Chapter 14

14

ROAN

I was in the middle of making Rafe's favorite mac and cheese when my phone rang. Wiping my hands on a dish towel, I picked it up and glanced at the screen. My heart skipped a beat when I saw Alaina's name.

"Hello?" I answered, trying to sound casual. Inside, my heart was pounding against my chest. I felt fifteen again, getting the call from my crush.

"Roan, it's Alaina," she said, her tone sharp and not at all friendly. "We need to talk."

My stomach sank. "Is everything okay? Did something happen with Rafe?"

"No, Rafe's great. I just need to talk to you."

"Now?"

"Yes, now," she snapped.

"Do you want to meet somewhere to talk?" I asked, trying to keep my voice steady.

"Yes, that would be best," she replied curtly.

"How about the café downtown? The one on Maple Street?"

"Fine. I'll see you there in thirty minutes."

As soon as we hung up, I called the nanny. It wasn't a big surprise when she didn't answer. She was only part-time, and I had a feeling she wasn't happy with the inconsistent hours. She was looking for a full-time gig with big money. I paid well, but it wasn't enough. I called my driver, David. He loved Rafe and didn't live too far away. He liked hanging out with my son.

Fortunately, he answered. "David, it's Roan. I have a big favor to ask of you. Obviously, I'll make sure you're paid well."

"Where do I need to bury the body?" he asked.

I laughed. "Okay, not that big of a favor. Can you hang out with Rafe at the house for about an hour? I have to run out."

"Of course," he said. "I'll be right there."

I went upstairs to find Rafe. "Hey, I need to run downtown really quick. David is going to come over and hang out. Come downstairs and I'll get your dinner on the table."

"Okay."

I gave Rafe a quick hug when David got there. "Be good."

I turned to David. "I shouldn't be gone longer than an hour. Help yourself to whatever you want in the fridge. Thank you for this. I really appreciate it."

"No problem," he said. "You know I like hanging out with the kid. He's hilarious."

I hurried out, trying to figure out why Alaina might be mad at me. I knew there was something. By the time I reached the café, I was a bundle of nerves. I spotted Alaina immediately, sitting at a corner table, looking more upset than I'd ever seen her.

"Hi," I said, sliding into the seat across from her.

She looked up, her eyes flashing with irritation. "Roan, what the hell happened with Cate?"

I blinked, taken aback by her directness. "What do you mean? I don't know who that is."

She took a deep breath, clearly trying to keep her temper in check. "Cate was working on a marketing project for your company, and it got pulled at the last minute. She's been in a terrible mood ever since."

"Wait, Cate Callaway is your sister?" I asked, the pieces finally clicking into place. "I had no idea."

"Yes, she's my sister," Alaina said, her voice softening just a bit. "And she was really excited about this project. It meant a lot to her. When she found out who you were, she warned me about you."

"Warned you?"

"Yes." She nodded. "She told me you were a hardass."

"I don't think I ever met Cate," I said. "But I recognize the name."

"She's been working on your project for weeks," she hissed. "She gets up with the sun and works late into the night. It is really not cool that you let her put in all that work and pulled it away."

I rubbed the back of my neck, feeling a mixture of guilt and frustration. "I'm sorry, Alaina. I really am. Cate has been butting heads with my marketing executives for weeks now. They said she was being… well, bossy and cold."

She rolled her eyes. "You mean she was serious and didn't roll over when someone looked cross-eyed at her. Would you say that about a man? Would you call him bossy?"

"I didn't say she was bossy," I corrected. "That's what they told me."

"And you just take their word for it?" She scoffed.

"I didn't even know about the details of the meeting. As CEO, I don't get involved in every single project. I didn't know what the project was. I knew Cate Callaway was the marketing executive, but I never met her. Never sat in on one of the meetings. Nothing. I was told there was an issue. I trust my team. They found her difficult and were not making any real progress on the project. They decided to end the relationship. I didn't ask questions. I cannot possibly be involved in every single project that goes on at my company. I would never leave the office. I'm only one man."

Alaina sighed, some of the anger draining from her face. "That's just who Cate is. She's passionate and driven, and yes, sometimes she can be a bit much. But she's incredibly talented, and this really upset her. She put in so much work on that project."

I nodded, feeling like an idiot. "I understand. I apologize for how it went down. I'll talk to my team and see if we can smooth things over."

"If it's because her work isn't up to par, that's one thing, but if it's because she's a perfectionist and demands things be done in a way that guarantees success, I can't see how anyone wouldn't want that. Firing her was a big mistake. You just shot yourself in the foot. You could have had the best marketing campaign in Chicago, but you fired the best."

I couldn't help but smile. "I admire how protective you are of your sister. It's kind of nice."

She looked at me, her expression softening even more. "Thanks, Roan. I appreciate that. Cate is really important to me. She's always looked out for me. I don't appreciate anyone not treating her right. She deserves better."

I could see the fierce loyalty in Alaina's eyes. It made me respect her even more. "I understand, Alaina. I'll do everything I can to make it right with Cate. She's clearly a talented professional, and I don't want to lose out on that. If you say she's the best, I believe you."

Alaina nodded, a small hint of a smile playing on her lips. "I know you're a good person, Roan. Just make sure your team knows how valuable Cate is. She may be tough, but she gets results. I'm not just saying she's the best in Chicago. It's a proven fact. I can't count the number of awards she has. Like, so many. She's got pictures with the mayor and other city officials. She's a big deal. Your people need to pull their heads out of their asses."

I had to laugh at her ferocity. I had never seen her so vicious. My quirky little teacher had a fire within her that was incredibly attractive. "I will make it right, Alaina. I promise you that."

She nodded, the tension easing from her shoulders. "Good, because if you don't, I'll have to show up at your office and give them a piece of my mind."

I raised an eyebrow, a playful smile tugging at my lips. "I wouldn't want to mess with you."

"You better believe it," she said with a grin. "Now, how about you buy me a coffee and we can talk about how you're going to fix this mess?"

"Coffee sounds perfect," I replied, feeling grateful for the chance to make things right with Alaina and her formidable sister. "Thank you for bringing this to my attention. Sometimes things slip through the cracks, but I'll make sure this gets resolved."

"Thank you," she said.

Suddenly, she covered her face with her hands. "I cannot believe I just did that."

"Did what?" I asked.

"I shouldn't have done this. I'm sorry. Please don't think I was disrespecting you. Cate is going to kill me. Please, don't tell her."

I laughed. "Why would she kill you?"

"Because she doesn't appreciate anyone thinking she needs help." Alaina sighed. "Especially coming from her little sister."

I chuckled, shaking my head fondly at Alaina. "Don't worry, your secret is safe with me. I won't mention a thing to Cate."

Alaina let out a sigh of relief, her shoulders relaxing. "Thank you, Roan. You're a good guy, despite what Cate might think."

"I don't know about that." I smirked. "But I don't want to get on your bad side."

"I swear, I don't do that," she groaned. "I just, honestly, don't know what came over me."

"You were taking care of your sister." I shrugged. "Trust me, I get it. I would do the same for Rafe. When it comes to messing with your loved ones, you have to fight back."

"Usually, Cate does the fighting for both of us," she said.

The waitress delivered our coffees. She dumped a bunch of sugar in hers and slowly stirred.

"How is Rafe?" she asked.

"Fine. Good. I had my driver sit with him while I came down here."

"Your driver?"

"He's kind of a part of the family." I laughed. "He was our first friend here. Rafe likes him and he really likes Rafe. I have a nanny, but she doesn't get a lot of hours. David usually brings Rafe straight to my office after school."

"He sounds like a great guy," Alaina commented. "It's nice to have someone you can rely on like that."

I nodded, taking a sip of my coffee. "He really is. Rafe adores him, and I trust him completely. It's hard finding people you can count on these days."

Alaina smiled warmly, her eyes reflecting genuine interest. "You seem to have a good support system in place for your son."

"I try my best," I replied, grateful for the conversation shifting away from the earlier tension. "Rafe is the most important person in my life, and I want to make sure he's taken care of."

"That's admirable," she said softly. "Being a parent is tough, but it sounds like you're doing a great job."

Alaina had a way of easing my worries with just a few simple sentences. "Thank you, Alaina."

We sipped our coffees and talked about the recent warm spell. It was easy conversation. I would have loved to stay and talk all night, but I had to go.

"I need to get back to Rafe," I said reluctantly. "But would you like to get dinner with me sometime? As friends," I added quickly, the word tasting like acid in my mouth.

Alaina hesitated but then nodded. "I'd like that."

We walked out of the diner together. "Can I drive you home?" I offered.

"No thank you. It's a nice night. I'd like to walk."

As I watched her walk away, I couldn't shake the conflicted emotions. I wanted more than just friendship with Alaina, but I didn't want to push too hard and scare her away. This was going to be complicated. Now that I got the chance to see just how fiery she could be, I didn't want to be on the other end of that anger. Not again.

Back at home, I found Rafe engrossed in his Lego project.

"Thanks, David," I said. "I really appreciate you getting over here so quickly."

"Is everything okay?" he asked.

"Oh yeah, fine."

"Alright, see you guys tomorrow," he said and walked out the door.

I sat down next to Rafe, trying to push aside my swirling thoughts.

"Everything okay, Dad?" Rafe asked, not looking up from his Legos.

"Yeah, all good."

He finally looked up with a smile. "Can we have ice cream for dessert?"

I chuckled, grateful for the distraction. "Sure, why not? Let's have some ice cream."

As we scooped out bowls of vanilla and chocolate, my mind kept drifting back to Alaina. Tonight, seeing her all fired up had made me want her even more.