” Kenzie said.
“I always felt like I was on the outside looking in,” Reed confessed. “I wonder how my life would have been different if I’d had siblings.”
“You’d probably have Barbie heads on all your G.I. Joes. Having siblings