Page 114 of Designs on You

She walked away as she took the call, so he wandered off, walked outside, answered a few emails, but realized he was distracted when he read the same email three times and still didn’t know what it said.

Because he needed to have a conversation with Natalie. An important one.

He turned to go inside, but Natalie walked out. “Hey, it’s a prospective client and kind of important. I’m sorry, I need to go.”

“Oh. Sure. Thanks for coming over to look at the place. See you tonight?”

She leaned against the doorway. “I’m sorry, I can’t. I have the kids this week. Now that it’s summer, Sean and I divide up by whole weeks, and this week is mine. But we’ll get together for sure. I’ll call you?”

He hated the sound of that. It sounded a lot like she wasavoiding him, which was probably his imagination. “Sure.” He walked over to her and brushed his lips across hers, hoping to take it deeper.

But she stepped back. “I’ve gotta go. Sorry. We’ll talk soon.”

“Okay.” He walked her to the front door, and she headed out to her car and pulled down the driveway, leaving him alone.

He had planned on having some alone time with Natalie today, but instead, she had to leave. So, he grabbed his keys and got in his car, figuring he could get some work done at the office.

He’d make plans with Natalie some other time.

And then they’d have that all-important talk.

CHAPTER THIRTY-SIX

It was a full house, and Natalie couldn’t be happier for Eugene.

They had been planning this housewarming party for a couple of weeks. He’d invited his coworkers, some of the new neighbors he’d met, Ned the contractor, and, of course, Linc and Hazel, along with Natalie and the kids. Natalie’s mom and stepdad had stopped by for a short visit but had to leave early to go visit a sick friend.

It was nice to finally meet the people who worked with Eugene.

A couple of the neighbors had brought their kids, and fortunately, since Eugene’s house was close to hers, Natalie also knew these neighbors. And Cammie and Christopher already knew the kids, which was perfect. So the kids had all run off to have some fun in the pool. And with parents surrounding the pool area and agreeing to keep an eye on her kids, Natalie could take a break and go look for Eugene.

She already knew she’d find him in his media room, his pride and joy. It was totally soundproof and wired up for sound and video like nothing she’d ever experienced before. The room was filled with his coworkers, who were all suitably impressed.

“Dude,” Heath said. “This setup is sweet. You never have to come in to the office anymore.”

Eugene laughed. “You’re just saying that so you can goof off if I’m not there.”

“Nah. I like the design we’re doing. I want to take it to the finish line.”

“Speaking of,” one of the women said, “what do you think of the new matrices and vectors we set up? I think it helped speed up the processors and gave the ride a smoother look.”

That’s when Natalie tapped out, because if they were all entering the matrix or vectored to another world or whatever video or wild ride thing it was that they did, it went way over her head. She made her way back to the pool area and found Hazel and Linc sitting poolside, their gazes focused on Cammie and Christopher.

“Are you monitoring my children?” she asked as she pulled up a chair next to them.

“Watching your kids is enjoyable,” Hazel said. “They’re so sweet, Nat.”

She couldn’t help but smile. “They can be. They can also be small terrors.”

Linc shrugged. “That’s how they learn survival instincts to help prepare them for adulthood.”

Natalie laughed. “I suppose you’re right.”

Her dog, Grizelda, came over for some love, then ran off after some of the kids. The great thing about Grizzie was that she loved the kids, and the neighborhood kids—including her own—also loved her.

Suddenly a blur flew past her and landed with a splash in thepool. The kids screamed and laughed, and Natalie realized it was Eugene. The kids all flung water at him and laughingly smacked him with pool noodles. He grabbed a water cannon and started spraying them.

“He’s like a kid,” Linc said. Then he stood. “Still, I should probably assist him before the kids take over.”

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