Page 17 of Just My Luck

She shrugged as James walked in with Rick, Jax’s oldest brother, right behind him. I hadn’t heard that he was back in town. This must be serious.

James took his place at the head of the table, looking visibly older, the usual sharp edge of his authority softened by a profound exhaustion.

I was completely in the dark about what was going on. Why hadn’t Jax told me Rick was back in town? Why wasn’t Jax here?

I sat near the back, furious at Jax, staring at his empty chair.

James cleared his throat, commanding the room’s absolute attention. “Good morning, everyone,” he began, his voice steady despite the fatigue etched into his face. “Thank you for gathering so quickly. As many of you have heard, I’ve been facing some health challenges recently. On Friday, my doctor gave me a strict ultimatum regarding my stress levels. So, effective immediately, I am going to be stepping aside temporarily to take a mandatory medical sabbatical.”

A collective, quiet gasp rippled through the room. My own worry for James doubled. I’d known he was having problems, but to step aside? For how long?

“But the ship still needs a captain,” James continued, placing a hand on his oldest son’s shoulder. “Which is why I’ve called in my oldest son to take over the family business. Everyone, this is Rick. He’ll be acting as your temporary CEO, and he has my and the board’s full authorization to run the place in my absence.”

My heart sank. That should be Jax. He was the one who had been here while Rick was out in California starting his own business. Jax deserved to run GSM, even if just temporarily.

Rick stepped forward and I was reminded how much the brothers looked like one another. “It’s a pleasure to be here,” he said smoothly. He gave a brief overview of his background, mentioning he had been running his own much-smaller marketing firm in San Diego.

James took over again, wrapping up his speech with a few words of reassurance, though the tired slump of his shoulders told a different story. “Before I hand the floor completely over to my son,” he added, “I want to emphasize that our immediate priority is landing the Clear Creek Brewery account. Rick will be working directly with the team to seal that deal. Take it away, son.”

I nudged Sofia’s knee. “You’re going to nail that account,” I whispered.

“I hope,” she said, holding onto her folder more tightly.

I sat through the rest of the meeting in a tight, angry blur as Rick had everyone go around the room for introductions. Beside me, Sofia looked like she was trying to blend entirely into the drywall, holding her folder against her chest like body armor after some disastrous elevator encounter she’d apparently had earlier. I hadn’t gotten all the details, but I was willing to wager the man she’d accosted was none other than Rick. The looks they kept sharing told the entire story, at least to me, since I knew them both so well. I chuckled inside a little. How many years had I been trying to get the two to meet? Hell, since we were thirteen?

They may not know it, but I had always thought they would be perfect for one another. But after the last time I’d tried to set Sofia up, which had ended disastrously, I promised her I wouldn’t meddle in her love life ever again. Just as long as she didn’t meddle in mine. After all, she knew exactly how I felt about Jax. Had always known.

When it was her turn to talk, she introduced herself as a junior marketing associate handling digital strategy, and Rick gave her a look that was entirely too calculating. I hid my smile.

Then it was my turn, and Rick winked at me as if the last five years since we’d seen one another had only been five minutes.

My worry for James was set aside as I focused back on my work after a very brief one-on-one meeting with Rick, who explained just why Jax had flown back to Vegas without me. As far as explanations went, it was very shady and reminded me of the time the three brothers had convinced me that they were all adopted, just like I was. None of them could keep their stories straight.

When Jax finally flew back into town on Wednesday afternoon, I expected him to be out for blood over the sudden shift in power. Instead, when I saw him walk down the executive corridor, he just looked defeated. He seemed entirely okay with Rick taking his spot as head of GSM.

But I knew him. Beneath that stoic, protective armor that he wore so well, I could see the rigid line of his shoulders and the dangerous tension in his jaw. He was deeply upset about something. Was it something that had happened back in Vegas? Or was this about his father’s health? He and Rick got along great, but there could be some turmoil about Jax not being chosen to take over. There was a heavy dark cloud hanging over him, and he wasn’t sharing it with anyone. Least of all me.

By Wednesday afternoon, I couldn’t take the silence between us any longer.

I waited until the administrative assistants went on their lunch breaks, leaving the executive wing quiet, before marching down the hallway. I didn’t even bother knocking on his door. I turned the handle and stepped inside, then shut the door firmly behind me.

Jax was sitting behind his desk, a mountain of marketing proofs set out in front of him. He looked exhausted. Dark circles shadowed his blue eyes, and his hair was slightly disheveled, like he’d been running his fingers through it all day.

He looked up, freezing the second he saw me standing there. “Nova. I’m right in the middle of⁠—”

“I don’t care right now, Jax,” I said, walking right up to his desk and leaning my hands flat on the polished wood, forcing him to look at me. “You ghosted me for four days and then vanished back to Vegas without a word. You didn’t say a syllable when your dad handed the keys of the company to your brother, and you look like you’re carrying the weight of the entire world on your shoulders. Talk to me. Please.”

Jax closed his eyes for a brief second, letting out a long, ragged breath. When he opened them, the defensive wall cracked just a fraction. He leaned forward, resting his elbows on the desk, his voice dropping into that low, gravelly register that always made my pulse skip. “Nova, I don’t care about Rick taking over. It’s what my father wants for now. It’s…”

The door suddenly swung open without a preliminary knock, the loud click of the latch shattering the quiet gravity of the room.

“Jax, my man, tell me you have those Q3 projections ready,” a loud, booming voice announced.

Rick strode into the office like he already owned the place. He was wearing an aggressively expensive suit, his hair perfectly gelled, exuding the same loud, brash confidence from the Monday morning meeting. He didn’t even seem to notice the heavy atmosphere he’d just walked into. He stopped right next to me, offering a dismissive, charming smile that didn’t reach his eyes.

“Oh, sorry, did I interrupt a little briefing?” Rick asked, looking between the two of us and wiggling his eyebrows, a move he always made when seeing us alone together.

Jax’s expression instantly turned to stone, the shutter slamming down so fast it was almost dizzying. The vulnerability I’d just managed to tease out of him vanished, replaced by the cold, unyielding wall of a senior executive.