Page 15 of True Honey
She picked up the phone and her entire voice changed again as she spoke to someone named Ryan on the other end. I entered the kitchen to a sink full of dishes and laughed before I shrugged off my cardigan and started to fill the small sink for her.
SHORE
When I came back from my meeting with the chair of the Athletic board, the red button on my office phone was flashing from the front desk and it meant Susanna needed me for something she couldn’t talk about over the phone. I shoved my cell in my pocket, flipping through the papers on my clipboard to quickly run over the appointments I had to get to today. Ella was meeting with Cael, but I wanted to float there to check on his progress. His shoulder had been pinching, we noticed it last game, even though he was damn good at hiding the pain.
It was Ryan who had pointed out the small wince every time he had to throw to Dean on first base. The tightening in his jaw was practically unnoticeable to anyone else, but the second Ryan pointed it out, it was clear as day that Cael was hiding pain.
That was in an hour.
Then there was Jensen, Mitchell and Matthenson on the list, along with three of the women from the volleyball team after dinner. Today was never-ending.
The red light continued to flash at me and I left my clipboard behind as I left my office. I wound down through the hallways, running into Riona and nearly sending her tea down her shirt. She stepped back, inhaled slowly and glared at me.
“Riona,” her name came off my lips quickly and as sweetly as I could manage. She was wearing one of the blouses that gave a perfect view to her chest, but I ignored the urge to look and kept my eyes trained on her face.
“Is there a fire?” She asked me in that sweet Texan voice that drove me nuts.
There was a point in time when Riona had spent more time in my bed than I had on her couch. History tangled between the sheets that both of us would have rather stayed behind locked doors.Just like your father, sleeping with everything that moves.I ground my teeth together. If Ryan ever found out that I had slept with his sister more than once he’d kill me and he looked stiff but the old man could throw a punch even on his bad days.
“Susanna called, so maybe?” I cautiously stepped around her. “You look pretty today,” I said and her face became even more annoyed.
“Stop antagonizing me, Silas,” she hummed but I watched the corner of her lip turn upward. “Or I’ll dump this tea down your pants.”
“You’d never risk the human resources complaint.” I challenged her threat with a smirk.
“It would be worth the suspension to see you scream,” she continued to walk away slowly.
“From what I remember I’m not the screamer between us,” I laughed as her attitude returned and she flipped me off. “There she is,” I slapped my hand on the brick as I turned the corner out of sight and continued down toward the office. When I round the hallway to the main offices I hear laughter that isn’t Susanna’s pouring from the office. I slowed my steps and stayed out of sight as her red hair whipped around collecting the vases of flowers that lined the desk.
Drew had a massive smile on her face that I’d yet to be blessed with and a lightness to her voice that I’d never heard. She followed around Susanna as they organized the messy front office, laughing and chatting. I’m planted to the floor as I watch them completely unbothered by the world. I hadn’t seen Susanna laugh so much in years and Drew had done a one eighty from the last time I saw her. The conversation flowed with ease and before long the office actually started to look organized.
There was something there, it pricked at my nervous system in a way I’d never felt before. Yesterday, Drew was just the quickest option, offer her some money, a place to stay… Today, I saw the potential in her, that bright smile and sweet honey laugh. She wasn’t just an easy choice, she might be the best one I had.
Maybe the plan wasn’t so ridiculous…
“We can’t keep meeting like this,” Arlo’s voice startled me from mythoughts.
“I’m too busy for your judgement today,” I said to him without looking away from Drew.
“You don’t look busy at all,” he chuckled and leaned on the wall next to me. “You know you and Cael teased me ruthlessly for following Ella home after games. I was just making sure she was getting home okay.”
“This is different,” I said and ran my hand over my face to break my focus once and for all.
“You’re right, this is like next level stalking,” Arlo teased. “Has she called you back?” He asked, unintentionally picking at the sore spot.
“I’m assuming that’s why Susanna paged me but…” I trailed off. “They’re having so much fun, I didn’t wanna interrupt.”
“Not interrupting the secretary and the girl you’ve talked to twice? How polite of you,” he said, his heavy brows furrowing slightly.
“You’re more of an asshole than usual. Why?” I snapped.
“Ella picked a date,” he smiled at me. “And I’m not being an asshole, you’re being a lunatic.”
“For the wedding?” I asked, momentarily distracted.
“Do you mind if we use your cabin?” He asked me.
“It’s just as much mine as it is yours.” I nudged him gently, I could tell he was secretly flipping out inside about it, but he’d never give away his excitement. “It’s the perfect place to do it.”
