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“I’m sorry, Calla. I feel even worse now.”
“That’s the thing. I’d give it all back in a heartbeat if it meant Beau was sitting here beside me. But that can’t happen any more than you can change the fact your family is wealthy.”
“The plane ticket drove it home. I didn’t earn the money I have. If I had to live on my salary, I couldn’t do it. I mean, this morning, I tipped a guy three hundred bucks to get my clothes washed so I could get back here in an hour. Three hundred bucks!”
I bumped him with my shoulder. “Instead of calling me to say you’d be by later. Better yet, you could’ve just stayed.”
“See? God, I’m such an asshole.”
“You’re not an asshole, Spider. If you were, I’d be the first to call you out on it.”
“Ain’t that the truth?” He laughed, and I nudged him with my shoulder again.
“Next time, just let me wash your clothes.”
“Will there be a next time, Calla?”
“Maybe not with that much vodka.”
“What about that much kissing?”
“I’m not sure.”
“I shouldn’t have said that, and not just because it sounded stupid.” He shook his head. “There’s something I need to tell you.”
“Go ahead.”
“I talked to Rile. Before him, I talked to Decker.”
“What about?”
“I told Ashford I’d be open to working with them if the opportunity presented itself.”
“How did that turn into a conversation with Rile?”
“He called and asked me to help get you to the party.”
“You didn’t. I mean, I decided to go before you offered join me.”
“I know. I just didn’t want you to think I was trying to pull something.”
That he admitted it, meant a lot to me. Behind his penchant for self-deprecation was a really good guy. I leaned over and kissed his cheek. “Thanks for telling me.”
When he lay back on the pool deck, I did the same. The next thing I felt was his fingers brushing mine.
“I really like you, Calla. I don’t want to mess things up between us.”
I turned to my side so I was facing him. “I lost Beau four years ago. To some, that may seem like a long time.”
“But it isn’t to you.”
“Last night—this morning—I don’t want you to think I’m ready to move on yet.”
“Yet?”
“I didn’t misspeak.”
“I guess I can hang with that.”
