AllFreeNovel
Share Us
We’ll see.
Regardless, the email is off, and I feel that sufficient time has passed since I last spoke to Juniper that I can call her without appearing like a stalker.
That was when I bent over her sleeping form as she slumbered in my bed this morning and kissed the side of her head. She was exhausted because once we got our groove back between the sheets, not much sleep happened last night.
I’m surprised my kiss even penetrated the deep rise and fall of her chest she was so soundly under, but she opened her eyes and stared at me blearily. “Are you going to work?”
I sat on the edge of the bed near her hip, restraining myself from touching her. Because if I felt even an inch of that soft skin, I was liable to get naked and crawl back under the covers. “Want to go out to dinner tonight?”
She rubbed at her eyes and yawned. “I can just make us something here. No need to go to any trouble.”
I couldn’t help but laugh, causing me to break my vow not to touch her, only to tweak her on the nose. “I’m taking you out to a nice dinner. It’s a date. That means you don’t cook or work for our food tonight. You let me treat you to something nice.”
She grinned at me. “You know I’m a sure lay, right?”
“Yeah, I know.” I smiled back at her. “But it still doesn’t mean I won’t romance you.”
That was something I was good at when we were together. Little surprise gifts, flowers for no particular reason, taking her book shopping, or sending her cute cards that were funny but with a personal script about my deep feelings. I didn’t do any of that to make Juniper want me physically, but for her to want me emotionally.
I want that again to the same extent.
I want to do all the things for her just to see her smile the way she did this morning.
So that was three hours ago that I left the house and surely an impromptu call will seem endearingly charming, right? I glance at my watch. I’ve got an interview in twenty minutes for a new assistant athletic trainer. I’ve been interviewing for the position over the last few weeks and had just about made my decision when I received the résumé of a woman with impeccable credentials. She’s as well educated as any of the others, but she doesn’t have quite the same level of experience and that’s only because she’s female. Her sex has limited her ability to break into professional male sports but that’s not something that would stop this team, particularly with Brienne as our leader. So I want to give this woman a shot, at least offer her an interview.
Still… twenty minutes is plenty of time to chat with Juniper, even if I’ve got a million other things I could be doing. Despite the fact I want to cut out of work a bit early so I can pick up flowers for her before our dinner date.
Just a quick call.
Leaning over, I grab my phone and light it up, only to see that I have two missed calls. I keep my phone on vibrate during the day and clearly didn’t hear the subtle buzz when none other than Preston Willard attempted to reach me. He left no voicemail, that would be beneath him. He’d assume I would see his attempts and call him back.
Thoughts of calling Juniper are banished. Obviously, I’ll call Preston first. In all the years he’s been married to my mother, he’s never once called me for anything.
Not even when she had a brain bleed three and a half weeks ago.
The fact he’s calling me now tells me he thinks it’s something more important than my mother having a near-fatal fall, which means he’s likely calling me about Joshua.
I tap my phone against my chin, considering how I want to handle this. Because I’m fairly certain this only pertains to Joshua, who I couldn’t give two shits about, part of me wants to make him wait. But the part of me that’s driven to solve a problem and come out the winner wants to get this over with.
Decision made, I call Preston. Because he’s a power player in all ways, he lets the phone ring four times before he answers it. It’s his attempt to portray control, pretending that my return call isn’t all that important. I know that fucker’s been waiting for it though.
“Preston Willard,” he announces imperiously when the phone connects, even though he knows it’s me on the other end.
“I saw you called.”
“I would’ve figured you’d pick up,” he says irritably. “You’re clearly not worried about your mother.”
“I’ve called Mom every day since I left Incline Village. I’m well aware of how she’s doing. We both know you’re not calling about her so cut to the chase. I’m a busy man.”
Preston grunts in disdain but he launches into his play. “This thing with Joshua and Juniper needs to end.”
“Agreed. Have Joshua give Juniper what she’s entitled to—that would be a divorce and half of his assets—and we’ll call it a day.”
“Don’t be a smart-ass,” he censures. “And besides… Joshua doesn’t want a divorce. He wants to work things out.”
“Of course he doesn’t want a divorce. Who else will cook his meals and serve as his punching bag?”
“Careful, boy,” Preston warns in a low growl.
