Page 27 of My Mistake To Make

‘Doug…’

‘No, Zo, you know this. We have had this talk a hundred times.’

‘Yeah, as a hypothetical, but you never liked anyone before, and you like Cara.’

‘I don’t. Not like that. You can’t be saying that shit.’

‘She doesn’t get to dictate your life, Doug.’

‘She fuckin’ does,’ I snap. ‘She does, Breanne. While she’s in charge of what happens with my kid and when I can see her, and when she’s the one who could run and make sure I never see Bo again, she gets to dictate. Until Bowie is under my roof permanently, I’m a fucking puppet, and Jessie holds the strings. You know that.’

‘Fuck this, Doug. Bree, tell him. She can’t legally keep Bo away from him for dating.’

‘No, she can’t,’ Bree replies, but her eyes don’t leave mine. She gets it. She knows Jessie is a loose cannon, and there’s no telling what she’ll do if she hears something she doesn’t like. She made it clear a long time ago that the second she hears of me with another woman, she and Bowie are gone, and I won’t see them for dust. I can’t risk that.

‘You need to keep this shit to yourself, Zo,’ I growl at her, my voice is so low. ‘I’m serious. She hears even a whisper of me being into Cara, and I could lose everything.’

‘But you like her,’ Zoe whines, and I see in her eyes that she’s frustrated, sad, angry… so many emotions that she has kept in check ever since Jessie told the whole town I got her pregnant and ran. My whole family keeps it in check for me, and they hate it. ‘I want you to be happy.’

I inhale through my nostrils, then stand.

‘I am happy.’ My voice is stronger now. ‘I don’t like Cara, okay. I don’t like her. I’m looking to fix up her house, that’s all. Have a good day, you two.’

I turn to walk away, and the sight of the hurt in the brown eyes staring at me from the doorway stops my heart. Fuck.

We Waited A Long Time For You

Cara

The smile I worewalking to the bar falls from my face at the sound of his deep, strong voice.

‘I don’t like Cara, okay. I don’t like her. I’m looking to fix up her house, that’s all…’

I don’t know why it hurts so much. It’s not as if we really know each other, but I guess I thought I was making friends here, and Doug, well, I don’t know.

I feel the lump of emotion rise in my throat as the three siblings turn their attention to me. I’m vaguely aware of Doug standing from his bar stool, but I turn and rush out of the bar.

It’s not that I thought he would ever look at me as anything other than the new girl in town, but to hear him say that he doesn’t like me is that same old rejection. It’s my parents calling me a mistake. It’s thinking my grandparents didn’t want to know me. It’s the other kids in the village and at school telling me they don’t want to be my friend because I’m not fun. It’s Jamie breaking up with me. I’m tough, and I have a thick skin, but this feeling is sharp, and it cuts deep.

‘Cara.’ The rich voice that lulled me into a dream world as we walked around my house calls out my name as I rush back toward my cabin. ‘Cara, wait.’

I don’t wait. I reach my cabin before he catches up with me.

‘Would you just stop, please?’

I take a deep breath and turn to face him, schooling my features and my emotions.Don’t let them know they’re getting to you, Cara,I hear my mum reminding me.

‘What’s wrong, Doug?’ I ask and notice the flash of confusion cross his face.

‘What I said. I mean, I just…’

‘That you don’t like me?’ I say simply and notice him swallow, ‘Well, that’s okay. I just came over to the bar because I noticed your truck was still here and wanted to tell you that I loved your plans. You don’t need to like me, Doug. I need a contractor, not a best friend.’

‘It’s not. I,’

‘Please stop trying to explain something you have no need to explain. I want you to do the work. I will be paying you, and you will be renovating my house according to the plans we agree on. Simple as that. Now, if you could point me in the direction of the bank, I’d appreciate that.’

His lips part a little, a frown mars his ridiculously handsome face, and he takes a thoughtful breath before responding.

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