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“Are you saying she likes you?”
“I wouldn’t go so far as to say that.” We might be physically attracted to each other, and she might be seeking lessons, but twice now, in her most disgusted voice, I heard her say something about men in power all being alike. I’m not sure what she means by that and I hope she’s not lumping me into the same category as her last asshole boss, who wanted more than she was willing to give. What’s between us is consensual. That much I’m sure of. I wouldn’t make her do anything she didn’t want to, and the French maid outfit was her doing, not mine. I must say I’m growing quite accustomed to her attire.
“That doesn’t change the fact that you should get out of the house, go do something fun.”
Yesterday I did something fun...and I didn’t even have to leave the house.
I chuckle softly.
“Something funny?” she asks.
“No.” I quickly straighten. “I do have to go check on the middle school and get to Granddad’s resort. There are some staffing situations I need to look into.”
“When are you going to take that stick out of your ass?”
My head jerks back. “What the hell, Summer?”
“Motherhood. It changes you.” She laughs. “What I’m trying to say is checking progress at the school and the resort is not fun.”
“It needs to be done.”
“Lots of things need to get done. I need to bake a zillion cupcakes for Jules’s party. It’ll happen but not today. Get it?”
“I don’t like to procrastinate.”
“And you like rules. I know, I know.” I can almost hear her rolling her eyes at me. Oh yeah, motherhood has definitely changed her. “But sometimes rules are made to be broken. Sometimes really good things happen when they are,” she says, a hint of mischief in her tone.
“Summer—”
Her exaggerated sigh cuts me off. “Do we want to talk about the stick again?”
“No.”
“Okay, then. Go do something that doesn’t need to be done. What about running the ninety-nine steps at Charlotte Amalie? Granddad said you used to love to do that. And take Khloe with you. She deserves fun for having to put up with you. That in itself is just cruel.”
“Why don’t you tell me what you really think,” I say, and shake my head.
“Fine then. Get your pasty white ass out of the house, and go do something fun for a change.”
“Pasty white ass? Jeez, I love you, too.”
“Love you, Will. Now go, do what I say. Doctor’s orders.”
“Fine, fine.” I end the call and drop my phone onto my desk.
Curses reach my ears along with a lot of banging and clanging.
“Khloe,” I call out.
She appears at my door, blinking innocently. “Yes, sir?”
I take a deep breath and work to keep the blood in my brain. “I have to run some errands. It’s a beautiful day. I thought I could show you around Saint Thomas. Unless, of course, you prefer to stay here and abuse the vacuum.”
“Your vacuum hates me.”
“Vacuums can’t hate, and it’s brand-new. You broke the last one, remember?”
“I remember.” She plants a hand on one hip and sticks it out. “Then why won’t it turn on?”
