Page 51 of Just a Little Crush

His gaze searched mine, and I saw the hopeful look in his eyes as he reached down and took my good hand, weaving our fingers intimately together. The gesture conveyed affection and tenderness, comfort and reassurance, and I opened myself to all those things with him.

“You and I need to talk,” he said.

We hadn’t really “talked” much over the past week because I hadn’t allowed it, but he obviously saw an opening he didn’t want to let slip though his fingers. Usuallywe need to talkcame with an adverse implication, but I had a feeling that Caleb and I were finally, hopefully, on the same page.

“Yes, we do,” I agreed.

For the next hour, it was all about celebrating Owen’s birthday. The adults ordered brunch entrees, and pancakes for Owen, followed by a chocolate cake with candles. The presents everyone had brought for the occasion were unwrapped, revealing Lego sets, superhero figurines, Minecraft gear, and a Nerf gun from his uncle Remy.

“They’re right over there,” a familiar female voice said in a loud, demanding tone, interrupting our festivities. “I can see them in that room and I want to wish my son a happy birthday.”

My stomach pitched, already knowing who it was before we all glanced in Alyssa’s direction, watching her approach—a bit unsteadily—with a hostess trying to dissuade her. The same man I’d seen at the gala with her trailed a few feet behind, clearly looking uncomfortable with the scene she was making.

“I’m very sorry, Mr. Kane,” the hostess said as they reached us. “I’ll go get the manager.”

“It’sfine,” Alyssa insisted irritably, shooing away the young girl with her hand. Then she dropped her purse on the end of the table and held her arms out toward Owen. “Come here and give your mother a hug.”

Owen shook his head and shrank away from Alyssa and toward me, pressing against me, like he’d seen this side of his mother before and it scared him. I wrapped an arm protectively around him, refusing to let Alyssa near him, and the look she gave me was pure disdain.

Caleb abruptly stood up to diffuse the situation, and even across the table Remy was tense as he watched the scene unfold. The only man who didn’t seem poised and ready to interfere was her date. Instead, he stood off to the side, looking embarrassed. Clearly, he didn’t have the backbone to deal with Alyssa’s bullshit, which was why she was probably with a man like him.

“You need to leave, Alyssa,” Caleb said, more calmly than I knew he felt, because he was trying to keep things civil in front of his son.

Cara, as if sensing things were about to escalate, jumped up from her seat and came around to Owen, gently taking his hand. “Hey, Owey, let’s take your Nerf gun and go play with it on the beach.”

“Okay,” he said quietly.

I released him, and he slid off his seat and went with Cara, giving his mother a wide berth as the two of them left the restaurant, and I could understand why. Alyssa’s face was flushed, her pupils little pinpoints, and she overall seemed agitated and unstable.

“Are you serious?” She whirled on Caleb furiously. “I can’t even wish my son a happy birthday?”

Caleb came around to the front of the table. “You weren’t invited, and this ismyweekend with Owen.”

Again, calm and controlled, but I could see the rigid set of his body.

Alyssa rolled her eyes insolently. “In case you’ve forgotten, I’m still a member at this club, too, so I’m welcome here whenever I want.” Her gaze slid past Caleb, to me, a sneer on her lips. “And, really, I belong here more than she does. All this tramp is doing is taking advantage of what your money can buy her. But like I already told her, money can’t change where you come from—”

“That’s enough,” Caleb snapped, and grabbed her arm. While she sputtered protests, he led her through the dining room and out a set of glass doors that led to the patio outside.

The guests in the dining room watched the scene, and the man she’d brought with her grimaced, shifting awkwardly on his feet, but he didn’t go to Alyssa’s rescue as she yelled at Caleb, which we could all see happening through the glass doors.

“I’m so sorry,” the guy finally spoke, his meek demeanor shocking me. “Alyssa was adamant that she’d been invited for brunch for her son’s birthday, but clearly, that’s not the case, and I apologize.”

Raven’s lips pursed. “She didn’t tell you that Caleb was going to be here?”

He shook his head. “No, just that we were invited for brunch.”

“Yeah, well, you might want to go and see if you can calm her down,” Remy suggested.

The man frowned as he glanced back at Caleb and Alyssa, and now what looked to be the manager of the club, trying to talk to a hysterical Alyssa. Very reluctantly, he headed in their direction.

As soon as he was gone, Remy grabbed Alyssa’s purse, set it on his lap, and started rummaging through the contents.

“What are you doing?” Raven asked, looking and sounding a little shocked at her husband’s behavior.

“This,” he said, and pulled out a sealed baggie that was filled with prescription bottles and other smaller baggies with various colored pills. “Trying to find the proof that Caleb needs to show that Alyssa is abusing drugs again.” He smiled grimly at his wife. “I’m a private investigator and sometimes I have to be a little creative to get the results I need.”

Raven and I both gaped at the vast amount of drugs Alyssa had on her.

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