Page 16 of Just a Distraction

When I open them, there’s Blaine, his gaze bouncing back and forth between Milo and me, the cogs of his alcohol-impaired brain trying hard to sort out what this is.

Heck if I know.

Regardless, this isn’t going to be good. Because Blaine still thinks he has some sort of claim on me.

“Hey Blaine. You’ve closed up already?” I offer cheerfully.

He glares at me, shifts his glare to Milo, and then back to me. “You’re kidding, right? Our last customers have only been gone ten minutes. We’re still cleaning up in there.”

“Too bad you sent me home or I would totally be in there helping.” I offer a fake pitiful look. “Oh, but I like your tactic of coming out here to hide for a while.” I meet his gaze with fire in my throat. “So the others are stuck with the dishes and the bleach water for the tables and all that. Smart.”

It’s his M.O. He doesn’t think any of us have caught on.

“I needed something from my car.”

“Some more booze?”

Blaine growls and steps towards me. He calls me a horrid name and tells me to shut up. Milo steps in between us. “How aboutyoustop being a—” He repeats the name Blaine called me. “—and leave Rose alone.”

Blaine’s chuckle belies his look of anger. “I think I just got your little joke. You guys actually know each other. And you staged that whole thing. You meant to embarrass me and my restaurant in front of the other customers, didn’t you?”

I give up a humorless laugh. “Wow, for being tipsy, you sure put two and two together.”

Milo reaches out a hand to halt Blaine at the same moment that Blaine lunges for me. For the record, Blaine’s never raised a hand at me. That doesn’t mean he never would.

And a moment of abundant clarity hits me.

I’m leaving this job. It’s going to hurt to lose the free, trusted childcare on the premises. Darla loves her grandson. And having my baby in the same building as my work? That’s not something you just walk away from at the first sign of surliness from Blaine.

But I have to move on with my life.

“I should fire you,” Blaine says.

“And I should file a complaint with the Better Business Bureau and the FDA because you tend to drink on the job.”

Blaine struggles to respond, his mouth moving wordlessly before finding his gruff voice. “I don’t drink on the job. Only in my office. Not around the food or customers or anything. And only on the weekends!”

Oh Blaine. How far you’ve fallen from the charmer I used to know.

“Be that as it may, you’re not going to fire me.” I toss a glance at Milo. “Should we go?” I gesture to his car, mostly because it’sway nicer than mine, but also because I want to point out how infinitely better Milo is than Blaine in every possibly conceivable way.

Blaine grimaces. “You’re leaving with him? I knew you knew him.”

Milo speaks up, shaking his keys and unlocking the car. “Remember what I said about the way you treat Rose.” He steps up to Blaine and sticks a finger in his chest. “I will hurt you if you ever abuse her verbally or otherwise again.”

Things happen so fast, nothing registers in my brain at first. It’s as if I’m on autopilot the moment Blaine’s fist meets Milo’s chin, near his gorgeous mouth.

The sickening crack of knuckles against a jawbone.

Milo’s reciprocating punch to Blaine’s nose.

Milo’s guttural, “Get in,” as he opens his own door.

I’m already around the Jeep and sliding across the seat when Milo starts up the car and lurches it forward, Blaine yelling, “Hey!” holding a hand over his nose.

Milo’s tires squeal as we zoom away into the night.

Chapter 7

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