When You're Back
Page 26
He chuckled. “Yeah, I guess it is.”
During our breakfast, I told him everything I had wanted to tell him last night. He told me about his day, although I felt like he was leaving something out. It was in his eyes. And he never told me what Aida had come over for.
That bothered me.
The morning had gone by quickly. Piper was busy with one lesson after another, and I had to go out and help her do some cleaning and brush down the horses. She’d explained how to do it and showed me once yesterday, and I had picked it up quickly. I was feeling very accomplished by the time lunchtime rolled around.
I hadn’t packed a big lunch today, and I was starving. My turkey sandwich and apple would not be enough. I wanted a big, thick hamburger and a large order of fries. Not that my butt needed it, but I sure wanted it. Maybe even some chocolate chip cookies. I would have to use my imagination and eat the sandwich I’d brought and pretend it was something yummier.
“You have something to eat?” Piper asked, sticking her head through the doorway.
Not what I wanted. “Yes,” I replied.
“Good. Take your lunch break. I’m headed up to the house to meet Arthur for lunch. See you later this afternoon.”
I nodded, and she closed the door behind her. Sighing, I pulled out my paper bag and set it on my desk. Tomorrow I would prepare a huge lunch. Something delicious. Something wonderful.
The door opened again, and I looked up, expecting to see Piper again, but it wasn’t my boss. It was someone else. Someone I did not want to see.
“Piper just left for lunch,” I said, sounding more annoyed than necessary.
Captain grinned, and I noticed his dimple again. Were guys supposed to have dimples like that? It was a deep one.
“Brought lunch,” he said, holding up a large paper bag. Much bigger than mine.
“I didn’t ask for lunch,” I snapped.
My attitude didn’t deter him. He walked into the office and closed the door behind him. “No, you didn’t, but I was getting mine, and I thought what the hell. Do something nice for someone today, Captain.” He set the bag on my desk. The smell of something mouthwatering hit my nose. Much better than my sandwich. “So when I ordered the best damn burger in Texas, I decided to get two and bring one to you. Day two on the job, figured you needed a treat.”
He had brought me a burger. Was he kidding me? Did this man read minds?
When he placed the large box in front of me, I was pretty sure I was drooling. It smelled amazing. He was just being nice. Who was I to turn down a lunch that I had just been dreaming about?
“I was expecting more snarky comments. Possibly a threat to throw the damn burger right in my face. That kind of thing,” Captain said, sounding smug.
I should have done all those things, but I wanted the food. The idea of eating my turkey sandwich now was just sad.
“To sweeten the deal, I got you a slice of strawberry cake,” he added. Not chocolate chip cookies, but that was a good substitute. He opened my box as if I couldn’t do it.
“You win. I’m starving.”
He laughed then. A real laugh. Not one that was all-knowing or assholish. I liked his laugh. It wasn’t bad. Not nearly as annoying as he was in general.
“Well, thank you. This means my good deed for the day is complete and I can go about my business being a bastard.”
This time, I laughed.
When he pulled up a chair and started opening up his food, I realized he was staying. I wasn’t sure about that. It seemed a little too familiar. We weren’t friends. We weren’t anything.
“Just eat, Reese. I’m not going to come across the table and grab you. I’m just eating before my food gets cold.”
Right. OK.
I watched as he picked up his burger and took a bite. It looked so good. I pushed my concerns aside and did the same.
We ate in silence, and I decided this was OK. Not weird at all. And the burger was the best thing I’d put in my mouth. The fries were also fulfilling my fantasies. When I had almost finished, he spoke again.
“You hang out at home alone last night? Since your man was off getting coffee with his cousin?”
He’d gone to get coffee with her? I had thought she was crying. They’d stayed out late having coffee? “She was upset. He was trying to comfort her,” I said, pushing the food away. I wasn’t hungry anymore. Not even the temptation of the strawberry cake appealed to me.
“Uhhh, she didn’t seem upset when I saw them. I even saw him laugh. Shame he left you at home at night. It was your first day at work. He should have been there with you.”
“Stop it,” I said, standing up and putting distance between us. I didn’t want to listen to him voice my own fears. It was enough for me to hear them in my head.
He closed his box and leaned back in his chair to look at me. “You don’t deal well with the truth, do you?”
“I’m fine with the truth,” I replied, my voice rising. He was getting to me. He was making me angry again. He was good at that.
“Then why does me telling you what I saw and how I think it was wrong upset you? I’m just speaking the truth. Any man who has you at home should keep his ass right there with you.”
No, no, no. I was not listening to this. He was saying these things to make me doubt Mase. I would not doubt Mase. I’d done that once and almost ruined everything. “He felt bad for leaving me. He apologized over and over and even made me breakfast this morning. Mase is a good man. He loves me. Stop trying to make me doubt him.”
During our breakfast, I told him everything I had wanted to tell him last night. He told me about his day, although I felt like he was leaving something out. It was in his eyes. And he never told me what Aida had come over for.
That bothered me.
The morning had gone by quickly. Piper was busy with one lesson after another, and I had to go out and help her do some cleaning and brush down the horses. She’d explained how to do it and showed me once yesterday, and I had picked it up quickly. I was feeling very accomplished by the time lunchtime rolled around.
I hadn’t packed a big lunch today, and I was starving. My turkey sandwich and apple would not be enough. I wanted a big, thick hamburger and a large order of fries. Not that my butt needed it, but I sure wanted it. Maybe even some chocolate chip cookies. I would have to use my imagination and eat the sandwich I’d brought and pretend it was something yummier.
“You have something to eat?” Piper asked, sticking her head through the doorway.
Not what I wanted. “Yes,” I replied.
“Good. Take your lunch break. I’m headed up to the house to meet Arthur for lunch. See you later this afternoon.”
I nodded, and she closed the door behind her. Sighing, I pulled out my paper bag and set it on my desk. Tomorrow I would prepare a huge lunch. Something delicious. Something wonderful.
The door opened again, and I looked up, expecting to see Piper again, but it wasn’t my boss. It was someone else. Someone I did not want to see.
“Piper just left for lunch,” I said, sounding more annoyed than necessary.
Captain grinned, and I noticed his dimple again. Were guys supposed to have dimples like that? It was a deep one.
“Brought lunch,” he said, holding up a large paper bag. Much bigger than mine.
“I didn’t ask for lunch,” I snapped.
My attitude didn’t deter him. He walked into the office and closed the door behind him. “No, you didn’t, but I was getting mine, and I thought what the hell. Do something nice for someone today, Captain.” He set the bag on my desk. The smell of something mouthwatering hit my nose. Much better than my sandwich. “So when I ordered the best damn burger in Texas, I decided to get two and bring one to you. Day two on the job, figured you needed a treat.”
He had brought me a burger. Was he kidding me? Did this man read minds?
When he placed the large box in front of me, I was pretty sure I was drooling. It smelled amazing. He was just being nice. Who was I to turn down a lunch that I had just been dreaming about?
“I was expecting more snarky comments. Possibly a threat to throw the damn burger right in my face. That kind of thing,” Captain said, sounding smug.
I should have done all those things, but I wanted the food. The idea of eating my turkey sandwich now was just sad.
“To sweeten the deal, I got you a slice of strawberry cake,” he added. Not chocolate chip cookies, but that was a good substitute. He opened my box as if I couldn’t do it.
“You win. I’m starving.”
He laughed then. A real laugh. Not one that was all-knowing or assholish. I liked his laugh. It wasn’t bad. Not nearly as annoying as he was in general.
“Well, thank you. This means my good deed for the day is complete and I can go about my business being a bastard.”
This time, I laughed.
When he pulled up a chair and started opening up his food, I realized he was staying. I wasn’t sure about that. It seemed a little too familiar. We weren’t friends. We weren’t anything.
“Just eat, Reese. I’m not going to come across the table and grab you. I’m just eating before my food gets cold.”
Right. OK.
I watched as he picked up his burger and took a bite. It looked so good. I pushed my concerns aside and did the same.
We ate in silence, and I decided this was OK. Not weird at all. And the burger was the best thing I’d put in my mouth. The fries were also fulfilling my fantasies. When I had almost finished, he spoke again.
“You hang out at home alone last night? Since your man was off getting coffee with his cousin?”
He’d gone to get coffee with her? I had thought she was crying. They’d stayed out late having coffee? “She was upset. He was trying to comfort her,” I said, pushing the food away. I wasn’t hungry anymore. Not even the temptation of the strawberry cake appealed to me.
“Uhhh, she didn’t seem upset when I saw them. I even saw him laugh. Shame he left you at home at night. It was your first day at work. He should have been there with you.”
“Stop it,” I said, standing up and putting distance between us. I didn’t want to listen to him voice my own fears. It was enough for me to hear them in my head.
He closed his box and leaned back in his chair to look at me. “You don’t deal well with the truth, do you?”
“I’m fine with the truth,” I replied, my voice rising. He was getting to me. He was making me angry again. He was good at that.
“Then why does me telling you what I saw and how I think it was wrong upset you? I’m just speaking the truth. Any man who has you at home should keep his ass right there with you.”
No, no, no. I was not listening to this. He was saying these things to make me doubt Mase. I would not doubt Mase. I’d done that once and almost ruined everything. “He felt bad for leaving me. He apologized over and over and even made me breakfast this morning. Mase is a good man. He loves me. Stop trying to make me doubt him.”
