40. See Through It

40

SEE THROUGH IT

“ M orning, Kelly.”

She looked up from her desk the next day to see Cade standing there. “Hi, Cade. How are you?”

“Good,” he said. “Looking better than you and I only get about five hours of sleep at night.”

She forced out a grin. “I didn’t sleep well.”

Her boss came in and shut the door. “Do you want to talk about it?”

“Not really,” she said.

“Too bad,” Cade said. “I want to talk to you about things.”

“Did I mess something up?” she asked. The last thing she needed was to have issues at work.

If she and Michael couldn’t fix their problem she was going to have to figure out a way to talk to him. Or work with him.

Kelly wasn’t leaving her job and she knew damn well he wouldn’t either.

They had to work this out, but she wasn’t sure how.

She didn’t feel as if she had to make the first move either.

Just like the last time they fought. She walked out and gave them both time.

She wasn’t sure how much time she’d need here. More than a day, that was for sure.

“No,” Cade said. “Not with work. I wanted to see how Michael was doing. Alex knows what is going on.”

“Michael told her?” She couldn’t believe that he’d told his cousin about their fight yesterday.

“Yeah,” Cade said. “He keeps her informed of stuff so he can come and go and take care of what needs to be done.”

She frowned. “I’m not sure why he needs time off to deal with this.”

Cade looked confused. “What are you talking about?”

“What are you talking about?” she asked. No way she was volunteering about their fight. Then she’d have to tell him what it was about, maybe.

“About Electra moving and not wanting to be in Ty’s life anymore. Michael is going to have to deal with the lawyers and things.”

“Oh,” she said.

“Is that a problem with you two?” Cade asked. “I didn’t get the feeling that you’d be upset over it, but it looks as if something is going on. You can tell me to mind my own business if you want, but the truth is, my mother is coming over today and I wanted to give you a heads-up. She’s getting nosy.”

“Great,” she said. “Not what I need.”

“So you do have a problem with this?” Cade asked. “I’ll keep my mother away.”

“I don’t have an issue with what is going on with Michael and Ty. I never did. I’ve been one hundred percent supportive of him and his role as a parent. I love Ty and think he’s a great kid. It’s not affecting our relationship in the least.”

“Then something else is going on?” Cade asked. “I’m normally clueless, but I’d like to think I know my staff well. Your sunshine is a bit dim right now.”

“It has nothing to do with Ty’s situation,” she said.

“Got it,” Cade said. “I’ll keep my mother away from you.”

“Good luck with that,” she said. “I can force a smile if she comes in. No worries.”

“She’ll see through it. Why don’t you take the day off?”

She smiled. A genuine one. “Thanks, but it won’t do me any good to go home and sit around either.”

She needed to stay busy so she didn’t try to overthink what the hell happened yesterday.

Two hours later, Jolene walked into her office though.

“How are you doing, Kelly?”

“Good,” she said.

“Or not,” Jolene said. “Cade told me to leave you alone.”

“You listen so well,” she said, joking.

“I never listen,” Jolene said. “Ever. But I’m not going to bust your balls or anything. I just want you to know that I’m a good person to talk to. I’ve got an open mind and can be a third party.”

“Your mind is open?” she asked, laughing.

Jolene grinned. “More than you realize. But I’ll let you go now.”

“Thanks,” she said. She watched Jolene walk out and got back to work.

“You have no idea what is going on?” Jolene asked her son, Cade.

“No,” he said. “Nothing. Why did you go in there?”

“I just wanted to say hi. It’d look funny if I didn’t even do that. You know it. Everyone knows I do what I want.”

“True,” he said. “What did she say?”

“Not much. I told her I’m a good ear and can be a third party. You know nothing at all about what is going on?”

“You’re not going to badger me to death, but the only thing I know is that Electra is moving out of state and pretty much writing Ty off. I don’t know the details and Michael has to get things set legally.”

She waved her hand. “Kelly wouldn’t have an issue with that. No way. She’s been fine with Ty being in Michael’s life all along. If anything, this might be less drama.”

“I think the same thing,” he said. “So I have no idea what is going on. I just went in this morning knowing you were coming to see if things were good.”

“And warn her I’d be here?” she asked, narrowing her eyes.

“Yes. She looked as if she hadn’t had a good night and I decided to keep you away. A lot of good it did.”

“You’re clueless, Cade.” She stood up.

“I’ve been told that enough in my life. Where are you going?”

“To get to the bottom of this the right way,” she said.

“Don’t do it, Mom.”

She ignored her son and marched back into Kelly’s office, shut the door and took a seat.

“Hello again,” Kelly said.

“You don’t have to tell me what is going on with you and Michael.”

“I have no intention of doing that,” Kelly said.

“I don’t want to know,” she said.

Kelly grinned. “Sure, you do.”

“Okay,” she said, shrugging. “I do want to know, but won’t ask or push you to tell me. But I will tell you something.”

“What’s that?”

“Michael is perfect for you. You’re perfect for him. Maybe you don’t see it right now. Or maybe he doesn’t. There are always bumps in the road. They happen. Roads don’t stay smooth and level for long. They get wear and tear on them and have to be repaired.”

“I’m learning that,” she said.

“We know I’ve got a great track record with relationships. That’s why you asked me to help set you up.”

“I got to where I am on my own,” Kelly said.

“You did. I’ll give you that and if you tell anyone I admitted it, I’ll call you a liar and not even feel guilty about it.”

Kelly laughed. One that reached her eyes. “I’m sure you will.”

“I did think of Michael for you. You can’t say I hadn’t dropped his name around you for years.”

“You have,” Kelly said. “But you’ve dropped a lot of names around me.”

“Fishing,” she said. “Dropping bait in the water to see what you might be biting. I have to know if there is interest or not before I move forward. There has always been interest, but I guess I was blind to it.”

“I’m surprised. You’re not normally blind to anything,” Kelly said.

“I’m not,” Jolene said. “I was off my game on this one. And I’ll deny that too if you tell anyone.”

Kelly laughed again. “I won’t say a word.”

“My point is, you two have what it takes. I know it. I see it. I think you even believe it.”

“I do,” Kelly said.

“And maybe you feel you aren’t wrong and he is. I don’t know. I won’t ask.” She paused, hoping Kelly would tell her something, but didn’t get anywhere there. “Sometimes it sucks to be the first person to pour the tar to level out those bumps in the road. But in the end, it only matters that the ride is smooth again.”

“You’re right.”

“I am,” she said, nodding her head. “Don’t you forget it either.”

“I won’t. Thanks, Jolene. I think I needed to hear that.”

“I’m glad I could help. See, it’s not always all that bad talking to me.”

“No,” Kelly said. “It’s not. You can go and brag to your son that you were right.”

“I’m going to do that,” she said and stood up. She walked down the hall, and popped her head into Cade’s office. “It worked.”

“What worked?” he asked. “I thought you left. Did you go bug Kelly again?”

“Get that frown off your face. All I did was give her some advice and my seal of approval on this relationship. With my track record and all, I know it helped her to fight for whatever is between them.”

“You don’t know what that is?” Cade asked.

“No. I didn’t ask and she didn’t volunteer. I took another route.”

“It has to kill you to not know.”

Jolene held up her fingers in a pinch. “Just a little. But knowing what I said will get them back on track made up for it.”

“You’re so full of yourself,” Cade said. “You don’t know any such thing.”

“Of course I do,” she said. “I’m always right.”

She left her son’s office before he could dispute it.