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“Do you hear a fire alarm?”
“You don’t have pictures on the wall,” I snap at him. “How crazy is it for me to assume you probably didn’t put new batteries in the smoke detectors when you moved in?”
“Shit,” he mumbles under his breath, telling me my assumptionwas right.
“Do the boys know the fire plan? Shit, Chase, did you buy some of those quick release ladders for the upstairs?”
I’m rambling at this point because honestly, I don’t think he’d stand there and argue with me if the house were actually on fire. I attempt to stand again, my feet carrying me a few feet before they wobble.
“Would you just chill out?” he hisses, taking a step toward me as if he fully intends to catch me if I fall.
“Why are you barging in here on my day off if there isn’t an emergency?” I wave my hand at him, telling him to leave me alone.
I swear I won’t be responsible for my reaction if the man puts his hands on me.
“Madison!”
I pull a smile to my lips at the blur of child as he runs into the room.
“Good morning, Cale,” I say as he climbs on my bed and vaults himself into my arms.
Thankfully, I’m awake enough now to catch him.
“I’m Cole!” he says with a wide grin.
“You can’t fool me, little one,” I tell him with a laugh as I swipe my finger on his cheek. “Cole has a cute little freckle right here.”
He chuckles at me proving he isn’t his brother. The boys have a familial resemblance, but they’re also so different I don’t know how anyone would be able to confuse the two of them.
“Will you sit beside me on the plane?”
I tilt my head. “The plane?”
I look from the child to his father.
“Plane?” I ask again.
“We leave in less than an hour. If you hadn’t distracted—” He clears his throat. “If I didn’t get distracted last night, I would’ve remembered to tell you.”
I narrow my eyes, only partially glad he changed the direction he was taking that sentence. He has a lot of nerve to think so damned highly of himself where I’m concerned. It’s a solid red flag if ever I’ve seen one.
“We have a trip to Detroit this morning. I have meetings I can’t reschedule. Come on, Cale. You need breakfast before we leave.”
I release Cale as he starts to climb out of my arms.
Chase guides him out of the room but turns back in my direction at the last minute. “I’ll pay you extra for the loss of personal time because I need your help today. Please pack as quickly as you can. It’s only one overnight. You won’t need much.”
He closes the door softlybehind him.
His words were soft and vulnerable as if it took a lot out of him to admit that he couldn’t do something entirely on his own. It makes me wonder how dependent he was on Emily, and it raises even more questions as to why he’s here and she’s not. Why would he move all the way to Texas and her not demand that she be able to be close to her boys? Someone would have to pry my children from my hands, and I’d scream, cuss, and fight the entire time.
I cringe at the sight of my reflection in the mirror. The goblin I never wanted to be in front of a man who is always surrounded by beautiful women stares back at me.
I swipe at the dried drool on the side of my mouth. Part of me wants to cry, but I know I just don’t have the time.
I manage to get ready and throw some stuff into the bag I should’ve unpacked last night but didn’t, in less than fifty minutes, but Chase isn’t impressed when I make it downstairs in less than the hour he gave me.
Maybe he isn’t a morning person, but that doesn’t bode well for those early-rising customers at the store.
