Page 30 of Sugar Pie
“I like that.” She sipped her wine then set it down. “I hope you like this dinner.”
The air around me buzzed. “Will you help and invest with me some more?”
She tilted her head.
The tension in my spine held me tight like it used to when I was waiting for my father’s approval.
Then she leaned closer and took my hand again. “I’m in. I believe in you.”
A spark rushed through me, but I squeezed her hand then let go fast. Everything felt different near her. “And I can do this because of you.” I raised my glass. “So here’s to you, Kerry Jackson.”
She lifted hers, and we clinked them together. “Here's to us and our new business,” she said.
“Ours?”
She put her glass down. “You get seventy-five percent, and I get twenty-five percent.”
I scooted closer to her. The air smelled sweeter on her side of the small table. “You want to renegotiate your fee?”
She pivoted, and our knees brushed. “I will earn it for both of us and find you the perfect property, ensure your contracts are all approved, and get subcontractors for you. You might not realize it, as I never mentioned it, but I’ve rearranged my home every year of my life since I was fourteen. We won’t need to hire an interior designer because you have me.”
I glanced at her lips. “You’re a marvel.” I knew I was repeating myself, but she needed to be told.
She fluttered her eyes closed. I moved closer and wondered what she tasted like. I inched closer, and as our lips were about to meet, she pulled back and said, “No, let’s hold off. I don’t want you to be my rebound.”
I laughed. “No woman has ever said that to me.”
She let out a sigh but began to eat. I did the same and moved my seat back. Once we were done, I patted my stomach and said, “I’ll do the dishes, but let me take a shower before you go to bed.”
“Go for it,” she said and sipped her wine.
I jumped out of the chair and rushed to the bathroom. If I had been my old self, I wouldn’t have given a second thought about working with Kerry. I’d wanted her with me for more than business, and since my brother rushed the divorce, she was free.
I just had to quickly prove to her that we’d be great together.
14
Kerry
I spent my day with a realtor. As a doctor’s wife, I’d spent the past few years organizing, reorganizing, and moving, so I had serious ideas about what upscale amenities we would need to provide to turn a profit.
The land needed water for sporting, and while our town was over an hour from the beach, we needed to avoid flood zones while ensuring we could dig pools or have a lake.
* * *
The next day, I set up an appointment to see three more residential sites in the afternoon, once the realtor understood my needs more and saw that I’d read the zoning permits in my car before the tours.
After that, I headed to the grocery store and picked up a few items to cook. The day was getting away from me, but in the morning, I would park myself in front of my laptop again to find more immediate work.
As I left the grocery store, a police officer stepped in front of me and blocked my path home. I held my bags tighter as he asked, “Are you Kerry Jackson?”
Walking wasn’t a crime. There was a sidewalk. I nodded and asked, “Do you need my license, officer?”
He nodded, so I handed it over. He spoke into his walkie-talkie but said to me. “You’ve been reported as missing by your husband.”
I wasn’t anyone’s ward. My heart raced, and I tensed. “My ex-husband signed divorce papers, according to my lawyer, and the judge should be finalizing today in Florida.”
He gave my license back. “That’s more than adequate, ma’am. You’re old enough and legal. I’d recommend you let people know you’re okay.”
