After completely flaking out on Jaxon the other night at the bar, I invited him over for dinner in hopes of finding something that I thought I’d lost.
It turns out I’m not quite ready to be found.
He was a total gentleman the entire evening. While we sat in my living room reminiscing about the days when I waited tables and the customers we’d met, he did nothing more than lay his arm across the back of the sofa.
When it came time for him to leave, I walked him to the door and leaned up to kiss him. Even though my heart was racing, and I felt like I could be sick at any moment, I felt I owed it to both of us to at least try. But Jaxon just smiled and told me goodnight without ever bending down to accept my parted lips.
My attempt at bringing a tiny spark to a full-blown flame seems to be taking the slow and winding road, which is totally fine by me.
Now I spend at least two nights a week hanging out at the restaurant having drinks and learning more about Jaxon Slade, the bartender, and not feeling the least bit guilty about it.
Reid’s parents called to invite me for dinner this weekend. I haven’t seen them since Thanksgiving, so I accept the invitation. Before I know it, it’s Saturday, and I’m wavering back and forth between wearing leggings and an oversized sweater or a nice, conservative dress. Thanks to an intense round of eeny-meeny-miny-mo, I end up going to dinner in my favorite black leggings and a cream sweater with boots.
As soon as I walk into the upscale seafood restaurant, Mrs. Landry greets me at the door and leads me to their table. Judge Landry has always intimidated me a little, so a wave of relief washes over me when he stands to give me a hug then pulls out my chair.
“Makenna,” he says, “It’s been too long. How are you?”
It’s a generic conversation starter, but I’ll take it. Spending time with his parents makes me feel as if the bond between me and Reid has never officially been broken.
“I am well. Work is great, and I have less than two semesters left of school,” I answer after I take a seat.
He unrolls the linen napkin and places it in his lap. “Good. Reid would have been proud of how hard you’ve worked.”
His words penetrate the wall I’ve worked so hard to build around my emotions, and I scramble hurriedly to put it back up before the pain seeps through the cracks.
“Thank you. That means a lot.”
The waiter approaches and Reid’s father places our order. I catch an occasional uncertain glance between him and Mrs. Landry and get the feeling there is more to tonight than simply meeting for dinner.
“Is everything okay?” I ask, slicing through the tension.
The judge exhales a long, slow breath and adjusts his posture as he focuses his attention on me. “Makenna, we’ve been thinking,” he begins, and I have absolutely no idea what direction this could go in. “You haven’t done anything with the money you received after Reid’s death.”
Reid named me as beneficiary on his life insurance policy and even though they never said so, I could tell his parents weren’t thrilled with the decision. The money is in a separate account, and I have no intention of ever touching it. That money was earned with Reid’s blood and I can think of nothing in this world worth spending it on. It’s never been open for discussion and that doesn’t change tonight.
“I have my reasons for that, sir,” I say as respectfully as I can considering my blood pressure is rising by the second.
He clears his throat and narrows his brow as if trying to see into my mind and discover exactly what reason that may be. But I don’t budge. This isn’t a conversation I’m willing to have right now. Not with my mom, not with Brynn, and not with Reid’s parents.
“I don’t know what your intentions are, and I understand it shouldn’t be spent frivolously, but there are options out there,” he says.
Spent frivolously? Is he serious? Like that ever even crossed my mind.
I sit up straight. “And I suppose those options involve this thinking you’ve been doing?”
“As a matter of fact—” he starts, but I interrupt him.
“With all due respect, Mr. Landry, the topic is not open for discussion. I’m not touching that money.”
“I wasn’t suggesting you do. Reid’s mother and I are more than willing to disperse it to several charities and scholarships in our son’s name.”
“So, you want me to just sign over two-hundred and fifty-thousand dollars to you and the Mrs. here? Is that what you’re saying?”
He replies with a condescending chuckle. “You make it sound like we want the money for ourselves, Makenna. That couldn’t be further from the truth. We feel we have more,” he pauses to collect his thoughts, “experience with this sort of thing.”
“I see.” I lay my napkin on the table and finish my glass of wine. “I have always respected you. Both of you. And I have never been more thankful for two people coming together as a couple than I am for the two of you. But there’s something you need to know. Reid spent his entire life under your thumb. All the way until he decided to join the Marines. Every decision he made revolved around your expectations and it made him miserable. You don’t get to control this. I may be wrong, but I believe I knew Reid Landry better than anyone and when the time comes to spend his blood money on something he would have chosen, I will know. Then, and only then, will anyone ever see a single cent of it.”
And with that, I stand, give Mrs. Landry a hug, and hold back my tears until I make it to my car.