Chapter 8
CHAPTER EIGHT
STEVIE
The Phoenix sun beats down on my back as I bend over, pulling weeds from the small garden planter that is my enemy today.
It is gardening day with Aunt Cass. I love these days, when it is just us and the garden. Nature doing it’s thing of soothing the soul as she always tells me.
Music plays from the speaker on the back porch, adding to the relaxed feel of the day.
I worked a double at the hotel the last two days, as someone called in sick, so I offered to cover their shift.
Plus, the extra money will help. So, I never had time to think of what happened at my ex-best friend’s house.
It has been three days since I had my fight with Valarie and got humiliated in front of Logan and his club.
Swiping the sweat from my brow, I look over to my aunt, watching her smell a flower she has pulled from its pot. The garden is lavish, and large. She bought extra land at the back of the property for her business.
I remember the day I came here, it was full of heartache and sorrow, but Aunt Cass held me, and told me that she would support me in any way she could. That grief was not timed, or structured.
We all handle grief differently and that is okay.
“You doing okay over there?” my aunt calls to me.
I give her a thumbs up, making her smile brighten. She has been there when I have needed to vent about Logan or Val. Being at work, they slip my mind but when I come home, my anxiety seeps in, and all I can do is focus on them, and what went down.
“I think it is time for a cold drink, don’t you?”
“I could do with a cold drink. It is freaking hot today.”
Pushing to my feet, I brush off the soil from my bare knees, following her inside and I sigh when the cool air hits my heated, damp skin. Removing my gloves, I wash my hands, and collect glasses from the cupboard.
“I heard back from Mrs. Brady. She gave me the information I need for the Summer Festival this weekend. We can finally plan, my girl.”
“Whoop. It will be amazing. I bet you sell out of everything.”
“Now, that would be a nice dream,” she replies with a sweet smile.
“You will, I bet. People love the soaps and lotions that you make.”
“You are my niece, so you have a biased opinion.” I shrug and laugh.
“Maybe, but I do not lie, I know that people love them. I have seen the online orders that you get, Aunty.”
“Maybe. I need to start making my supply for the day. Maybe I will try that new scent I was looking at online.”
“Which one?”
“The mango and coconut. It sounds like it could smell amazing.”
An idea pops into my head and I look at her and I know she knows that I have an idea. Her eyes narrow on me with suspicion.
“What are you thinking?”
“You know women love a bad boy, love dark romance books.” She nods, sipping her drink. “Maybe do something along those lines. Maybe, um, something earthy, or woodsy, mixed with motor oil.”
Logan’s smiling face slips into my mind. I try to shake him off but he is still there smiling at me with that handsome mouth, that I wish would do wicked things to me.
Damn it, Stevie, we talked about this.
“I am correct in thinking this may have something to do with an old crush?” I shrug one shoulder, making her laugh.
“No. I do not know what he smells like.” The lie slips from my tongue with ease but she sees through me.
Humming behind her glass, she drinks more. I do the same, my throat suddenly dry thinking about how Logan smells, or how he would smell after a hot round of steamy sex.
Shit.
“Oh, but you want to.” She wiggles her eyebrows.
Giggling I shake my head, pointing at her. “You are seeing things that are not there, Aunty. He is back with Val and I can only wish him well, because he is going to need all the luck he can get, being with her again.”
“You need to cut ties with her. She is nothing but negativity, my girl.”
“I know.” I nod. “After this.” I point to my face. “I am done. I do not need that kind of person in my life.”
“Good. I am glad that you made that decision. You are now free to be you, flower, no more worrying about a person from your past who does not warrant the worry.”
“Yup.”
We sit in silence for a short time, both drinking our cold drinks. My body and energy feel lighter than they have in a while. All I have ever wanted is to live my life how I want, to be free to explore something if I so chose to and I know that Aunt Cass has my back.
“You know that your parents and I were not on the same wavelength.” I nod. “They did not like that I lived my life freely, unlike them, who worked ten hours a day and never had time for you.”
“They always told me that I was more like you than mom.”
“That is why they kept you away from me. Believed that I was going to be a bad influence on you.”
“Yeah. I remember the arguments over my future. Dad wanted me to go to a private school, but Mom said that I should stay public as they would help me get street smarts as she called it, and it would impress colleges, if I was not an uptight twit.”
That makes her giggle.
“Twit. Good Lord, only your mother would use such words.”
“You know she liked people to think she was educated.”
“Oh, yes. Miss Harvard, who got the perfect man to marry, therefore furthering her name.”
“I am glad that I got sent to you when they passed. You gave me love and support, but also freedom. I am not sure that being in foster care would have done that.”
“Our system is flawed,” she adds.
Her smile is warm and loving and I am grateful for everything that she has done for me.
“Right, come on, my girl. Let’s go back outside and finish what we started. Then I think we will order takeout, and indulge in some food that we know is bad for us, but we won’t care and enjoy with some wine.”
“Now that, my dear Aunty, sounds like a plan.”
We go back outside and I groan as the heat hits me as soon as I step through the door. Aunt Cass laughs, while she secures the large sun hat on her head.
Now, why did I not think of that?
We work for the rest of the day, stopping for some lunch.
We make plans for the Summer Festivals, what stock she will take, and how we will decorate her stall.
As it will be freaking hot, we will have to rent a tent so we are not in the sun, add some fans and a generator to keep the soaps and some other items from melting.
When we finish for the day, we both part ways and have a nice cooling shower to freshen up before we order some food for our girls’ night in.
Aunt Cass makes a mean margarita and I think it will be perfect to go with some pizza and hot wings.
Drying off, I slip into a pair of cotton shorts and an old T-shirt that hangs off one shoulder, and forgo a bra, as I know my aunt will as well.
I do not bother with drying my hair, I clip half up, leaving half down then make my way downstairs. Music is already playing when I hit the bottom step, making me smile, because I see that my aunt had the same idea as me and went with margaritas instead of wine.
“Pizza is ordered. Cale has been informed that I am busy tonight, so he will not interrupt our girls’ night.”
“Did you guys have plans?” I ask, guilt niggling in my stomach.
“Oh, no. He said that he might pop in after work, but now he will meet the boys at the bar and play some poker.”
“Oh, okay. As long as I am not stopping a date night or something.”
“My girl, Cale knows that you come first and you know that he is okay with that. We both see you as a daughter.”
“And I love and appreciate you both, for everything that you have done. But I have a question for you.”
She sips from her glass, then licks her lips.
“Go on.”
“Why are you not living together?” She smiles like she was expecting my question.
“We have spoken about it.” I squeal, rushing to her. “Plans have been talked about as we both own our own homes, but we wanted to wait until we spoke to you.”
“What do you mean?”
“Come sit.”
I pick up my glass, she collects the jug, and we go into the living area. We both sit on the sofa, and our glasses and jug are put down on the coffee table that I upcycled.
She makes me wait, while she gets comfortable and I sigh, causing her to give me a cheeky wide smile, knowing she is keeping me hanging on.
“So, Cale and I have been speaking about the house situation for a few months now. We love each other and want to live together, but Cale didn’t want to make you uncomfortable with a man suddenly living in the house.”
“He would never make me feel uncomfortable. He is like a father to me.”
“He knows that, but it is a big change, so he came up with a solution. I think it is a great idea, but with you being my niece, I think you will fight us on some conditions.”
“Oh, no.” I pretend to be worried. “I trust you both to know that whatever conditions you put in place will benefit me.”
“Good, my girl, keep that in mind.”
“I need a drink for this, don’t I?” She nods.
I stretch for our glasses and hand hers to her, then sip from mine.
“If Cale moves in here, he wants you to move into his condo.”
My mouth drops open in shock. No way would this man hand over a condo like his to me. I have seen it: it is lavish, on the tenth floor, and has a full wall of windows that has bi-folding doors and a balcony.
“Why? He could sell, and get mega bucks for it. Hell, even rent it out.”
Shaking her head, she replies. “No, he wants to keep it, have something to his name, ya know. He also owns one other property that he rents out. With you living there, he can add it to his estate profile.”
My heart is beating so fast in my chest at the thought of living alone and being away from my aunt, but both her and Cale deserve this; they deserve to live together without me interrupting their time.
“What are the conditions?”
Taking my glass from me, she places the two back on the table. Before looking at me, she takes my hands in hers, holding firm, keeping me on the sofa.
Oh, I am not going to like what she is about to say, yet I know neither of them will do anything to hurt me.
“You do not pay rent, but you pay utilities and any extras that you want to make the place your home. Like TV subscriptions and so on. You can also decorate it as you want, Cale wants you to see the condo as yours.”
I go to pull my hands away, the need to pace back and forth zipping through me, but my aunt holds firmly.
“No, do not freak out. He does not need the money, he just wants us to be happy. My girl, you make decent money at the hotel, and you help me around the house with bills and groceries. So it will be like it is now, but you will have a three-bedroom, two bath, and a balcony condo all to yourself. Can you imagine the sexy time that you could have without worrying about me cramping your style?” She winks.
“I do not know what to say.”
Words are stolen from me as I sit, letting what she just told me sink in.
I could have a place of my own. One good thing is that it is closer to my work.
My friends come here all the time, so that would not be a difference, as my friends love Aunt Cass. But… I never bring men home, and when I do actually hook up it is always at their place, not that there have been many.
Sucking in a deep breath, I square my shoulders and look at my aunt, who is beaming at me because she knows that I am going to take Cale up on his offer.
“Okay.
“Yay. I knew you would do it. This is huge but we both need this for the next part of our journey.” She kisses my cheek and runs to the door when the doorbell rings, letting us know that our food is here.
I take a minute alone to catch my breath and catch up with my thoughts of moving out and into a place of my own.
“Aww, my man is the best. He added ice cream for us.”
Smiling, I take the pizza boxes from her.
“I knew he was a good egg.”
And he is. Cale seems to be one of a kind and I am happy that my aunt gets to keep him.