She smiles, but then is back to business. “We got a few new cases—did you have any preference on which ones you wanted?” she asks, sipping her coffee.
She opens her tablet and forwards me our open cases to look at and discuss. “I’ll take the first cheating husband one. It sounds like he hangs out in some shady-ass areas and I don’t want you going there,” I tell her, even though I know exactly how she’s going to react to my comment.
She rolls her eyes. “I’ve been doing this for a long time, Decker. Don’t you start your alpha shit with me because it’s not going to work. We’re partners—you’re not my daddy.”
I almost spit out my coffee.
Nadia laughs.
“Hey, you asked,” I reply. “Don’t worry, there are plenty of cheating spouses out there for the both of us.”
She smirks. “You’re telling me. I’m so lucky to have Trade. I know without a doubt he would never cheat on me.”
“He’d be an absolute idiot if he did.” Trade is a good man, an ex-biker, brother to the Knights of Fury MC President and a father of four. He and Nadia raise the kids together, and they are such a beautiful, loving family.
“Yes, he would. I don’t know if you read all of the emails, but one requested ‘the hot guy’ do her case instead of me. Looks like word is getting around,” she says. “You going to take that one?”
“Only fair if she requested me,” I reply, trying to keep a straight face.
Nadia sighs and leans back in the chair, crossing her arms over her chest and studying me. “No sleeping with our clients. I know you have a thing for the one you are giving a freebie to, but we can’t get that kind of reputation. It’s not a PI-and-escort service.”
“I know.” I laugh. Nadia was sure to tell me that the second she considered hiring me. “I won’t sleep with any of the clients...that I charge. I know I mess around, but I wouldn’t do that to the business.”
But half sisters of clients are free game as far as I am concerned. I’m not charging Cara, so she’s not an official client. At least that’s what I’m telling myself.
“Just reminding you,” she says, handing me the case file. “One cheating husband coming right up. I’m going to be working on the elderly lady who is looking for the child she placed for adoption, and the woman whose house got broken into the other night. Cops didn’t find anything, but she’s sure she knows who did it.”
“Interesting. Let me know if you need any help.”
“Will do.” She pulls her phone out of her black leather bag and checks the time. “All right, I better go. I have to be at the school. The kids wanted me to go in and do class help.”
“How times have changed.”
She stands and smirks again. “I don’t know, have you met the school moms? They are savages. I’d rather be at the police station hassling the cops for evidence any day.”
We both laugh and then she leaves the office.
I get back to work. I set up meetings with all of the new clients I’m taking on, including the woman who requested me and the shady cheating husband. Once the rest of my week is all booked out, I spend the rest of the morning doing some administration work.
My phone rings, and I smile when I see Cara’s name pop up. “Hello.”
“Hey. I messaged Constance. I told her I could come see her next weekend.”
“Straight to business. Not going to ask me how I am today, or what I’m wearing?”
She sighs, like I’m a pain in the ass, but I can hear the smile in her voice. “You’re an idiot.”
I don’t argue with that.
“Do you want me to come with you? And that invitation to stay at my house still stands.”
She hesitates for a second. “Thanks, but I can stay with Clover and Felix. It will be nice to spend some time with Sapphire, too.”
Right. Of course she’d stay with her best friend. “My offer stands if you change your mind.”
“Thank you.”
“I checked up on her. She doesn’t seem to have a secret agenda, and the background search came up clean. She doesn’t have any criminal history, and she works as a waitress in a bar. She does have a large amount of debt, but doesn’t have a lot of money either.” I wonder if I should tell Cara about her biological father having passed, or if I leave that up to Constance to share. On one hand, it’s their family story, but on the other, I’m sure Cara wouldn’t want me to keep any information from her.
“So you are vouching for her?” she asks me after a moment of silence.
“I think so. The debt is a concern, so hopefully she doesn’t want any money from you. Be careful with that. I think you should hear what she has to say. We will all be here with you if something goes wrong.”
“I know, thank you. How much do I owe you?”
“Nothing,” I reply. “You owe me nothing.”
“Decker—”
“You could let me take you out for dinner sometime.”
“Decker—”
“Only if you want.”
She pauses. “Let me think about it.”
“Okay. There’s one other thing.” I hate that I’ve hid something from her. But knowing that any search of the name Wade Wilson will show that he died, I want to be the one to tell her.
“Yeah?” she asks, dragging out the word.
“Wade. He’s dead. I didn’t know if I should let Constance tell you, but I thought I would be honest and let you know.”
She goes silent for a few seconds. “Thanks for telling me.”
“You’re welcome. And I’m sorry,” I add. I know they weren’t close, but it’s still her biological father.
“Don’t be.”
* * *
I find myself checking out her social media and the photos on her profile. Yes, I sent her a friend request and now I have access to her inner circle. Her display picture is her sitting on a motorcycle, holding a pink helmet with a big smile.
She truly is a beautiful woman.
I wonder if she and Rhett will reconnect, or if it is truly over. I know she’d still have to see him at all the club events, so it’s not as easy as breaking up and cutting that person out of your life.
I don’t want to be anybody’s rebound, which means it’s probably a good thing that Cara won’t be staying with me. I mean, she didn’t even say yes to dinner, so maybe nothing will happen with us. Maybe we’ll just be friends, I don’t know. Either way, I know I want her in my life, and I’ve never felt that way about a woman I’ve just met before.