Avoiding Responsibility (Avoiding #2)(74)

"This is the best part about you being back in the house," Ramsey murmured as he staggered bleary-eyed into the kitchen.

Lexi flushed and turned back to the coffee maker. She couldn't acknowledge that kind of comment yet between them. "Here," she said handing him his favorite mug.

"Thanks," he moaned chugging the steaming contents as if it were his life force.

Lexi giggled a little as he sputtered from the heat of the beverage. "Why do you drink it like that every time? You don't even like black coffee."

"If you can drink it that way, I can," he said between sips.

"I'm used to it. I've been drinking it like that for years."

"So give me years," he said wrapping his arm around her waist and pulling her against his body.

"Uh…um," she stammered having no reply to that statement.

"Calm down. I'm just playing with you," he said nuzzling her neck as if everything were back to normal. It was a nice feeling. She missed this kind of thing. But she couldn't get caught up in it…not yet.

"I'm calm," she said pulling away from him and taking a sip of the coffee. She was thankful for the distraction.

His smile didn't falter though. He just proceeded to guzzle the remaining contents in his mug and pour himself a refill. "So are you ready for today?" he asked eyeing her carefully.

"Yeah…" she said slowly. "We're going to your…parent's house right?"

Lexi had never been to Ramsey's house. It had been a continual source of contention. She hadn't wanted to go because of the off chance that she might run into Bekah or Jack. And she wasn't certain that he had ever wanted to bring her home. His reputation preceded him especially with his parents. The first time she had been in the same room with them, his father had brought up Ramsey's past discretions.

Not that Ramsey was ashamed of Lexi by any means. He just didn't want to humiliate her in front of his judgmental parents. They didn't approve of him and any girl that he would bring home would only suffer under the same criticism, even someone who was currently studying law at a top university. The lack of family connections on Lexi's part was never brought up, but she knew it was also a problem.

He nodded seeing only slight hesitation in her demeanor. Reassured by the fact that she wasn't freaking out, he continued, "Some kind of formal luncheon. Should be mostly big investors. Nothing to worry about."

Lexi was pretty sure that Ramsey was the only person that didn't bat an eye at the prospect of being surrounded by a sea of "big investors." She wasn't exactly sure what these people would look like, but if they were anything like his father then she was already intimidated. She knew how to handle wealthy people, but she wasn't so sure that she knew how to handle these kind of people.

"Right…big investors…no biggy," she said shrugging her shoulders in an attempt to mirror his indifference.

He chuckled at her obvious discomfort. "You'll be fine." Lexi poured the remaining contents of her drink down her throat to keep from responding

"Yep," she said brushing past him.

"Hey, are you sure you're ready for this?" he asked a little tentatively. She knew he wasn't talking about dealing with big investors now. He was talking about Jack and Bekah. The thought made her skin crawl. The last thing she wanted to do was deal with them together, but she couldn't help it now.

She had woken this morning feeling refreshed and prepared for the events of the upcoming week. Yes, things hadn't exactly gone as planned since she had arrive in Atlanta, but things rarely did. She knew people were hiding things from her and it drove her crazy. However, this didn't make them any more willing to share information with her. Wasting time wondering wasn't going to help her either. Sleep had given her some perspective on the situation and she was ready to push forward.

"I wouldn't be here if I wasn't ready," she told him before turning and walking back up the stairs to change.

Ramsey and Lexi arrived at his parent's house a short while later. She stared up at the giant edifice more surprised at the enormous house than she thought she was going to be. After all she had been expecting something spectacular…and they had delivered.

"This way," Ramsey said directing her to the side of the house. "You don't want to go through the front," he warned.

"I don't?" Lexi asked raising an eye questioningly.

"Not unless you one, want to be bombarded with a bunch of questions or two, want to run into a sea of bridesmaids."

Lexi smirked. "Good plan. Around the back," she said scampering after him.

The back yard was several acres at least. The perfectly cut lawn ended at a clear blue lake, and from across the great distance she could see a hole from the club golf course. An overgrowth of beautiful trees separated their lawn from the surrounding houses giving them the privacy that they had paid for.

As Lexi looked across the expanse, she immediately landed on Jack. Their eyes met across the lawn, and Lexi couldn't help herself she smiled. She could tell even from this distance that he had cleaned up. His suit was pressed, beard shaven, and hair cut short once again. He looked every bit a part of the family already.

When she had seen him the day before, he had been a mess. Disheveled, uncouth, and haphazard were the only way she had been able to describe him. Yes, he was her Jack. He still made her catch her breath at the sight of him, but somehow it had been different. While he looked more like the Jack she had first gotten to know in that quaint coffee shop all those years ago, something about him had just been downtrodden.