Take Me Home for Christmas (Whiskey Creek #5)(38)
Author: Brenda Novak

That was what a lot of people said….

He took a deep breath as he considered her question about Sophia, and decided to keep his answer short and sweet. The less he said on that subject, the better. “It’ll be fine. Because of her situation, I don’t have any choice except to keep her on until she can come up with something else. But…I’m hoping that won’t take too long.”

“You’re over her? It doesn’t have any impact on you romantically to have her coming to your house every day?”

He could guess why she was asking. They were both wondering why they couldn’t be that special someone in each other’s lives. Eve was sweet, attractive, loyal and capable of real commitment. She wanted to get married and have a family, and so did he. They were in their mid-thirties and hadn’t met anyone. They lived in a small town, so they didn’t come into contact with many strangers.

Could they somehow transform their relationship?

Should they even try?

“It’s just a job.” On some level he knew that wasn’t entirely true. But he wanted reality to be as he’d represented it, so he promised himself that this time he’d choose the path less likely to end in heartbreak. He had the self-discipline. He just wished he wasn’t still tempted by her….

Eve swished the bubbles over to one side. “She mentioned that she didn’t do too well on her typing test.”

“No,” he said with a laugh.

“What can I do to fill the gap?”

“I think we can limp by. Don’t worry about it.”

“I don’t mind helping out. Let me know if something comes up.”

“I will.”

“She seems to have changed a great deal,” she said. “For the better.”

Eve—honest, as always. She was making an effort to be fair to Sophia. “Everyone seems changed when they’re down-and-out,” he said. “Being broke is a humbling experience. Makes you more tractable.”

“She used to be hell on wheels, didn’t she? Charismatic and beautiful but…ruthless. I’ve always seen her as a Scarlett O’Hara.”

He agreed with that comparison. But he wasn’t sure her ruthlessness stemmed from anything more than being spoiled. She’d been gorgeous from the moment she was born, had received far more attention than was healthy for any child. On top of that, he doubted her doting parents ever used the word no. Since they’d never placed any boundaries on her behavior, she hadn’t realized there were boundaries. She’d thought that only applied to others, that she was somehow exempt because her daddy was the mayor.

“I wonder if she regrets any of it,” he said.

“I think she does,” Eve responded. “That costume I wore tonight? She lent it to me. She had me come over and pick it out from a wide array of really nice costumes she had stored in her attic. Then she got me all fixed up with makeup and a wig.”

“What was she doing tonight?” he asked, curious in spite of himself. If she’d still been meeting them for coffee every Friday, she would’ve been invited to Cheyenne’s party, but he purposely hadn’t extended the invitation himself. Bad enough that he had to see her during work hours. He wasn’t going to include her in his social life, too.

“From what I could tell, she didn’t have any plans, but we didn’t talk about it. She was too upset when I was there.”

“About losing her dearly beloved?” He’d been curious as to how much she missed Skip, if she was sad to have him gone from her life or more distressed about the loss of money and status.

Again, the question of whether Skip had abused Sophia popped into his mind, but he didn’t ask Eve. It was better if he didn’t find out. Sympathy was what had landed him in his current position.

“No, this was about Alexa. Some kid jumped her after school.”

He sat up so fast, the water sloshed. “Which kid?”

“Sophia doesn’t know. Lex wouldn’t say.”

“Did Lex say why?”

“Because of what Skip did, of course. Kids often imitate the attitudes and behavior of their parents.”

He finished his wine. “So his daughter’s being picked on now, too? As well as his wife?”

“I guess.”

He flipped his wet hair off his face. “That’s too bad. It’s Halloween. She should’ve been looking forward to trick-or-treating—not getting beaten up.” And maybe Sophia should’ve been invited to Cheyenne’s….

“It made me feel terrible. Poor Sophia has enough problems.”

“No kidding.”

They remained silent for a few seconds. Then she stood. “Well, it’s getting late. I’d better go.”

He watched as a drop of water rolled between her br**sts. “You can’t go.”

She seemed surprised. “Why not?”

She didn’t have her car, for one. She’d ridden over with him. “You’ve had too much to drink, and I can’t drive you because I’ve had too much to drink.”

A sexy smile curved her lips. “And that means…”

He smiled, too. “You’ll have to stay over.”

Her eyes locked with his. “Where will I sleep?”

He gestured to the mother-in-law quarters off to the right, where he suspected his own mother would live when she got too old to take care of herself. “There’s always the guesthouse.” His mouth went a little dry at what he was about to suggest. “Or…”

“Or?” she prompted.

“You could sleep with me.”

She caught her bottom lip between her teeth as she stared at him.

“You’re thinking about it,” he said.

“It’s been a long time since…since I was with a man. I miss it.”

“I can solve that problem.”

“But this is pretty scandalous—”

“Why?” He broke in before she could come up with too many reasons they shouldn’t. “We’ve known each other our whole lives. And we love each other.”

“It’s not that kind of love.”

“Maybe it could be.”

She didn’t seem convinced. “You remember what happened with Callie and Kyle. I’ve talked to her. She’s sorry she slept with him, says it was a mistake.”

“Kyle was on the rebound. He was in no shape to take on another relationship. Then Callie was diagnosed with liver disease and trying to cope with knowing she might not make it through the summer. They weren’t doing it for the right reasons.”