I helped Breigh clean up, but not before she let me know she saw my eyes and who they were focused on.
She didn't say any other comment except she wasn’t blind. No crap.
My phone rang in my purse, which I had thrown on the side of the couch I had buried myself in, kicking my feet up in front of me.
I laughed when I saw it was Breigh. “Miss me already?”
“I just wanted to thank you again for the help today. It really meant a lot to Wyatt, me, and Olivia. You are so important in our lives.”
“Right back at y’all. I had a great time. Other than Cash and then you trying to set me up today!” She laughed, not feeling the least bit guilty. “Not going to lie though, I am exhausted!”
“I’m sorry for not giving you a heads-up on Cash. He has been going through a lot and Wyatt thinks…and about Caleb.”
“Let’s not ruin the night with talking about him. I had a great time, and being around him actually wasn’t too bad. A heads-up would have been nice though. And Caleb he was nice enough.”
“I hate to have to warn my best friend if someone is going be here. He is Wyatt’s brother and you are like a sister to me. As far as Caleb, I don't think you even noticed him with Cash present in the room.”
“I’m a big girl. That is completely not true about Caleb, I noticed him….”
She laughed. She had one of those laughs that made you join in even if you didn’t want to.
“Okay, so a little,” I agreed.
“I remember how badly Cash…”
“Not today, sweets. All is good.”
“All right. I’m going to go check on Wyatt and Olivia, he is bathing her and she gives him some trouble sometimes with the bubbles. I love you, girl.”
“Love you. Kiss her for me.”
“Of course.”
She hung up and I sat still holding my phone in a daze. The pain of not being married and having a family of my own still lingered, and on days like this it made the pain a little stronger in my chest.
My bathtub was calling my name and it was exactly what I needed: some wine, a good soaking in a lavender bath bomb, and an empty mind. I would have to settle for a good two out of three.
Forty-five minutes, and a couple chapters down in my book, I was feeling relaxed. I was a sucker for romantic suspense but had little time to really enjoy a good story with a happy ending of course.
Was there any other kind?
The wine had begun to take a hold of my nerves and I was feeling less and less. Instead of taking a glass with me, I decided to drink out of the bottle, the remnants of the cab I had reserved, and said to hell with it. Classy, huh?
My mind wandered to the guy Wyatt brought to the party and then I laughed a little. He was cute, but pretty far off from what I wanted. I could tell he was a good guy, just like Wyatt, and although I always said I wanted a guy like Wyatt, I didn’t.
I liked the chase, the flirting, the passion, the rage. Yes, I did. Cash had definitely given me all of that. Hell, that man could piss me off to no end. He made me feel every emotion, and then left me confused not knowing if he would follow through with anything usually he didn’t. The calls unreturned, the lack of commitment, and the constant lies that disappointed me.
But, then my mind went to Cash and the way he looked sipping on the straw Olivia had placed for him and the smile he had playing with her. I had seen him sweet with her several times and it made me wonder if he would be that way with his own children one day.
I pondered if he could ever be the man I envisioned, the man he could be. Or was it the man I wanted him to be? Maybe he would never meet my expectations.
I closed my eyes, and let that sink it for a bit, as I remembered his touch on my skin and the way I had fallen for him without giving my heart permission to.
I could feel my heartbeat pounding in my chest and spotted ripples in the water from the movement. I slowed down my breathing, which had become erratic without me knowing it.
The pounding got louder and then I realized it was no longer my heart.
It was someone at my door.
CASH
I was well aware the moment I sat in my Land Rover in her driveway, I was in the wrong place. I knew Emma wasn't going to like it and I suspected she wouldn’t open her door, much less listen to me. I couldn't say I blamed her, but Lord I sure hoped she would at least give me a few minutes.
I had hoped I would have more time with her at Olivia’s party, and then Wyatt bringing a friend only pissed me off more. My brother wasn’t stupid, he was well aware of the feelings I had for her.
I wanted to pull him aside and tell him how I felt, but I feared I’d punch him, not to mention Olivia was too important to me to ruin her day.
After sitting in her driveway for over half an hour, I got up the nerve to go up to her door. It was painted blue, making a statement of her house and making it unique, just like Emma. She was every definition of the word. It was newly built, and none
