“The files are a mess. It’s only been two days. I really thought Oliver starting the next day would be great. I guess I know why he was available so quickly. He’s an idiot.”
“What do you want me to start with?”
He glanced at the desk and sighed again. “Can you go through the files? That would be a great start.”
I nodded and started to the desk. Brett grabbed my arm, stopping me. I slowly lifted my eyes to his. “Are you okay?”
I took a deep breath and nodded. “Of course,” I said with a forced smile. “Why wouldn’t I be?”
Brett didn’t press, which I appreciated. I dove into straightening his files, wondering how Oliver had managed to do so much damage in just two days. Files were pulled from the cabinet and spread on the desk. Other paperwork was stacked up and never filed to start with. It took me hours to sort through the mess, but it kept me focused and not dwelling on Graham.
When I left Brett’s office, files straightened and a message left for Megan to offer her the job, I called Claire. I didn’t want to go home and thought she’d be a good person to talk to. She was always level-headed and kind. I needed both of those.
She gave me her address and I plugged it into my phone. When I got there I was insanely jealous of her adorable neighborhood and beautiful house. She’d mentioned a few times she and Aidan had fixed it up, with Xander’s help, after they bought it. I couldn’t wait to see the inside.
Claire opened the bright yellow front door after I rang the bell. Her emerald eyes were bright with laughter as she welcomed me inside. Her brown hair brushed the pink t-shirt stretched over her shoulders. Her yoga pants made me feel like I was overdressed in my linen pants and blue button down shirt. “Sorry,” she said. “Aidan’s crazy.”
I liked Aidan a lot. He was a sweet guy and was totally devoted to Claire. “You’re lucky to have him.”
Claire nodded. “I am. Do you want to grab a glass of wine and go on the deck?”
I shrugged. “It’s a little early for wine, isn’t it?”
Aidan laughed. “It’s never too early for wine around here. Good to see you again, Abby.” He kissed my cheek then winked at me when he stepped back. He really was an attractive man with arms straining his t-shirt and jeans low on lean hips. He didn’t do anything for me though. He wasn’t Graham.
“You, too,” I said automatically. “Sorry I’m stealing your wife though. I didn’t mean to mess up your Saturday.”
Aidan shook his head. “Nothing to worry about. You’re always welcome here.”
“Thanks,” I said, feeling the truth of his words. Even if I didn’t feel like it all the time, I was one of them. I’d been accepted. It made me feel better about turning to Claire.
Claire walked over with two glasses of red wine. She handed me one and tipped her chin up for a kiss from Aidan. He obliged, and I turned my head, not wanting to intrude on their moment. I heard her giggle and looked back to see him kiss her nose then her neck.
“You ladies enjoy your wine. I’m going to do manly stuff.”
“Like what? Bake cookies?” Claire teased.
“Exactly. Abby? You like chocolate chip?”
I nodded, laughing with them. “Of course.”
Aidan smacked Claire’s ass as he walked by, making her squeal. She shook her head as she watched him walk away. “Let’s go outside. It’s a beautiful day.” She made a kissing sound and patted her leg. “Come on, Brownie.”
I heard the scrape of nails on the floor and smiled when a huge brown dog came around the corner of the couch. He followed us outside and wandered into the grass as we took seats on the porch.
“So, what’s up?”
I shrugged. “Just felt like I needed a friend.”
“Glad you called me. How was your date with Graham?”
I smiled sadly. “The first one was great. The second was a little tough.”
Claire took a sip of her wine and cocked her head at me. “Are we talking the first one from last weekend or this week?”
“This week,” I said with a grin. “We had a date Thursday and another one yesterday that carried over into today.”
Claire’s wine glass hovered a few inches from her lips as a slow smile spread across her face. “Tell me more.”
Chapter 16
I laughed. “Thursday night we planned to go out but I was working for Brett all day and forgot about our date.”
“Ooh, not good.”
“Actually,” I said with a grin, “it worked out really well. He helped me bake for my meeting with the mayor yesterday. It was pretty sexy.”
“Well, that is good. Why aren’t you with him now?”
I sighed. “Brett.”
Claire’s face was painted with confusion. “What does Brett have to do with Graham?”
“Nothing, really, but Brett called this morning and needed me to help him out again. I didn’t have a choice.”
“And Graham had a problem with that?”
“Yes! I know he doesn’t understand why I’m helping Brett. He watched as my divorce went through. Graham saw me upset over things I couldn’t control. He’s trying to protect me, but Brett’s harmless.”
“Are you sure about that?” Claire asked. “It sounds like Brett is ruining the first relationship you’ve had since your divorce. Heck, Graham’s the first guy you’ve even mentioned. Does Brett know about him?”
I sighed. “Yeah. They met earlier this week.”
I told her about Graham pulling Brett off me and threatening him. When I mentioned I fainted she got concerned. “You’re not pregnant are you?”
I shook my head with a laugh. “Only if it’s an immaculate conception. Graham and I didn’t sleep together until Thursday night.”
“That was some really good baking,” Claire muttered with a cheeky grin.
“Yeah, yeah,” I said with an eye roll and a grin.
“Anyway, back to Brett. Are you sure he’s harmless? If he’s messing with your life and your career, it doesn’t sound harmless.”
I shook my head. “When I met Brett I was young and inexperienced with men. I thought he was amazing. He had everything I wanted. A big family, motivation, a career laid out. He wasn’t like the other guys I’d dated or been friends with. Brett had his life together. He knew where he was going. And I wanted to go with him.”
“I can understand that desire, Abby. Knowing someone who’s got their shit together can be heady. That doesn’t mean he was right for you, though. Obviously.”
“We worked well together,” I defended. “He made me feel valued, like he needed me. When he started his practice, he did need me. I’d never known that feeling before. Max took care of everything growing up, and what he didn’t do my mom and Grams did. I was the baby of the family. Useless by everyone’s standards. I needed to be coddled, babied. Brett treated me like an equal.”
“You’re not a baby now. And I’m sure they never thought you were useless.”
I shrugged. “I don’t know. It always felt that way. Except with Brett. He seemed to believe in me. I didn’t know what I wanted to do with my life long term so once his practice took off he encouraged me to stay home. It took some convincing, but eventually he talked me into staying home. I didn’t love it, but I jumped into my new role in his life, doing everything to make him happy.”
“How did that go?” Claire asked with a hint of knowing exactly how it went.
I shrugged. “At first, Brett was appreciative of dinner being on the table when he got home, or not having to worry about laundry or grocery shopping or anything else. Before long though, something shifted. It took me longer than I want to admit to figure out that the shift was because of Maggie. When she started working for Brett, I was stupid enough to be happy about it. She was kind and always assured me she was taking care of Brett for me. He would still come home on time. He would still make love to me. But he pulled away. He started taking showers when he got home from work. Then he’d sit in the living room to wa
tch tv instead of our bedroom. When I would join him he’d say it was a movie or show I wouldn’t want to watch. Then he was on his phone all the time.”
“I’m sorry, Abby.”
“I suspected something, but I didn’t want to admit it to myself. I thought maybe not working together we’d lost some of the spark between us. Maybe he didn’t see me as valuable as I’d once been. So I decided to surprise him one Saturday. He was working, just like today. I dressed up in a see-through red teddy and stilettos. I grabbed one of his trench coats and I remember smiling at my reflection in the mirror as I knotted it around my waist. I drove to his office and let myself in. The surprise was on me when I found Maggie on the edge of the desk and Brett buried deep inside her.”
Claire’s eyes slipped closed and she shook her head. “I can’t imagine walking in on that. In a way, I don’t know why you still talk to him, still have anything to do with him.”
I shook my head. “He makes me feel needed. I know that’s stupid because when it really mattered, I wasn’t the one he wanted, but he needs me. No one else in my life has ever needed me. I’ve always been the one needing someone else.”
“Do you think he could be stringing you along so he can ruin your relationship with Graham?”
I shook my head. “Not possible. Graham and I weren’t even seeing each other when Brett got me the interview with the mayor. It has nothing to do with Graham and me.”
Claire sipped her wine and looked out over the yard. She settled back in her chair. “It still makes me wonder. I hate to say it, but I don’t really blame Graham for being upset. Especially if last night was the first night you spent together.”
I threw up my hands. “He won’t tell me anything about himself though. It’s not like he’s all that invested in a relationship with me.”
“What do you mean he won’t tell you anything?” Claire asked, instantly on alert.
I sighed heavily. “I tried asking about his last relationship and he wouldn’t answer me.”
“When did you ask?”
“Last night,” I said softly.
Claire didn’t miss it. “Before or after sex.”
“Um, both.”
Claire’s eyebrow peaked. “Is that your way of telling me you asked about his ex-girlfriend right after one round but he stuck around and you had another round?”
I nibbled my lip. “Um, maybe.”
Claire threw her head back and laughed, startling Brownie from his spot at her feet. Claire laughed even harder while I seethed and drank my wine. When she finally calmed down, she went in for the kill.
“You know that’s the male equivalent of ‘tell me about your mother’ right?”
I shrugged. “I didn’t mean it like that.”
Claire snickered and shook her head. “I know, but what do you feel when a guy asks about your mother?”
“He either wants to know what I’ll look like in thirty years or he’s a pervert.”
“Does it make you want to jump him?”
I shook my head.
“Why do you think he’d want to talk about his past right after sex?”
“I don’t know! It just sort of came out.”
Claire took a deep breath. “Okay, listen, I understand wanting to know about his past. You should know. But ask when you’re not still naked. Ask when you’re out to dinner. Or better yet, bring him to girls’ night Tuesday and we’ll ask him.”
“No!” I shook my head. “You can’t.”
Claire put her hands up to stop me. “Okay, okay. We won’t. You gotta understand though, if there’s something in his past he doesn’t want to tell you about, you need to work it out of him. I didn’t want Aidan to know about my past. It took me a long time to tell him about it. When I did, I felt better, but it wasn’t easy. If all Graham sees is you running off to Brett whenever he calls, he’s going to be a little anxious about where the two of you stand.”
“Brett is not an issue anymore.”
“I know you say that, Abby, but he is. And it sounds like he’s a pretty big one.”
I called Graham when I got home, but his phone went straight to voicemail. I thought about going to see him, but I had no idea where he lived. It was another in the long list of questions I had if I ever saw him again.
I still hadn’t heard from him when I went to SkinnyCakes Monday. Half asleep with the lights still off, I went into the kitchen to bake. If anything could make me feel better, it was baking. When I finished everything to start my day, I opened the doors. With the volume of customers I’d been getting I was almost surprised no one was outside waiting for me to open, but I knew the rush would start soon enough.
I worked around the cafe, wiping down tables and the long stretch of counter until I made it to the other side by the far wall. Satisfied, I turned around and caught something out of the corner of my eyes. Confused, I faced a huge coffee cart with coffee dispensers, mugs and to-go cups, cream, sugar, flavorings, and stir sticks. It was exactly what I’d wanted.
“Graham,” I whispered. I shook my head, tears filling my eyes. He was mad and hurt and instead of going out and acting like an ass, he spent his weekend building something beautiful for me.
“Oh, that’s beautiful, honey,” my mom’s voice said from behind me. “Where did you get that?”
I spun and saw Mom and Grams coming toward me.
“What a clever idea!” Grams said. “It frees up some of your time behind the counter so you can take more orders and get more people through the door. And it’s a beautiful piece. Where did you find something that matched the rest of the cafe so perfectly.”
“Graham,” I whispered again.
“Did she say Gram? I didn’t get this? Oh, look at the shelves. Ooh, and your bookshelf, too. We need to come in here more. So much has changed.”
I shook my head and laughed. “No, Grams, I said Graham. The guy who was helping Max out before I opened? He built this.”
“Oh, that’s great,” Mom said. “I didn’t realize you were doing so well. We were going to ask if you needed to move back home. I’m not sure how long your brother is going to want to hang on to his apartment.”
I shook my head. “I’m not doing that well, but I’m not moving back in. Max’s lease isn’t up for a few more months. I’ll figure something out before then. I’m going to pay him, too.”
Mom’s brow furrowed. “If you’re not doing that well, how did you afford this?”
The bell on the door clanged as the answer to her question stepped inside.
“Graham.”
He stopped inside the door, his eyes locking on mine. I had no idea what he was thinking, but I knew what I was thinking.
I brushed past Mom and Grams and walked to him. As I got closer I picked up my pace and leapt into his arms, giving him no choice but to catch me. I buried my face in his neck and inhaled the scent that was already fading from my pillow. “I’m sorry,” I whispered against his skin. “You were right. I’m so sorry.”
Graham’s arms tightened around me. He kissed my neck and whispered back. “I shouldn’t be telling you how to live your life. If you want to work with him, I can’t stop you. I just don’t want to see you give up your dreams because of him.”
I shook my head. “I won’t. He can’t make me do that.”
Graham nodded. “Good.” He set me back on my feet and nodded to the coffee cart. “Do you like it?”
I smiled up at him. “It’s beautiful. I keep telling you not to do so much though.”
He shrugged. “I enjoyed it. Besides, it kept my hands busy so I didn’t go to his office and beat the shit out of him.”
I laughed softly, wrapping my arm through his. “I tried calling you.”
He nodded. “I know. I wanted to finish it first.”
I didn’t understand that, but I let it go. He’d spent the weekend thinking about me. I would have preferred he spent the weekend making love to me, but at least he wasn’t with someone else.
“Thank you. I�
��ll pay you after the picnic.”
He shook his head. “I don’t want you to pay me, Abby. Just promise me something?”
I gulped and looked up at him, stopping in the middle of the cafe. I knew Mom and Grams were watching us, but Graham was the only thing that mattered at that moment.
“Promise me you won’t let anyone steal your dreams from you. Not me, not him, not anyone.”
I nodded. “I promise. It’s not who I am. Can I introduce you to my mom and grandmother?”
Graham’s eyes snapped to them and back to me. “Are you sure?”
His question surprised me. It sounded like he wanted to meet them but didn’t think I really wanted him to. “Of course. They were just admiring all the work you’ve done. You don’t have to if you don’t want to though.”
His head dropped with a nod, but tension crept through him. With our arms still linked, we walked to where my mother and grandmother waited with knowing expressions. “Mom, Grams, this is Graham. Graham, my mom and grandmother.”
“What she means is I’m Katherine, and this is my mother, Annabella. It’s nice to meet you, Graham. We’ve heard a lot about you.”
“You as well,” Graham said politely.
Grams gestured around the cafe. “You’ve done amazing work here. The place looks spectacular.”
Graham nodded. “I just took Abby’s vision and ran with it. She’s the talented one here.”
His compliment made me beam. I squeezed his arm tighter, but he didn’t respond with a gesture of his own.
“Well,” he said, sliding his arm from mine, “I’ll let you ladies visit.”
“What? Where are you going?” He stopped when he reached the door. I caught up to him and asked, “What’s going on?”
He glanced back at Mom and Grams. “I’m just the hired help, Ab. I don’t need to meet your family.”
I stepped back from him. “Do you really think that’s why I wanted you to meet them?”
“Isn’t it?” he shot back. “You said you were just talking about the cart. What am I to think?”
Puffy & Precious Page 13
