Chapter 26
Twenty-Six
Blaise
NOW
Jack puts his hands on my shoulders. “Are you okay?”
“Never better.”
“She had no right to come here and say any of that to you.”
“She’s a mother trying to protect her son. I don’t blame her. Of course she doesn’t want to believe it’s possible he did this.”
“You need to tell Houston she was here and what she said.”
“I will.” I turn to him and put my hand on his cheek. “I’m okay.”
“Have I mentioned that I admire your determination?”
“Don’t admire me. If I’d spoken up at the time, there wouldn’t be three little kids facing the rest of their childhoods without their father.”
“Stop beating yourself up. The past is gone. All you can do is your best today, and that’s what you’re doing.”
“Thanks for the reminder.” I give him a kiss and head to my cabin.
“Hey, while you’re over there?”
Turning back, I raise a brow.
“Pack up the rest of your stuff and bring it over here.”
“Are you asking me to move in with you?”
He shrugs and flashes an adorable grin. “I guess maybe I am.”
“I’ll think about it.”
“You do that.”
My phone rings, and I grimace when I see Wendall’s name on the screen. “Duty calls,” I tell Jack as I take the call. “Hey, Wendall. I’m just getting to work.”
“We need to talk, Blaise. I, uh, hate to say this, but… I’m afraid I’m going to have to let you go.”
“I understand.” I do fast math in my head, and quickly put two plus two together to realize I’ll have to sublet my apartment in New York quickly.
“You do?”
“Yes, you need someone there, and I can’t be there right now.”
“You were supposed to tell me you’d come right back so you won’t lose your job!”
As I grasp that the firing was a ruse to force me back to work, I try hard not to laugh.
He’s such a dope. “I appreciate that you want me there, but I can’t come back.
Not now.” Not when I’m falling in love with the most extraordinary man and dealing with a past that’s haunted me.
“I can help you find someone to take my place.”
“I don’t want someone else. I want you.” He sounds like a petulant toddler who isn’t getting what he wants, which is on-brand for him.
“I’m sorry, Wendall. I think I might be done with New York.
” I let my gaze travel across the yard to where Jack is playing ball with Fenway.
This place has started to feel like home to me over the last few weeks.
In fact, I’m more at home here than I’ve been anywhere since the dreadful summer that changed everything.
“You don’t mean that. You’re New York through and through.”
“Not so much anymore. I think it’s time for you to get someone else. I’ll do everything I can to ensure a smooth transition.”
“I didn’t mean it when I said I was letting you go! That was supposed to bring you back not drive you away.”
This is why working for him has driven me crazy! “You should talk to Kim. She’s been looking for something more permanent. And if she needs an apartment, she can take over my place.”
“I don’t want Kim! I want you!”
“I’m sorry, Wendall. If you can convince Kim to come to work for you, treat her well so she won’t hate you. Do you hear me?”
“You’re really not coming back?”
“I’m really not.”
“What’ll I do without you?”
“You’ll be fine.”
“I’m not sure I will be.”
“You will. Kim’s great, and she knows the theater inside and out. She’ll be a true asset to your career.”
“So that’s it? We’re done? Just like that?”
“It’s not just like that. I’ve already been gone a month, and you’re doing fine.”
“No, I’m not.”
“You are. I’ve been checking on you, and everyone says you’re doing great.”
“They don’t know how it really is.”
“Do you want me to call Kim for you?”
“I guess I have no choice.”
“And you’ll be nice to her?”
“I’ll be nice to her.”
“Excellent.”
“You were, you know. Excellent, that is. I didn’t say it enough, but it’s true.”
“Thank you, Wendall. That means a lot to me.”
“What’ll you do now?”
“I don’t know yet, but I’ll figure it out.”
“I hope whatever it is makes you happy.”
“I’m sure it will. I’ll call Kim and make her day.”
“And you’ll train her?”
“I said I would. It’ll all be fine. Thank you again for the opportunity.”
“Keep in touch, okay?”
“I will. You too.”
“Oh, you’ll be hearing from me.”
“I’ll look forward to that.”
After we say our goodbyes, I let out a giddy laugh.
I just quit my job! What the hell was I thinking?
Did I do that because of Jack? No. I did it because of me.
Because I’m happier in this place than I’ve ever been, and I want more.
Do I know for certain he’s it for me forever?
Nope, but I’d sure like to find out if he might be.
With that in mind, I pack up my stuff, strip the sheets off the bed, gather the towels, put on my backpack and troop across the yard carrying the bundle of laundry in one arm while pulling my suitcase with the other hand.
Fenway runs ahead of me. I wish she could get the door.
I bump the suitcase up the three stairs and stumble into the back door, nearly dropping the laundry on the way in.
“Well, well, well. Look at what the cat dragged in.” Jack puts down his coffee mug and takes the laundry from me, dumping it on the floor in front of the washing machine.
“Actually, it was the dog who dragged me in. She convinced me to move across the yard.”
Smiling, he kisses me as he removes my backpack from my shoulders. “Remind me to thank her later.”
“I have news.”
“I’m listening.”
“I quit my job in New York.”
The smile that stretches across his face makes his lovely golden eyes dance with happiness. “Is that so?”
“That is so.”
“What now?”
I shrug. “How do you feel about hosting a homeless, out-of-work freeloader for a little while?”
“I feel very good about that. In fact, if you’re looking to earn your keep around here, I could use some help getting my shit organized on the third floor.”
“I could help with that.”
“Does that mean you’re sticking around indefinitely?”
“I believe I will, if you’ll have me.”
“Oh, I’ll have you,” he says, waggling his brows.
“I need to return the rental car that’s putting me into debt.”
“We can go do that this afternoon. You can use my mom’s car in the garage. I’m sorry I didn’t think of that sooner.”
“You’re making this far too easy for me.”
“Am I?” he asks with the little grin that gets to me every time.
“You know you are. You’re sure you’re okay with it?”
“I haven’t been this okay in a very long time.”
Smiling, I kiss him. “Me either.”
I still need to tell Houston about Mary Elliott coming to see me, so I give him a call.
“Hey,” he says. “What’s up?”
“Mary Elliott was waiting for me at Jack’s this morning.”
“She was waiting for you? What’d she want?”
“To talk me out of testifying.”
“Are you kidding me?”
“Nope.”
“That’s witness tampering. I’ll pass it on to the AG.”
“I don’t want her to get in trouble.”
“He’ll give her a warning. She’s got no business bothering you or asking that of you.”
“I told her I wouldn’t change my mind about testifying.”
“That’s good. She needs to accept this isn’t going away, no matter what she tries to pull. I’ll give the AG a call and have them talk to her. I’m sorry that happened. It was wildly inappropriate for her to come there, and we’ll make sure she understands that.”
“Thank you.”
“No problem. Keep in mind if she came there, then word’s out about where you’re staying. You and Jack need to keep your wits about you, all right?”
“Will do.”
“What’d he say?” Jack asks when I put down the phone.
“He’ll have the AG’s office reach out to let her know it’s inappropriate for her to be confronting me and it could lead to witness tampering charges.”
“Good. I hope that scares the hell out of her.”
“He also said to keep our wits about us now that word’s out about where I’m staying.”
“Since you wouldn’t let me hire security, I ordered cameras to put around the property. I don’t like that she was able to sneak up on us this morning. Even Fenway didn’t hear the car.”
“Probably because we were making so much noise.” As I say the words, I feel my face get warm.
“Ah, I love that.” He smiles as he caresses my cheek. “So sexy.”
“You have work to do, mister.”
“I really do, and I hate that I do.”
“Show me what I can do to help. I want to make myself useful.”
He stirs something on the stove. “I will. After I feed you.”
I go to see what he’s making. Eggs with veggies and potatoes mixed together. “That looks yummy.”
He tosses some spinach into the mix and puts bread in the toaster. “I can’t let my new assistant work on an empty stomach.”
“I’m not your new assistant. I’m helping you out temporarily.”
“We’ll see,” he says with a smile.
“Yes, we will.”
Ryder
NOW
I’m at my parents’ house because I don’t have anywhere else to go. I wouldn’t dare go to Cam’s right now with things so tense between us. Arlo sent a brief text to tell me Caroline and the kids are staying in town after her close circle of friends rallied around them. That’s a relief to me.
Arlo’s wife, Jenn, is one of Caroline’s best friends, which is probably one of many reasons she told him to stay away from me. Of course she’ll take Caroline’s side against me. Everyone will, even though most of them were my friends long before they ever met her.
I haven’t heard a word from Dallas, which is concerning. Having my friends drop off the radar makes me lonelier than I already am without Caro and the kids.
My mother comes in with groceries that I help her put away.
I remember where everything goes here and ache when I recall Caroline being amused by that once upon a time.
Mom’s phone rings, and she glances at the screen. “Who’d be calling me from Providence?”
“No idea.”
She takes the call. “Yes, this is she.” As she listens to what the other person is saying, her entire body goes tense, her expression conveying anger and maybe fear.
What now?
“I didn’t do that. I just wanted to talk to her.” After another period of silence, she says, “I understand.” She puts down the phone without saying goodbye to the caller.