“Cane as a father...Well, I can see that, actually. He comes across as this hardass, but he’s a good man. I know him enough to see through that bullshit he projects.”
I couldn’t help but smile at just how right Nick was. “You got him pegged.”
“I have to run to a meeting, but if you need anything, just call me.”
“I’m pulling up to a meeting myself, but thanks a lot, Nick.”
I turned off the phone and pulled into a parking spot and cut the engine. Blaine was standing near the marina at Tempe Town Lake, his hands tucked into his pockets. He seemed nervous, which was just how I wanted him. I didn’t need him in some pissing match with me; I needed to know how he met Samantha West.
I got out of the truck and made my way towards him. The wind was whipping pretty hard and I saw him wince as the cool air swept by him. He finally saw me coming and put his hands to his sides, trying to look more imposing.
Good luck, asshole.
“Hey,” I called out, the sound of my voice making birds take flight around the water’s edge; Blaine nodded in response. “I’m gonna cut right to the chase.”
“Sounds good,” he said, his eyes narrowing.
“How did you meet Sam?”
He bit out a laugh. “That’s what you called me for? To see how I met Sam?”
“I’m just curious. Did you see her somewhere? Did you meet online? Did you get hooked up by friends?”
“Not that it’s any of your concern, but we met at a bar. I was in there with a client and she came up to me. Same place, same time.”
She came up to me...
“Did she ever say anything to you about knowing Kari?”
He looked at me like I was crazy. “How would she know that I knew Kari? Yeah, we got into a conversation a few times about our pasts and things, that’s how I know you two have a history...”
“What are you talking about?”
He smiled cockily, tilting his head to the side. “That you two had this thing going on. She said she had a fuck buddy but he was embarrassed about it, coming from a good family and all. I didn’t care because that’s all I wanted her for, too.”
“That’s asinine,” I said firmly. “Sam is nothing to me but my little sister’s friend. But that doesn’t matter. What matters is that she didn’t know that you knew Kari?”
He shook his head. “I don’t know how she could’ve. I think we were all a little shocked at the restaurant.”
“All of us but Samantha,” I exhaled. “She found a letter that Kari wrote you a long time ago but never sent. I’m pretty sure she set you up.”
His reaction wasn’t what I expected. He started chuckling, shuffling his feet backwards a couple of steps, his eyes looking me up and down. I knew he was gauging me, trying to see how far he could push me.
Judge carefully...
“Good,” he grinned. “Seeing Kari again was an answered prayer. I shouldn’t have walked away from her like I did and I’ve never been able to really get over that. But now I know where she is and what happened—I can try to make things right.”
“Thingsareright. We are getting married in a couple of weeks.”
He blanched. “You’re marrying her? What about Sam?”
“What about her?” I laughed angrily.
“She said you and her—”
“She’s a crazy bitch.”
He stood taller, eyeing me. “Kari just came back into my life. Don’t expect me to just ignore her.”
