Derek took detailed notes on his tablet as Forbes and Rick related information regarding the launch. Eli presented more solidified plans as Ben and Noah each talked about what the Active Adult community would look like both in early days and upon completion of the first phase. It felt strange in a way, since last year he and Eli had been sent on an information-gathering mission. Now Derek was part of the team, as amazing as that should be. Aside from crew, he’d never been a part of any team. Not as a law clerk and not as a corporate lawyer.
Bree’s gaze kept sliding to him, but he forced himself not to let her pretty blue eyes grab a hold of him. She looked worried about something, but that might just be her concentration face. There would be a lot of work involving the new village and, although she teased him about doing due diligence, she was very dedicated to her job.
After the meeting concluded, Derek reviewed his notes in the conference room. Absently saying good bye to the others, he sat at the long table for a few minutes.
“Everything all right, Derek?” Eli asked after everyone else had gone.
“Hmm? Yes, thanks. Just making sure my notes are accurate.”
“How about we get together tomorrow morning and review.” Eli smiled. “I could use your, let’s call it attention to detail.”
Derek found a smile. “That would be great.” He shut down his tablet and stood. “What are you up to tonight?”
“Early nights for Caro and me, man.”
“You’re totally committed, aren’t you?”
“I am.” Eli’s brow furrowed. “What’s going on with you and Bree?”
“Damned if I know.” Derek blew out a breath. “This is all new for me.”
“Dating in the fishbowl can suck, Derek. Trust me on this.”
“Bree doesn’t want people to know but I think that ship has left the dock.”
Eli laughed. “Sail ho.”
Derek shrugged. “I actually asked her where this was going.”
Eli gaped at him. “Seriously?” He crossed to the door and closed it. “You started the conversation?”
“Shocked the hell out of myself, but yes.”
“At the risk of sounding like Lettie, what was her answer?”
His belly tightened as he recalled the worry on her face. “Nothing. We’re just going to go on as we are.”
“Wow. That’s good?”
“Are you asking me?”
“Most guys might want to just go with the flow, right?”
“Did you?”
Eli shook his head. “At first, maybe. Sure. What the hell did I know about relationships? Caro, though. She was even more afraid to get involved than I was.”
“And now you’re both fully committed and having a baby.”
Eli flashed a wide smile. “Yep.”
Derek doubted any such future was in the cards for him and Bree. She’d put him on notice last night and he wouldn’t dare do anything to end what they had right now. Not before it ran its course, or whatever the hell happened.
He nodded at his friend but before Eli could tell him anything more about his reversal of fortune where emotional stuff was concerned he held up a hand. “Thanks, Eli.”
Eli nodded. “I’ll text you about tomorrow.”
Derek nodded as Eli left the room. He’d never been at such a loss with a woman. Hell, he’d never really cared enough to bother to ask where they stood. He could see something more with Bree. Could feel something more.
He didn’t give a shit about gossip or any of that. He did care about appearances, though. From years of hiding and crafting a finely-honed persona. Bree broke through it, amazingly. Pretty easily, too.
“Cypress Derek,” he said to himself with a small smile. “Maybe there’s something to that.”
As he made his way back to his office his cell phone rang. Glancing at the screen, he saw that Bill Chapman was calling. He hadn’t talked to him in a couple of weeks, so he was a little puzzled as he answered.
“Hello, Bill.”
“Derek, I’m glad I caught you.” Bill sounded abrupt, but he always was. “I assume you were in a meeting with Forbes?”
Derek didn’t even ask how Bill knew that. “I was.” He shut down his laptop and straightened his desk. “It just ended.”
“I figured. The man loves his meetings.” A soft chuckle came across the line, further baffling Derek. “This isn’t about that, though.”
“You don’t want to know what was discussed about the new village?”
“I don’t. Forbes will get with me on it, and you too. You’ll see contracts coming soon, Derek. Chapman will be the main investor in the Active Adult community.”
Derek grabbed his tablet and walked out of his office. “I bet you’re happy.”
“Ah, son. I’m never happy.”
The man’s tone said something else entirely. He sounded a little lighter, so maybe he was finally making inroads regarding his relationship with his kids.
“So why are you calling?” Derek asked as he walked into the lobby. He nodded at Mrs. Walsh seated behind the reception desk and pushed open the glass doors. “If you’ll have a report from Forbes and contracts for me.”
“This is about your father.”
Derek felt a chill dance over his skin despite the heat of the May afternoon. “What about him?”
He wasn’t even certain how Bill knew Eddie, but if his father was involved this call couldn’t bring any good news.
“He came to see me, Derek.”
Derek lifted his chin in idle greeting to Oliver and Tammy as they left the Sales Center, keeping to the far corner of the covered porch. “What the hell did he want?”
Bill snorted. “He’d a piece of work, your father. All flash and polish, but I’m sorry to say I didn’t like him.”
“It’s the first time you’ve met him?”
“Son, I wouldn’t have any sort of relationship with the family of one of my people without their knowing it.”
Derek ran a hand over his face. “What did he have to say.”
“He was looking for you. Played it up as wanting to reconnect with his son. He might be able to fool some of the people with that line but not me. I’ve been working on that very goal myself and I can recognize when someone’s being sincere. He wasn’t.”
Derek’s throat tightened. “Did he ask about my mother?”
“He said he’d heard she was living with you in Cypress.”
“Fuck. Sorry. I didn’t want him to know that.”
“He already knew. Maybe your mother let it slip a couple of months ago that you were taking the job?”
“That’s possible. My sister said she met for coffee with Eddie a couple of weeks ago.”
“I think he might be headed down there, Derek. I wanted to give you a head’s up.”
This was something Derek didn’t need right now. He was navigating his own way in Cypress, in his relationships, and now he had to deal with Eddie?
“Thank you for telling me.”
“I’ll say it again, son. I don’t like him. You get me on the horn if you need anything from me.”
Derek felt his eyes prick with tears. Bill had his back. Like a real father would. “Thank you. I will.”
“I’ll be coming down in a few weeks,” Bill said. “For Memorial Day.”
“For the festival?”
“Cypress seems to always have a festival, but I want to see the grandkids and get in some golf. Play a round or two with me?”
“Sounds good.”
“Take care of yourself, Derek.”
It was the warmest, fuzziest good bye he’d ever heard from Bill. He wasn’t surprised when the call disconnected. Bill wasn’t one for platitudes.
Derek clenched his phone in his fist. Fucking Eddie. What the fuck was he thinking, going to Bill Chapman? Bill had seen right through his bullshit, though. Derek shouldn’t have expected any less from his old boss.
He had to see his mother. Warn her that Eddie was asking around. Angling for some sort of preferential treatment, because that was the way he rolled.
“Fuck,” he said again.
Sending crushed shells and gravel spinning, he pulled out of the parking lot and headed for home.
***
Bree stared at her phone, her palms sweating as she studied Derek’s text.
Will I see you tonight?
Oh, would he? She didn’t dare. It had been rough enough, gazing at him at the meeting this afternoon. Those graceful fingers of his, tapping on his tablet. Those compelling eyes, laser focused on Mr. Forbes and Eli as they laid out the expansive plans for the east side of the property. With her feelings so messed up right now, though? She didn’t trust herself around him tonight.
She might gush and confess her undying love, which was something neither one of them wanted. Derek might have asked where they were going. What was this between them? He didn’t really want to know, did he? Any guy would take what they had for what it was. Amazing sex and personalities that just…meshed. They were so well-suited to each other, she knew she would somehow mess it up. Somehow become the ice queen she’d been in the past. That had turned guys off faster than losing access to their trust funds.
Busy tonight.
The response was short and way too vague, but she couldn’t admit the real reason. Not in a text, at the very least. Holding her breath, she waited for Derek to respond. It took a few minutes but a sad little okay showed up on her phone.
Tossing her phone on the couch beside her, she crossed her arms. She wanted to see him. She was busy. That was true. She had notes to review from today’s meeting and new scheduling to review for tomorrow. Fridays were busy at the Sales Center. Nearly as busy as Mondays. Still.
She’d told Jessie she would meet her and Noah for a drink tonight, in part to celebrate the big launch. She’d bowed out of that, too. She’d been afraid of running into Derek.
“Idiot.”
She stood and went to the fridge, pulling out one of the bottles of wine Derek had brought over last week. This was a nice, crisp white and just what she needed. Taking down one lonely wineglass from the cabinet, she poured herself a drink and returned to the couch.
Her phone was silent beside her. The screen was dark. Yet it was mocking her. Daring her to put on her big girl panties and call Derek. She was in control of her own reactions, wasn’t she? She wasn’t a silly coed with her first crush. She wasn’t a tired debutant with yet another boring fix-up. No. She was Bree James. Self-made woman, sort of, and in charge of her own life. Taking a big swallow of the wine, she set the glass down on the coffee table and picked her phone up again.
“Don’t be silly, Bree,” she told herself. “Just call him.”
Before she could change her mind, she tapped on his number and made the call.
“Bree.”
His voice was different. A little strained.
“Derek, is everything all right?”
“I thought you were busy.”
There was no accusation in his tone but her cheeks burned anyway.
“I’m not too busy to see you,” she admitted in a rush.
“Dinner at the Tavern?”
“How about dinner from the Tavern? I’ll order a pizza.”
“Sounds good.” He was quiet for a beat. “I’m glad you called.”
His words warmed her down to her toes. “I’ll pick up the pizza and meet you back here?”
“You’re not having it delivered?” he asked.
“No. I was supposed to meet Jessie and Noah earlier, so I’ll stop by and say a quick hello.”
“So you were too busy for them, too.” She could almost see his smile. “I guess I don’t feel so bad then.”
“I’ll see you in about a half an hour,” she said.
“Good.” For a single word, it held a lot of weight.
“Bye.”
They disconnected and she headed to the Tavern. It was busy for a Thursday night, so she went up to the counter.
“A large sausage and pepper pizza to go?” she asked.
The kid nodded and she paid for her order.
“That’s a lot of pizza for one small girl,” Joy said.
“Joy, mind your business.”
Joy grinned. “Consider it minded.”
Bree smirked at her and walked further into the tavern. There was a man seated at the bar, a tall dark-haired man with an upscale vibe. He was dressed like her father often did. Pricey knit shirt. Pressed trousers. Polished loafers. There was something about him, though. He seemed almost familiar.
“Something to drink?” the bartender asked.
“Nothing, thanks,” she told him. “Just waiting for a pizza order.”
The bartender nodded and walked further down the bar. The guy, who looked to be about her father’s age too, eyed her. She didn’t like the way he leered at her, and she marveled that he could make her feel dirty without even speaking a word.
“You should tell your boyfriend to take you to dinner,” the guy said.
Bree leaned away from him. She knew he was fishing for information, but he really should cut bait. “I’m bringing dinner home to my boyfriend, actually.”
“That’s a shame.” He turned to face her fully, leaning one elbow on the bar. “I hope he knows just how lucky he is.”
Who the heck was this guy? Without answering him, she gave him a tight smile and turned back toward the dining area. Jessie spotted her. She waved and Bree all but ran over to their table.
“What’s with the bar fly?” she asked as she joined them.
“The leering dressy guy?” Jessie asked. “Yeah, I saw him checking you out when you came in.”
Bree shuddered. “Yuck.”
“I thought you couldn’t come out tonight, Bree?” Jessie asked.
“I was going to review my notes from the meeting today, actually.”
“And now you’re ordering a pizza.” Jessie narrowed her eyes as a smile played over her lips. “Interesting.”
Bree waved a hand. “Don’t start with me, Pixie.”
Jessie and Noah both laughed at that. Bree heard her name and walked back to the counter to pick up her order. She could feel the older man at the bar watching her and resisted the urge to flip him off. Apparently her mother’s repeated training in the social graces still stuck. Margaret James would be proud.
She was just walking into her kitchen from the garage as her front doorbell rang. Her heart did that little skip as she set the pizza box on the tall counter. She opened the door to find Derek standing on the front porch, his hands in his pockets.
“Hey, Bree.”
Even as she silently called herself a giant idiot, she wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed him. He froze for a second, and then his arms encircled her. He felt so good. Solid. Real.
Leaning back, she looked up at him. His eyes were dark and his smile soft.
“Still busy?” he teased.
“Watch it, Due Diligence.”
Laughing, they went into the kitchen together.
She loved him. His kisses and his smiles. She wouldn’t admit that to anyone, though. Least of all Derek. In his words, she’d break under the cross-examination.