Chapter 13
Thirteen
“Well, what’s the verdict?” Cayla bit her lip, waiting for Mia’s assessment.
Mia took one last look around the open concept space. The little house was tiny. Only about seven-hundred square feet, with a teeny kitchenette and a single bathroom. It reminded her a little of the first studio apartment she’d shared with Brax. “End of the day, it’s not great. It’s not terrible. I can confirm it’s not gonna fall down around your ears, the roof’s sound, and there’s no risk of mold. The toilet runs, but that’s an easy fix. The hard water stains in the sink may be permanent.” She crossed her arms. “It’s definitely not gonna be winning any beauty pageants.”
“Mr. Thompson said I can paint and do some landscaping around the outside if I want. I figure with some smart flea market shopping, I could make it cute.”
Mia thought of the tidy little bungalow Cayla shared with her daughter. It was sweet and homey, with flowers that bloomed in the spring and a cheerful blue front door. The precise opposite of her own house. “That’s definitely more your area of expertise than mine. I still look like I moved in last month.”
“I can help with that, you know.”
It was, Mia supposed, the kind of offer you got from girlfriends. She’d never really had one of those, given that she worked predominantly with men. Her struggles with Luca lately had really highlighted the lack of other women in her life. There was Maggie, of course, but Mia wasn’t sure if they’d have become friends at all without Porter in the mix. Cayla had made more than one overture that she hadn’t picked up beyond being neighborly. Maybe it was time she took her up on some of those offers.
“That’d be nice.” Seeing her face brighten with enthusiasm, Mia started for the door, lest she launch into decorating suggestions on the spot. “Anyway, I don’t see any major red flags that mean you should run. If this place suits your needs, I say go for it.”
“Well, the price is certainly right. And I can still take client meetings at their homes while I get it sorted out. I’ll talk to Mr. Thompson about a lease later this week. I really appreciate you looking the place over.”
“I’m sorry it took me so long to get to it. I know you’ve been wanting to make a decision. Life’s been a little crazy lately.”
Cayla tugged the door to the little house shut and locked it. “Does that have something to do with the hottie I saw coming out of your house Monday morning?”
Mia laughed. “I’m amazed you took this long to ask about him. Your restraint is impressive.”
“You can credit the wedding disaster I’m trying to avert for your reprieve from inquisition. The cake has fallen through, and the wedding is next weekend. I haven’t been able to find a replacement yet, which I do not want to tell my client, for obvious reasons.”
“Yeesh. Yeah, I can see how that would be problematic.”
Cayla waved that away. “I’ll get it sorted. Somehow. Even if it means I have to bake one myself. So, the hottie. Was that the friend you were telling me about? Luca? The one who just moved here?”
“No. Definitely not Luca. He’s renting his own place.” And thank God for that, under the circumstances. Bracing herself for the barrage of questions that would inevitably follow, Mia admitted, “That was my husband, Brax.”
Cayla’s eyes all but bugged out of her head. “Holy shitake mushrooms, girl! Husband? You’re married? What? You’ve been holding out on me! Did you elope?”
“No. I mean, not recently. We got married when I was eighteen.”
“And you’ve been hiding him where?”
“He’s a Marine.”
“Oh, so he’s been deployed all this time? Why didn’t you say so?”
She’d had time to give some thought to an abbreviated version she could share when everyone inevitably asked. “That’s complicated. The long and the short of it is that we’ve been estranged for a long time. But he’s retired now, and we’re giving things another try.” Seeing she wanted to ask about a million more questions, Mia headed her off. “He’s one of Jonah’s business partners, so you’ll get the chance to meet him tonight. You’re still coming to the party?”
The guys had moved into their new rental house earlier this week. They’d opted for a cookout and bonfire as a housewarming party and had invited a bunch of Jonah’s local friends so they could meet Brax and Holt and welcome them to town. Several members of her crew would also be in attendance, owing to the ass-busting they’d pulled off to not only catch up on the renovation timeline, but get a little bit ahead.
“Yeah. Mama’s keeping Maddie for me tonight. So, Brax is one of the bakers?”
“Yep.”
Cayla’s look turned considering. “Okay, this is way out there, and I know they aren’t even open yet, but… what are the chances that he might be willing to pinch hit and take on a last-minute commission for a wedding cake? Or does he even do that kind of baking?”
“I don’t know. But if he doesn’t, Jonah or Holt might. You can always ask. The worst they can do is say no, and then you’re no worse off than you were before.”
“Fair point.”
Considering this was one of Cayla’s rare nights out, Mia decided to make an overture of her own. “Are you going to have to go pick up Maddie when you’re through?”
“No. Mama’s keeping her overnight. I’ve got a baby shower I’m running tomorrow, and it’s easier than having to roust her out of bed and get her over there first thing.”
“You want to drive over to the party together? I’ve still got to shower off the day, but I could pick you up. You could unwind a little with a drink or two. It sounds like the way your week’s going, you could use it.”
“Really? It’s not an imposition? What about Brax? I don’t want to step on y’all’s toes.”
“He’s not living with me right now. And if he decides to come over later, he’ll want his own truck, anyway. It’s no trouble.”
“If you really don’t mind, that would make you my hero twice over. I basically never get a night off from being the responsible grown up.” She blushed. “Not that I plan to tie one on or anything.”
“No, I get it. Being a single mom is hard. Even with your mom’s help. Let’s get on out of here and go get cleaned up. Doll yourself up, if you feel like it, and we’ll get you out for a little adult entertainment.” Mia paused, playing the words back in her brain. “That came out wrong.”
Cayla laughed. “I haven’t had any of that kind of entertainment since I left Maddie’s daddy. Not looking for any either, after how that turned out. But every now and then, I really miss non-battery assisted orgasms.”
“I completely understand.”
Looping an arm through Mia’s, Cayla said, “Since you’ve got your man back, you’ll have to make up enough of the real thing for both of us.”
“Is that your way of asking for details?”
“If the shoe fits, sugar. It’s what friends do.”
Well, this was gonna be interesting.
From his post in the kitchen prepping burgers for the grill, Brax decided it was a good thing the house had come furnished. They’d only moved in three days ago, and though they’d all sent for the rest of their things, none of them had that much, considering they’d been actively deployed for the bulk of their military careers. Even in the year and change since they’d separated, they hadn’t accumulated much stuff. If Porter hadn’t been willing to cut them a deal with a longer-term lease on one of his vacation rentals, their party guests would’ve been stuck with bringing their own seats. As it was, there still wasn’t enough seating. Not that anybody seemed to mind.
People milled about in clusters, noshing on the array of chips, dips, and appetizers that filled up the kitchen table, pot-luck style. The sheriff and his wife, Kennedy, were chatting with Porter and Maggie, who was apparently Kennedy’s sister. Holt was huddled up, shooting the shit with the trio of other Rangers who lived in town—his friend Harrison, Ty Brooks, and Sebastian Donnelly, the guy who ran the equine therapy program.
Brax wondered how different things would’ve turned out if he’d gone to something like that instead of Dr. Graham’s program.
The Rangers’ wives and a bunch of other women at the party—friends of Jonah’s from high school—were all cooing over Harrison’s new baby boy, who rode in one of those sling things on his mother’s chest. Cute kid, as far as that kind of thing went. Not that anybody could see much but the top of his head, which was covered in a soft blond fuzz.
Various members of the Mountainview Construction crew had trickled in now that they’d had time to go home and clean up from the workday. Luca was, so far, conspicuously absent, which was fine with Brax. He’d dialed down his hostility this week after talking with Mia, but Brax wasn’t convinced things were all fine and dandy now. The guy had an agenda, and he was just waiting for Brax to fuck up. He’d be waiting a long, damned time.
Mia herself still hadn’t made an appearance. Brax knew she was helping her neighbor, Cayla, with something right after work, and she’d still need to shower. He missed her already. Which made him feel stupid, since he’d seen her literally every day. But she’d had to take point on another job today, and he was feeling a little restless surrounded by this many people. Most of them weren’t his people. Didn’t matter how many years had passed, being thrust into situations where he was the new guy had him reverting to observer, automatically assessing where he fit in the pecking order.
Hauling the tray outside, he loaded burgers on the preheated grill and went back in to set a timer.
“You got landed with KP for this shindig?”
Brax turned and grinned as he spotted Griff coming into the kitchen, his new bride by his side. “Them’s the breaks. How you doing, man? I didn’t expect to see you here tonight.”
They exchanged back-slapping hugs.
“We’re good. Had a little time to swing through town for a visit, before setting out for some travel.”
Brax turned his attention to Sam. “I understand congratulations are in order. Taking the leap on into parenthood.”
Her smile radiated delight. “Thanks.”
Griff grinned. “We’re due end of July.”
Marriage and impending parenthood looked good on them both. “That’s awesome, man. Really. I’m happy for you two.”
For just a moment, he wondered if this would be him and Mia, eventually. They’d married so young that they hadn’t discussed kids. Even getting a dog had been too big an expense when they were trying to keep a roof over their own heads and food in their bellies. But now… Now, they were a long way from happily wedded bliss, so the topic still wasn’t on the table. They needed to shore up the foundations of their marriage before considering bringing a tiny human into the dynamic. But he thought maybe he’d dig that. Eventually. And that was getting way ahead of things.
“We’re thrilled. Although I might be just as excited about the babymoon,” Sam admitted. “I’m on sabbatical for the semester so we can get in some travel. We were actually supposed to leave a couple of weeks ago, but we ended up buying a new house and had to move everything and get settled.”
“Well, I, for one, am glad that means you’re here tonight. It’s great to see you both. Can I get either of you something to drink?”
“Eh, I’ll get us some Cokes in a minute.” Griff slid his arm around his wife. “How are you liking Eden’s Ridge?”
“It’s a nice town. Hard to imagine you cutting up here as a kid.”
“Oh, I managed.”
“How’s my brother as a roommate?”
Jonah strode up and slapped Brax on the back. “I barely count. Not even sure why he’s paying rent here since he’s warming Mia’s bed every night.”
Brax fixed him with a flat stare. “Whatever, dude. And can you maybe do something radical and behave yourself while she’s over tonight?”
Griff had gone brows up. “Mia? Like your ex-wife, Mia?”
Brax shifted on his feet, wishing their situation was less complicated. “Yeah. Turns out she’s less of an ex than I thought.” He offered a brief explanation of the botched divorce. “Anyway, we finally talked and are giving things another try.”
Griff offered an approving nod. “Nice to see you got your head out of your ass.”
Brax was laughing as he spotted Mia stride in. “Speak of the devil.” Then he did a double take. She wore jeans that hugged her curves and a form-fitting V-neck sweater in siren red. She’d painted her lips to match. It wasn’t like he’d never seen her dress up before, but in the past and on the job site, she certainly didn’t draw attention to herself. This was… wowsa.
Jonah squeezed his shoulder. “Roll your tongue back in, pal.”
“She’s my wife. I’ll drool if I want to.”
He was so focused on Mia, it took him a bit to notice the blonde trailing her through the room. The neighbor he’d seen the other morning. She was waving at various people as she went. A local, then.
As soon as Mia got near enough, Brax snagged her hand and tugged her close.
“Sorry, I’m late.”
“Worth the wait. You look amazing.”
Color warmed those golden cheeks.
Cayla nodded in satisfaction. “Told you.”
Brax squeezed Mia’s hip. “I want to introduce you to some folks. This is Griff Powell and his wife, Sam Ferguson. Guys, this is Mia.”
Mia sobered. “Master Sergeant Griff Powell?”
“Yeah.”
She let go of Brax to wrap Griff in a tight hug. “Thank you.”
After a moment’s shocked hesitation, Griff squeezed her back, understanding dawning as he looked over at Brax. “You’re welcome. He’d have done the same for me.”
“Anytime, brother.”
The three of them fell into conversation with Cayla, who’d clearly also gone to high school with them.
Brax pulled Mia in for a less-than-quick hello kiss.
“Missed you today. Did you get everything sorted at that other job?”
She linked her hands at the small of his back. “I did. Unfortunately, now that we’re getting further along in your project, I’m turning more over to my subs and will have to do considerably more juggling, so I won’t be seeing you on-site every day.”
“Well, you wouldn’t be there every day once we get the bakery open anyway, so I guess it’ll be practice. As long as I get to see you after work, I think I’ll survive.”
“Oh, speaking of the bakery.” Mia turned back to address the group. “Maybe one of you can help Cayla with a problem. The cake for a wedding she’s coordinating for next weekend has fallen through, and she’s having trouble finding anyone who can take the job. Any of you interested in a last-minute commission?”
Cayla twisted her hands. “I know it’s a lot to ask, but it would really mean a lot to me and my business if I can keep this client happy. And I figure we’re going to end up doing a lot of work together after you get the bakery open, since I’m the event planner in town, so you can absolutely count on referrals from me. What do you say?”
Brax was about to open his mouth to agree when Holt stepped up behind Cayla.
“I can do it.”
It made sense. Of the three of them, Holt was the cake guy. The detail work he pulled off in fondant and icing was beyond compare. But Brax was still surprised he was leaping in like this for someone he didn’t know.
Cayla turned and focused in on Holt, her eyes lingering on his broad chest and shoulders for a few beats too long before making it up to his face. Brax would almost swear he could hear her thinking, Oh my.
She swallowed. “Um, that would be amazing.”
“Cayla, meet Holt Steele. Holt, my friend and neighbor, Cayla Black.”
Something flickered in Holt’s eyes. “The one with the daughter currently obsessed with Moana ?”
Cayla blinked. “Yes. Maddie’s five. Although this week, we’ve moved on to Encanto. ”
“We don’t talk about Bruno,” Holt said seriously.
After a stunned moment, Cayla burst out laughing. “I see you know your Disney movies.”
The corners of his mouth twitched up ever so slightly. “Blame my kid sister.” He jerked his head toward the kitchen. “You wanna come tell me what you’re needing while I go flip the burgers?”
“Sure. I can do that.”
They all waited until the two had made it out of earshot before speaking again.
“She married?” Jonah asked.
“Divorced,” Sam corrected.
“I don’t think she’s looking for anything,” Mia put in.
“Neither is Holt. But we’ve all got eyes,” Brax added.
“Anybody want to bet?” Jonah asked.
A chorus of “In!” was his answer.