Page 19 of The Deal Breaker
Dash dated when it was convenient and didn’t get in his way. His divorced parents’ tug-of-war, wanting him to pick a side, making him the prize where there could be no winner, had colored his view of love. He didn’t believe love lasted, if it existed at all. No one would call him a romantic. Iris took care of everything for his dates. She picked out gifts, sent flowers in his name, and made dinner reservations.
If any of the women had figured this out, Dash had never mentioned it to her. But perhaps none cared, if they had known. Dash dated easygoing women who let him do what he wanted, until they tired of waiting for things to move to the next level.
A level that would never happen if Dash had a choice.
Raina, however, appeared to have more patience than the others. Maybe she was in this for the long haul, not just a few months. If so, Iris wished the woman luck. Unlike the other five guys who’d gotten engaged—and in four cases, married—quickly, Dash Cabot would never do that.
He claimed he never wanted to get married.
That made Dash a shoo-in to win the bet. She’d known from the beginning he would be the last single man standing, whether or not he tried, because he wasn’t the marrying kind.
With a glass of water in hand, he returned. “I didn’t eat all the cookies. Figured you might want one later.”
She lowered her feet to the floor and tried to find a comfortable position. Their talk might take a while. “So you left one?”
“Two.” He sat before taking a sip.
Iris took a breath and then exhaled slowly.
A corner of Dash’s mouth curved upward. “I can hear the gears in your brain from here.”
“They’re cranking,” she joked, hoping to put herself at ease.
It didn’t.
He set his glass on the table. “What’s going on?”
Might as well get this over with. “I’ve enrolled in culinary school.”
Dash’s jaw relaxed. His eyes brightened. “Another weekend workshop?”
Iris had taken those in the past with his full support, though she’d turned down his offer to pay for the classes. “No, I’ll be a full-time student.”
He opened his mouth and then closed it. A range of emotions crossed his face—confusion, surprise, anger.
“That’s not possible.” His voice was tight as if he were trying to rein himself in. “You work for me full-time.”
She angled toward him. “You’ve done so much for me, Dash. I’ll never be able to thank you for taking me in when I had nowhere else to go and giving me a job. I’ve enjoyed working for you, but my dream has always been to be a chef. That got put on hold when my mom needed me, but now…”
“Now what?” Deep lines formed on his forehead and around his mouth. “Are you leaving me?”
His words came out raw and harsh.
Her breath hitched. A band appeared to wrap around her chest, squeezing tightly.
Dash had never sounded that way before. Not even during the worst times with his parents. But she needed to continue. “Yes. I’m resigning as your housekeeper.”
He jumped to his feet. Mumbled to himself. Paced in front of the coffee table.
“You’re more than a housekeeper.” The words flew out. “You cook and run errands. You shop for my clothes and tell me what to wear. You keep my personal life on track.”
If he’d been sitting next to her, she would have reached out to him. But maybe it was better this way. He would need to learn to settle himself without her help. “Others will do those things for you.”
“No.” He stopped pacing. His hands balled before he flexed his fingers. “I want you to do them. The way you always have. You can’t leave. We’ll find a way for you to go to school and stay with me.”
Normally, she gave in to him. That tendency had her wanting to do just that. Not this time. She couldn’t.
Iris pressed her shoulders back. “This isn’t what you expected, and I’m sorry for upsetting you, but you’ll get used to the change sooner than you think. I hired people. I’ve been training them this past week.”
