Chapter Seven
Ella placed her hand in Cade’s over the back of the couch and walked around the corner of the leather sectional like a queen going to the king’s Ball.
She glanced down at Jason’s clenched fists, and her stomach tied up in baseball-sized knots. Her son made no effort to hide the fact he could punch Cade in the face with only the slightest provocation. She prodded Jason to talk to her, but he wouldn’t say a peep about his unreasonable resentment toward Cade. They’d never met before. There was no reason for his behavior.
She stood in unchartered territory with no clue how to fix or make the situation better for everyone. She liked Cade. She could even fall in love with him, if…
“Nice table.” Jason skimmed his hand over the natural dips and crevasses along the side. “Did you make it?”
“My father and I made it,” Cade replied. “I wanted to keep as much of the natural beauty of the wood as possible.” He pulled out a chair for Ella, and the boys positioned themselves on either side of her.
Play nice, please.
“My dad built most of our house.” Jason gazed at Ella and tapped the top of her chair like his father used to when he wanted her to sit.
She nodded and sat down. “Garrett helped.”
Jason pulled out his chair and sat. “You helped too.”
“A little.” She gazed at Cade. They blocked you out from being near me. I never should have called them yesterday.
“Dad and Uncle Garrett made all my bedroom furniture,” Jason said. “Did you build this place?”
“Yes, and no.” Cade walked to the other side of the large table. “I contracted out all the basic construction. I’m not that great of a carpenter.”
I bet you’re a wonderful carpenter, maybe not as good as Greg was, but close.
“The place is beautiful, Cade,” she said.
He sat down directly across from her. “Thanks. But I can’t take too much of the credit.”
“Didn’t think so,” Jason mumbled.
“My father sounds more like your dad,” Cade said. “Pappy, my father, can build or make anything. I’m more of a lifetime apprentice. He supervises and signs off on my final work so it’s not a hazard to anyone.”
She half-laughed, but it came out more like an awkward giggle. I’m so bad at this.
He smiled. For every ounce of angry energy Jason emitted, Cade seemed to counter with happiness and light. He picked up his napkin from the table and set it on his lap. “Do you like carpentry work, Jason?”
Jason picked up his napkin and shadowed Cade’s movements. Maybe lunch wouldn’t be so bad after all. Cade seemed to know how to handle Jason’s protectiveness and calm his hostility. They could find common ground in carpentry. Cade was probably a better carpenter than he let on. The man seemed quite capable of doing anything with his hands and mouth and legs. Mmm.
“Yeah,” Jason said. “I like working with my hands, but Mom is afraid I’ll hurt myself. She won’t let me near the tools without a responsible party to supervise.”
Kyle raised his hand. “That would be me.” He put his hand down on his lap and cracked a smile.
Jason reached around Ella’s back.
“Jason,” Ella warned. “Don’t.” I will never date again. You’re in so much trouble.
Jason hugged her. “I love you, Mom.” He squeezed her shoulder then slapped Kyle on the back of the head.
Kyle’s head jerked forward from the sudden, playful hit. He laughed.
“Jason, quit it,” she warned. You’re embarrassing me.
“You have to meet Pappy.” Cade rubbed his mouth and partially covered his grin as he shifted his gaze from the table to Jason. “He’s got a few projects in the works and needs an apprentice. I’ll introduce him to you. He pays well.” He fidgeted for a second and lifted his cell phone to the table.
Jason leaned forward a few inches toward Cade. “Are you serious about an apprenticeship job?”
“Yeah.” Cade nodded. “Absolutely. Pappy will have to talk to you about pay and time, but he has three bedroom suites to fill with furniture and has the wood picked out already. He needs someone to teach, or he’s not a happy builder.” He tapped the screen of his phone. “I’ll see if the position is still open.”
“Does your father live close by?” She couldn’t believe he would recommend Jason for anything, let alone a job after the reception he received. Maybe Cade liked a kid who spoke his mind. If things didn’t work into a relationship between her and Cade would Jason lose the job?
“He’s about an hour outside of Memphis,” Cade said. “Pappy will pay for gas for the truck, and Jason will have to use the company vehicle to pick up supplies. It’s a real job with potential. It won’t be easy, but he’ll learn a lot.” He uncovered the silver platters in the middle of the table.
Starved from the morning activities, Ella salivated as the wonderful aroma of grilled steak surrounded her. I could eat every piece of deliciousness on those platters and then go for another evening fulfilling fantasies with Cade. Her pussy quivered. Stop thinking about Mr. Sex. Ugh. Jason and Kyle are here.
“Wow,” Kyle mumbled. “I’m glad we came for lunch.”
Cade’s phone rang. He lifted his phone to his ear.
“Hey, Pappy. Yes, sir… Okay… Good. Thanks.” He placed his phone face down on the table. “Jason, Pappy wants to meet you tonight at Maddie’s to talk business. He looks like me, but he’s an inch or so taller, and a couple inches broader. He’s huge, and he’s a hugger. So take a deep breath when he comes at you, hold it until he lets you go, and you’ll have a good chance at survival.”
Half of Jason’s mouth turned up into a smile, a twinkle of amusement carried over into his blue eyes. “You’re serious?”
“Dead.” Cade handed Jason the platter of steaks. “It’s some kind of test. If you don’t cry or faint, you pass. Although, I’ve seen a couple men cry and get hired. But he never hired one who fainted and several have.”
“That’s interesting,” Kyle mumbled.
“Everything looks delicious.” She attempted to change the subject. Cade in a psychological testing discussion with Kyle equated to a whole other special level of misery. Her super mathematician had his own tests, and so far, it seemed Cade was passing.
Cade handed the bowl of salad to her and she served the boys. Then he passed Ella his salad plate, and she filled it without thinking. She slouched. She’d served him like he was her child, not her date.
Cade seemed to suppress a grin like a kid trying to keep a funny secret. “A little more, please.”
She straightened her spine. Her cheeks heated as she added more salad to his plate. Thank you for being so easy-going.
Jason leaned over to her and whispered loud enough for Cade and Kyle to hear. “He can’t serve himself? Not too impressed.”
She sighed, ready to choke Jason. Her protective son leaned back against his chair, seemingly pleased with himself, and waited, like always, for her response.
Whatever Cade did before she got out of the bedroom didn’t make a friend in her boy. The job with Cade’s father probably wouldn’t work out if Jason didn’t start lightening up on Cade.
Cade said a short blessing over lunch. They ate mostly in silence, with intermittent polite conversation thrown in which consisted mostly of carpentry work.
Kyle finished the last forkful of steak on his plate and set the napkin on the table. “What’s on the menu for dinner?”
“Whatever your mom would like,” Cade said.
“Do you have kids?” Jason asked Cade.
“Jason, stop.” She’d be in the car and on her way home in minutes with Jason’s obnoxious inquisition.
“No, sir.” Cade bypassed her objection. “I’ve never been married. I don’t have any children.”
Jason nodded and stacked Ella’s plate onto his. “Mom, you didn’t eat much.”
“I ate plenty. I’m not a growing boy, remember?”
“Yeah, but—”
“—No buts, Jason.” She placed her hand on his arm, trying to calm him. “I’m fine. If I ate as much as you, I’d be as wide as you are tall.”
Jason’s lips pressed into a tight line. “Did you bring your vitamins?”
“No,” she whispered. He worried too much that something bad was going to happen to her like it had his dad. “I thought I was meeting Maddie and Josie after work, not going to a lake house with a friend for the weekend.”
Kyle huddled close to his mother. “Does Cade take vitamins? Everyone should take them.”
“I don’t know. We haven’t exchanged dietary information, and I really don’t plan on it.” She wanted the boys to like Cade. She wanted more than one night with the man who brought out the woman in her. Passing her boys’ tests or performing well enough on them for her to stay with Cade for the rest of the weekend seemed unlikely. Without some kind of miraculous intervention, Jason would insist she go home, and Kyle would back him up.
I never should have called them. Cade never should have invited them to visit.
“I take a multivitamin every day,” Cade said. “Ella can take some of mine, if she wants.”
She turned and gazed at him, having forgotten he was in the room.
“I can hear you.” Cade nodded. “I’m right here.”
“Uh… I’m sorry.” She had to do something. After the nutrition discussion ended, the boys would turn to exercise routines. They had to stop trying to manage her health. There would be no more talking about health and fitness. Not with the dull ache in her leg, from an old injury, bothering her.
There would be no physical challenges. No races she would have to participate in to prove her leg was okay. The weather changes made her leg hurt, not anything else. No evaluation of Cade’s physical health. No more of Jason’s control games. She needed some acetaminophen, not a conversation about taking better care of herself.
Cade stood up and gathered the rest of the plates. “I’ll be back in a few minutes.” He carried the dishes out of the dining room.
Jason immediately scooted closer to her. “What is going on with you and him? He seems too comfortable.”
Ella’s mouth dropped open. “I… Well… We’re on a first date.”
“Mom, the guy shows up at the door wearing jeans and nothing else. It’s noon, and you’re just getting up? I don’t think I’ve ever seen you sleep past six unless you were sick.” Jason paused. “Are you sick?”
“No. I’m fine. You know how I don’t like wild animals. Late last night, raccoons were outside trying to get into the garbage. I didn’t sleep well.”
The blue of Jason’s eyes darkened like his father’s used to when he wasn’t sure he was getting the whole truth. A rush of happiness filled her heart. She suppressed a smile, keeping her expression stoic. Her little Jason was a man. He and Kyle were all grown up. Her babies were ready to spread their wings.
“Is he pressuring you?” Jason raised his brows and lowered his chin. “I kind of like him, but I’ll kick his ass. Screw the job with his dad. I can find something else to help out until we can sell the house.”
“Listen.” Heat crawled up her neck as embarrassment seeped in. “Cade was a client until yesterday. There isn’t anything serious between us. He is not—and I repeat not—pressuring me to do anything.”
“Yeah, we know.” Kyle shrugged. “We wanted to make sure he didn’t start up today. We were worried when you called Maddie last night. Jason eavesdropped some.”
“What?” Ella shouted. Her eyes widened to popping out proportions, and her jaw dropped open. She covered her mouth. What did they hear? They must not have heard everything, or they would have shown up last night.
Her heartbeat tripled in time and not in a good way. “Oh, my goodness. Jason Gregory Winthrop.” She couldn’t form any other words, not knowing for the life of her what to say, utterly dumbstruck from the revelation.
“We know you like him,” Kyle said. “I’m sorry he acted like a jerk during dessert and the noise scared you.”
Blood rushed from her extremities to her cheeks. They heard me talk about dessert and kissing. Did they hear about the nightie? I am going to die.
“Hey, does anyone want any dessert? There are leftovers from last night,” Cade said as if cued for that perfect awkward moment. “It’s delicious.”
Ella turned her head toward Cade and again wanted to die. He stood in the entryway into the kitchen holding a silver tray with chocolate-covered strawberries and whipped cream in martini glasses. Delectable on all sorts of levels. Her face burned with desire and embarrassment.
“Yeah, dude. Hook me up,” Jason said.
Ella lowered her gaze and clasped her hands in her lap. “None for me.”
Her belly burned along with her cheeks. What she had hoped to do last night with him and that dessert flashed through her mind. Renewed disappointment fell heavy on her heart from the memories of the previous evening when he didn’t touch or talk to her while they ate the strawberries made for naughty fantasies. Her embarrassment stayed, but the warmth in her body faded to cold. Would he play uninterested now that he’d met her boys?
“I’ll have some, Mr. Jackson,” Kyle said. “Thanks.”
Ella pushed back her chair and stood up as Cade set the tray of dessert on the table. “I’ll be right back.” She practically ran to the bedroom, ignoring the ache in her leg. She didn’t want to end her weekend with Cade, but she wanted to leave immediately. She didn’t want to chat with anyone, but she wanted desperately to talk to someone. She closed the door to the bedroom and slumped down to the lush carpet.
Since Greg died, life hadn’t been terribly complicated. One night with Cade, and she was an emotional mess.