17. Jules
Jules
K iss me.
Cal delivers his vow, and that’s immediately where my brain trots off to. I remind myself that he meant anything related to Charlie and the store, and I’m being overly horny. But the heat in his eyes makes me think that maybe he does want me to ask him to kiss me.
I don’t have time or energy for a romantic anything right now. But I could go for a solid hookup. Get this sexual frustration out of our systems, just a one and done so we can both move forward.
I blame his excellent-fitting jeans for my randy thoughts.
His gaze drops to my lips again, and my tongue immediately slips out to wet them. His gaze grows darker.
Maybe he can read my mind.
Or maybe the fact that I’m a case of raging hormones sitting next to him is as clear to him as it is to me.
I’m not supposed to be this turned on by him. He cannot be the one my hibernating libido chooses to perk to. One, he’s my neighbor. Two, he’s gotta be ten years younger than me. Three, he’s got a kid, for all practical purposes.
That’s still not stopping me from watching his ass as he climbs out of the truck. It’s not stopping me from admiring the curve of his shoulder as he passes around the hood. It’s not stopping me from devouring him as he opens my door and offers me a hand.
And when our palms touch, none of the reasons why I shouldn’t want him matter as the sizzle of awareness skitters up my arm.
All day long, we’ve worked side by side.
Him building, and me helping when he needed an extra pair of hands.
And all day, I have been keenly aware of how well his soft T-shirt clings to his torso.
I know exactly what he looks like under that shirt, and I’ve been struck with the urge to run my hand over the ripples of those abs.
I am a ridiculous horndog.
He’s just spouted some really kind words about me, and I’m sitting here objectifying him.
But he’s also letting his gaze trail downward, over my face, down to my chest, lower. The baggy overalls I’m wearing, my favorite work clothes, are gaping, and he looks like he appreciates how tight my shirt fits.
He takes a step forward, leaning in ever so slightly.
The front door opens, and two screaming heathens run out, wearing capes and raising toy swords as they wail a warrior’s cry.
It’s enough of a cockblock that Cal steps away and lets go of my hand.
Inside the house, Nancy has the little kids in a large portable play yard, and cartoons blare in the background. My brother Mark and his fiancée, Morgan, are making an appearance, gracing us with their presence. Steve and Mark are in a heated debate, while his fiancée hovers timidly by his side.
Cal looks interested in whatever it is they are arguing about, so I nod their way. “You go hang with the guys, and I’ll help Nancy get dinner finished.”
He looks toward my brother for a split second. “I’ll come help you guys.”
It was just a flash, but I saw it. Longing.
My insides go squishy because that tiny flash just hit me square in the heart. “Nah, you go out with the guys. We’ve got this. Plus, the kitchen is tiny, so it’ll be too crowded with more than two of us in there.”
“I heard that,” Steve yells, before welcoming Cal with a handshake.
“If Steve would ever get off his ass and get my kitchen remodel done, it wouldn’t be an issue,” Nancy pipes from the kitchen.
“Thanks a fucking lot, Jules,” Steve whisper shouts, shooting a glare in my direction.
From the kiddie kennel, a little toddler voice chimes, “Ass.”
Horror crosses Mark’s face. Nancy gasps, and Steve’s eyes light in amusement. Then another little voice pipes in with “Fuck.” And they close in exhaustion.
An unholy female shriek rings from the front door, followed by a deep male chuckle. My parents have arrived.
Steve groans and mouths a curse as my mother calls, “Steven, language.”
I turn to Cal. “Welcome to the chaos of my family. This is your chance to run.”
Cal grins back. “I think I’m gonna enjoy this.”
Nancy wasn’t wrong in griping about Steve not finishing the kitchen remodel. The plan was to knock out a wall between their tiny kitchen and the unused formal dining room and make it one big space. Something we will definitely need as soon as my mother walks in.
She’s a tiny, little petite thing who somehow manages to suck all the air from the room and simultaneously command everyone in earshot. She’s chiding Steve like a teenager instead of the grown-ass man he is, and I’m sure Dad is standing by with a twinkle in his eye, letting her do her thing.
Bringing Cal tonight was a mistake, but it’s too late now to make a run for it.
Hopefully, her sights will stay tuned to Steve and his unfinished project.
But that’s wishful thinking. As soon as she gets a whiff of Cal and Charlie, she’s going to have an all new obsession.
I can only imagine how this dinner might unfold.
Hopefully, it’ll be enough of a distraction that we can steer clear of the Ways Jules Has Failed conversations that have happened at every family dinner for the last year.
“Well hello, angel. Aren’t you precious?” Mom coos.
“Looks like Barb found Charlie,” Nancy mutters. “Hope Morgan is ready for the granddaughter conversation.”
“Might as well get this over with.” I grab Cal by the arm and round the corner.
“Hi, Mom and Dad,” I say, crossing the room to swoop Charlie up. “This is Charlotte. We call her Charlie. And this is my neighbor, Cal.”
His eyes shutter for a split second before he pastes his winning smile on and offers his hand to my parents.
“Cal is a firefighter, and I’ve been helping him out by babysitting Charlie on the nights he has to work.”
Dad escapes out the back door as Mom holds her hands out to Charlie. The glee on my mother’s face as Charlie dives headfirst toward her sets off warning bells in my head. Looks like Morgan won’t have to be the object of her obsession after all. I will be.
Great.
Mom immediately sits on the floor with Charlie next to the overflowing toy box.
“Now’s our chance to escape,” I mutter to Cal.
He’s got this stupidly attractive soft look on his face as he watches Charlie play with my mom. I spin him by the shoulders and push him toward the door and the male members of my family gathering on the back deck. “It’s an unspoken rule in my family that the menfolk operate the grill. Go help.”
Nancy and I, with minimal help from Morgan, who still looks scared to death, get the sides sorted while the men grill the meats. Mom entertains the grandkids, and Nancy pauses to check on her. “That woman is a lot. But she loves those grandbabies.”
“I think it’s awesome.” Cal enters the kitchen, carrying a platter of chicken.
The rarely used dining table is set for the adults, and the kids are placed at the smaller kitchen table. Mom places Charlie in a high chair next to her, and everyone dishes their plates.
“So, Jules. How’s your little project going,” Dad asks. I hate it when he calls it a little project. Like it’s a side thing, like it doesn’t matter or isn’t a real career. “Ready to give up and go back to the corporate world yet?”
I scoff. “No way. We had some delays, but Cal’s been helping me get it finished and ready for opening.”
Dad’s attention turns to Cal. “You’re helping her?”
The underlying tone in the words only fuels the anger burbling in my veins.
I can’t tell if Cal picks up on the silent judgment in Dad’s words, but I do.
None of my brothers would’ve needed help.
As Cal explains all the work he’s done and all that’s left to do, Dad’s expression morphs into approval.
Mom’s got goo-goo eyes for Charlie, and she’s doting on her like she’s already part of the family. If Mom had it her way, Cal and I would be getting married right away so she could have a built-in grandchild.
I shovel a bite of grilled chicken in my mouth to avoid saying something rude to this family of mine who seems to support men way more than women.
Mark slings an arm around Cal and pulls him awkwardly toward him. They’re laughing and joking, and the bite of chicken in my mouth goes bone dry and grows three times in size.
I see it clear as day.
They’ve accepted Cal into this mix without question and are now peppering him with questions about my shop. Like he’s not just the handyman finishing it out but is instead the new upcoming owner.
I push to stand while they continue droning on and on. Even though Steve’s been supportive, I can’t sit here while the rest of my family totally discounts my goals and ambitions, instead placing that shroud on a virtual stranger merely because he’s a dude who apparently clicks with my brothers.
The twins begin a squealing match in another part of the house. Mark, Cal, and my dad are telling jokes or something because they keep laughing loudly. Morgan hangs on Mark’s every word, smiling like a lovesick fool. And Nancy tosses back the last of her wine.
I begin the massive task of cleanup, determined to stay out of sight and out of mind .
Eventually, Charlie grows impatient with my mother’s doting and demands to join in the little-kid fray. A headache blooms, and I wish Nancy hadn’t slammed the last of the wine.
“It’s so lovely to meet your friend, Jules,” Mom says, carrying in a stack of empty plates. “That little girl is precious.”
I offer what I hope is a smile. “Yeah. She’s a great kid.”
“And he’s quite handsome,” she continues. “I guess you being out on your own wasn’t such a bad move after all if it afforded you to meet those two.”
Like me being an independent woman at thirty-eight was secondary to meeting a man.
“Yeah, they’re nice.”
“You said he’s your neighbor? That makes me so relieved to know you have him next door. And I’m so tickled you brought them to dinner.”
I, however, am starting to regret the choice. It’s like my family doesn’t even see me. I could’ve been largely absent this evening, and Cal and Charlie could’ve just as easily come without me for all the credit my family has given me.