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The trip to the winery went well. The couple was gracious and welcoming as they usually were, and they had a room in their upstairs area where they lived prepared for me, in case I imbibed too much and needed a rest before getting on the road. They were very sweet, and their wine was delicious. I didn’t need the room, per se, but I told them I had a headache and could use a short nap.
The headache wasn’t a lie, really. Ever since Jaz had shown up in my living room, her stomach protruding and her voice quivering, I’d had an annoying headache in the back of my eyes. When I got up from the nap, I felt a lot better and a whole lot less stressed. I bid the couple farewell, leaving my glowing review notes on their new wine in their guest book as I headed out.
When I got home, I was feeling a lot less tense. The combination of some time away, good wine, and a nap had done wonders for my mood. I had stopped by the store and picked up almond milk as well as a few other things before I got home, and when I flung the door, I noticed that Jaz’s bedroom door was standing open.
I found her in the parlor, at my desk, with my computer open. She had my email page open, and at first, rage boiled in my chest. Then I saw what she was looking at and realized it had been my fault. The emails from Kane were still up and had been since I left the computer open.
“What the hell are you doing?” I asked, some of the anger exiting my voice as I realized I had left it open, but some of it still remained.
She turned in her chair and eyed me as if I was the dumbest human being alive.
“I could ask you the same thing,” she said.
“That is my email,” I said. “Those are private correspondences. You have no right to be looking through that.”
“Oh, come on,” she said. “I’m not looking for trade secrets or anything else. When I opened the computer up, your emails were already there, including a thread with this Kane guy.”
“Yes, he’s a client,” I said.
“Is that all he is?” Jaz asked. Before I could offer an incredulous, and false, response, she continued. “I know you, Danica. I know how you are. This is a man who is interested in you, and you’re interested in him. It’s so clearly obvious by how you spoke to each other. But what the hell are you doing?”
“He’s… he’s just a client,” I stuttered. She put one hand on her hip and cocked her eyebrow at me.
“I clicked his website link. Is that him?” she asked, pointing to an image of Kane in the vineyard.
“Yes,” I said, feeling my words catch in my throat. It was the first time I had seen him since I left, and it was just as impressive as the first time. “That’s Kane.”
“You know, I thought when I read that name you were suddenly dating a wrestler, but this…” She pointed at the screen. “This is impressive. That man is delicious. You have to be an idiot to throw a man that good-looking away.”
“It’s not that easy,” I said, drawing a frustrated groan from Jaz.
“It’s never that easy. That’s what makes it worth it,” she said. “He is stupidly hot, and you’re single. What is the problem here?”
I sighed. “May I remind you that I’m about to become a mom?” I asked. “Look, I know that I left the email up, but that still doesn’t give you the right.”
“You’re being stupid,” Jaz said. “Why didn’t you tell me?”
“Why didn’t you tell me you were pregnant?” I shot back. “I’m about to become a mom, thanks to you, and that means I don’t have time to have a relationship like that. So, leave me alone about it, will you? And next time my email is up, just minimize the screen.”
With that, I headed down the hall, not even caring anymore if she was still in my email. I flung the door open and slammed it behind me. Collapsing on my bed, I held my face in my pillow, doing my best not to cry. It was one thing to fight with my sister, but it was something else entirely to fight about Kane. She was the reason I couldn’t be with him, and for her to have the gall to say what she did pissed me off.
19
Kane
“Come on, boy,” I said as I opened the door of the temporary doghouse Joker was living in while Noah finished the big one.
Joker padded out the heated mini-building and into the yard with the gate. Already, the doghouse was bigger and more impressive than any I had ever seen, but the construction still being done was impressive. Joker truly was going to live in the lap of luxury, which was awesome. But he also had a job to do, and today it would be important. He had to accompany me while I walked the vines.
