Braided Strings

by Kaprice Potter

  “You’ve got a deal on that one. And we’ll work the rest out as it comes.”

  It was as simple as that with the two of them, and always had been. Cara found herself wondering once again if things would ever change, or if they would always fit together like two pieces of a puzzle.

  ***

  For the first few days of the week, Delaney returned to Cara’s childhood home after ending his workday. He walked through the door exactly fifteen minutes after Cara knew his work day ended, kissed her hello, and spent a half hour cuddling Sutton. They rotated their house chores, per his instruction, each taking turns cooking the meal or clearing the table, but not breaking the agreement on dishes and laundry.

  It was all normal, and began to seem like a routine. Cara was becoming comfortable with the way things were, but also a bit nervous for what was to come. Her parents would be returning at the end of the week, and she knew that it would be strange to have Delaney coming and going the way he had been, and despite the fact that they had a child together, she didn’t think her dad would be a fan of him spending nights in her bed.

  And then there was the matter of her return to Chicago. She had decided to apply for the support position with Delaney’s company, and Ryan and Phil had hired her on the spot. She knew that she was only going long enough to terminate her rental agreement and pack up her belongings. She would also have to put in her notice and complete her two weeks at work before she could return home. Delaney would no doubt have something to say about it, especially since she would have to leave Saturday. Since it was already Thursday, she would have to bring it up with him as soon as he returned back from work.

  However, Delaney never came back that night. Cara was trying not to let it bother her, knowing she had been the one to insist on freedom, and that he had already told her he usually went out for happy hour on Thursday nights. Even so, she didn’t make it much past 8 p.m. before calling him. The background was noisy and she could barely hear him. After a five minute struggle to make out what he was saying, she hung up and decided texting would be easier.

  Hey, are you coming by tonight? – C

  Yeah, be by in a bit. Out with the guys. – D

  Cara decided not to respond. She knew that she had been forewarned of the regular occurrence, but she wasn’t sure how she felt that he hadn’t reminded her about it. Instead of being annoyed, she would do everything exactly as she had been for the last two years without him.

  Chapter 21

  After putting Sutton to bed, Cara picked up the phone to call Keeley. She had neglected her friend while playing house with Delaney for the past week, so she decided to fill her in before springing it all on her when she got back.

  “Once again, I take a backseat to the other half,” Keeley pouted instead of a hello.

  “You know you’re my other half, no need to get sulky. I knew you’d be out and about without the old ball and chain, and I mean me, there to stop you. I didn’t want to harsh your mellow.”

  Keeley laughed. “You know I love it when you try to talk cool. Don’t ever stop, one day you’ll get there. To what do I owe this late night pleasure?”

  “I’ve finally got some time alone.”

  “Finally? That means the man has been around quite a bit, then, I take it?”

  Cara told Keeley of the night at the bar, and that aside from going to work, Delaney hadn’t been away from them since. She left out the more private details of the evenings, not even letting her friend know that they had escalated past a decent make out session. Then she told her that she had found a job working with Delaney, but in a different department, and that she was only going back to Chicago to fulfill her two weeks.

  “Are you kidding me? This is the kind of thing you tell me over the phone? You might as well have broken up with me by text. Don’t I even get a say in this?”

  “Do you want one?”

  “Damn straight I do. And here it is. I’ll miss you like hell, but I think it’s the right thing. You deserve to be happy, and I know that Del is the one to make you that way. He always has been, even when you tried to deny it.”

  “Thanks, Keeley. I’ll see you Sunday.”

  ***

  When Cara woke up the next morning, she was alone. She didn’t have to look at the clock to know that Delaney had never come by the night before. She tried not to be irritated, but the simple fact was that he had said one thing and done another.

  Cara didn’t have time to dwell on it, though. She had Sutton to take care of and plenty of other things to do with her day. She would put Delaney Blake completely out of her mind and not worry about him anymore.

  By noon, he was the only thing on her mind. She was surprised, knowing that she hadn’t experienced one of her panic attacks since they’d gone to tell his parents about the baby. But now she was on the verge of another, knowing it was her impending trip back to her apartment and leaving Delaney again. Two weeks would not be a problem for most people, but for Cara the whole situation was reminiscent of the last time she left him. Remembering how that had turned out despite their best efforts was putting her in full panic mode.

  So she decided to text him on his lunch break, and let him know that she would be out and about that afternoon. Since they both knew her parents were returning home that night, she wasn’t sure what his plans were after work. A few moments after she sent her initial text, she heard her phone chirp that she had a new message.

  Would love for you to stop in. I’ll be at the office all afternoon. Sorry. – D

  She smiled at his pre-emptive strike on her bad mood. She wasn’t about to let him off that easy, though. She simply texted him back and let him know that they would stop by within the hour, but said nothing about his apology.

  ***

  As promised, less than an hour later Cara pulled her car into a spot in front of his office building. Not knowing if the building required special entrance measures, or if he was even available at that time, she sat in the car and sent him a quick message.

  Out front. Want us to come in? – C

  Sure, come on in. I’ll meet you. – D

  She took her cue and pulled Sutton from the backseat. When she entered the lobby, Delaney was already waiting, but his six foot five frame looked more than a little worn down. She knew he was paying for the previous night’s events, and took a small amount of pleasure in his pain.

  “Rough night, Del?” She smiled sweetly and added just a touch of sarcasm to her tone.

  “I think so, but I can’t remember much after we talked. I woke up on a buddy’s couch this morning, and was almost late for work, otherwise I would have called.”

  She hid the irritation from her face, and continued to look at him with an amused expression.

  “All right, I can see we’re not talking about it. Come on, I’ll give you the tour you didn’t get the other day.”

  He walked her through the office, introducing her to a few people along the way to his desk. He pulled up a chair for her to sit, and took Sutton from her.

  “Del, who is this? She’s precious!” The woman’s voice was a pitch that had Cara’s nerves standing at attention, and her dislike for Devonny instantly rose.

  “This is Sutton,” Delaney responded, continuing to stare at his daughter and make goofy little faces at her. He finished simply with, “My daughter.”

  That seemed to catch her attention, and she removed herself from leaning over his back. Cara continued to watch the scene, realizing that the perfectly polished brunette had no idea she was even there. Instead of interrupting to introduce herself, she chose to continue her observation. Devonny’s eyes had widened, along with her mouth, in a way that made her look almost cartoonish, if she hadn’t been so ridiculously gorgeous. Cara couldn’t help the spurt of jealousy that was radiating through her, and she hoped that Delaney would put any question she could come up with to rest before she had a chance to ask.

  “Delaney Blake, she’s a toddler already! How did you not tell us about
her sooner?” Devonny squealed, and girlishly slapped his shoulder.

  “Well, Dev, I’m not sure I’ve had the opportunity to tell,” Delaney said. He turned, then, and looked at Cara. Speaking to his co- worker, he said, “Devonny, you remember Cara.”

  “Oh, Cara! It’s nice to see you again.”

  “It’s nice to see you as well, Devonny.” Cara thought Devonny had been too enthusiastic with her greeting, which she only assumed was a façade of some sort.

  “We didn’t get much of a chance to talk the other night. How long have you two been dating? Del’s been keeping you his dirty little secret.” Devonny’s voice took on a catty tone, making Cara believe that perhaps this woman had been occupying Delaney’s time, or at least been hoping to, during the last two years.

  Cara looked at Delaney, not sure how to respond to the question. She wondered how much she should mention to his co-workers. He took control of the situation, though, as he always did.

  “It’s complicated, Dev. Not a story to get into right now.”

  “Oh, all right then. I can see you’re busy, and I better get back to work. I just wanted to let you know that you forgot your jacket at my place last night. I would have brought it over, but I didn’t think it would be wise in this rumor mill. Stop by and get it whenever.” Devonny turned then, and smirked at Cara. “I’m sure I’ll be seeing you, Cara. Have a great day.”

  As the woman walked away, Cara stared at her back, wishing that she hadn’t been here to witness whatever that had just been. She’d never had many girlfriends, because she found them invariably manipulative. Devonny had only cemented her opinion, and in less than ten minutes. Slowly, Cara turned to Delaney.

  “Slept on a buddy’s couch, huh?” She spoke the words softly, a tribute to the patience that she’d developed since high school. “She doesn’t look like the buddy type.” With that, she turned and began walking, leaving Delaney to follow her to her car.

  Delaney winced, and shook his head slightly. “Cricket, it’s not what that sounded like at all. She actually shares a place with Allen right now. Allen is the other half of our project management department. I was out with him last night, and had one too many to drive. Dev picked us up from the bar, and I passed out on the couch.”

  Cara pursed her lips and hummed a bit. She wasn’t sure if he was avoiding mention of any attraction between the two, or if he was completely oblivious to the fact that Devonny was clearly interested in him. She knew, though, that he was not giving the woman any reason to believe that he didn’t return the interest.

  “Your business, handsome. Just make sure you’re not bouncing from one to the other. I’ve never been good at sharing my toys.”

  “Jesus, Cara. I’m not sleeping with her. And I’m pretty sure I made it clear how I feel about you. You’re the one insistent that even though we’ve slept together we can maintain a platonic relationship. But hey, I should be happy that you’re breaking your own rules already. Jealousy shows commitment.”

  “Not jealous, just don’t want to interrupt your regularly scheduled programming. I haven’t changed my mind about the commitment, but I also won’t be hanging out in your bed while you’re in someone else’s. It’s just common courtesy.”

  “Cricket, we’re not going to have this conversation here. We’ll talk about this after work.”

  “Nothing more to talk about. I’ve said what I need to say, I’m over it. I’ve got to get back and finish getting ready to go. There’s a lot to be done before we leave in the morning.”

  “What do you mean before we leave?”

  “Chicago.”

  She knew that she was being short with him, but after the revelation of where he’d been the night before, she wasn’t sure that she trusted herself to say much more. Cara took Sutton from him, and while she was fastening her buckles, Delaney stood back and watched her.

  “Right, I’ll talk to you later,” he said. “I’ll be over after work; we can figure it out then.”

  Cara didn’t say anything. She just nodded her head and walked away.

  Chapter 22

  Cara spent the rest of her day preparing for her parents’ return home. She had to restock the groceries from the week, and make sure that the house was in the same order that they had left it. She knew that they didn’t expect it, but it was what she expected from herself. It was also a diversion from her sulking over Delaney. She wasn’t sure how to handle the fact that he’d spent the night at another woman’s house. She would have to do something to handle the jealousy that was coursing through her. She had no right to tell him he couldn’t pursue other women, even though he was adamantly telling her that he wasn’t interested in anyone but her.

  By the time he walked through the front door after his work day had ended, she had thought long and hard, and her thoughts were no longer as unreasonable as they had been when she had left his office that afternoon.

  He wasn’t sure if her mood had changed, so he hesitantly sat next to her in the family room where she was curled on the couch with a book. She lowered the book to look at his face, and he smiled sheepishly at her. She had to laugh at how much he resembled a small child in trouble.

  “Del, I’m not mad anymore,” she said, and shook her head. “I’m not sure how I feel, but I know I’m not mad.”

  Delaney visibly relaxed, and pulled her legs into his lap so he could move closer to her.

  “Good. I know the way that all came across, and I’m sorry I didn’t think about it before. I should have had Dev bring me back here when she picked us up at the bar, but I was so drunk I didn’t even think about it. It made sense at the time for us all to stay at the same place, since Allen and I had to pick up our cars this morning.”

  “Are you aware that she’s interested in you?”

  “Dev? No, she’s really not. She’s been off and on with the same guy for the last five years. She’s not interested in anyone but him.”

  “Delaney, you’re being naïve again. She clearly wants you, and she made that very clear to me.”

  “She talked to you after you left my desk?”

  “When would she have done that? Women have a way of communicating these things without using words.”

  “I’m not sure what you mean, but I’m hoping you’ll shed some light?”

  “During the brief conversation we had right in front of you there was a tone, and the looks she was giving you. One of these days, Delaney, you’re going to be able to see these things.”

  “Wow, I didn’t get that at all. I think you may be looking too deep into the situation, Cricket. Devonny is not the type of woman who’s interested in me.”

  “And what does that mean?” Cara raised an eyebrow, wondering if he was referring to the woman’s stunning looks, and the fact that they generally made a woman unapproachable.

  “I mean, look at her. She’s model gorgeous, and prefers bad boys.”

  Cara raised her brow even further, and wondered if he was aware of what he had just said.

  “So is it her looks that put her on a different level than you, or her preference in men?”

  He suddenly became aware of how deep the hole he was digging himself was. He had to remind himself that he was not letting her believe she was just one of the guys anymore, that she was his best friend and the woman he wanted to be with.

  “You know what I’m saying, Cara,” he scolded her. “Look how long it took me to believe that you could have an interest in me, and you’re the most beautiful woman I know.”

  “Uh-huh,” she said. “Nice try, but don’t worry, I knew what you were saying. But I’m serious when I say she wants you. If you’re not careful, she’s going to sink those pretty manicured nails in and you won’t stand a chance.”

  “Duly noted,” he responded. “I think you’re over-analyzing her actions, but I’ll keep my eyes open for that one. Now, moving on. Why didn’t you tell me that you were leaving tomorrow?”

  “I was pretty sure I told you how long we were staying,
and I was going to let you know the plan last night, but there wasn’t a chance.”

  “Fair enough. So what’s the plan?”

  “I’m going to put in my two weeks when I go in on Monday. I’ll make sure everything else is arranged so I can be back when I’ve finished my notice period.”

  “Okay. I’ll take the time off and fly out to help you pack. I won’t be able to come until next weekend. Will you be all right?”

  “Del, I’ve been on my own out there for a year. I don’t think you need to waste your vacation to come out. I’ll just see you when I get back.”

  “Non-negotiable, Cricket. You’re not going to try to pack and move by yourself. I’ll schedule a flight for Friday, after work, or even drive down.”

  Cara decided that she wasn’t going to argue on the matter. The way she was feeling, if she spent longer than a week away from him, she just might rethink everything and put off coming back. She set her book down and moved into his lap. She cuddled up against him and rested her head on his shoulder when he wrapped his arms around her.

  “Thank you,” she said quietly. He only made a small sound in acknowledgement. They sat in silence for a bit longer, listening to Sutton play on the monitor from Cara’s room. Cara was still cuddled on Delaney’s lap when her parents came in.

  “Delaney! It’s good to see you!” Of course, her mother was the first to speak. She had always been fond of him, and had urged Cara from day one to come clean to him.