"How's that?" I asked, knowing this meant something big for him.
He smiled almost wistfully. "I'm Emerald."
Chapter Twelve
Monday morning, I got up early, careful not to wake Violet when I slipped out of her bed. She cracked her eyes open and smiled, but then went right back to sleep. For a moment I paused, just looking at her. That woman was the most amazing thing I could imagine. The pastel colors in her hair sprawled across her pillow, her lean arms and bare back exposed by the sheet that had been pushed down - and all I could think was that she was mine.
Damn, I'd come up a lot in the world. I'd always been able to pick up the pretty girls. That had never been a problem. But the ones who wanted to stay were never the ones I wanted to keep. I'd always felt like there was some checklist in life, and that I wasn't hitting any of the right boxes. The women wanted to fuck me, but not actually date me. Then again, I hadn't tried too hard either.
That was the thing about having a kid. Casual was fine. Committed meant meeting my daughter, and I wanted my partner in life to be a good example. Now, I had three of them, and all of them were the kind of people I'd trust with my kid. Hell, I already had a few times.
When I was presentable enough, I headed downstairs to find Cessily sitting at the bar. This time, she had two coffee cups before her. One was lime green, the other a darker shade. With a smile, she handed me the deep green one.
"Emerald," she said.
"Chartreuse," I replied, feeling my lips curl. "So I'm allowed to have a coffee now, huh?"
"You're a local," she said, grabbing her keys and leaving her briefcase for me to carry. "Wasn't sure if that meant you were also an idiot. You've proven you're not."
I picked up the last of her things and gestured for her to lead the way. "What car are we taking?"
She flashed me a smile. "The Mustang."
"Not really your color, Cess."
"Yeah, but it looks good on me."
I almost felt bad for Darnell, but that man knew what he was getting into with her. Cessily was married to her career, and she made no secret of it. Darnell sounded like he was the same, though. If they were both on the same page, then who did it hurt? Although, considering that the man was letting her use his brand-new car? I had a feeling he said he was fine with it, yet still hoped for a little more.
"You know," I said as I climbed into the passenger seat and put my coffee in the cup holder, "the right guy wouldn't try to hold you back."
"Luke, the right man..." She paused to close the door and put on her seatbelt. "He deserves a lot more than I can give. Unlike Violet, I would be miserable with an open relationship. If I commit to things, then I'm all in. I expect the same in return. Don't get me wrong, I don't judge what you do. Not even in the slightest. I just know that I couldn't do it, and I'm not going to make a mess of things when I just want a little sex sometimes."
"Sounds lonely," I told her.
She laughed once as she backed up and headed down the drive. "I actually like my own company. I have friends that I spend time with, and an entire rainbow of trouble to take care of. My biggest problem is free time, and the one thing that no one tells you men - but should - is that you deserve to get as much back as you give." Then she glanced over. "And Violet will walk all over you if you let her."
"No," I promised, "she won't. She'll let everyone think she will, but when she cares, she does it completely."
"Good."
She turned right and headed out of Cats Peak. The countryside stretched into the distance, but Cessily didn't put on any music. She just stared at the road, clearly thinking about something. Probably my case. We'd talked about it as much as we could, but from here on out, it all depended on what Meredith and her attorney did, and how the court interpreted everything.
"When does Faith go to the shrink?" I asked when we were well on our way.
"I think we should make an appointment for that today," she said. "You ok with paying for it?"
"I'm good," I promised her. "Not like I have any real bills anymore. Feed for my horses, truck insurance, and that's about it. There's always groceries in the house, rent comes out of my check, and those three take care of everything else before I even know it's a problem."
"Then we'll make it clear you'll cover that," Cessily said. "It'll go on the records as part of your agreement."
"What do you think my odds are? Like, sixty-forty? Worse?" Because I honestly had no idea how bad this was.
"Right now, fifty-fifty," she said, glancing over. "If you screw up again, though? It's not good, Luke."
"This isn't right," I grumbled.
"No, it isn't," she agreed. "Texas likes to keep kids with their mother. Assault is a serious charge, and I'm starting to wonder if that's why you were set up. If Paul Simmons is involved, could he do something like that?"
