Chapter 15

CHAPTER FIFTEEN

E mmerleigh

"I got it," Warrick grumbled next to me at the stove, trying to take the spatula out of my hand. I used it to whack him on the hand, to which he scowled harder at me.

"I'm making my daughter breakfast." Clearly a night's rest had not made the man any more agreeable than last night when he practically jammed a flag in my back and staked his claim. What part of marriage of convenience did he not understand? I was technically his wife, but he had no right to tell me what to do.

"Wa-wy!" Georgia yelled at full volume, racing into the kitchen and slamming into Warrick's legs. He swung her up in the air and turned toward the dining room with her in his arms, getting her seated there while I followed closely behind with the eggs and toast I'd made for her. Georgia smiled up at the hulking man, transforming his face from a hard scowl to besotted teddy bear in an instant.

The scene hit me hard. It was domestic. Cozy. What I used to think I'd have one day with Cayden, before I found out what a worthless human he turned out to be. I swallowed down the lump in my throat and told Georgia to hurry and eat so we wouldn't be late to school. She did, telling some story in between bites about a dream she'd had, complete with evil roosters and magical slugs. I went back in the kitchen to plate more eggs for Warrick and myself, sliding his plate in front of him at the table. He lifted his head in surprise, but also gave a nod of thanks. He'd made all of us pancakes yesterday. It seemed like reciprocating was the right thing to do.

I kissed my girl goodbye a few minutes later and watched her leave with Warrick in his oversized truck. A fancy state-of-the-art car seat that didn't get stuck on the regular, identical to the new one in my truck, had appeared a few days prior. If he wasn't so damn irritating, I'd admit the man was thoughtful. Kind even. Overbearing and overreaching, definitely, but still kindhearted underneath all those growly, barking orders.

Pip helped me with the screened-in porch, leaving to work on painting the bedrooms when I got to a point that didn't require a partner. Warrick must have been hovering, because he came out not ten minutes later, observing the plywood I was nailing to the frame as if he had something to say about it all. Whenever he opened his mouth, I used my drill, drowning out anything he might say. It was on the eighth time of interrupting him that he finally snatched the damn thing out of my hand with a snarl.

"I just want you to be safe! Is that so bad?"

Apparently, we were continuing this fight. I stood taller, hands on my tool belt, ready to spew everything I'd been ruminating on while I worked. "Yes! I've been running my own construction business since I was eighteen. I don't need you coming in here mansplaining how I should do things." That wasn't quite true, I'd run the business alongside Cayden, but that was just semantics. I'd been building structures since I was even younger than eighteen .

Warrick looked like he was just gearing up to fight me. I had a screened-in porch to build in the next week or I wouldn't earn the bonus he'd offered. I didn't have time to argue.

Looking him dead in the eye, I dealt a harsh blow, one I knew would get him off my back. "Just because you're bored and drifting without a plan for the second half of your life doesn't mean you can stick your nose in my business." I waved a hand in the air, dismissing him. "Take your man-opausal self somewhere else. I have actual work to do."

His features iced over, and while I didn't feel fear, I did feel guilt. Something in those usually warm eyes cracked. Without a word in response, he shoved the drill in the air between us and I took it. He stormed back into the house, the click of his cowboy boots the only sound. I bit my lip, wishing lashing out at him felt better. Usually it did, but that blow? Ugh. It had felt below the belt. Like I was digging my finger in a black-and-blue bruise just for the fun of it. I spun around and got back to work, trying to push our exchange to the far regions of my brain, but not even hours of manual labor could get Warrick's hurt expression out of my mind.

Originally, I told Paisley no to drinks tonight with the girls. Then I'd gone inside to wash my hands before picking up Georgia from preschool and there'd been a note taped to my door. The black slashes of words were unmistakably Warrick's.

Paisley called me. I've got Georgia tonight. And no, that's not me telling you what to do, that's me wanting to spend time with someone who actually appreciates me and makes me happy .

I rubbed my chest, Warrick's words like an actual knife to the heart. The whole time I picked up Georgia, cleaned up my work tools, bathed my daughter, and then got ready for going out with my new friends, Warrick found ways to not be in the same room. Which was tricky, considering I worked and lived in the same house as him.

It was almost a relief to fall into the dark red leather booth in the gin side of the Gin/Tan/Laundry establishment in downtown Blueball. The girls all seemed happy to see me and Paisley had my favorite lemon drop waiting for me. Conversation flowed easily for half an hour, during which time I finished one drink and Paisley ordered me another one.

"You've been holding out on us, woman," Keva said loudly after the server dropped off my drink.

"Yeah. You let us go off about the silver fox in our midst and here you are in the henhouse!" Audrey playfully slapped my arm.

"What the hell does that mean, Aud? I think you got your phrases mixed up." Marlo scowled darkly at Audrey.

"Whatever! The girl married the hottie and didn't tell us!"

I shushed them, not needing the entire restaurant to hear. My ears felt like they were on fire. I didn't particularly like the entire table's attention fixed on me, but now that the cat was out of the bag, I owed them an explanation. "Yes, okay. I did marry Warrick, but it's not what you think."

With a sigh and a few more sips of my lemon drop, I explained my ex, Georgia's birth, the reason I moved to Blueball, the papers served a few weeks ago, and how Warrick had stepped in to help me. When I was done explaining, several of the women had sighed softly.

"That's…well, that's the sweetest thing I've ever heard," Keva said quietly.

I waved my hands in front of my face, surprised when they hit each other clumsily. "No, it's not like that! He did it to help Georgia, but we have zero feelings for each other. Okay, that's not right. We have a mutual hate, I think. "

Keva leaned across the table and took both my hands in hers. "Listen, I know a thing or two about being a single mom. I also know about being so hardheaded you can't see the best thing that has ever happened to you is right in front of you. Don't be a dumbass like me."

"Yeah, Keva was such a dumbass," Marlo drawled, earning a glare from Keva.

The girls all took turns telling the story of Keva and her husband while I sipped a third lemon drop that had appeared in front of me. By the time they finished the story and tried to impress upon me that Warrick was one of the good guys, just like Keva's husband, despite first impressions, I was half slumped over the table and in no condition to process logic.

Paisley, the designated driver for the evening, offered to drive me home first. When I protested not having my truck, Paisley assured me that Gin/Tan/Laundry was used to cars staying in their parking lot overnight. In fact, they promoted it if it meant no drunk drivers on the road. I could just pick it up tomorrow.

I must have snoozed on the ride home because next thing I knew, Paisley was prodding me awake. I blinked a few times and wondered why Warrick's house was moving.

"Are we havin' an earthcake?" I asked, though it sounded weird to my ears. I brought my hand to my lips, but they felt normal, even though I couldn't feel my tongue.

Paisley just laughed and came around the hood of her truck to haul me down. She slid my arm over her shoulder and walked me to the front door. For a designated driver, the girl couldn't walk for shit. We almost trampled Warrick's mom's flower beds.

"Shh!" I said way too loudly as she knocked on the door. "We haf to be quiet. Don't wanna wake up Gogia."

The door swung open and words were exchanged. Suddenly it was Warrick with his arm around my waist and Paisley was nowhere to be seen. He practically picked me up bodily, but I still managed to trip over my own two feet. With a sigh, he bent down and slid a hand behind my knees, hauling me up and against his chest.

"Drank the whole bar, Slaywright?" he asked with that sexy smirk on his face. He walked us through the house, ending in the living room and heading for the couch still pushed off to the side of the room.

The room spun if I swiveled my head too quickly and my tongue was being stupid and nonfunctional, but I was still aware of his broad chest, his insanely strong arms banded around me, and the way his aftershave enveloped me like a warm hug. Before I could talk myself out of it, I laid my head on his shoulder and let myself relax. Other than the bath the day of our wedding, when was the last time I truly relaxed? Even in sleep, I was always on guard, listening for any slight noise from Georgia that might signal I was needed. And yet somehow, with this annoyingly strong man, I'd found a level of relaxation that had alluded me for years.

My belly swooped and my eyes flew open to find Warrick sitting on the couch, with me on his lap, arms still around me. I tried to straighten up, with the intent to scramble off his lap, but those arms tightened.

"Why don't you trust me, Em?" he asked gently, in direct opposition to the steel bands holding me in place. "We're not all like him, you know."

His gaze snared mine and I couldn't look away. Couldn't distract myself from the hurt I saw there. I sighed and laid my head back down on his shoulder. If I was going to be vulnerable about the worst parts of me, I was going to be damn comfortable while I did it.

"My brain knows it, but I can't seem to get my heart to get on board with it." My mouth felt like it had sucked on a cotton ball, but at least my tongue was cooperating now. "I trusted Cayden fully and he let me down in every way. Even people I would have considered lifelong friends took his side and wouldn't have anything to do with me. I wanted to fall apart and grieve but I had a baby to raise, so I hardened my heart and picked myself back up. It was the only way to survive."

Warrick agreed with a low hum that rumbled his chest where I lay against him. His thumb absently stroked across the skin at my knee. We stayed just like that for long moments. So long I think I dozed right there on his lap for a couple minutes. He jostled me awake. A glass of water appeared in front of me and I drank it down greedily. He set the empty glass on the side table.

"Is it really living though if you're still in survival mode five years later?"

Every muscle in my body froze as his words sank in. His tone had been gentle, but the words highlighted what I already knew and tried to ignore. What kind of life was I giving Georgia by being constantly stressed out and on edge?

My eyes stung but I swallowed back the emotion. I would not cry in front of Warrick. I'd sit on his lap and use his shoulder as a pillow but there were some lines I just couldn't cross. Refused to cross.

Warrick shifted and suddenly his lips were warm against my forehead, right by my hairline. He pulled back just a fraction of an inch, his breath fanning against my forehead.

"I don't say that to hurt you. I say it because it hurts me to see a wonderful woman limiting herself because of past traumas. I see you, Emmerleigh, and I see someone stronger than steel with a heart of gold. You don't show anyone your soft side, except for Georgia, and that's a shame for the rest of us."

And then he kissed my forehead again and shifted me off of his lap and onto the couch. I was too stunned to move, too emotional to trust myself to say anything after all of that. Reaching for the side table again, Warrick grabbed something and twisted to hold it out to me. A thin gold band lay in his palm.

"What's this?" My voice was barely a whisper.

"A new ring for you. Not because I want the other one back," he was quick to add. "But because I see it's not practical to wear a huge diamond while working on a house. I'm sorry I didn't recognize that earlier."

I plucked it from his palm and studied it. I thought about what Keva had said about the best thing being right in front of her and her stubbornness kept her from seeing it. I wondered if Warrick was my best thing. Wondered how this man could be so kind, so thoughtful, after I'd purposely hurt him with my words earlier today.

I slid the ring on my bare finger and threw my arms around his neck in a bruising hug. For once I let emotion guide me. The wind was probably knocked out of him, but he hugged me in return, one big hand stroking circles on my back, seeking to comfort when I was the one who should offer comfort—and an apology—to him.

"I do trust you, you know," I whispered in his ear, wishing my brain was more sober and could analyze why being in his arms felt so damn good. "I've never let anyone but my mother babysit Georgia." I pulled back, my hands still on his shoulders, giving him my gaze when I owed him so much more. "She's the one good thing in my life and I'll protect her with everything I have."

He didn't smirk. His eyes stayed solemn. "And yet you trust her with me. So, how about you trust yourself with me too?"