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- Herausgeber: BluEyed Press
- Kategorie: Gesellschafts- und Liebesromane
- Sprache: Englisch
Xavier
The day I walked away from Karissa was the hardest day of my life. Until the mother of my newborn daughter walked out of the hospital and left both of us behind.
My daughter and I built a life, just the two of us. We were happy, and we were together. But when she started getting into trouble at high school, a change had to be made. Nothing mattered to me more than her. So, I did what I couldn’t do for Karissa. I embraced small town life.
I never expected we’d end up in Karissa’s small town. With her best friend and my best friend starting a family, and trying to make us a part of it. Keeping my distance from her was the smart thing, but I was never the smart one out of the two of us.
Karissa
I thought of myself as smart. Someone who could use her brains to figure things out. When I designed a dating app, I thought it was good. For everyone except me, apparently.
The app matched me with my ex. My ex who decided all the things he wanted in his life were the opposite of what I wanted. Small town? Nope, moving to the city. Regular job? Nope, something big and flashy. Quiet life together? Ha! That was the biggest joke of all.
He had all those things. He got the big job in the big city and lived his big life. But now he’s in my small town. He’s eating at my favorite places and making space for himself within my group of friends. He’s infiltrating my world.
But he’s not getting back inside my heart.
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Veröffentlichungsjahr: 2022
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HIS CURVY GENIUS
A SMALL TOWN CURVY GIRL ROMANCE
BOOK BOYFRIENDS WANTED
BOOK 10
MARY E THOMPSON
His Curvy Genius
Book Boyfriends Wanted, book 10
Copyright © 2022 Mary E Thompson
Cover Copyright © 2021 Mary E Thompson
Cover Photo from depositphotos, Copyright © kiuikson
Cover background from depositphotos, Copyright © tomert (lights) and Milanares (blue)
Cover watercolor stripe from depositphotos, Copyright © ronedale
Published by BluEyed Press, All Rights Reserved
No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any electronic or mechanical means, including information storage and retrieval systems, without written permission from the author, except for the use of brief quotations in a book review.
This is a work of fiction. All characters, businesses, locations, and events are either products of the author’s creative imagination or are used in a fictitious sense. Any resemblance to real persons, living or dead, is purely coincidental.
Ebook ISBN: 978-1-953879-20-2
Print ISBN: 978-1-953879-21-9
Audiobook ISBN: 978-1-953879-22-6
Created with Vellum
BOOK BOYFRIENDS WANTED
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CONTENTS
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Chapter 12
Chapter 13
Chapter 14
Chapter 15
Chapter 16
Chapter 17
Chapter 18
Chapter 19
Chapter 20
Chapter 21
Chapter 22
Chapter 23
Epilogue
About the Author
To Mary… you made this story better and I wouldn’t be the writer I am without you as a friend. Thank you!
1
KARISSA
Spending the evening with my friends was the absolute last thing I wanted to do. It wasn’t fair. I should be able to enjoy time with them. And I would if Xavier Hogan wasn’t there, too.
He made everything harder for me. Like my skin was on too tight. I was always tense, especially when I knew I’d have to face him. We’d only spoken a handful of times since he moved to town five weeks ago. No, I wasn’t counting how long he’d been in my town. My space. My life. Ugh.
I couldn’t see my closest friend and roommate, Finley, or her three-month-old son without seeing Xavier anymore. She was only home one or two nights a week, spending the others with her boyfriend, Trent, and baby George at MacKellar Estate. Not that I blamed her. Their little family was new, and she adored them, and she and Trent were getting married. I got it, but I missed my friend.
So, I sucked it up and went to their house whenever they called and invited me over. Like tonight. For Finley.
I parked next to Finley’s car in the driveway and turned off the engine. I needed a minute before I faced them. Another minute. Just to make sure I was okay.
It really wasn’t fair how great Xavier was doing. Between his adorable, sassy teenage daughter and the job Trent created for him, his life was easy. I didn’t know the full story about his ex, but I could do the math and didn’t want to know.
McJenna was fifteen. Which meant Xavier got together with her mom a few months after we broke up. Maybe. Assuming he wasn’t cheating on me when we were together. How the hell did I know? I didn’t know the man at all, apparently. If I had, I wouldn’t have been blindsided by him.
I blew out a frustrated breath and reminded myself I wasn’t there for him. I was there for Finley. And George.
I finally forced myself out of my car and went to the door. I rang the bell and waited for someone to let me in. It was a beautiful day out, sunny and gorgeous and the kind of day that made MacKellar Cove perfect in the summer. A part of me wanted to stay outside all afternoon, but then the door opened and I was beckoned inside.
“How are you?” Trent asked as he pulled me in for a hug. Trent MacKellar was a hugger. He was affectionate and friendly and seemed to think of me as family. It was weird after thinking of him as royalty most of my life, but why the hell not?
“Good. How are you guys?” I asked.
I never asked just about Trent. It felt weird. If Finley wasn’t there, I wouldn’t be either. They were a package deal in my mind because she’d still be living with me if he hadn’t pulled his head out of his ass and realized how lucky he was to have knocked Finley up out of all the women he could have accidentally gotten pregnant and been tied to forever.
“Good. Really good. Fin’s starting to talk about a normal work schedule again.”
“Really?” I asked, laughing. Finley was determined to go right back to work after George was born. She insisted she wasn’t going to be one of those women who altered their life completely when their baby came. Then George arrived. She hadn’t worked a full week since. I couldn’t blame her, but for her to talk about going back full time was definitely laughable.
“That’s what she says.”
“I’m sure her parents will be thrilled with that idea.”
Trent nodded. “Yeah, I think they’ve been working on her. But Anna’s been amazing. Finley is really grateful she’s been willing to help so much.”
“That’s what Fin told me, too. I haven’t gotten to know Anna as much, but I’m glad she was available.” Anna was a friend of a friend and started working for Finley before George arrived. She was a God-send and had definitely saved Finley’s romance only bookstore from shutting down.
“Me, too.” We walked into the kitchen, which was wide open with the back doors thrown wide to let the fresh air in. “Can I get you a drink?”
“Just a water would be great. Thanks.”
“Bottled or tap?”
“Either.”
“We have that sparkling water Finley said you like. Want one of those?”
“Sure. That would be great.” I smiled at Trent as he lit up. He was trying, and I appreciated that. We’d only just been getting to know each other when Xavier moved in, which put the brakes on Trent and I becoming better friends. I felt bad, but I couldn’t just put aside seventeen years of regret and act like nothing happened between Xavier and me. He broke me, and a part of me hadn’t recovered.
“Hi, Ms. Karissa,” McJenna said from the staircase.
I turned and smiled at the teenager. She was the only reason I tolerated Xavier besides Fin. McJenna was funny and smart and curious, and she made the times I came over much more tolerable. She liked computers and asked me a lot of questions about designing apps and expressed an interest in computers herself.
My mom was a server at a restaurant, and my dad worked at the hardware store. Neither of them knew anything about computers, so when I wanted to learn more, I had to teach myself or find the answers online. If I’d had a mentor, I think my career would have been different. I knew that wasn’t who I’d ever be for Xavier’s daughter, but I also wanted to encourage her as much as possible.
“Hi, J. How are you doing?”
She shrugged and slid onto a stool at the breakfast bar. “It’s so boring here.”
“It’s summer. It should be fun right now. Just wait until it snows and you can’t get off the property.”
“Does that really happen?” she asked, her brown eyes wide.
Trent opened and closed his mouth, then handed over my water. “It can, but it won’t happen much.”
“I don’t think I can handle that. I need to move.”
McJenna walked away, her feet dragging with each step. I snickered as I watched her go, then I caught Trent’s expression.
“Why did you tell her that?” he asked, a smile tugged at the corner of his mouth.
“It’s true, isn’t it?”
“That happened once in high school.”
I chuckled. “It’s possible.”
“She’s already been complaining because she doesn’t have friends. I know if she lived in town she’d be able to wander and meet people, but being all the way out here, she’s the weird Estate kid.”
“Like you were?”
Trent rolled his eyes. “You know how it is.”
I nodded. I did. There weren’t a lot of Black families in MacKellar Cove. Trent’s family was wealthy, and people respected money, so growing up there wasn’t as hard as it would have been in other places, but we were still the minority. And for McJenna, being new to town and living on the Estate where other kids didn’t just wander by and ask her to hang out, it would be harder to meet new people and make friends.
“Why is McJenna talking about needing to move before it snows?” Finley asked, walking inside with George in her arms.
“I need my godson,” I told her, reaching out for him with grabby hands.
Finley handed him over and raised an eyebrow at me.
I carefully avoided her gaze.
“Rissa told J summer is more fun and to enjoy it because when winter comes, we might get stuck out here.”
“You did not!” Finley gasped.
“I was joking. Sort of. She needs to go meet some kids. What about Anna’s son? Are they the same age?”
Finley shook her head. “Joey’s a year older.”
“Do we know anyone with a fifteen-year-old? How old is Goldie’s son?” Karissa asked.
“I think Paul’s fourteen,” Finley said.
“Does Valentina have a fifteen-year-old?” I asked.
Finley’s brows drew together. “I’m not sure. I know her girls are older, teenagers, but I don’t know how old they are.”
I made a mental note to stop into Cove Bakery sometime and talk to Valentina about her daughters.
“I’m going to start cooking,” Trent said. “Are you okay with that?”
Finley nodded and tilted her chin up for a kiss from him as he walked by. She smiled and watched him walk outside. He said something to McJenna we couldn’t hear, then went to the grill.
“How are you?” Finley asked me.
I smiled and focused on George. “I’m good. Busy. You know how I am.”
“I do, which is why I asked.”
I opened my mouth to tell her the truth when the reason for my hesitation cleared his throat from behind me. I clammed up, nuzzling against George’s neck and inhaling the baby smell that calmed me.
“Hello, Karissa,” Xavier said.
“Xavier.” I couldn’t bring myself to look at him, so I didn’t. I just waited until he walked outside, letting all of my attention stay on my godson.
“Are you sure you’re okay?” Finley asked.
I forced a smile neither of us believed and nodded. “Of course. Why wouldn’t I be?”
* * *
Sitting across the table from the only man, besides my father and step-father, that I ever loved was downright painful. I never thought I’d see him again when I moved back home, when he said small town life wasn’t for him and refused to come with me.
And now, he’s living a small town life. Complete with a kid of his own. Guess the joke was on me.
But I wasn’t there for him, good or bad. I was there for my best friend to celebrate the first time her newborn baby slept through the night. I didn’t know anything about kids, but apparently it was a big deal.
“I was so scared. I went in and checked three times overnight. I was sure something was wrong,” Finley said with a laugh.
“Me, too,” Trent said. He looked between Finley and the baby with so much love in his eyes it actually ached inside me.
I was happy for them. Really, truly, I was. I was there through all of their ups and downs, and I wanted Finley to have the kind of love she deserved. The kind that made everyone around them believe that love was real and it was out there for all of us.
I would have believed in it if it weren’t for the walking heartbreak across the table.
“The first night McJenna slept through the night, I did the same thing. It was a hard adjustment,” Xavier said.
“Dad,” McJenna said, drawing out the word like only a teenager could.
I forced a smile for the table. The one and only non-parent in the group. The only one who had no idea what it was like to wake up at night and wonder about the safety of another person. I’d always assumed I’d have kids one day, but one day turned into one year, and I was staring down thirty-nine on the other side of a preventative double mastectomy that left me feeling even less like a desirable woman than I ever felt before the surgery.
I didn’t regret the choice I made, but seeing my friend coo and fuss over her tiny little bundle made me think about all the things I never did.
Like find someone who wanted to live in a small town. Someone I could build a life and a family and a future with. Instead, I helped countless other people find love.
Regrets were a funny thing. My mom talked about regrets when she was close to the end of her life. Her regrets were different, but maybe that was a few extra decades and the love of not one but two amazing men that changed her. As for me, I regretted all the things I promised myself I’d do one day but didn’t.
“What are you working on these days, Karissa?” Trent asked. He was trying to be nice and bring me into the conversation, but I wasn’t really sure I wanted to be included.
“I’ve been developing something new for a client. I was approached a few months ago about it,” I told him.
“A few months? That must be a big project.” Trent understood a little about how app design worked, but not much from what I could tell. It wasn’t the most exciting topic for people who didn’t get all hot and bothered about computers.
“It is, but the pay is really good and it’s given me a place to focus my energy lately.”
“That’s always a good thing. Maybe I should have you design an app for the theater. Something to help with buying tickets or choosing seats or something.”
I pressed my lips together and nodded. I hated working with clients who thought they wanted an app but didn’t really know what they wanted. It was easier to deal with the ones who knew exactly what they were looking for. Trent hired me to design an app for Finley’s store before George was born, but I knew exactly what Finley wanted and needed. A maybe I should was never helpful.
“Can I be done?” McJenna asked. She pushed her plate away from the table and looked at her dad. Her soulful brown eyes tugged at me. I’d never be able to say no to her. Good thing I didn’t have to worry about that.
“Put your plate in the dishwasher. We don’t need to create more work for Ms. Emily.”
She nodded as she stood. Her phone was in her hand before she made it to the dishwasher in the next room, texting someone.
“I don’t know how we’re going to deal with all that,” Trent said to Finley. “I don’t think I’m ready for a teenager.”
Finley snorted. “I think that’s why they start out small. By the time we have a teenager, we’ll be able to handle it.”
“I hope so. It does not look like a lot of fun to me.”
“Especially when you drag your kid across the state to a place she doesn’t know and people she doesn’t know. I’m pretty sure she hates me,” Xavier said. He leaned back in his chair and sighed.
“She agreed to it. She’ll be fine. I hated growing up here, but it’s a good place for families. And she can’t get into as much trouble here,” Trent said.
His tone was light, but his words were loaded. I wanted to ask what kind of trouble she got into before they moved, but I didn’t have the right.
“Maybe not, but she’ll try.”
“Are you guys ready for dessert?” Finley asked loudly. “Karissa brought cake.”
“I could definitely go for some cake,” Trent said. “Thanks. We’re glad you could be here tonight. I know we’re boring and only talk about baby stuff, but we want you to be comfortable coming over here whenever you want to.”
“Thanks,” I told him. I would never feel comfortable going to his house, but I would try. For Finley, I would try.
“I also really hope you two can get along again. I know you were friends in college, but—”
“Friends?” I asked, turning to look at Xavier. “You told him we were friends?”
He shrugged like that was the best descriptor for what we’d been to each other.
“Did I say something wrong?” Trent asked.
I huffed a laugh. “No. No, you didn’t say anything wrong. But I think us being ‘friends’ again is going to be a high bar. I mean, maybe I’m wrong, but a prefer to be friends with people I can trust. People I can count on. People who don’t spend three years planning a future with me only to decide, out of the blue, that all the times we talked about getting married and building a life together was just fiction.”
“That’s not fair, and you know it. I told you I didn’t want to live in a small town. That there weren’t a lot of job opportunities there.”
“Yeah, and then you said we could try it.”
“I said maybe we could try it. Maybe. In the end, it wasn’t for me.”
“But it is now?”
Xavier glared across the table at me. “My life has changed a lot in the last seventeen years.”
“Well, I hope you’re happy with all the changes in your life. Funny enough, my life hasn’t changed all that much. But this is my small town. This is where I live. This is my home. And I’ll be damned if you’re going to make me feel like I don’t belong here.”
“I never—”
I stood and turned away from him. “I apologize for running out, Trent, but I seem to have lost my appetite. Fin, I’ll catch ya!”
“Rissa,” Finley tried.
“Nope. I’m good. Love you.”
“Love you,” she said.
I let myself out and drove home alone to my condo on the other side of the cove. A year ago, I never would have thought I’d be living alone or living in the same town as Xavier Hogan. Life definitely didn’t go the way we planned. Ever.
2
XAVIER
I watched Karissa run toward the door and sighed. Dammit. It had been weeks, and I hadn’t made any headway with her. And now…
“Sorry, man. I didn’t know she’d take offense to that word,” Trent said.
I nodded. I knew. Friends was not even close to what Karissa and I were to each other. But when Trent asked me about her, McJenna was there and there was only so much I could say.
Judging by the look on Finley’s face, she got it, but she was on Karissa’s side, which meant I was even deeper in the doghouse.
I sipped my wine and let dessert happen around me. I ate the cake Karissa left behind, groaning in ecstasy and wishing I could tell her how much I enjoyed it. She was creative with her baking in college, but nothing came close to the delectable cake in front of me.
“Can I go into town tomorrow?” McJenna asked, drawing my attention back to the table. She’d joined us again when she heard there was dessert to be had.
“Sure. What do you want to do? I can take you after work.” I pushed my plate away and leaned back to look at my daughter.
She scrunched up her face and, for an instant, reminded me of her mother. Denise was quick-witted and funny, but she knew her tongue was sharp and would hold back. Not always, but when she did, she made the same face.
“What is it?” I asked, knowing J wanted to say something I wasn’t going to like.
“I kind of want to go by myself,” she mumbled.
“By yourself?” I arched a brow at my one and only child and wondered if she’d lost her damn mind. Nope, I didn’t need to wonder. She clearly had.
“Yeah. You keep telling me this is a safe town and that it’s a good place and all these things, but you hover around me like we’re in the worst parts of the city in the middle of the night.”
I stared at my daughter, my mouth opening and closing like a dying fish. She was right. I didn’t like it, but she was right. I had been hovering, and I didn’t trust her. I didn’t trust anyone. Not with my kid. She was mine, and the only other person on the planet who was supposed to love her as much as I did deserted both of us. How could I trust someone else?
“Why don’t you come to my store?” Finley suggested. “Maybe you can ride with me in the morning? There are a few shops close by. Cracked is down the street, and Blake’s working. You can wander but have places to go if you get bored or need a backup plan.”
I glared at Finley, but there was no heat behind it. She was helping, and I appreciated it, but I wasn’t ready for my baby to leave the nest. Even if the nest wasn’t mine.
“Please, Dad?” McJenna said. She smiled up at me, her baby features no longer visible as the young woman she’d become when I was too busy to notice pleaded with me.
“Fine,” I said, not liking the whole thing but knowing I had to accept it. She was right. I chose to move to MacKellar Cove for her. To get her away from the less than stellar life she was living in Niagara Falls. She didn’t have friends there, not good ones, and leaving meant a fresh start. It was good.
Moving to the town where Karissa lived was just a bonus. A pretty big bonus but still.
Finley and J made plans for when they would leave the next morning. I had a full day at the theater, which meant I wasn’t going to be around or available if J needed something.
My circle was getting bigger. I didn’t like it.
I cleaned up the dishes from dessert and started the dishwasher. I covered what was left of Karissa’s cake and put it in the fridge. Then I went to the patio to tell everyone I was heading upstairs.
“It’s not that late yet. You’re already going to bed?” Trent asked.
I nodded. “I have to be in early tomorrow. I want to walk through a few things before the contractors show up. They’re coming at six.”
“That is early. I didn’t realize. We could have planned this for another night.” Trent looked at Finley for confirmation.
Finley lifted George over her shoulder and patted his back. “Yeah, we definitely could have. I’m sorry.”
“It’s no big deal. Thanks for taking J tomorrow.” I leaned down and kissed the top of my daughter’s head. “Be good for Finley. And get some sleep tonight.”
“I will,” she said as she dodged any further attention. “I’m going to go to my room.”
I stood and nodded to my best friend and soon-to-be bride and followed my daughter up the stairs just as George started to fuss.
I said good night to J again and continued past her to my room. She waved without looking up, her nose in her phone.
I closed my bedroom door and groaned. My room was supposed to be an oasis, but it felt more like a prison. I owed everything to Trent, but that reliance on him was starting to feel like I was taking advantage of him. For years, our relationship felt unbalanced, but whenever I brought it up, he insisted he thought of us as family and wanted us around. It would destroy McJenna to move out of Trent’s estate, but it was time for me to stand on my own two feet. Nothing reminded me of that more than walking into a newly decorated room that I had zero attachment to.
* * *
The house was quiet when I got up. I showered in my private bathroom and snuck out, making sure I reset the alarm after I disarmed it.
The sleepy town of MacKellar Cove was dead so early. No one was out. I had to admit it was peaceful, even if the quiet gave me too much time to think sometimes.
The old theater was right in the center of town. Trent said it was a popular hangout when he was in high school, but it was definitely not maintained. Which was why we were doing a complete remodel. I wasn’t so sure about running it, but I didn’t have anything else to do, so I was jumping in with both feet and hoping I could pull it off.
The crew was nowhere to be seen when I arrived, but a silver sedan told me my assistant was already there.
I let myself into the front door, the door we all used for safety reasons, and found Genevieve sitting behind the counter with her computer open, typing away. She didn’t bother to look up, just pointed toward the coffeepot and baked goods. Neither of us were fans of the morning and had learned over the last few weeks to coexist but not interact unless absolutely necessary.
I started to feel awake after my breakfast. I took my time walking through the site and getting a feel for the progress we’d made so far. Trent didn’t give me a budget to work off of, but I was determined not to go overboard, especially once Genevieve laid out the income projections for the theater. With two screens and the reality of a small town, sticking to a budget was not optional. It was required.
The projection rooms were at the top of the list for renovation. Technology had changed so much that having a projector was no longer necessary. Movies were digital, which meant new equipment and a room that was clean and secure. Thankfully, it was cheap to do. The theaters themselves were going to be a different story.
The screens left hanging in the theaters were useless without a projector. They were also uneven and dirty. Getting rid of them was an easy decision. Finding replacements was not so easy. Neither was finding replacements for the seating.
A knock on the door had me returning to the front of the theater just in time to see Genevieve let the crew in. She tilted her chin back to accept a kiss from Teddy, one of the men on the crew and her husband.
“Are you awake yet?” Teddy asked her.
Genevieve shook her head and shuffled back to her seat behind the counter.
Teddy chuckled and followed the rest of the crew into the first theater.
“Today’s the day,” David said.
I nodded.
“And you’re sure about this?”
I looked over the sea of seats and nodded. We couldn’t leave them in. Even though I hadn’t found replacements that were anywhere close to the budget I’d set, I couldn’t leave the old seats in place. They were worn out and dirty. They squeaked every time they were moved. And they would ruin the entire experience of going to the theater if they were still there once everything else was finished.
“Okay,” David said. “We’ll yank them all out.”
I stood back and watched as he addressed his crew. He paired them into teams to work on the rows of seats. Each section was four seats together as one piece. Getting them out was not going to be an easy process.
“Have you thought about tables?” Genevieve asked. I didn’t hear her walk over, but she was standing next to me.
“Tables? In a movie theater?”
“Yep. I haven’t been in one like that, but I’ve heard about them.”
“I thought people wanted to relax. All the big theaters have those huge reclining chairs and wide aisles.”
“I know, but why do we have to do the same thing?”
I looked at her and tried to make sense of it. We were doing the same thing. We were showing movies. Why would someone want to watch a movie from an uncomfortable chair? Especially when they could go twenty minutes away and find a theater with the expensive recliners.
“It’s okay,” Genevieve said. “I was just thinking out loud. I thought it seemed like a fun idea. Especially if you themed the two theaters. One for families and one for adults only.”
“What does that mean?” I asked. “Adults only? We’re not showing porn.”
Genevieve laughed. “I didn’t suggest that, but glad to know that’s where your mind goes, boss. I meant you could serve alcohol and offer food and make it more of a dinner and a show kind of thing. Instead of just candy and popcorn.”
I stared at the open space. There were no steps that would limit how we set up the theater. The ground was sloped, but we could work with that. It was definitely an option.
“Dinner and a show? I think I like that. Let’s look at photos of other theaters and we’ll talk. Tables and chairs should be easier to find than theater seats. And cheaper.”
“I agree.”
I walked away as the idea rolled around in my head. It would definitely make the theater unique. And would create an appeal other local theaters didn’t have. It could be a great selling point.
David’s crew worked through the day, removing the seats from one theater until it was all bare floor. Once they left, I walked around, checking for holes and marks that would need to be repaired, marking them all with spray paint so nothing was missed later. The sticky floor was worse where seats had covered the mess left behind by years of neglect and not enough cleaning.
“Do you need me to stick around any longer?” Genevieve asked long past time for her to have gone home.
“Nope. We’ll start to make a plan tomorrow and source some seating. Thanks for your help today.”
“You’re welcome. I’m excited to see this place open again. It’s been too long. Make sure you get out of here tonight. Your kid needs to see your face.”
I smiled and thanked her. She was right, but I wanted to finish just a few more things.
I went through the websites Genevieve sent me earlier of theaters set up for a show instead of just a movie. One of them had live performances in addition to movies, but I didn’t think that would be a huge draw in a place like MacKellar Cove. I couldn’t fathom very many people willing to perform for a small town audience.
The fourth place I looked at made me sit up and really pay attention to the design. It was eclectic with mismatched seating. Each table was different and none of the chairs matched. I loved it on sight, but I wasn’t sure if Trent would go for something so outside the box. Getting him to agree to tables and chairs was going to be a big enough leap, to have them all different might make his head pop off.
But I saw the quaint quirkiness of it and knew it was the right move. Getting a liquor license might not be easy, but Trent should have some pull. And if we couldn’t get a liquor license, we could allow people to bring in their own alcohol.
I never would have thought of any of it without Genevieve, but she was right. It was definitely going to make a difference.
After making a few more notes, I finally packed up and left the theater. The sun was sinking, telling me I’d worked too many hours yet again. I didn’t intend to work twelve-hour days, but I couldn’t let the work drag on. I needed the theater to open so it could start bringing in money so I would know I was contributing. Not that Trent needed the money, but I needed to know I wasn’t being a drain on him. Not anymore.
The house was lit up and loud when I got home. George was screaming at the top of his lungs, and Finley was crying. I stopped at the edge of the kitchen, wondering what in the hell happened, and caught Trent’s gaze.
“Everything okay?”
Trent shook his head. “George has been crying most of the day. Finley didn’t even go to work today because he woke up screaming, and we couldn’t get him to calm down.”
“Gas? Colic? New food?” I asked, pulling the things that upset McJenna from deep in my memory. Those years were a blur at the time, but now, I hated that they were gone. I would have loved to have had more kids. Especially with Karissa, but that wasn’t in the cards. Not then.
“We don’t know. It’s been a long damn day.”
“Why didn’t you call me?”
“You were working.”
“You still could have called.” I reached for George. Finley handed him over without hesitation. I flipped him onto my forearm and patted his back gently. He kept screaming.
“I need a minute,” Finley said. “I’m sorry. I just need a minute.”
I nodded and walked the baby out to the patio. He kept screaming, but I kept patting his back and moving around. I supported his head in my hand and rocked and bounced him.
“This has been the worst day yet,” Trent said, following me onto the patio. “He’s just been screaming. He hasn’t been like this before. I thought Finley was going to walk out.”
“She wouldn’t. She’s not the same.”
Trent didn’t reply, but he didn’t have to. McJenna’s mom walked out after a day like the one they were having. She couldn’t handle being a mom at all, but she definitely couldn’t handle a crying baby. Finley was not like that. Finley always looked at George with love in her eyes. Denise never looked at McJenna that way.
As I rocked and bounced, George started to quiet down. I felt his belly roll, like gas was working its way somewhere. He let out a loud fart, then whimpered and farted again.
“Damn, dude,” Trent said, staring at his son. “No wonder he was upset. We tried that, but it didn’t help.”
“He just wanted to share it with me. But now it’s time for Daddy to take over.” The stench was filling the air and making me choke.
“Oh, man. Are you sure you don’t want to finish the job?”
I laughed as Trent took his son. “You know I would if you needed me to.”
“Yeah, I know,” Trent said as he cradled his son against his chest. “I got it.”
I watched them walk away and missed those moments. I missed my kid. She was growing up far too fast and it wouldn’t be long before she was moving out.
Damn.
I took the stairs and knocked on the closed door to McJenna’s room. I let myself in when she called out. “How was your day?”
“I didn’t do anything. Finley didn’t go to work, so I sat in here all day. This place sucks, Dad.”
“J,” I warned.
“Sorry, but Dad, what am I supposed to do? I don’t know anyone. And if I can’t go out, I’m not going to meet anyone. Maybe we shouldn’t have left.”
“You hated it there.”
She grunted.
I got it. Nothing was good. And watching Finley and Trent create their own family was making my kid feel like she was a burden. An afterthought.
“It’ll get better, J. I promise.”
“You said that before, Dad.”
She was right. I did. One day I would be right.
3
KARISSA
I read through the latest email from Maxwell Robertson and put the finishing touches on my proposal. I checked the clock on my computer and switched over to the meeting request he sent me. When it was one minute to the meeting time, I clicked the link to join and waited.
I pasted a smile on my face and stared straight at the screen, waiting for him to appear. When he did, I waved. “Hello, Mr. Robertson. How are you?”
“Good morning, Ms. Thomas. I’m well. How are you?”
“Good, thank you.”
“Good, good. I know we were supposed to talk about your proposal today, but we have decided to go with another designer.” His dark gaze avoided the screen for a moment, like he was looking at someone on the other side of the computer.
I flinched, my smile slipping. My eyes narrowed, and I tilted my head. “Excuse me?” We were having a meeting to discuss my proposal. The proposal he hadn’t even heard yet.
“We’ve been doing our due diligence on all the designers we’ve spoken to, and your name came up with a colleague.” His beard twitched when he spoke. It was peppered with gray in the dark brown, and his dark skin was weathered and loose around his eyes. I thought he looked kind when we spoke the first time, but now I saw him in a very different way.
“Um, okay?”
“We understand this is a competitive business, but the colleague was unable to give us a positive recommendation for you.”
I wracked my brain to think of who might have given me a bad recommendation and only one name came to mind. It had been years since we worked together, but I’d heard a rumor lately that he was in danger of closing his business because of trouble with the app I designed for him. An app he refused to hire me to maintain.
“So, you’re not willing to hear my proposal based on the word of one colleague? I would assume any reasonable business person would want to hear from more than one colleague. I would be happy to give you the names of some of my clients who’ve agreed to be references for me.”
“That won’t be necessary. We have already awarded the contract to someone else.”
My brows shot up. I wanted to tell him exactly what I thought of his business practices, but instead I said, “Well, thank you for letting me know. I wish you the best of luck.”
I hung up before he was able to reply.
Fuck.
