Page 58 of Unexpected Love
Cal reaches across the table and lays his hand over mine. “It’s fine if you use me to get ahead. I kinda like the idea of being used when it comes to you.” He gives me a playful wink.
The song changes to one that I know and love, and Cal stands, pulling me up with him.
“Come on. Let’s go have a dance party and see if we can turn this evening around.”
I follow reluctantly and halfway join him and Maggie intwirling Charlie around. I want to be successful on my own. It’s not until he goes up to the DJ and requests ABBA that I finally decide to let the interaction go and enjoy the last of the festival.
I will do this. I will make my dreams come true. But it may not be on the terms I expected.
Chapter 23
Cal
“Oh my god, Steve. You can’t be serious,” Jules whines. Her hand is covering her face, and she sounds absolutely miserable talking to her brother. Steve’s voice is booming even at six in the morning. Spooning her, with my face buried in her hair and one hand cupping her breast, I can overhear their conversation like Jules has the phone on speaker.
“I wouldn’t ask, but you’re my only option. Nancy is miserable.”
Steve has called at the ass crack of dawn because today, of all days, Nancy is down for the count with a kidney stone. Their parents are out of town, and none of her brothers are around to help.
“We’ve got to take her to the hospital,” he continues. “And I’m not dragging the kids into that germ fest. They’re feral on the best day. I’m not sticking them in a situation where I could get sued.”
I take advantage of my hand placement and begin exploring the peaks and valley between her breasts, runningmy thumb over each mound, circling her nipples until they grow taut.
Jules groans. “I can’t, Steve.” She arches into my touch, pressing her ass into my groin. “My inspection is today. I need to be here when they do the walk-through.”
Knowing Jules, she’s trying to sort logistics in her head of how she can be there for her brother and be there for herself, but her body tells me she’s right here with me in this bed and is paying attention. I pull her tighter into my chest, slipping my hand between her legs. “Babe, I can help.” And I can, in more ways than one.
“It’ll only be for half the day,” Steve says. “Mom and Dad can be here this afternoon. Also, why do I hear Cal’s voice? And why does it sound like he just woke up? Are you in bed with that fucker?”
Jules arches into my caress. “Mind your own business. Fine. We’ll sort out the inspection, and one of us will be there as soon as we can.”
Dread replaces desire.
I’ll do a lot of things for Jules. But I don’t honestly know if I can survive hours alone with her brother’s kids. Those twins scare the hell out of me. Eventually, she hangs up with Steve, assuring him one of us will be there. We decide via rock paper scissors that Jules will go, and I will let the inspector in. And then I make sure she knows I can take care of her by using my mouth.
“You’re sure everything is set?” Jules asks for the hundredth time as she follows me through the kitchen.
I kiss the tip of her nose and spin her toward the door. “He said he’d be here at ten. I’ve got this. You go help Steve. Besides, it makes more sense for me to be at the inspection in case anything needs to be fixed.”
Finally, I get her and Charlie bundled into the car with promises that I’ll call her as soon as the inspector leaves.
With a few moments of silence, I go down to the coffee shop and do some last-minute cleaning.
We’ve built a really cool place here, thanks to Jules’s vision and some help from friends. And I’ve hung around Jules enough by now that I can envision the place full of people. With Jules directing it all. Book clubs, open mic acoustic nights.
It’s going to be amazing. I’m proud of what she’s accomplished. What we’ve accomplished together.
The inspector is prompt and efficient and only glares at me a few times as I follow on his heels while he ticks off boxes. He finishes in record time and assures me he will contact us after he files his paperwork.
The whole thing is a bit anticlimactic.
I wanted to be able to show up at Steve’s and present her with her certificate.
Instead, we’re forced to wait. Again.
I know she’s worried about the bank’s installment payments that are quickly approaching. She hasn’t said as much, but I’ve caught her worrying on more than one occasion.
She wants so much to do this on her own. Almost being stubborn to her own detriment. I’ve got a backup plan, though. If she can’t open, I’m going to convince her to let me help. Hell, if I could, I’d make the first few payments for her. Whatever it takes. I’ll work overtime or sell something.
