Page 8 of Cedarwood Manny

“Rhett?” he blurted. He stopped staring at himself and his breath lodged in his throat. He should’ve checked the caller ID before accepting the call, but he’d never guessed his ex-boyfriend would want to talk to him.

“Who else calls you babe?” Rhett asked. “How are you?”

He couldn’t believe his ex was on the other end of the line. Rhett hadn’t wanted to be with a manny or consider getting a dog. He’d said he needed a man who could give his full attention to him. Nathan hadn’t been ready to settle down and liked working with children, so he wasn’t all that upset over the break-up.

“Nate?”

“I’m here.” He turned his back on the mirror. “Why are you calling me?”

“Why not? I miss you.”

“You do?” He tried to sound smooth, but his voice came out brittle. “Really?”

“You mean a lot to me,” Rhett said. “We had something strong.”

“We were only together for six months.”

“I care about you.”

Interesting.He hadn’t cared that much when they were together. “I’m certified as a manny and interviewing today for a job.”

“Good for you.”

Really?He pinched the bridge of his nose. “It’s not a big deal that I’m a manny? Are you softening your stance? Or that hard up for a boyfriend? You said you couldn’t love a man who couldn’t be yours alone.”

“I was a kid and confused,” Rhett said. “I’m more mature now. Where’s the interview?”

“Cedarwood.”

“Where? I’ve never heard of Copperfield.”

“Cedarwood.” Rhett never had been good at listening.

“Whatever.”

“Rhett.” He wasn’t in the mood to talk to his ex. “I’m busy.”

“You’re always busy.” Rhett paused. “I still care about you.”

He wasn’t sure if he should trust Rhett. Part of him didn’t want to—he’d been hurt when they’d split and wasn’t ready for another round of heartbreak. But part of him wanted to believe he wasn’t destined to be alone for the rest of his life. “I’m being offered a job and won’t be available much, so if you’re looking to get back together, it’s not a good time.”

“We can work around the obstacles.”

He wanted to give in, but held back. “The family might not want me to date.”

“They might be okay with it.”

He doubted the family would want him to split his time between them and a boyfriend. He’d met Adrien. The man needed stability and structure. Nathan could provide both for him and his son—if he didn’t have a boyfriend in the mix.

“Well?”

He had to answer. “Rhett, I need to focus on this interview. It’s big and I can use the money. Remember the loan you stuck me with?”

“I do and I’m sorry. Once I get another job, I’ll help pay that money back.”

He truly doubted his ex would give him another cent.

“I wish I hadn’t shafted you,” Rhett said. “It wasn’t cool and I have no excuse other than I was immature.”

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