Obviously, Caitlyn knew the truth about Cade leaving me ten years ago and that he was Drew’s father. I’d had to tell someone, and because she hadn’t known either of us in high school, she was an objective observer.
But how could I tell her about Cade being my big client? Caitlyn was so down on her ex that I was sure she’d be angry to know that I’d taken Cade on as a client. It wouldn’t matter to her that Cade’s had never been abusive. He’d broken my heart sure, but he’d been a perfect boyfriend. That was why when he had abandoned me, it had hurt so much.
Being lost in thought, I didn’t realize that Caitlyn had stopped speaking and was looking at me, with one eyebrow arched. “You’re not listening to a word I’m saying, are you?”
“No, I was!” I lied but realized how bad of a lie it was. I sighed. “I’m sorry, I’m totally distracted. I….”
I still didn’t know how to say it, so I just blurted it out. “I saw Cade today.”
Caitlyn’s mouth dropped open. “What?” she hissed, mindful of Drew and what he might overhear.
I nodded. “He’s the big client that I had a meeting with today. His mother was the one who made the appointment, and she was supposed to be there too, but her flight was delayed.”
“So, you were all alone with Cade? What happened? I need details!” Caitlyn’s eyes were wide with excitement, or shock…or both.
I replayed the day’s events to her, including how Cade had become more stylish and handsome since I’d last seen him and how it was kind of infuriating to me.
“Am I crazy to accept the job?” I asked once I’d finished. “It’s the opportunity I’ve been waiting for, and I feel like it’s too good to pass up. But I know taking Cade on as a client won’t be…easy.”
“You are a little crazy,” Caitlyn acknowledged. “But you’re also between a rock and a hard place. I’ve taken on some insane jobs, so I really can’t judge. And it’s not like he’s a horrible person. He broke your heart, yes, but there’s a difference between these things. I would just be…careful. You’ll be spending a lot of time with him if you’re planning this together. Don’t let your heart get stomped on a second time, okay?”
I nodded. “I’ll just keep my head down and get through it. And it’s not like I’ll be seeing him every day. I’ll have other clients too. And it’s a rush job, it’s in early September, so I won’t even have to deal with it for long.”
“Early September?” Caitlyn’s eyebrows shot up again. “Is he crazy?”
“Maybe. But think of the attention I’ll get for pulling off such a high-profile event in such a short amount of time.”
“As long as nobody expects you to be able to do it all the time, for every client,” Caitlyn warned me. “Are you sure you can handle this?”
“I’m sure,” I said, even though I wasn’t sure at all.
I had no idea what being around Cade regularly would do to me. I knew that some people who’d broken up had to still see each other at work, or with friends, but not me. We hadn’t had the same social circles either, so I hadn’t even heard anything apart from the occasional news clippings about his parents—which I had tried to avoid for the past decade.
While I was sure I wouldn’t fall for him again, I wasn’t sure how painful it would be for me to be so close and watch him wed another woman. Could I really handle it?
“Are you going to tell him about…” Caitlyn cleared her throat and glanced over to make sure that Drew wasn’t overhearing, “his son?”
“No,” I answered immediately. “Absolutely not. He can never know, especially now that he’s about to marry someone else. If he finds out it’ll ruin his relationship with his fiancé, and I might be angry with him, but I don’t want to sabotage his relationship. And it would hurt Drew, I mean…no. He’s happier without a father, without knowing Cade. When he’s older, I’ll tell him more, but I’m not going to disrupt my son’s life for a man who’s not going to stick around.”
Caitlyn sighed. “I hope you know what you’re doing.”
I sighed as well. “I hope so too. I’m not going to use this as an opportunity to tell him the truth and change our lives. This is just a job that will get me the access I need. I’ll get over with this wedding in four months and then Cade will go back to D.C., and my life will return to normal.”
Caitlyn nodded. I hoped that I could believe my own words.
5
Cade
Watching the sunset over the lake had always been a beautiful sight. I remembered sitting on the banks with Laura, or in the jacuzzi on the porch, watching the sunsets and enjoying the simple peace and joy I’d felt.
Laura.
Running into Laura again was the last thing I’d expected. It was as if my memories of her, my inability to move on from her, had called her back into my life. I just wished that I could turn my head and find her next to me once more, smiling the way she used to do. Some days, I had spent those sunsets staring at her more than at the sky.
It was stupid to hope, and yet, that fuzzy, champagne bubble feeling in my chest wouldn’t go away. Laura. Laura. The woman of my dreams was back in my life! How could I stop myself from thinking about her and wanting her? It was impossible.
You can’t have her, my brain reminded me, not that I’d forgotten this, but God, I was excited to be able to see her again, to spend time with her.