Hunks, Hammers, and Happily Ever Afters (77 page)

“Why are you here?”

“Mica, that is rude. Jonathan is my guest.”

Jonathan seemed unruffled by her obvious distress, but then Jonathan tended to be unruffled about most things in his life. He was still handsome in a clean cut upper crust way. Polished till he shone. His hair cut so that even when the wind ruffled it, it looked good. Okay, so there was still some resentment there. Crystal blue eyes fringed with thick lashes and a cruel mouth in addition to his taught body and a big bank account that would make him attractive to almost everyone.

Except that he wasn’t attractive to Mica anymore, at least not in the way that counted.

“Mother.” She put some steel behind the word. “Why are we here?”

“I wanted to see if you could work out your differences.” Cherise looked over at Jonathan apologetically. “I know getting married is hard and sometimes you make rash decisions because of cold feet. I figured bringing the two of you together would help solve this.”

“There is nothing to solve.” Mica glared at the woman who raised her, willing her to see her as she was. “Jonathan called off the engagement and he was right.”

For once her ex fiancé looked stunned before the veneer of civility fell back in place.

“Well, you were obviously distraught. You snuck back into town and you didn’t let us know you were here...”

“Yes, and I’m sorry that hurt you, but I needed and I still need to stand on my own two feet.”

“Why?” Mica’s mother through up her hands in disbelief.

Mica looked over the table at the man who was now eyeing her with interest. Funny she didn’t remember him looking at her like that before. She wondered if it was just that she had changed. 

“Why are you here?”

He sat back in the chair, his hands steepled in front of his face. “I’m here because I miss you.” His eyes crinkled at the corners as he smiled at her.

Mica was glad she was sitting down because her knees would have given way. “You miss me?”

“I know, surprising isn’t it? You left and I realized I liked having you in my life.” There was a rueful twist to his mouth.

“What?” Mica sucked in a breath and let it out. She shook her head unsure that she heard him right.

“It was a stupid mistake on my part but I think better for both of us in the long run. When you’re in New York, let me take you to dinner sometime.”

Her mother was looking hopeful and Mica wasn’t sure there was anything she could say to say to disabuse her of the idea.

“I’m seeing someone.”

Jonathan’s eyes widened and the calm unruffled expression she was used to seeing on his face slid into place. “I figured as much, but I meant as a friend.” Jonathan got up and circled the table, stopping at her chair. “I was right, we wouldn’t fit, not because of who you are but because of who I am.” Jonathan leaned down and kissed her cheek and did the same to her mother. “Thank you for having me.”

Mica watched his retreating back with a mixture of confusion and anger. She waited until she heard the front door close before she rounded on her mother.

“You brought him here so that we could get back together? Really?”

“I thought it was a better option than whoever it was you introduced me to.”

“His name is Cam.” Mica took a breath and realized the anger had burned off the panic. “And that’s beside the point. I am an adult. I decide who I date and marry. I decide where I live.”

“Mica...”

Mica twitched at that tone. It was her mother’s I know better than you tone. “Stop.”

“I hand picked him for you. He would have been a good husband and a father. He would have taken care of you.” Her mother looked bewildered and upset.

Micha wished she could solve it all with giving her a hug, but it wasn’t going to be so easy.“I don’t want anyone to take care of me. I want to take care of myself. I’m not a child. I love you but I’m not moving home. She grabbed the purse she’d put in the chair besides her and pulled out her original set of keys. “Here, take these. It doesn’t mean I don’t love you. Or, that I won’t come and visit. But I don’t live here anymore.”

“Why don’t you?” Her mother stood shaking. “Daniel does.”

“Daniel lives in the pool house and you don’t overtly try to run his life. Or at least unlike me he’s mastered keeping you out of his business.”

“I’m your mother. I know what’s best. Your father and I love you and we want to take care of you.”

Mica was suddenly exhausted. The weight of it made her fall back into her chair. “You don’t have to. I can take care of myself. All you need to do is be there when I can’t do that on my own or I need advice.”

Her mother sat silently. Her iron will for once thwarted by the daughter she loved.

“I have to go. When you’re ready to talk, call me.”

She felt as if she was the parent and her mother the child. This wasn’t something she’d ever expected to do. But, if anything, their history together had shown she was going to have to be the adult because her mother, followed by her father would never treat her as one as long as she let them get away with it.

Her phone rang as she was preparing to leave. It was her father. Mica answered. “Hello Daddy.”

“Mica.”

She stayed silent as she put the call on speaker and backed down the driveway.

“Your mother just called. She’s upset, Mica.”

And her mother was the only one who’s allowed to be upset. “We’ll just ignore the fact my ex fiancé was in the house and waiting for some sort of signal from her to ambush me. Or that I’m asking to be treated as an adult.”

There was a pause as if he was absorbing her hurt. “I’m sorry it happened that way honey.” His voice was a silky ripple meant to sooth. It had the opposite effect.

“And why exactly did it happen that way? You knew about this and you did nothing to stop it, didn’t you? I’m an adult and I can’t believe I have to say it over and over again to the very people who raised me.”

“You’ve always been content...”

“To what, stay at home and have mom run my life? I got engaged to a man I barely knew because I wanted out.” She was breathing hard because she hadn’t meant to say it out loud. Hadn’t meant to say that to her father.

“Was it really so bad to have all of your bills paid, to have our connections land you a job and a husband?” Exasperation colored his voice. Sarcasm gave it an edge.

“Everyone else has a career.” She was speaking of her friends now. Envy and inferiority did battle as she started on her drive home. “I’m a kept doll. Or I was until I came back from New York. I won’t be one, daddy. I can’t. It’s not me.”

~*~

M
ica was all nerves. Cam watched her pace her tiny studio. She’d been fine for the two weeks after her interview but now she’d worked herself into a frenzy.

“What if they don’t hire me?”

“I think they’re going to hire the woman who came in equipped with a complete proposal and individuals already expressing interest in being involved.”

Ever since the time they spent stuck in the elevator he’d grown sure that he wanted her in his life. But Mica needed to take things slow. She needed time to establish herself on her own and he was happy to give her that.

She was in her favorite yoga pants and a tank top as she paced the length of her studio. Her phone clutched in her hand. Cam enjoyed the view both going and coming from the safety of her couch. Her curls were free and in wild disarray. It made him want to sink his fingers in her hair and cover her mouth with his own.

He’d just swung his feet off the couch and had begun to prowl towards her when her phone beeped. And then his.

“I got it!” She whispered and then did a happy dance that he found cute, especially since it meant she shook that delectable ass. His phone beeped again Cam checked the screen and smiled at the text he’d received.

“I’m supposed to get you dressed and take you to a celebratory dinner.”

“Is that Alexa?”

“Yeah”

“She always maneuvers everyone to where she wants them.”

Cam looked up from his screen. “That doesn’t bother you?”

“It should, shouldn’t it? Mica’s gaze grew distant. “But, she doesn’t treat me like a kid. So no.”

Cam gave in to his need to kiss her. She was warm soft woman in his arms and if he kept her there, they wouldn’t make it to dinner. Not with her breast pillowed against his chest or the full globes of her ass he currently cupped in his hands.

“We could skip dinner.”

Cam threw his head back and stared at the ceiling as he willed himself to let go of the woman who was kissing his neck.

“No. Go, get dressed.”

“Fine.” She had a twinkle in her eye that warned him whatever she chose to wear tonight he was going to be in for it.

Cam grabbed his overnight bag, changed shirts, and sat down to wait for Mica. Mica took his breath awaywhen she emerged twenty minutes later. She’d done something with her curls to make them behave sort of and she was in the same outfit she’d worn for their first dinner date. That line of skin between the valley of her breast still drove him crazy.

“Ready?”

“Ready. Where are we going?”

“It’s a surprise. But I wanted to let you know your family will be there.

He closed the door behind them and waited until she locked it.

“Things have been getting better and I think we’re all learning how to deal with each other.”

“So you’re ok with it?” he asked as she pressed the button to call the elevator.

“Yes. I’m happy.” She sashayed into the elevator ahead of him.

Cam smiled and followed. Who knew he would find love in an elevator?

Chudney Thomas

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I
was born in Brooklyn New York, raised on the island of Saint Vincent and the Grenadines and live in sunny Central Florida. According to my father, I learned to read at three and wouldn’t allow him to skip a page of a story. I grew up raiding my mother’s stash of books and my Aunt Patsy’s extensive library. Books transported me to different worlds, and encouraged me to learn about different cultures, continents, expanding my horizons.

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