“I just . . .I’d like a real guy. Someone sweet and nice, who treats me well,” Emily says wistfully. “No more bad boys with six-packs.” She says it with commitment but then smirks. “Although if my nice guy were built like Thor, I certainly wouldn’t complain. That’d just be rude.”
“Thor? Or Chris Hemsworth? ‘Cause that I can get with,” I say, smiling.
Right about then, Zach wakes up, and Emily goes back to take care of him. After she leaves, my black mood comes back, and I sigh, reminding myself chin up. I just have to get through today and not track down Caleb at Sportscar Blondie’s house tonight. I don’t want to make a fool out of myself. Again.
With a slight smile at the idea of being the jealous revenge chick on the news, I drain my coffee and curl back up on the couch. I don’t get a chance to get into the TV, as the kids are out soon enough, and at Emily’s suggestion, I start helping out. It’s distracting and again pleasant and fun to play with them, especially the baby, who’s just about the most adorable creature set on this green earth.
It’s a couple of hours later, after lunch, when Oliver comes in with a smile. “How are you doing?”
I try not to hate him on sight, smiling happily, but I can’t help but have it in for all penis-bearing members of the human race right now. So instead of replying, I growl slightly. Emily, who’s reading with two of the kids, laughs.
“You’re not gonna get much more right now,” she says. “What brings you home early?”
“Well, I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but Caleb and I had a talk. He said he’s been calling and texting you but you’re not answering.”
“I’ve just been trying to keep a civil head,” I growl. “What’s he want?”
Oliver’s got a little smirk on his face, like he’s got something going on. “He needs you to come by the house. It’s done and you need to do a walk-through before I get it listed and release the last payment for his work.”
“What? How could he be done?” I ask. I’d rather do anything right now. “I mean, can you do it for me? Please?”
He looks thoughtful for a moment, then shakes his head with finality. “Nope, this one’s all yours. Start to finish, remember? You started it. Now go finish it.”
Fire burns in the pit of my stomach, and I’m not sure if it’s anger or fear, but I have no choice. With another growl, I climb off the couch, not even bothering to change out of my jeans or fix the half-tugged-out ponytail that I’ve been wearing since Leah decided playing tug-of-war with my hair is a ‘game’.
Fuck Caleb. I’m not dressing up for his sorry ass. He sends Oliver to be a messenger to get me to the house. He wants to get paid . . . fine. I’ll just go get this over with. My breath hitches, and I wipe away a stray tear. I’ll be alone tonight and he’ll be out on a date with another woman.
“Oh, Cassie?” Oliver says as I get to the front door.
“Yeah?” I say without turning around.
“Can you take this to him as well?” Oliver asks. I wipe my eyes again and turn, anger burning deep in my heart as I see Oliver, still with that same half-assed grin on his face, holding out an envelope.
I look at him for a moment, lost in anger. This is probably Caleb’s check for the work he’s done. I know I’m wrong and the man deserves to be paid, but it just rubs me the wrong way.
“Do your job, Cassie,” Oliver says, his voice becoming a little stern. “It’s tough, but you can do it.”
I take a deep breath and stare at him for a second. I want to tell him to take his envelope and shove it up his ass. I want to tell him that I quit, that this is the straw that breaks this particular camel’s back. But I don’t. Maybe there’s a lesson in this, something Oliver’s trying to teach me. Whatever it is, I can’t see it right now, so it’s better that I keep my mouth shut and leave. As the screen door slams, Emily calls out.
“Hey!” she calls. “Next time, let’s watch Dancing With The Stars together!”Caleb
My heart’s pounding in my chest and my stomach clenches as I do everything I can to fight my nervousness, moving things a couple of inches just to move them back again. I’m hoping she’ll come, but Oli wasn’t sure if he could talk her into it. He promised not to give anything away. He said it was my right to tell Cassie on my own.
Listening to him this morning, I nearly threw up twice at how much I’d inadvertently hurt her. If I hadn’t had an empty stomach, I probably would have. Apparently, she stayed on their couch last night. That fact, I’ll admit, gave me so much relief Oli actually laughed out loud at the look on my face. He called it ‘puppy dog eyes’ and told me good luck. “Just remember,” he told me as he got in his Lexus to drive to the office, “when she gets here, talk to her inside.”
“Why?” I asked, making him laugh.
“So that when you grovel, you don’t get a bunch of dirt all over yourself,” Oli said, pulling away.
After showering and shaving, I wait with bated breath, hoping she’ll show up. I’m sitting on the newly installed porch swing, pushing myself back and forth with one toe, when I see her car. One glance, and I know this is going to be even harder than I thought it would be.
Cassie pulls in the driveway, and I stand, frozen on the porch. When she steps out of the car, she doesn’t even see me. I see her mouth
