Anger burned through me. My cheeks grew hot and my breathing rate kicked up. How could he? I’d thought that despite the deceit we’d connected, whether he wanted to admit it to himself or not. Had I fooled myself yet again? Looking at the time, I groaned. I had an hour to pull myself together and calm down before meeting him.
Wes
I waited in front of the restaurant where Mara had been adamant about meeting me. Was she getting weird on me again?
I’d been…intense…the other night, but most women would come begging for more.
As Mara walked up with a stoop in her shoulders, wearing those ridiculous Batman leggings I loved, she didn’t have a begging mood about her.
“There she is,” I greeted.
I got a half-smile. Yep, she was stuck in her head.
“Sorry, I’m not feeling too well tonight,” she said in a soft voice.
“I heard they have good food here. Eat a solid meal and you’ll feel better.”
I held the door open for her and she muttered something as she walked by.
“What was that?”
“Nothing.”
We were seated and she folded and unfolded her napkin while staring out the window.
“Mara?”
“Everything with my store,” she blurted. “It’s just— How could he treat me like that?”
Her eyes shimmered, and as a sign of how much I’d emotionally opened up to her, I sought to comfort her instead of putting as much distance between us as possible. I could barely believe what I was doing as I reached a hand across the table, but she stared at it.
“What if I have to dig into my reserves and I run out of money to pay for my mom’s care?”
Her words tugged on my conscience, but I pushed it aside rather than owning it. Wendy needed to be in a nursing home. But where had Mara’s reserves come from? Helen would find out. Besides, Mara was smart, she could get a decent job easy. A regular nine-to-fiver with good benefits.
She dabbed at her eyes. “I’m sorry. I’m not going to be good company tonight.”
“You can’t scare me away.”
The words were meant to soothe, but instead, she wiped tears away.
All through dinner, I made inane small talk while her glassy stare unraveled my heart. For the hundredth time, I questioned what I was doing with Mara, how it was all going to end, for me and for her—for us. I followed her back to her place and we watched a movie. Nothing physical beyond me holding her.
It was early when we’d usually be seeing way beyond midnight together, but I tucked us into her bed.
Grudgingly, I had to admit it was my best night of sleep ever. I would’ve slept in, but her alarm went off.
Game day. She rolled out of bed without a backward glance and padded to the bathroom to shower.
She’d be working all day, and I’d…work? I was behind with Canon’s paperwork but nothing critical. A Saturday morning at the club was ideal for being productive. I wasn’t meeting with Franklin about my plans in New York until later in the week.
I reclined on her bed and watched her dress and get ready for work.
“Lock up when you leave?” she asked.
“Aren’t you going to have breakfast?”
“Chris is bringing donuts today and probably for our last game day next week.”
“What if I’m still here when you get home?”
She was walking out of the bedroom and glanced back in surprise. “What if I’m not feeling any better?”
“Then I’ll take care of you again.” And I meant it. Why? The time was coming when I had to cease being Sam. I’d go back to being the…what? The guy who worked all the time? The successful businessman who women flocked to? Would I take my pick and be okay not knowing a thing about my partner and knowing our interaction was barely more than a verbal contract?
An unreadable expression flitted over her face, but she settled back on neutral. “I should probably get some groceries.”
Morbidly interested in how she chose what canned or boxed goodness to buy, I said, “Come back first and I’ll go with you.”
She nodded and left.
The silence of her house bothered me, unlike mine. I rarely used the main floor of my house, keeping to the upper level I’d made my lair. The weekends when I had no staff around, I didn’t mind the quiet.
In Mara’s place, I did.
What to do all day. I could be a slug and game the hours away. Stopping in the bathroom, my gaze kept going to the drippy faucet. Mara’s shower hadn’t yet drained in the tub.
In the kitchen, I couldn’t escape the steady drip from that sink, either. Might as well unplug her fridge for all the food it contained. Leaving to get something for breakfast was the first order of business.
I pulled aside the drapes to check the weather outside. One end of her picture window was missing a screen and I didn’t have to look out the window to guess the temperature because the cold air drafted through the frame.
Locating my phone, I called Flynn. My buddy owned an industrial construction company and was just who I needed.
“Grab your tools and something to eat and get over here. I’ll text you the address.”
My groggy friend mumbled a curse and I heard a female’s voice reply.
We hung up and I texted Flynn directions to Mara’s.
Flynn’s reply: U owe me. Morning wood doesn’t take care of itself.
I dressed and had time to play a few rounds of Super Mario before Flynn knocked on the door.
“What a freaking dive, dude.”
Defensive instinct rose. “It’s not that bad.”
Flynn snorted and came inside. He carried a bag of food in one hand and an old, dusty bag of tools in the other.
“How long has it been since you’ve gotten your hands dirty?” I asked.
“Fuck you. I still do some work. Usually on the weekends so I don’t have to put up with anyone.” Flynn set his bag
