White roses assault my vision. Fuck.Fuck.I blacked out. No wait, was there a truck? Oh, my God. “Did you save me from a truck?”
His gaze darkens. “Only just. You need to start dealing with whatever has got you acting that way. If you don’t, it won’t be whatever you’re running from that will spell your end. You will take yourself out.”
I nod as a plan formulates in my mind, then crystallizes. I have to leave tonight. Friday is too far away.
It’s truly satisfying watchingpeople you care for enjoy a meal you prepared. Of course, the addition of Samuel into our dinner was unexpected. Helen is matchmaking, and she is so obvious.
Fox finishes his plate of food and eyeballs the half-eaten portion on my plate.
Samuel places his cutlery on his empty plate and sighs. “Damn, Cleo, you can really cook. You are going to make a man very happy one of these days.”
“Is that the sum of what a woman is worth?” I wonder as I take a small bite of the rich lamb.
“Now you’ve done it,” Helen utters.
Samuel frowns, and Fox’s lips twitch. “I’m not following,” Samuel says.
“A woman’s worth is measured by how happy she makes her man.”
Samuel’s mouth falls open. “That’s not what I meant.”
Helen presses her lips together as I point my fork at Samuel. “Perhaps I should advertise that I can iron a man’s shirt in under a minute and, much like Jane Austin’s heroines, enjoy spending my afternoons perfecting my needlepoint.”
Samuel scratches the back of his head. “I was trying to compliment your cooking.”
“Then do so, but don’t wrap it in words that destroy feminism.”
“Yes, ma’am.”
Poor guy looks confused. I take pity on him and redirect the conversation. “So, you went to school together?”
Samuel’s cheeky grin is back. “Went to school, played football, partied. We were inseparable until this idiot skipped towntwo weeks before we were due to start college and joined the military.”
Fox takes a sip of his wine. “I’d had enough of sitting in classrooms listening to information that I was highly unlikely to ever use. I wasn’t entirely sure what I wanted to do, so I didn’t see the point of going to college.”
Samuel rolls his eyes. “Yes, the all-time American hero.”
“There was nothing stopping you from joining me.”
Samuel shrugs. “I knew what I wanted to do.”
“What’s that?” I ask.
“Architecture. My family owns one of the most successful construction companies in the area, but we always had to outsource the design. I plugged the skill gap.”
“You want some more?” I ask Fox and Samuel as I rise from my chair.
Fox also stands and puts a hand on my shoulder. “Sit, woman. I can get my own food. You made it, after all.” He scoops Samuel’s plate and disappears into the kitchen.
The rest of the meal passes with light conversation, but as the clock ticks by, sadness pulls at my soul. Helen has become so much more than my employer in such a short time, but it’s time to move on.
Samuel hovers around helping Fox with the dishes as Helen and I sit at the breakfast bar sipping the last of the wine. “Before I forget, here’s your items from the order,” Helen says, sliding off the stool to retrieve a box from the sideboard in the entryway. She places it on the breakfast bar with a frown. “Oh, wait, I have a few things in there.”
My hand stretches out covering the box. “That’s okay, I can retrieve them tomorrow once the order is sorted.”
She pushes my hand out of the way. “Don’t be ridiculous. I need them now.”
The boys turn to look at us. Helen pulls out a long creamsilk nightgown and hands it to me. “That’s yours, honey.” Fuck my life. She hands me the short crimson version and two sets of lingerie. “That’s everything, I think.” I squeeze my eyes closed as my cheeks heat to match the gown.What the hell, Helen?
