Page 48 of Between the Lines

He doesn’t respond though, he just continues eating like he didn’t hear me.

The house feels much quieter than it did a few seconds ago, and for a moment I question if I actually said those words out loud or just in my head. With my fork awkwardly hovering over my plate, I shift my gaze.

Caden takes a sip of his bourbon, gray eyes locking on mine over the thick glass.

“Let’s not worry about it right now.” He shakes his head.

“What?” I ask, confused.

“The work on the house isn’t even done. Why don’t you wait until you see it?” He takes another sip, then digs back into his meal, leaning against the chair. “Then we can talk about it.”

I scoff, dropping my fork and placing my hands in my lap.

“I’m not comfortable with that. I owe you twelve thousand dollars. It’s not like you loaned me gas money.”

Caden watches me, steadily.

Daisy babbles, pulling herself to her feet and peering around the kitchen for something to bang her wooden spoon on.

Caden remains silent, and the air in my lungs feels pressurized.

“Okay.” I break the tension, keeping one eye on my daughter. “I’ll wait, but in the meantime, let me do something for you. You’re literally saving me from my siblings selling my house, and you’re giving me and my daughter a nice place to stay rent-free.” I look at him pointedly. “Can I help weed the garden or something?” I ask, embarrassed at how ridiculous that sounds.

Caden’s lips twist in contemplation. “Okay. Fine.” He sits forward, elbows on the table. “There is something I need your help with.”

“Sure, name it,” I reply, eager.

Daisy pads over to me, arms up, and I lift her onto my lap.

Caden rubs the back of his neck, brows pulled tight. “I need you to do an interview with Wilmington Life this week. We got named the best coffee shop, and the magazine wants to interview us for a spread, take a few photos . . .”

My face breaks into a huge smile.

“Caden! That’s incredible!” I nearly bounce out of my chair. Even Daisy picks her head up to look at me. “But it’s your business, don’t you need to be the one to do this?”

He sighs, cocking his head back, dark blond hair curling up at the nape of his neck. “I’ll be there to answer the questions, but let’s be real, it’s your show Fia.”

My cheeks blush, even though he’s said this to me before.

“I’m just the money behind it,” he adds, “but you’re the heart of the business. I want you to lead it, to show them around.”

“Are you sure?” I ask, eyes narrowed.

“Nothing would make me happier.” Caden smirks. “Maybe you haven’t noticed, I’m not great with people.”

“You’re getting better,” I reply quietly. “Of course I’ll do it, though. It sounds fun.” I sit up straight, scootching back so Daisy can’t grab my knife. “Do you think I’ll be in a photo? I should buy a new tee from our summer merch line . . .”

Caden runs a palm over his chiseled, stubbled jawline. “Take whatever you need. You can be in all the photos, I don’t care. It will make the place look better.” His eyes flick the span of my body. It’s so fast I question if I imagined it . . . and ignore the heat blooming in my belly.

Maybe he’s just being super nice because he really doesn’t want to do this interview. Either way, I’m seeing a side of him I’ve never seen.

It’s softer. And I fear I like it.

“One more thing,” he says, looking a tad bit uneasy. “About last night—you can swim whenever you want. I was having a shit night, didn’t mean to come off as a jerk.”

My breath hitches and I cast my eyes down at Daisy sitting on my lap. Her little fingers scratch at the edge of the wooden table. “It’s fine, really. But thanks for apologizing. Thought for a moment you truly despised me.” I try to smile to lighten the tension.

“Not at all,” he says, huskier than before. Caden’s brows twitch. Like he wants to say something but can’t.