Being left alone with my own company though has me wondering if I should text Cara and check in.
Me: Did you get home safely?
I hit send, and then instantly regret my decision. I said I was leaving her alone and here I am reaching out to her first. I do want to make sure she got home safely, though, and that’s not a crime. That’s being a gentleman, right?
When I see my mark leaving a club with a woman in his arms, leaning over and kissing her, I quickly record a video on my phone. Looks like the wife was right—then again, they usually are. I follow them back to a hotel and watch them disappear inside.
My phone beeps with a message.
Cara: Yeah, about that. I think I’m going to be staying at Clover’s for a bit until I sort everything out.
What?
So much for distance going to make this whole thing easier.
Me: Oh really. How come?
Cara: Don’t sound too excited lol. Long story, but I think a fresh start is exactly what I need.
Oh shit. I didn’t mean to make it sound like I didn’t want her to stay in town.
But damn, she just made this whole thing a lot harder knowing she’s just ten minutes away. However, not that I’d admit it out loud, but it feels good to know she is here and not near Rhett.
I groan as my mind goes there.
“You need to stop, Decker,” I tell myself.
Me: Just surprised is all. That makes sense, though. What about work?
Cara: The school year just ended. I’ll find something new.
Okay, so she really is staying here if she quit her job. No wonder Rhett was calling her, probably wondering where the hell she went. I wonder if she told him she was leaving, or just bailed and left him confused.
Women love doing shit like that.
She texts again.
Cara: What are you doing?
Me: I’m at a stakeout. Cheating husband.
Cara: Bastard
I grin and type back.
Me: How about you?
Cara: I’m babysitting Sapphire so Clover and Felix can have a date night. I thought they’d be back by now, but they are still missing.
Me: Enjoying their freedom.
Cara: Yep! She’s fast asleep so I’m just watching TV.
I decide to give her a quick call to hear her voice. “What are you watching?”
“Nothing as exciting as you,” she says, amusement in her tone.
“I don’t know, I’ve been sitting here for over an hour,” I grumble. “You know what, I can’t even remember the last time I had a proper chat on the phone with someone. It’s all texting these days.”
“Yet here you are, calling me while you’re supposed to be working,” she teases.
“I can multitask,” I reply with a smirk. Let me show you sometime.
“Hold on a sec,” she says, and I can hear rustling noises and laughter. She puts the phone back to her ear. “Clover and Felix just got home and rushed to their bedroom.”
I smirk. “Hope you have some headphones.”
She laughs softly. “I don’t know, she had grass in her hair—looks like they already did some rolling around.”
“Nice to know you can still do shit like that after having a kid,” I comment.
“They are proof of that,” she says a little dreamily. “Any progress on the cheating husband?”
“Still waiting for him to resurface.”
“Tell me about your most exciting case yet...”
We continue to chat until she goes to sleep, and I head home with enough evidence for my client.
Some people you just can’t seem to stay away from.
Cara and I could be friends, though. Friends is safe, and I can still be there for her.
Even to myself, I sound like an idiot.
Chapter Sixteen
Cara
After texting Decker all night, I wake up and smile. I don’t know why, but picturing him sitting there and following a cheating husband while chatting with me was so amusing. His job definitely sounds interesting, something new every day. I’m sure he never knows where he will end up. I probably should have told him in person that I had decided to stay, but when he asked if I had gotten home safely, I had to let him know.
At first I got the impression he would have preferred me to have left—out of sight out of mind, maybe—and I can understand why. We seem to have some sort of connection, and it’s terrifying, and not what we both need right now.
I grab my phone off the nightstand to try to call Rhett back. After he called me when I was at Decker’s, I’ve been trying to reach him but he hasn’t been answering the phone, which isn’t unusual for him and another reason I’m glad we are over. I’m guessing he wanted to discuss the house, or maybe Dad mentioned I had left. I told him we would still be friends, and I meant it, but being away from him is definitely a good thing for the both of us.
Clover pops her head into my room to see if I’m awake. “Good morning. I made you some coffee.”
I sit up in bed as she hands it to me. “Thank you.”
“What do you want to do today? I’m going to take Sapphire to the park if you want to join us, and then maybe we could get some lunch,” she says, sitting on the edge of my bed.
“Sounds good. I’m going to start applying for jobs today, too.”
Clover surprises me by frowning. “Oh man. Can’t you take a little time off before you dive back into work? It’s so boring being here alone sometimes.”
I laugh. “I only have three months before school starts again. Is your daughter boring you, Clover?”
She smirks. “My daughter is wonderful, but having my best friend around every day would be living the dream. An adult I actually like to talk to. Stay-at-home-mom life is hard, okay? I’m looking forward to heading back to work.”
Clover has stayed home with Fire long past her maternity leave, with money not being an issue for her. She was promised her job back whenever she chooses to return, but I’ll bet she won’t last another three months. Clover is very similar to her mother, the infamous Faye Black, who was a lawyer turned FBI agent. She loves the high of closing a case.
“I know it’s hard. It’s summer, so don’t worry, I’m sure you’ll have me home with you for a while, but I have to have a look and see what my options are,” I say, taking a sip of the caramel-flavored coffee. “I can’t crash here forever, Clover. I need a plan.”