“Sure. Your mom and I will figure out a good time.”
“You have a boat, right?”
I nodded and took another bite. “Good memory.”
Saige looked amused. “Who wants chocolate pie?” she asked.
“Did you make it?” I teased.
“I took it out of the freezer. Does that count?” she said.
“It does. I want pie. I love pie.”
“Chocolate is my favorite,” Jace announced.
“Mine too. Have you had the turtle pie?”
“Turtle pie?” he asked with horror.
“It’s just chocolate and caramel with a fun name,” I explained. “It is amazing. There is a restaurant that makes the best turtle pie. We’ll have to go one of these days. I just bet you’ll like it.”
Saige practically jumped up from the table. Maybe I wasn’t supposed to talk about future outings. I wasn’t sure where the boundaries were. She returned a few minutes later with the pie. We ate and talked about summer break coming up.
“Thank you for dinner,” I said when it was time to go. “It was very good.”
“Can we go see your cars?” Jace asked.
He looked up at me with wide eyes. I noticed his eyes were a very similar shade of brown as mine. “We’ll have to see what our schedules look like,” I answered.
I knew that was probably way too adult-like, but she would figure out how to answer it. “Thanks for coming,” she said. “I guess I’ll see you later.”
“I’ll call.”
She smiled and nodded. I walked away and headed for home. That was one of the strangest nights I ever had. Not strange but surreal. I never imagined myself sitting down to dinner in a quaint house with a woman and child. That was not my style. When I got home, I felt the emptiness. I looked around my living space and couldn’t help but compare it to hers.
Her place was clean and comfortable. It was homey. It was warm and inviting while mine was sterile. It had all the gadgets and top of the line furniture, but it was just furniture. I could be walking into a showroom.
I shook it off. I didn’t want homey. That wasn’t for me.
Chapter 57
Saige
I closed out of the file I’d been working on. I felt more confident than I’d been in a long time. We were still running a little light on staff, but I wasn’t worried. We could make it another few months before it was time to ramp up and get ready for yet another season.
“Shit,” I said aloud. I was planning like I was going to be here in a few months. I wasn’t. I didn’t think I was. If I was being honest with myself, I could admit I had done very little to get started on my own business. I wanted to do it, but it wasn’t the most important thing in my life. I didn’t feel that same sense of urgency to get away from Nash.
My office line rang. “This is Saige,” I answered.
“It’s me,” Nash said.
I found myself sitting up a little straighter. “Hi.”
“I wanted to check in with you,” he said. “I know I’ve been gone all week. I meant to call earlier but things have been crazy.”
“It’s fine.”
“How is everything going there?”
“Good,” I said. “No problems.”
“We are working on getting more CPAs in there. I want to make sure we hire the right people. I’m having my HR go through every applicant and give them a thorough onceover. I don’t want any mistakes.”
“I can help interview,” I offered. “I’ve done it before.”
“Thanks, but you’ve got enough to do with running that place.”
“If you want my opinion, I’m happy to give it,” I said.
He laughed. “Don’t I know it.”
“Very funny. It’s been so quiet here.”
“Are you saying I was loud?” he said with a laugh.
“Not loud, but you know.”
“I don’t know,” he said in a husky voice. “Spell it out for me.”
“It’s been less satisfying without you here,” I replied.
“Are you saying you’re not satisfied?”
“Not in the last few days.”
“What are you doing this weekend?” he asked.
“What?” I asked and tried to switch gears to keep up with him.
“I have to go to California tonight,” he said. “I wanted to know if you and Jace wanted to come with me.”
I wasn’t sure I heard him correctly. “You want us to go to California with you?”
“Yes. Just for the weekend.”
“Um, I don’t know. Jace has never flown.”
“Would he like to?”
I thought about it. “I don’t know,” I said. “I’ll talk