I snatched it back up and looked. Yep. It did. It was a contract of employment.
And I was so confused.
I carried it back through to the workshop where Dex was waiting and staring at me already. “What is this?” I held it up.
He wiped his face with his shirt. “Exactly what it says it is.”
“Contract of employment? You’re hiring me?”
“I’m not firing you.”
“Is this how you’re going to get me to forgive you for abandoning me?”
“Wait, what?” He frowned, then his eyebrows shot up. “No—shit, no. The timing is a bit weird, I get it, but it’s coincidence, I promise.”
I frowned, looking at it and then back to him. “It’s not been three weeks.”
“I don’t think you need three weeks.” He held his hands out. “You proved me wrong. You belong here. Maybe more than I do.”
My heart thumped, and I looked down at the sheets in my hand. “Really?”
“Jamie.” Dex walked toward me and cupped my cheek. “I want you to work here. I want you to want to work here. I promise it’s just that simple. It has nothing to do with anything other than that.”
“I don’t know. I—”
“Cross my heart,” he said softly.
I opened my mouth but closed it again. I knew he was being honest. Those were his magic words, after all.
“Okay.” I smiled up at him.
He smiled right back.
“But I’m still not forgiving you for running out on me.”
He dropped his hand and groaned. “And here I was hoping you might take mercy on me.”
I slid the contract back inside the envelope, folded it, and whacked his arm with it. “No mercy. I might never forgive you for it.”
“Would another orgasm help?”
“Doesn’t this,” I waved the contract, “stop any inappropriateness?”
Dex snatched it off me. “Let me go rewrite that.”
I took it right back. “Nope. I saw something about tacos. I don’t want you to accidentally take that back. I can live without shenanigans.”
“Do you actually think I’d remove your right to have tacos twice a week for lunch? I’d be taking away my own. That would be counterproductive.”
“Twice a week, huh? Who’s driving to get them?”
“Both of us. We go once a week.”
I tilted my head to the side. “I’ll let you add in shenanigans if you do both the taco trips.”
He stared at me. “Man, you drive a hard bargain.”
“You can’t have everything.”
“You’re the one who gets shenanigans and doesn’t have to drive to the next town over to get tacos twice a week.”
“And I’ll forgive you for abandoning me.”
“For the last time, I didn’t abandon you. And I got my own ass-kicking from my aunt.”
I folded my arms. “My mother saw you pretty much naked. That means I win.”
He groaned and held out a hand. “Fine. I’ll write that all in.”
I handed it to him. “Thank you.” I waited until he was basically in the staff room before I said, “And, by the way, my mother wants to talk to you.”
“Wait, what?”
“Oh, shit. Is that the phone?” I ran to reception where I knew it wasn’t ringing.
“Jamie! Goddamn it!”
Revenge was a dish best served…well, usually cold, but this was red-hot.
And so, so satisfying.
***
“And what, exactly, are your intentions with my daughter?”
Dex blinked at my father. “I’m sorry, sir?”
Dad quirked an eyebrow. “You hired her past the trial today, did you not?”
“Yes. I did.”
I hid my smile behind my hand and scratched beneath Barbie’s ear with the other.
“Well? What are your intentions? Is this full-time? Will she get freedom in the garage?”
Dex visibly relaxed. “It’ll be a continuation of what she’s been doing for the past two weeks.”
“Which is?”
“Kicking his ass,” I replied.
“Yeah,” Dex agreed. “That’s pretty much as close as we’re gonna get to the truth.”
Dad looked at me with a smile. “That’s my girl.”
I returned the smile with a grin of my own. “Like you’d ever doubt that.”
“Of course not. But it’s nice to see you with someone who seems like a decent guy and obviously respects you.”
Now. Respects me now. But better late than never, right?
“Oh.” Mom’s voice came from the doorway. “So, you told your father you’re seeing each other?”
And just like that, you could hear a pin drop.
No, seriously, my dad even muted the TV.
Dex stared at me. I met his eyes briefly before looking at my mom. She still had her floral oven mitts on her hands.
“Mom,” I said wearily.
“Who’s seeing who?” asked Dad.
Mom started speaking before I could say a word. “I went to see Jamie this morning and young Dex here was a…visitor.”
I scooped Barbie off my lap onto the cushion next to me. “I knew this was a bad idea. I knew it.”
“Jamie—”
“Mrs. Bell, do you mind if I go?” I heard Dex ask before I slammed the back door.
I stepped out onto the porch and zipped up my sweater. I’d only gone along with my mom’s idea for dinner because I never expected her to blurt that out.