Page 53 of Sugar Pie
Her phone dinged, so she went to the bedroom.
My heart pounded. It was time to tell her I was a Norouzi, the heir to trillions.
She came out and wiggled her phone. “Oh, this job would fit perfectly in your schedule for today. Let me write this email.” She typed on her phone.
Proving I could make a business work to show myself worthy of my father’s trust was still a goal. “Okay, but when I get home, we’ll turn off our phones and just have the two of us.”
She glanced up, done with her message, and nodded. “Sounds wonderful.”
I headed to the door, but she hooked my arm and tugged me back. A moment later, she kissed me, and my hair stood on end as my muscles tensed.
If I hadn’t had to work, I never would have left her bed. As the kiss ended, I still tasted her on my mouth.
I headed out the door with the expectation that when I got home, we would make love again.
My first job was the biggest, and the kitchen cabinets went in well. In two more weeks, I’d have earned my twenty-five thousand and have the down payment to close on my own land-development project.
The thought of Kerry and our bed drove me to work faster, and I finished the installation with sweat and two hours to spare.
I jumped into my truck and headed to my two small jobs. The first listed any time as an option, so I quickly called the easier job and got permission to show up early.
On the drive there, my phone rang. For a second, I thought the client was calling me back, but then I saw the number and answered. “Dad, you still have your mind-reading abilities? I was just thinking of you.”
“Good. Your mother isn’t the only one who worries about you.”
I rocked in my seat. “I’m doing well. There’s nothing to worry about.”
“Your mother reads the internet, and we still haven’t figured out who’s writing these things about us.”
“That’s never mattered to us, and idle gossip isn’t worth worrying about.” I rubbed the back of my head, unsure what to say. “And I’m fine. My business is growing.”
“Your brother informed me that one of his staff revealed your location to a blogger. I made our fortunes on following my instincts and believing in myself when no one else did. My gut is rarely wrong, and you being away from your resources doesn’t sit right with me.”
We’d never taken cues from gossip. Maybe old age was getting to him. I shrugged and drove onto the side street where my next job was. “Doesn’t matter. It’s a gossip site.”
“Listen, I want you to consider forgetting the plan and just coming home.”
I turned off the engine. I wouldn’t go anywhere without Kerry. I stayed still and said, “I’m not giving up now. For the first time in my life, I’m happy, and it has nothing to do with sitting at a desk, making money.”
“I’ll be sending security for you and your new girlfriend.”
I made a mental note to check the nonsense website once I finished work. “Let me figure out my end first. Everything is fine here.”
“Your last name is a blessing and a curse. I won’t let you be without a guard.”
He believed he was right. I stepped out of the truck and said, “I have to go, but here, everyone thinks I’m Warren Tate. No one knows I’m a Norouzi. And I have loose ends to figure out before I come home.”
We said our goodbyes, and once I made it to the door, I knocked then got to work.
I worked and thought about how having Kerry at home when I got there was giving me energy to power through the day.
I finished the ceiling fans and then went to a 3D-wall-panel installation for a realtor who wanted it done before closing.
I lined up the work and finished my day early enough for the sun to still be up when I headed home.
My lips tingled and were ready for her kiss as I headed up the stairs. I went up two steps at a time and hummed until I unlocked the door.
I walked in and smelled the lemon cake she must have just finished cooking, which sat on the counter next to homemade soup.
