25. Caden
Caden
“Hey, man, what’s up?” Matt’s voice booms through the phone speaker.
“Just about to leave the marina,” I reply, the muscles in my shoulder burning as I toss the cooler into the trunk of my Jeep. “Spent the whole day fixing the ripped sail and cleaning Shelly-Ray up.”
Shelly-Ray is my thirty-foot catamaran sailboat I bought a few years back. I don’t sail as much as I’d like, but I do try to keep the boat in good condition regardless.
There’s the high-pitch whirl of a blender in the background—probably Matt’s third protein shake of the day. “Maybe one day you’ll actually let yourself enjoy all that freedom and money . . . take the boat out in the middle of the week or something.”
I bark out a laugh at his suggestion.
“Yeah, yeah,” I say, clicking my seat belt on. “One day. I know Fridays are busy for you, but any chance you can train tomorrow morning? Like around eight?”
“Yeah, actually that works for me,” Matt responds.
After exchanging a few more words, we hang up.
As I pull out of the marina, the sparkling water reflects off the windows of the cars passing by and I think about what he said.
Maybe I will take the boat out next week. It wouldn’t kill me to relax, to enjoy the things I’ve worked hard for.
Thirty minutes later, I’m pulling into the driveway, my stomach growling as if on cue for dinner. Purple and pink sky shows off above the pitch of the garage roof, and I smirk at the sight of Fia’s car.
I haven’t seen her all day, considering I left early and didn’t go into the shop.
Maybe that’s for the best.
Avoid temptation and all.
I attempt to stay busy in the house as the evening spills on—but instead, I find myself ordering unnecessary items for the boat and crashing on the sofa by eight.
The house is quiet, almost depressingly so, but a knock sounds at the door, and I pop up, too eager for an interruption
Like I’ve been waiting for it all day.
What I don’t expect to find is Fia standing at my sliding door in pink cotton shorts and a thin T-shirt, a pajama-clad Daisy clinging to her side.
“Hey—” I stop talking as soon as I see the bags under Fia’s eyes and her brows pulled tight.
“I’m so sorry to bother you.” She’s bouncing Daisy on her hip, whose green eyes are glossy with unshed tears. “I ordered a grocery delivery, but they couldn’t find the house and ended up turning around. I know you probably are busy, but maybe if you order it, they will listen—”
Her voice wavers with each rushed word.
“Come inside for a sec.” I open the door, trying to remain calm though my heart is twisting in the cage of my ribs. Fia steps in with haste, running a hand frantically through her tousled hair. Daisy, whose cheeks are pinker than usual, whines.
“What did you order? Maybe I have it,” I ask, dipping my head down to meet her gaze.
Fia bites the corner of her bottom lip. “Uhm, children’s acetaminophen. I had enough to get through the night, but I accidentally knocked it off the counter, and now I’m out, and Daisy has an ear infection.”
Her voice is shaking, and her chest is rising and falling faster and faster.
She’s blinking, not looking at me.
Screw boundaries, Fia needs me. And for once she came to me, walls down, asking. So on instinct, I reach out, placing a steady hand on her arm.
“Just breathe. It’s going to be okay.”
She inhales, eyes snapping up to mine.
Daisy whimpers, pulling on a reddened ear.
“Text me exactly what you need,” I instruct, grabbing my keys. “I’ll be back as quickly as I can.”
“Caden.” Her voice is thick with tears, and for the first time since she walked in here, she’s really looking at me. “Thank you.” Fia sways, soothing Daisy, who is beginning to cry, nuzzling into her mom’s shoulder.
“Don’t mention it.” I flash a small smile. “I’ll be right back.”
Three weeks ago, if I had been bothered like that just as I’m sitting down after an exhausting day in the sun, I would’ve been annoyed.
But as I walk briskly through the aisles of the convenience store, children’s medication in hand, all I can think about is getting home and making sure Fia and Daisy are okay. Both of them.
As I’m waiting in line, I notice a cooler full of ice cream nearby. Before I can overthink it, I reach in and grab three pints in different flavors.
Fia swings open the guesthouse front door as I’m walking up to it, and when I hold out the plastic bag, she grabs it and then flings her arms around me. I freeze, my heart stuttering as her arms hang heavily on my shoulders.
“You’ve saved the freaking day,” Fia mumbles, face smooshed into my chest. Quickly I wrap my arms around her too, and once I do, I don’t want to let her go. Her ribs fit perfectly against mine, the top of her head sits right under my chin, like she was made to be there.
This embrace crosses a deep line in the sand, but if I’m being honest with myself, every day I’m having more trouble seeing those lines.
Fia’s hug lasts for nearly a minute before she pulls back, though no part of me wants to release her.
“Please come in. I have cash for you.” Fia waves me in, and I bite my tongue.
I’ll let her pay me back for the six-dollar medication tonight. But I’ll stick it into the tip jar at Good Grinds when no one is looking later.
“Let me grab Daisy,” Fia murmurs hoarsely, but she still manages a small grin. “Just hold tight.”
I stand, waiting in the kitchen. The guesthouse is messy with baby toys and blankets, an overflowing laundry hamper in the little nook by the bedrooms. To my left, the cat’s perched on the back of the sofa, staring at me like he’s the king of the castle and I’m a mere peasant.
Naively, I’d hoped he’d forgotten about the whole throwing-a-towel-over-him incident, but judging by the smug look on his tiny brown face, he remembers vividly.
“I think your cat hates me,” I remark, trying to ease the tension as Fia walks back into the kitchen with Daisy. The toddler’s face is splotchy and red, but there are no more tears.
Fia’s eyes snap to mine as she sets Daisy on the counter in front of her, resting her bent legs over the side and leaning forward to lock her there, to keep her from falling. “Oh, he for sure hates you. Hamburger hates all men.”
Noted.
Should’ve got cat treats while I was out too.
“I’m really sorry about the mess in here . . .” Fia starts, drawing purple syrup into a syringe.
“I don’t care,” I reply softly.
Finally she gets her daughter to take the medication. The clock behind her reads 8:45 PM, but it feels like the middle of the night.
“Is she going to be okay?” I glance at Daisy.
“She has a mild ear infection. It should be cleared up in a few days. Daisy is a tough girl.” She kisses her cheek. “By the way, I will probably have to take off tomorrow. I know Fridays are busy, but I checked with Halle and they should be fine without me.”
“I trust you.” I pause and nod towards Daisy. “This is more important.”
It didn’t even cross my mind that she would be away from Good Grinds.
“Oh—are those for me?” Fia changes the subject, eyeing the three tubs of ice cream sweating in the bag on the counter between us.
“Yes.” I lightly shove them closer to her. “I realize now that was stupid, because you’re not the sick one. But ice cream helps everyone.”
I shrug like a clueless idiot.
Fia lets out a tiny laugh, propping Daisy on her hip as she opens the freezer, placing the pints inside. Then she looks at me over her shoulder. “How did you know my favorite flavor was Moose Tracks?”
My brows shoot up. “I literally just grabbed three that I thought you would like.”
“Hmm.” She considers, watching me closely before Daisy starts to squirm. “Well I didn’t eat dinner, so I’ll be killing one of those pints tonight.”
I don’t want to leave, but I know I should. Instead I look towards the corner of the living room.
“The TV working okay for you? You’re the first person to use it.”
Fia hesitates. “It is . . . but I can’t get the sound bar to connect these last few days. I’m sure I’m just doing something wrong.” She rolls her eyes. “But hey, I’m going to get this one to sleep now.”
“Yeah, of course.” I offer a small wave with my fingers. “Feel better, Daisy.”
Fia smiles in response then disappears into the bedroom, nudging the door shut behind her. She obviously needs to decompress, I should leave her be.
I grab the cash off the counter and slip it into my pocket, but then the TV glares at me.
I can probably just fix the sound bar for her real quick—it’s not like I have anywhere else to be tonight.
Then I’ll head out. After all, I need to make sure everything is in working order.
I do own this place—it’s the responsible thing to do.
“It’ll just take a moment . . .” I grumble to myself, kneeling in front of the TV. “Four minutes tops.”
Am I losing my mind?
As I crane my neck to look at the inputs on the back of the flat-screen, I sense two eyes boring into my soul. It takes everything in me not to fucking scream when I see her damn cat on the edge of the sofa, inches from my face.
“If you’re going to kill me, get it over with,” I tell him. “You’d save me from making these reckless decisions.”
No matter how many times I remind myself that I’m her boss and she’s my manager and that starting anything with her would put everything in jeopardy, I somehow keep showing up. Here. In her personal life.
What if we dated and it ended horribly—because all of my relationships have thus far. She’d probably quit, slander my name online, and my business would suffer. My father would have something else to hold over me, though I’m beginning to wonder why the fuck I let that even bother me.
I don’t want to let it bother me.
Meow!
“Jesus!” I nearly jump out of my skin as the cat leaps onto the TV stand in front of my face, inspecting what I’m doing. Hamburger blocks me from reconnecting anything. I’m not going to risk picking him up and moving him, but I’m sure as hell not going to leave the TV like this.