Chapter 13

Meatball settled down after peeing on Rix. I'd felt terrible in the moment, but once he was gone, I couldn't deny I'd given Meatball extra kisses. For his valiant work, I'd taken him to the park and let him roll around in the dirt a bit. While he played, I checked my messages. I had received calls back from three different contractors. All the feelers I'd put out over the past few days had paid off.

Two of them couldn't start work until the fall but the third had been available for a same day appointment. I called him back and he agreed to come by at 4 p.m. that afternoon to give me an estimate.

"Things are finally happening, Meatball. We are going to whip this place into shape and then you'll get to meet Billie. Would you like that? She's going to love you."

He danced around in circles at the sound of my voice. But when I stood and tugged on his leash, he dug in his heels.

"Come on. We have a lunch date with Tana."

At the word "lunch" he gave a single, joyful bark.

"Yeah, I know the way to your heart."

This time when I held out my arms, he launched himself forward almost knocking me off my feet.

Of course, that was the very moment my phone started to ring. Luckily, I still had my Bluetooth headphones in from when I was talking to the contractor. I tapped my right ear while I tried to keep a good hold on Meatball. He had short legs and we'd been walking for a while already. I could tell he was tired.

"Hello?"

"There you are!" Retta's face appeared on the screen. "This is the third time I've called. I'm feeling a little neglected."

I winced. "I'm so sorry. Things have been crazy here."

"I got your message about falling through some hole? What is that about?"

I couldn't help but laugh. Hearing it coming from Retta made it sound even more absurd. "You were right. I should have waited for the contractor. I tried to fix some of the loose boards on the porch and ended up falling through. I guess the boards were weak in that section."

"Oh, geez. Are you okay?"

"Fine. My scratched-up thigh might not agree, but yeah. The neighbor came by and then called for help."

Retta's snicker was unmistakable. "She called the police to come drag you out? I know you must have loved that."

I coughed. "Worse. Not the police. She called Hendrix."

Retta paused. "Interesting."

"Why is that interesting?"

"Nothing." Her faux innocent tone only made it sound even worse.

"Retta. Spit it out."

She finally cracked. "Just that it's funny how whenever you need something, Hendrix seems to show up. Sounds like a good man to have around."

I bit my lip, not believing what I was about to say. "I agreed to let him move in."

"Uh-huh." Two simple words but they dripped with innuendo.

"It's no big deal. I told Tana that it just makes sense because he can fix some of the immediate issues while I'm waiting to find a contractor."

"Did she believe that crap?"

I decided to ignore that. "Anyway, I'm already regretting it. He's disgusting, he's eating all my food, and he doesn't even close the door when he's in the bathroom."

There was a noticeable delay before Retta asked, "What are you not telling me?"

"Nothing," I insisted. "Just that I may have, potentially, accidentally seen him … kind of … naked."

I heard Retta choke on whatever she was drinking. "That's moving pretty fast for you. You didn't even kiss Aaron until after he'd passed a background check and provided three references."

"I didn't see him naked on purpose! He's just a Neanderthal who leaves the door open while he's showering."

As I turned the corner, Tana's shop came into view. I'd promised to stop by again and take another look at her books. Just then Tana walked out onto the sidewalk. When she spotted me coming, she raised her arm overhead. I waved back.

"Okay, I'm about to see Tana so that thing that we just talked about never happened. Got it?"

Retta's husky chuckle was not reassuring.

"Loretta Thompson," I hissed in warning. "Promise me."

"Okay, okay. No need to pull out the government name," she grumbled. "Besides, what is there to tell, right?"

"Right! It's no big deal. And Tana doesn't want to hear about how annoying her older brother is."

"Uh huh. Or about how big his dick is."

"Retta! Would you?—"

She howled. "Girl, you can fool yourself, but you can't fool me. Because if it wasn't big, you would have said that first."

It felt like my face was on fire. Luckily my skin tone was deep enough to disguise it and if my cheeks were suspiciously rosy, hopefully Tana would just think I'd piled on the blush that morning.

"We are not talking about that. Okay, Tana's walking up. Behave," I warned her.

"I'll behave. You're no fun. But Charlie, just for research purposes I think you should accidentally see him naked again. Because I need details. Lots of details. Not just size but shape. Girth. Maybe you can do a taste test?—"

I hung up just as Tana walked up. "Hey!"

She scratched Meatball on the top of his head. "Hey. It's such a nice day that I figured I'd walk down and meet you."

"It's beautiful. We just got back from the park so hopefully this little guy will sleep while we get some work done." I followed her back down the sidewalk.

"Who was that you were talking to?"

"What?"

She gestured to my earbuds. "It looked like you were arguing with someone."

"Oh. I was just … um … talking to the contractor. He's coming this afternoon."

Tana grinned. "That's good news, right?"

"It's great news. At least until I see how much he's going to charge."

She nodded. "I hear that. Another day another dollar, as they say."

Something about the way she said it made me think she wasn't just commiserating.

"Is everything okay with you?"

She perked up at that. "Everything's fine. It's just our lease is up at the shop. We have to negotiate a new one with the landlord. Hopefully the rent won't go up too much."

"I hope not. I know how hard you've worked to get this place open. It would stink to have to move so soon."

"Exactly. Which is why I need your help to look at our expenses. I'm trying to save as much money as I can."

"Well, I can definitely help with that part."

She hooked her arm through mine. "I really am glad you're back. This is just the way I always imagined things would be when we grew up. Getting to see each other every day. Remember when we decided we were going to start our own ice cream shop together?"

I laughed at the memory. "That seemed like the perfect job at the time. Oh, for life to be so simple that free ice cream is all you can dream of."

The shop wasn't as busy as the last time I came by but there were still a few customers inside. I waved at Piper as we walked back to Tana's office.

"Sorry it's so messy in here." Tana pushed a few boxes to the side. Her laptop was pushed to the side of the desk and there were pens and paperclips strewn across the surface. She hurriedly started stuffing them back into the holder.

My spidey senses started tingling. I looked around curiously and then over to Tana. Looking at her directly, I noticed a few things I hadn't before. Her hair was in her usual high bun but this was…sloppy. Tana didn't do sloppy. Even her messy buns were artfully done. Her T-shirt was wrinkled and looked like it had been crumpled up into a ball before she put it on.

There was no other way to say it. She looked like she'd just had sex.

"Um, am I interrupting anything?"

She spun around. "What? Why would you think that?"

"Nothing. I just…could come back if you need time to sneak your secret boyfriend out of the supply closet."

She fumbled the pens again. My mouth fell open. I had been just joking around but her reaction told the true story.

"I was just joking around. There actually is a guy? Anyone I know?"

"No one. There's no one. It's nothing."

I switched Meatball to the other arm when he started wriggling. "Uh huh. Did Mr. Nothing give you that epic case of bed head?"

With a huge sigh, she flopped down in her desk chair. She looked so defeated that I immediately regretted teasing her.

"You don't have to talk about it."

Tana glanced over. "I'm just not ready to talk about it yet. Talking about it makes it real. And also I'm probably stupid for trusting him again so…"

"I am the last person to cast judgement. Believe me."

She pulled a spare chair over so I could sit next to her. "Okay let's get going so you can get out of here before your appointment. Here are last year's expenses. I'll order our lunch while you take a look."

After she hit a button, columns of numbers populated the screen. She winced. "Ugh, sorry. Next time I invite you out it'll be for fun stuff. Not sandwiches and torture by numbers."

I handed her Meatball so I could type freely. "Are you kidding? This is the fun stuff!"

* * *

By the time we finished I had just enough time to get back to the house to meet the contractor. The numbers for the shop actually looked pretty good which made me wonder why Tana seemed so worried. She was trying to hide it, but I knew her too well for that to fool me. Something was going on with her. I could only hope that trimming expenses in the few areas I'd identified would help alleviate that bit of panic I'd glimpsed on her face a few times while we were working.

Meatball had been more than happy entertaining everyone in the salon so Tana volunteered to keep him so I could concentrate on the appointment. That was a relief. I didn't know how he'd react to a strange man being near me.

As sweet as he was to all the ladies in the salon, I couldn't forget how he'd taken an immediate dislike to Hendrix that day in front of the diner. The last thing I needed was for him to take a bite out of whoever showed up to give the estimate.

When I finally got home, the contractor was just getting out of his truck. He looked slightly familiar.

"Hi. Sorry I'm late."

He turned at the sound of my voice and tipped his worn baseball cap in my direction. "It's no problem. I just got here. I'm not sure if you remember me. I was a few years ahead of you in school."

As soon as he smiled, I recognized him. "Dusty Evans. Of course I remember you! You used to cut the grass every week when I was here in the summer."

His cheeks flushed. "I did. Got out of the lawn cutting business as you can see. I work for a contractor in Fairfax now."

"Thanks for coming on such short notice. Let me show you what I need fixed."

For the next hour, I pointed out all the things I wanted done while Dusty made note of a few other things that needed work as well. No one could accuse him of not being thorough because he'd inspected every inch of the place, even going up into the attic to check things out. Now he was scribbling on his clipboard with a tense expression on his face.

"So, do you think we can get everything done in three months? I'm hoping my mom and sister can move in here before school starts in September."

He took his hat off. "Let's sit down. Then we can go over everything."

I perched on a barstool next to him and followed as he pointed to each line on his estimate to explain what it was. With every word, my stomach sank lower and lower. I could only hope that I responded appropriately to what Dusty was saying because all I was hearing was money, money, money.

Namely, money that I didn't have.

I thanked him for his time and then spent the obligatory ten minutes chatting about how my mom was doing and accepted condolences about my grandma. He was halfway through some story about when Gran Grace caught him stealing a rose from one of her bushes as a kid when my phone rang.

I gestured to my phone and waved to Dusty as he let himself out. By the time I answered the phone I almost sounded normal.

"Hey, bug. How is summer camp going?"

"Ugh, I want to come home. Stupid Angie Wyler is here, too."

"Stupid Angie who made fun of your hair?" I wrinkled my nose.

Little kids weren't the most sensitive and Billie had come home in tears last year when one of the girls in her class had made fun of her hair. Being biracial in her exclusive private school was a bit of a nightmare and my mom's turn-the-other-cheek approach certainly hadn't helped.

"Do I need to call your counselor?"

"No! Don't do that. It's fine. Summer camp is for babies anyway. Can I come home early?" Billie grumbled.

"I don't think Mom is going to go for that."

"Maybe she will if you ask her. Please?"

I hesitated. I doubted my mom had changed her mind and decided to tell Billie about what was going on. It was unlikely that she'd want my younger sister to come home while she was in the middle of dealing with everything. It would be virtually impossible to keep the truth from Billie once she was back in Manhattan.

"Have you talked to her today?" I asked.

"No. She"s probably on vacation. That's the only reason she still sends me to camp. So Dad can take her on vacation without me."

My shoulders slumped. As much as I wanted to, I couldn't refute that statement. We would both know it was a lie.

"You'll be home before you know it. Now tell me what else you've been doing at camp."

I gave her my full attention as she told me about the full schedule of activities slated for the coming week. It sounded more like a boot camp than a summer camp. It was probably billed as some sort of skills building opportunity for the future leaders of America, but at least Billie sounded like she was enjoying it. That was all that mattered.

After we hung up, I went to the kitchen and got a glass of water. I took a sip as I stared at the hole in the wall. Her call had come at the perfect time. As frustrating as this renovation project would be, it was one of the most important things I'd ever done. Maybe it wasn't a big deal to some people, but I remembered what it felt like to lose everything you knew and loved.

At least my mom seemed to be thinking about Billie's feelings for once. It was important that we made her feel safe since everything she knew was about to change.

Funny that my mom hadn"t been nearly as concerned about ruining my life way back when.

The next thing I knew the glass in my hand was shattering against the wall. The huge gaping hole should have been alarming, but instead the sight just fueled my rage. I grabbed the napkin ring on the table and threw that before spinning in a circle, frantically looking for something else to take the weight of my pain. Both of my shoes flew before I picked up an umbrella that I had never been able to open. I threw that at the wall, too.

Chest heaving, I stood there and surveyed my handiwork. Now that my adrenaline had subsided a little, I couldn't believe I'd just thrown all that stuff at the wall.

When I turned around, Rix stood near the door watching quietly. All the anger drained away, leaving me exhausted.

And embarrassed.

"Oh hey."

He didn't move but his eyes followed my movements as I slumped against the counter.

"I saw Dusty's truck outside. I figured it might not hurt to stop in. Sometimes contractors jack up the prices for women. It's bullshit but it happens."

It was an unexpectedly sweet gesture. Especially since he had no reason to care if I got ripped off. I wasn't sure what to make of it.

"You didn't have to do that. Dusty doesn't seem like the type to cheat anyone."

"No, he's good people. But I figured you might be getting some bad news."

With a sigh, I looked back down at the torn-off sheet Dusty had left me with. It was just a rough estimate. He'd said he would email me the official quote in a few days after he priced everything out, but I was looking at almost twenty thousand dollars' worth of repairs between the drywall, the porch, getting the kitchen and bathroom up to code and the unexpected mold damage he'd found in the laundry room.

"Yeah." I couldn't think of anything else to say.

What was I supposed to do, tell him all about how screwed up my life was? Complain about getting ghosted by a boyfriend who'd obviously never cared about me? Vent about my sweet little sister who was about to have her entire way of life blown up?

Why would he care?

No, I was on my own with this just like I was with everything else.

I raised my head and looked him directly in the eyes. "I'm fine. Unless you needed an umbrella, in which case, I can't help you."

It was so quiet that the heavy tread of his boots ricocheted through the room like thunder. Hopefully he was leaving because I really wanted to be alone. Losing control in front of anyone was humiliating but especially Rix. If he made a joke right then I might actually kill him.

"It's okay to be upset," he said softly.

That almost broke me. Somehow him being nice about my little breakdown made everything so much worse. I didn't want him to be nice to me right now. Not when my emotions were so raw.

I knew I should just be happy that Mom had changed enough to consider what was best for Billie, but a tiny selfish part of me couldn't help wondering why I wasn't deserving of protection? Why she hadn't cared about taking me away from everything I loved?

Now history was about to repeat itself so what had it all been for?

The rage rose in my chest again and Rix must have sensed it because he grabbed my wrists. I struggled against his hold, wanting to throw something. To hit something.

He placed my hands on his chest. "Hit me."

The sound that came out of my throat was like a wounded animal. I pushed him away, but his hands were still wrapped loosely around mine, keeping me close. My fingers curled into fists and I deliberately dug my nails into his chest, wanting him to feel some of my pain. He grunted softly at the pressure but didn't move away.

"That's it," he grumbled.

I pounded against his chest, over and over until my arms began to tire. Through it all, Hendrix stood firm, taking the blows and absorbing the full force of all my anger and frustration. He whispered to me the whole time, things that didn't even make sense, but the steady rumble of his voice was what finally got through to me. Slowly I became aware of the weight of his arms around me and the solid feel of his chest under my hands.

"Go ahead, baby. Let it out."

The softly whispered words carried the last bit of my anger away. My hands were still resting on his chest and I could feel the flex of his chest muscles beneath my hands.

Then his lips were on mine.

I had no idea who reached out first, although later I would swear that he kissed me, but in the moment all I felt was relief. It was like the first lick of ice cream on a hot day and everything inside me melted into perfect stillness.

His lips were firm but soft, so much softer than I could have imagined, and they tickled as he feathered kisses over my mouth. It should have been ridiculous. He was kissing me with these quick, soft pecks like he was trying to calm me down, but every time his lips made contact it started a new burn. A different burn.

Frustrated, I grabbed his face and held him still, biting his bottom lip gently. The sound that rumbled from his chest sent a spear of satisfaction arrowing straight between my legs.

Even as I continued to devour his face there was a little warning sound in the back of my mind.

Danger.

Danger.

You are kissing Rix.

THIS IS NOT A DRILL.

Abruptly, I pulled back and the room swam as I tried to get my bearings. His fingers flexed around my waist and I almost whimpered at how good it felt. I wanted those fingers to dig in and squeeze me other places. But as usual the sight of Rix's face was enough to bring me firmly back to reality. The bastard was smiling that cocky grin he always wore when he'd just bested me in some way. Only this time it wasn't because he'd stolen my candy or hidden my clothes.

No, this was so much worse.

"I have to go get Meatball," I blurted finally.

"Right now?" he asked.

His cocky grin faltered slightly. Probably because he'd thought I would fall to the ground and worship at the altar of Hendrix like the rest of his bimbos. But the first lesson I'd learned about dealing with Rix was to never let him see when he'd actually gotten to me.

"Yes. Right now."

I purposefully avoided looking at the mess I'd made or the hole in the wall. My face flushed as I thought about my little temper tantrum, but I pushed it down as I gathered up my things.

Rix was still standing in the middle of the room looking confused. Probably trying to figure out how he'd lost a live one. Meanwhile I had to figure out where I was going to get twenty thousand dollars.