“Perfect.” They were quiet for a minute. “Chelly, I consider you a friend. You believe that, right?”
Chelly faced her. “Listen, Mari, if this is about a baby shower, I’m in. I love doing things like that.”
Mari laughed. “No. No. Though I might take you up on that.” Mari grabbed her hands and squeezed. “If you need a friend, a girlfriend to talk to about, you know, men, I’m here for you. I’m a good listener and I know how to keep things to myself.”
Chelly teared up. “You are a sweetheart, and I do consider you a friend. I promise. To be honest, I don’t really know what’s going on with Matt. One minute I think he’s really into me and the next...”
“He’s definitely into you. He can’t keep his eyes or his hands off you. I noticed that at the wedding reception.”
She smiled. “But then with Carissa... You know what? You’re right. He’s been nothing but lovely to me. I’m just not great at relationships.”
“I was the same until I met Brody. He’s changed the way I think about love. I never thought I could care about another person so much. It’s just weird. But I hope you find your weird, whether it’s with Matt or someone else.”
They hugged.
“Hey,” Matt said, approaching them. Brody was walking next to him. “You guys done talking shop?”
“Never,” Mari replied, chuckling. “I could talk to Chelly for hours. She’s so talented.”
“That she is,” Matt said.
He could be so kind. Maybe she was reading too much into all of this. The CO was close to Carissa and maybe Matt didn’t want him in his personal life. She understood that, although he’d already introduced her as his girlfriend to his boss. It had been the keeping things light between them tone that—
But wasn’t that what she kept telling him?
“The fireworks are about to begin,” Brody said. “You ladies want to watch them from down here?”
“Sure,” Mari agreed.
Matt put an arm around Chelly’s shoulders, and she almost pulled away. He must have felt her tense up. “Everything okay?”
What was wrong with her? She hadn’t slept much the last few days. In fact, she hardly slept at all. She’d grown used to being beside him. But what if things were going south for them? The last week had felt strained.
That niggling feeling that maybe it was time to go beckoned in the back of her mind.
She glanced up at him. He was so good.
“Sure,” she said. “Everything’s fine.”
But it wasn’t.
She was saved by the first bursts of light flying into the air. For the next ten minutes they watched the fireworks. This should have been fun and romantic. But all she could think about was her future. She had some tough decisions to make.
And letting go of the Marine, before he decided he was tired of her, would be the hardest one yet.
* * *
MATT WASN’T SURE what had gone wrong, but Chelly was upset about something. Right after the fireworks she asked him to take her home. Saying she had a headache, she went straight to the pool house. He didn’t want to bug her, but he was worried. All night she’d been acting standoffish. Maybe she really wasn’t feeling well.
He’d planned to talk to her about what came next for them. The end was in sight for their projects. And he wasn’t sure what they had between them, but he was sure he wasn’t ready for it to end.
A phone rang, and he realized it wasn’t his. Chelly’s phone was on the kitchen counter. She’d left it there.
The number had a Nashville area code. Her ex? No. She’d said he was no good, and she was a smart woman. She wouldn’t be talking to him. He remembered when she’d thrown her phone into the pool to keep the guy from tracking her.
More than anything, Matt wanted to answer to see what gender the voice was on the other end, but he let the call go to voice mail. That would be too much of an invasion of privacy.
Wrong. Just wrong.
He picked up the phone and headed out to the pool house.
He knocked.
“Matt?”
“I wasn’t going to bother you, but your phone was ringing. I’ve brought it to you. Kind of late for someone to be calling.” He shouldn’t have said that last bit, but he couldn’t help himself. “Uh, I thought it might be an emergency.”
“Oh. Just a minute.” He heard her shuffling around a bit. When she opened the door a crack, she held out her hand. “Thanks.”
He gave her the phone. “Can I get you anything?”
She shook her head. “Nope. I’m good. Just need to rest. Thank you.” But she wouldn’t look him in the eyes. Something was definitely up.
“If you do need anything, let me know. I could go get you some soup or something.”
She gave him a weak smile. “I’ll be fine. See you tomorrow.”
He’d seen that smile before. The one that she gave people when she was distracted by something else. Was she talking to her ex? Did they maybe—no. She wasn’t like that. She put all her cards on the table. If she was moving on with someone else, she’d tell him first.
The very idea that she might be, though, tore at his gut.
Why hadn’t he been more patient with her? What had he been thinking? As if she was always supposed to be waiting at home for him whenever he might show up?
That wasn’t her scene. He even liked that about her.
Oh, hell.
He was just like his dad. Didn’t like change. Wouldn’t let his mother fix up the house how she wanted to because he didn’t want his daily routine disturbed.
Chelly had put so much effort into fixing up the garage apartment so he wouldn’t have to deal with all the renovations.
Was he any better than his dad?
She’d done so much for him.
And then again, maybe this was her way of saying it was the end. That she was ready to move on.
He had no idea what to think anymore. One way or another, they had to talk about the future.
Soon.
17
THE NEXT MORNING Chelly woke to the sound of her phone ringing. Not again. But she checked and it was Cal. She had only slept about an hour because she’d received a call from Carrie’s assistant. The singer liked the sketches, and she would let her know about a final decision in the next two days.
Chelly wasn’t sure if she should be happy, or prepare herself for the fact that she still might not get the job. Nothing was a done deal until the client signed on the dotted line.
“What’s up, Cal?” she asked, answering the call. “I thought you guys were at the river house today?” They only had to finish the flooring. Once that was done, the job was complete.
“We are and that’s what I wanted to talk to you about. When I couldn’t get you yesterday about the flooring, I tried Matt. He seemed really upset that this wasn’t happening fast enough. I told him we were waiting on some final details from you. And he sort of... I just wanted to say I’m sorry if I caused you problems. I should have never said anything to him. But he’s the client and he asked me directly, so I had to tell the truth.”
Oh. She’d been holding off to see if she could get a better price on the bamboo from another dealer. “Cal, it’s all right. But I told you I was waiting to hear back on the pricing.”
“I realized that after I got your message. I did want to apologize again, though, in case there were any bad feelings.”
She sighed. Frustrated with Matt for stepping in and telling off her tradesman when he didn’t have all the facts.”
Chelly didn’t like to think in terms of last straws, but the past twenty-four hours, she’d kind of had it with his overbearing ways. Maybe this was the real Matt. Maybe the kindhearted sweetheart she cared so deeply about really was a control
ling jerk.
She stomped upstairs to find him folding laundry. He looked so unassuming, so cute.
No. Don’t get distracted. This was her work. Her professional reputation was at stake. There were boundaries. They had to start setting boundaries.
“Matt, why did you yell at Cal? I told you I had the project details covered.” Chelly tried to keep her temper, but it was boiling over. The Marine always seemed to be butting into her business. It was his house, but she was in charge, and she didn’t appreciate his undermining her authority.
If she wanted a future in Corpus, she had to earn the respect of those she’d be working with, and that was difficult with the fussy Marine commenting on things when he shouldn’t.
He put the folded T-shirt on the coffee table and grabbed another. “What’s the big deal? He said he couldn’t find you, so I talked to him. Since I was the one who wanted the limestone floors in the kitchen, and the bamboo everywhere else, I don’t see what the big deal is.”
It was a dumb thing, but he just didn’t get it.
“If I called one of your coworkers and said I needed a part for an Apache, and that if he didn’t get it to me by seven tonight he’d be fired, how would that make you feel?”
He turned to her then and looked at her as if she was insane. “It’s not the same thing. And the day I need someone to help me do my job is the day pigs fly B-52s. And I didn’t threaten Cal. I just told him we had a deadline, and he needed to make sure it was met.”
“But I need help?”
“Sometimes, yes. Things are a little disorganized, and I like knowing how all the pieces are coming together. Everything should always be in order.”
Things are a little disorganized? To him, maybe her way of doing business was a little different. There were a lot of plates to keep spinning while working on two houses. But she had it under control.
That need of his to fix people, as if she wasn’t quite right, reared its ugly head.
“It is the same thing, and that you can’t see it... I’m done. I can’t do this.” She waved a hand between them. “It’s not working. I’ll finish the jobs because I refuse to walk away from my responsibilities. But as far as the rest of this is concerned, we’re over.”
“What are you talking about?” He stood and then moved toward her. “You’re mad because I talked to Cal about something to do with my own house? My dream house.”
Yes, his. Crap. This really was just for him. She had to make a break. It was more obvious to her now that things were not going to work with him. There was no way she’d be with a man who wasn’t one hundred percent on team Chelly.
He moved closer, but she stepped back. “It’s not like what we have is serious. Just sex. You’ve made that more than clear last night with your boss’s niece. But it’s complicating the job. From now on, this is strictly business. Apart from the job, we won’t need to see each other. And until it’s done, I think it’s best to communicate through texts and email. I’ll be moving out in the morning.”
Then she turned and headed toward the stairs.
“Hey, Chelly. Stop. We need to talk about it. Where is all of this coming from? It isn’t like you to be so—I mean...”
“What? Mean? Is that what you call me standing up for myself? Because that’s all I’m doing. You’re the one who’s overstepped. You’re right. It is your house, but up until recently you’ve trusted me to make it what you wanted. Has that changed?”
“No. Of course I trust you. I didn’t think talking to Cal was a big deal. Like I said, I was just trying to help.”
She faced him again. “No, there’s a difference between helping and trying to fix something. Or someone. But here’s a news flash, Mr. Marine—there’s nothing wrong with me. I don’t need saving, Matt. I never did. I’ve made it just fine on my own for years.”
“That’s not what I do. So you’re saying me offering you the houses to work on meant I was trying to fix you? Did you forget that you were also helping me out?”
But he’d always been trying to jump in, and she was just too independent to accept that.
“You’re right. I’ve helped you, probably more than you’ll ever realize. But I can’t be around a guy who wants to control me. You’re nice, Matt. Really. But I don’t think you can let go of this need to so tightly own your environment and everything around you. Life is messy sometimes.
“And for the record, I know where every single piece of the puzzle is when it comes to the job.” She tapped the side of her temple. “I may not have pie charts or accounting sheets, but I can tell you we’re twenty thousand under budget on the river house, and I just saved you another fifteen thousand on this house by finding some salvaged wood. That’s why I couldn’t contact Cal until later. I was busy finding replacement boards so we didn’t have to redo the entire floor in the kitchen. And while I was at it, I found cheaper bamboo, much cheaper than the stuff you told Cal to go ahead and buy.
“Oh, and let’s add in the fact that I’ve been selling your mother’s furniture for you. We have exactly six pieces left, and so far I’ve netted you almost thirty thousand dollars. You do the math, Marine, and then tell me I’m not always on top of things. I don’t need this from you. Whatever else has happened, I did trust you to believe in me. You promised me that you did.
“But it was a lie. All of this is a lie.”
“I—” He scrubbed his face with his hand. “You’re overreacting. It was one phone call.”
“If that was true, we wouldn’t be having this conversation. And it’s interesting. My ex said the same thing when I left him. Told me I was overreacting.”
“Now that’s wrong and you know it. He was abusive and frightened you. I’d never hurt you.”
He was right. But she was too mad to let him have the point.
“No, just control me. Make me into your idea of what the perfect girlfriend might be. I won’t ever live up to that ideal. And while I’m not sure you’ll ever understand, you’ve already hurt me more than he ever could have.”
“I just don’t get you,” he said.
“That’s the one thing you are right about. You need to decide. Do you want me to find someone else to take over the jobs?”
“Absolutely not—”
“Okay, then. If you want me to continue, it’s business only. I know how much you like lists. I’ll make some up for you tonight. As I said before, if you have a question, please text or email. I would appreciate it if you’d let me finish this my way. So far we are under budget and we’re making the timelines. We can continue to do so if you don’t interfere.”
She stalked off to the pool house and shut the door, locking it. He didn’t follow. Didn’t try to argue anymore. Why would he? It wasn’t as if he saw what they had as anything more than a fling.
He was just mad that she’d called him out.
I’m the idiot who made what we had into something more. It wasn’t his fault, but that didn’t stop her heart from ripping into shreds with every breath. The part about him hurting her more than her ex ever could have wasn’t wrong.
Tears threatened.
No crying.
She blew out a big breath. Yeah, ordering herself not to cry wasn’t exactly working.
Dumb. Just dumb. She should have never slept with him. The tears flowed fast and hard.
When will I learn?
She needed a sign because she had no idea what to do next. She had to get out of there.
Her phone dinged and she picked it up. It was a text from Carrie’s assistant.
You’re in. But she wants you here like yesterday. I’m sending the jet for you. Will text deets in ten mins.
Her way out. Her sign. It couldn’t have been clearer if the universe had tattooed it on her forehead.
Yep. It was time to go.
A
fter blowing her nose, she forced herself to breathe. Then she started packing.
* * *
WHAT JUST HAPPENED?
He wanted to go after her and straighten this out. It was obvious she had no idea how much he cared for her. It hadn’t been about just sex since that first night. How could she not understand that? It was one phone call and he thought he’d been helping.
It was as if she wanted to pick a fight with him.
Then it hit him. Maybe she was needing an out. She didn’t want to take what they had any further.
Things had been somewhat awkward since Brody and Mari’s wedding, but he’d chalked it up to their being busy. Tired.
Just sex? No. She honestly thought that’s how he felt? There was no doubt he needed to straighten that out. But he probably ought to give her some time to cool down so they could talk rationally.
A burning smell pulled Matt from his thoughts. The lasagna! He’d made Italian because he knew she liked it. He’d been hoping they could talk about the future.
He blew out a breath. That sure went great.
He turned the oven off and pulled the casserole dish from the oven. The cheese was a little brown, but it looked good.
Maybe he was controlling. It was just a part of his nature, but he’d tried with her. Why couldn’t she just meet him halfway? One phone call about floors and she’d lost her temper?
Maybe she was right about keeping it just business.
You know that’s not possible.
Yeah. He did.
He grabbed a beer and almost finished the can in one gulp.
Chelly was definitely upset about more than a phone call. She’d been quiet since the party the night before. Insisting on sleeping in her bed. For the life of him, he couldn’t figure out how to get her to say what was wrong.
Hadn’t he told her that she meant more to him than anyone? Well, he hadn’t actually said the words, but he’d showed her. Time and again. When they’d made love. He thought they had a real connection. Was he so out of it that he didn’t know when something was real or not? He didn’t make those connections easily, but he thought he had with her.
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