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“Sure thing.”
“Wait a minute!” Isabelle said in an over loud voice. “You two are not the boss of me.”
Gray sounded very amused when he said, “I am, too, the boss of you. Settle down. Let us help. This idiot called your work number, which means I’m already involved, right?”
Isabelle didn’t have an argument for that. Besides, she wanted to be protected. She wanted Warrick’s permanent protection. “Fine. Why did you call in the first place?”
She heard a chuckle. “The truth is, I heard Warrick was in the building, and I wanted to be amusing.”
Warrick responded, “Yeah, you’re quite the comedian.” He then pushed the button to end the call abruptly on Gray’s laughter.
Isabelle looked into Warrick’s serious expression, softening. “I’m sorry.”
“For what?”
“For before. For being emotional and difficult.”
“No need to be sorry for that. You’re allowed to be emotional and you aren’t being difficult. I’m sorry for being such a bastard.”
“You’re not a bastard. A bastard would have led me on for however long this relationship lasted, insisting a permanent future was possible right before leaving me crying at the altar someday.”
His expression was even. Unreadable. After a few seconds of staring at her, he lifted his hand and brushed a strand of hair from her brow, securing it behind her ear with great care. “The truth is, you make me want to change my evil, wicked, almost bastard ways.”
“I’m not going to push my luck,” she said. “Thank you for being concerned. Thank you for tracing the number.”
“You’re welcome.”
“Hopefully it’s simply a prank call or a wrong number.”
He nodded. “Maybe.”
There was a brief knock at her door, right before it opened. They pulled apart with guilt written all over their faces as Jessica entered, her gaze centered on the papers she held and not Isabelle’s company. “Hey, Isabelle, did you see last week’s occupancy numbers…” She didn’t look up until she ran right into Warrick. “Whoa. Sorry. I didn’t know anyone else was in here.”
Warrick squeezed Isabelle’s arm once before moving to the door to exit.
“I can come back later—”
“No.” Warrick stopped her. “I was just leaving. See you tomorrow night, Isabelle.”
She smiled and nodded, and then he closed the door.
Jessica looked like she was about to apologize again, but Isabelle said, “Thank you for coming in.”
“Difficult discussion?”
“At first, but hopefully we’re back on track for the moment.”
“Difficult because he sent the kiss-off bouquet?” she asked, answering her own question.
Isabelle nodded. “For my part, yes. He’s not breaking up with me. Yet. But I know it’s coming eventually.”
“Maybe not.”
“No. I don’t have any illusions. He and Colton have been very straightforward. Given what almost happened to you with your ex-fiancé, I truly appreciate the honesty.”
“But…?” Jessica’s eyebrows lifted.
“But unfortunately, that doesn’t make my keen desire for them lessen, nor does it allow my heart to sidestep the coming pain. Not even a little bit.”
Jessica narrowed her eyes and said, “I say don’t worry until you have to. You never know what will happen.”
Isabelle faked a grin and let her think she would try that route. But knew in her soon-to-be-wounded heart that it didn’t matter.
Whenever the time came, and the relationship ended, she’d mourn the loss all the way to her wounded soul for a very, very long time.
Foreseeable heartbreak was also difficult to manage as it turned out.
* * * *
Colton entered Warrick’s house with a bone to pick. He found his friend on the sun porch, although the sun had fallen past the horizon awhile back.
“I didn’t know you were coming over tonight,” Warrick said, sounding like he’d been drinking.
“Didn’t know I was either until a little while ago.” He’d been in town at the convenience store picking up batteries, and overheard a conversation between the flower shop owner and the store clerk.
They hadn’t seen him, but he figured out quickly that they were talking about the both of them after listening in for a few minutes, confirming his suspicions after hearing Warrick’s name.
“What’s up?” Warrick asked. His friend rarely drank so much his speech was impacted, but tonight must be that odd occasion. Bad day at the office?
