Page 7 of Return to Cheshire Bay

“You’renot going to be there long enough for me to needto come. I give itanother two weeks. Tops. You’ll be home before then.”

“It’s going totake me more than a couple of weeks to ready this place.”

Sure, itwas possibleto list asit was, but I’d never get market price for it. However, put alittle TLC into it, and modernise it, and well, I likely wouldn’tneed to worry about cashflow in the short future.

Another voicewhispered in the background.

“Just asec.” A deep sighbreathed over the line. “Thank you, Courtney.” Her admin assistant.Once again, Beth’s voice became clearer. “Hey, Lil? Why is Parkercalling me?”

My mouthwent dry as cottonandif I hadn’t already been sitting, surely, I would’ve collapsed onthe bed. “I honestly don’t have the faintest idea. He’s called me afew times.”

“So,you’ve talked to him?”

“Whywould I give him the time of day? He left me, remember?”Which really, in hindsight, hadbeen a blessing.

“Yeah,and I’ll never forgive him for that. But he can’t call myoffice, that’sunacceptable. We both know that shithead isn’t looking for aninterior designer. He’s looking for you.”

Whichwas true. Parker had all the decorating sense of aseventeen-year-oldcomicboy. Swords and movie paraphernalia didn’t belong in the livingroom, and no matter how I tried to encourage him, he didn’t want tochange. Good thing we did all the entertaining at myapartment.

“Dealwith him before I have to.”

Itwouldn’t end well for Parker if Bethspoke her mind. Since the moment we had starteddating, she’s had her back up to him and they never got along. Whenhe walked out on me, she was ready to tear him a new one, and if hekept calling her office, he was likely to get it.

“I’llthink aboutit.”

“Aren’tyou the least bit curious why he’s calling?” The inflection in her voice told me shewas.

“Notat all.”Although I was, however, it was more fear-based curiosity thananything else.

Bethcleared her throat. “Look, I have a meeting with a client in a minute. I got togo. Call me soon.”

“Loveyou.”

“Youtoo.” And with that, theline went dead.

ChapterFour

Freshand paint-free, I knocked on Eric’s door.Checking my reflection on the screen door, I gavemy hair another smoothing and inhaled sharply.

“Come in, it’sunlocked.”

Withtrepidation, I steppedinside, balancing the apple pie I’d picked up on a whim. Eric’sfloorplan was smaller than mine, but we both had our kitchens atthe back of the house, looking out towards the setting sun and thePacific Ocean. The colour on his walls was a bright blue, but itworked well with the washed-out table and chairs.

“Please, makeyourself at home.”

“Thanks. Foryou.” I handed him the box.

“Ooh,Sylvia’s Bakery. This isreally nice.” The grin on his face was hard to look awayfrom.

I tookthe water bottle heoffered, our fingertips touching just enough to feel theelectricity as I let my gaze linger over his fine form. Even thoughI wasn’t ready for anything in that department, it never hurt tocheck out anyone. He really had grown and filled out. Who knew thegangly little boy would turn into such a handsome guy? And a sweetone at that?

“I’d give youa beer, but…” His eyes fell to my tummy.

“Thisworks.” I wanderedthrough his living room, staring at all the pictures hanging on thewalls and those set on neatly stacked bookshelves. “How’s yourfamily doing?”

Therewas a tri-fold frame with a younger version of Eric on one side,his older brother on theother, and a sweet pic of his parents in the middle. Basedon the ages of the boys, and that teenage awkwardness, I pegged thepictures to be at least fifteen years old.

God,we had itgood, and we didn’t even know it. Life was so much easier backthen.

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